Visa pour l'Image photography festival loses its founder: why Jean-François Leroy's passing is a huge loss to photojournalism

Perpignan, a southern French city near the Mediterranean coast, transforms into the world capital of photojournalism for a couple of weeks every late summer. The International Festival of Photojournalism, Visa pour l Image, is the brainchild of Jean-François Leroy, who passed away on August 31 due to cancer at the age of 69. Despite not being well enough to attend, Leroy remained deeply involved in selecting the programme, which included a retrospective exhibition of Raymond Depardon's work.

Launched in 1989, Visa pour l Image has grown into much more than a tourist attraction for Perpignan. It serves as a professional lifeline for photographers who lack gallery representation or book deals, offering them a public platform to showcase their work. The festival's founders, including Roger Thérond, editor of Paris Match, and Leroy, who began his career at Sipa Press and later at Photo Magazine, share a strong commitment to supporting photographers.

Leroy's journey in the industry began as a photojournalist, before he moved into editing roles. However, his ability to identify and champion other photographers' talents eventually became the foundation of Visa pour l Image. His keen eye for discovering and promoting new and established photographers has been crucial to the festival's success. This approach has led to the recognition of both emerging and veteran photographers, as well as the rediscovery of artists whose work has been overlooked by the industry.

Tributes to Leroy describe him as a formidable and challenging figure, but also as someone who had a profound impact on the lives of those around him. Despite his reputation for being critical, his support and encouragement changed many careers. His final festival, themed "Reality strikes back," addressed the growing threat of AI-generated imagery to the profession, and he left the team with the vision of continuing to make Perpignan a beacon for photojournalists.