Documentary Practice:
Visual Storytelling Online
The Documentary Practice and Visual Storytelling Online program offers a unique opportunity for students and professionals worldwide to engage in a rigorous, year-long journey tailored for the online environment.
This intensive program spans a full calendar year (January 2025 - December 2025), blending guided classroom study with independent fieldwork focused on creating a long-form documentary project. Participants will gain a deep understanding of developing and constructing a visual narrative, enriched by dialogue with a global community of photographers. Students are encouraged to explore both local and global perspectives in their storytelling.
Why study in Documentary Practice: Visual Storytelling Online?
Learn and connect with accomplished ICP faculty and peers from across the world.
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​Participate in live, online class instruction, complemented by group discussion and individual assignments.
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​Join ICP's educational community and alumni network while remaining embedded in and creating work about your local community.
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​Create your own long-form project with the support of professionals and participate in ICP's online professional portfolio review day in May 2026 with an array of prominent international photographers.
A World-Class Remote Program
Program Structure
â—¾ Term 1 (January-May):
Introduces visual literacy, ethics, and research fundamentals with an emphasis on story development to build a solid groundwork for the documentary project.
â—¾ Term 2 (June-August):
Dedicated exclusively on independent fieldwork, students develop their long-term projects under mentor guidance, with no classes scheduled.
◾ Term 3 (September-December): ​
Students refine and contextualize their projects through collaboration with peers and international faculty, resulting in a cohesive body of work.
Class Format
â—¾ Class Schedule:
​Live classes are held weekday mornings (9 AM – 1 PM EST) for approximately 8-10 hours per week via Zoom.
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â—¾ Program Commitment:
Expect an immersive experience, averaging 11-17 hours per week, including live sessions, assignments, and independent fieldwork.
Course Offerings
Core Seminar
This Core Seminar Includes:
Critiques, lectures, reading, research, visual literacy, photography assignments, story development, sequencing, editing, and contextualizing of work.
Other Courses
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Digital Workflow Intensive
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Environmental Portraits on The Street
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Photographing What Is Familiar
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On Camera Flash
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Writing for the Photographer
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Ruminations on Community
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Project Research
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Realms On The Field Lecture series
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Inside Photo Editing
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Zinemaking
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Stories On the Web
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Individual mentorship
Doc Online '22, India
“ICP is more than just a school–it is a community with a strong sense of belonging. ”
Doc Online '22, Palestine
“Within a safe and open class environment, I learned how to look at images differently and explore how that same image can tell different stories to an audience.”