VII derives its name from the number of founding photo-journalists who, in September 2001, formed this collectively-owned agency. Designed from the outset to be an efficient, technologically advanced distribution hub for some of the world's finest photojournalism, VII has been responsible for creating and relaying to the world many of the images that define the turbulent opening years of the 21st century.

Now made up of 11 eminent photographers - John Stanmeyer, Marcus Bleasdale, Alexandra Boulat, Ron Haviv, Gary Knight, Ed Kashi, Antonin Kratochvil, Joachim Ladefoged, Christopher Morris, Stephanie Sinclair and Franco Pagetti - VII remains committed to recording, not just the battlefield, but social and cultural change worldwide.

What unites VII's work is a sense that, in the act of communication at the very least, all is not lost; reparation is always possible; despair is never absolute.

David Friend, former director of photography at Life magazine, is Vanity Fair 's editor of creative development. A successful author and editor, he has also curated a number of important exhibitions and created the Alfred Eisenstaedt Awards for Magazine Photography.