Jean-François Leroy, the co-founder and long-time director of Visa Pour l'Image, the world’s leading photojournalism festival, died on August 31 at his home in Paris. He was 69. According to his nephew Vincent Jolly, a journalist, the cause of death was cancer.
Mr. Leroy was widely recognized for his dedication to photojournalism that captures the realities of conflict, human suffering, and environmental crises. Under his leadership, Visa Pour l'Image, held annually in Perpignan in southern France, became a central platform for showcasing powerful and often difficult images from global hotspots. The festival typically occurs in late summer and draws hundreds of photographers and more than 200,000 visitors.
French President Emmanuel Macron described the festival as “a home, a public square, sometimes a refuge for a profession he saw was threatened,” praising Mr. Leroy as “a great defender of reality.” The 2026 edition of Visa Pour l'Image, which began on August 29, features more than 30 exhibitions, including work by noted photographers such as David Guttenfelder, Elise Blanchard, and Khames Alrefi. Their images depict themes ranging from immigration enforcement in Minneapolis to the trauma of child brides in Afghanistan and the violence in Gaza.
Although Mr. Leroy referred to himself as a “mediocre” photographer, he devoted his career to supporting others in the field. In 1989, he helped establish the festival with friends and colleagues, including Roger Therond and Michel Depardon. Over more than three decades, he emphasized principles such as resisting image manipulation, avoiding the aestheticization of suffering, and confronting urgent news stories head-on.
In his memoir, “Le Devoir de Regarder” (“Never Look Away”), set for publication shortly after his death, Mr. Leroy reflected on the enduring impact of photography. “I remain persuaded of the power of a photograph to shake the indifference of our contemporaries,” he wrote, underscoring his belief in the medium’s ability to provoke awareness and empathy.
Mr. Leroy also played a critical role in reviving interest in the work of influential photographers from the past, such as Paul Fusco, whose documentation of Robert F. Kennedy’s funeral train he championed. He challenged the notion that photojournalism was predominantly male, highlighting the contributions of female photographers.
Colleagues praised Mr. Leroy’s unwavering commitment to authenticity. Alison Morley, chair emerita at the International Center of Photography, noted that he “believed in unfiltered photography” and was instrumental in exposing “countless conflicts” to wider audiences.
Born in Paris on October 3, 1956, Mr. Leroy was one of five children. He initially studied medicine to satisfy his family before pursuing photography, influenced by his time spent at the photo lab of La Vie Catholique magazine. He worked as a photographer for Sipa Press and served as editor of Photo Magazine in the mid-1980s.
Starting with just 150 participants in 1989, the Visa festival expanded rapidly, attracting thousands by the mid-1990s. Despite concerns about the future of photojournalism as a profession, Mr. Leroy remained optimistic about its importance and impact.
He is survived by three sisters: Dominique, Pascale, and Béatrice Leroy. Michel Depardon, an esteemed photographer and early collaborator, acknowledged Mr. Leroy’s influence saying, “Thanks to the relentlessness of Jean-François Leroy, its founder, we have all become respectable.” Yet, Mr. Leroy’s vision extended beyond respectability. He believed meaningful photography required purposeful storytelling, cautioning that images without intent, while technically proficient, would ultimately be hollow.