SMILE! a photo anthology by VII includes 85 photos from 30 countries. See a preview of the show, on view at Brookfield Place New York, on CBS News. More info at http://viiphoto.com/event/smile-photo-anthology/

"This is not just news, it's history, and I do want to add something to the recording of that history." Watch The Making of Maidan to go behind-the-scenes of Anastasia Taylor-Lind's new book about the fighters and mourners of Kiev, Ukraine. Limited edition and collector's edition copies are now available for pre-order from GOST Books at http://bit.ly/1kCQagm

Following this seminar, we invite you to join VII and The Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting for Beyond Witness, a special evening panel and reception. All events to be hosted at NPR's Studio One space.

http://viiphoto.com/book-release-maidan-portraits-black-square-anastasia-taylor-lind/

About a Photograph: Ed Kashi tells Think Tank Photo about visual instinct and how he had just seconds "where these elements all sort of collided in this moment,"while documenting religious conflict in Northern Nigeria. http://blog.thinktankphoto.com/2014/03/ed-kashi-northern-nigeria-conflict/

Meet the five photographers selected to join the VII Mentor Program this year: http://bit.ly/1djsChp

Tomas van Houtryve's project Blue Sky Days, which reveals a drone’s-eye view of America, is the longest photo story which has ever run in Harper’s Magazine since they began publishing in 1850. You can find the 16-page feature of black-and-white aerial images in the April issue of the magazine; glimpse the introductory text here. The work will also be exhibited in New York April 3-25, 2014.

In honor of World Water Day, The New Yorker Photo Booth looks at photographic projects that highlight the beauty of water, including work by John Stanmeyer that documents sacred waters such as cenotes, or unground water caves, considered vitally important to the spiritual needs of the Mayan people.

Featuring the work of VII Mentor Program photographer Laura El-Tantawy, In Context brings together conceptual artists whose practices address an underlying sociopolitical agenda as well as photojournalists and social documentarians who utilize conceptual strategies to subjectively shape the portraits they create. The convergence of these approaches yields work that carefully balances aesthetic and political goals to frame important social issues in a contemporary manner. The work presented reflects the realities of a diminishing market within mainstream media outlets for social documentary photography and the simultaneous rise of a ‘social turn’ on the part of conceptual artists.

"It's incredibly difficult and challenging, but it's never been more exciting. I never imagined when I began 30 years ago that I would be working in all these different mediums, using all these different tools..I can reach people in ways I never could have imagined." Ed Kashi, member of the 2014 World Press Photo multimedia contest jury, presents his views on the field.

All across Europe, a gang of jewelry thieves known as the Pink Panthers—whom Interpol believes has stolen more than €350 million worth of jewelry in the past 15 years—have pulled off some of the largest diamond heists in history. Donald Weber traveled to Montenegro, the heartland of the Pink Panthers, to understand the origins of this spectacularly inventive and elusive group. See more on our website: http://viiphoto.com/articles/pink-panthers/

For a multifaceted look at recent events in Ukraine — from portraits of protestors and mourners to a glimpse inside ousted president Viktor Yanukovych's now abandoned luxury estate — check out our March newsletter: http://viiphoto.com/contentNewsletter/March2014/

http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/africa/nigeria/140219/peacemakers-nigeria-muslim-christian-violence

Open to those interested in developing story telling skills including, but not limited to, students of photography and journalism. Participants will be required to use a digital camera, but DSLR and iPhone cameras are welcome equally.

Join VII Photo and Arts Brookfield for the participatory exhibition SMILE! A Photo Anthology, examining how smiles manifest in our world, from the most depressing, violent and poverty-stricken conditions to the warmth and security of home. Best of all, we want you to take part! Join us on social media by submitting a personal smile via Instagram or Twitter using the hashtag #sharemysmile. Submissions will be added to the Arts Brookfield website as well as the exhibition in NYC, and the photographer who submits the top smile will receive a signed copy of Questions Without Answers. More info about the exhibit and how to take part on our website at http://viiphoto.com/event/smile-photo-anthology/