VII Fieldwork: Christopher Morris with Gary Knight

About this workshop

100% of the profits from the workshop will support the tuition-free education programs of The VII Foundation.

Two of the most consequential figures in photojournalism of the last forty years, teaching in one of the most alive cities on earth. Over five days, you’ll work in the field, developing a single body of work under Christopher’s daily mentorship, supported by Gary. The focus is not on chasing spectacular images, but on the harder, more rewarding work of careful observation, patience, and understanding.

Christopher will be joined by his friend Gary Knight, a former conflict photographer for Newsweek, who started his career in Indochina and Southeast Asia in the late 1980s. He later co-founded VII Photo Agency with Christopher and five colleagues and went on to build The VII Foundation into a tuition-free training ground for the next generation of documentary storytellers and a platform for filmmakers and visual journalists to produce complex multidisciplinary stories.

This February, they bring their experience to a single week in Bangkok, a city that has long been one of the great proving grounds for documentary photographers. It is a home to extremes: sacred and profane, wealthy and poor, traditional and modern.

Bangkok is one of the most magical and evocative megacities in Asia, and one of the most photographic. Thailand’s capital sprawls over 1,500 square kilometers of delta on either side of the great Chao Phraya River and is home to 11 million people. With 1,684 canals stretching for 2,602 kilometers, and a myriad of roads weaving through neighborhoods and past the capital’s 400 sacred temples, it is accessible and welcoming, and rich in tradition. Bangkok is the economic engine of the country and the center of wealth and modernization.

A city built on contrasts, Bangkok is unhurried and frantic at the same time. That tension is what makes it one of the great living classrooms for documentary photography. There is always a frame. The challenge is earning it.

This isn’t a workshop about gear or technique. It’s about tuning yourself how to see, how to gain access, how to build a narrative, and how to bear witness responsibly, taught by two people who have done it under the most demanding conditions. They will share their knowledge of the city and invite friends and colleagues who are based in the region to speak to the class.

Photography Level

Intermediate hobbyist to professional. Beginners are welcome but the course is demanding, so you should at least bring a knowledge of camera basics and a brief history of photography in order to get the most out of the experience.

Requirements

• Digital camera that can be operated with manual settings
• Laptop and associated equipment to download images
• Editing software
• Portfolio of work that you want the instructor to review
• Good mobility and fitness. The days are long and require good mobility to be able to spend long hours moving around the city, actively observing and interacting with the scenes around you.
• Travel and health insurance is mandatory.

What’s Included

• Access to the instructors
• Minimum number of students: 6
• Maximum number of students: 12
• Daily presentations and editing sessions with the instructors and special guests
• A presentation of everyone’s work at the end of the workshop
• Two group dinners

Travel, food (other than the group dinners), and lodging are not included. Participants are responsible for their own arrangements, visas, and travel documents.

Daily Schedule

• Jan. 31: Arrival day. Welcome dinner and introductions.
• Feb. 1: Introduction to Christopher’s career, which spans almost 50 years. Presentation of his theory of photography. In the afternoon, Christopher and Gary review your work and help better define who you are as a photographer and what your vision is.
• Feb. 2: Group discussion and review of potential project to accomplish during the workshop. Walk through the city with Christopher to see how he photographs on location.
• Feb. 3: Independent fieldwork and one-on-one reviewing sessions. Location scouting.
• Feb. 4: Editing sessions and discussion on photographic output. Evening group outing with Christopher and Gary.
• Feb. 5: Final projects sequenced and presented. Farewell dinner.

Payment and Cancellation

Choose Pay in Full (US$5,000) or Deposit (US$1,500). If you pay a deposit, the balance of US$3,500 is due by December 15, 2026 and will be invoiced by email once the workshop is confirmed. The workshop runs with a minimum of 6 participants; if that is not reached by December 1, 2026, we cancel and refund everything paid in full, so please wait until after December 1 to book non-refundable travel. All payments are otherwise non-refundable. If a balance is not received by the due date, your place may be released. Once the workshop is full, a waitlist will be available.

Please read our Refund and Cancellation Policy and Terms of Service before registering.