Two talented visual journalists will join Australia’s best news photography teams as trainees with The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age.

The traineeships, in partnership with Canon Australia, give the next generation of visual journalists a chance to develop their skills in award-winning newsrooms. 

Audrey Richardson will join the Herald and Ruby Alexander is heading to The Age after a highly competitive recruitment process conducted by the newsrooms’ photographic editors and senior editors.

Audrey and Ruby will work alongside the country’s top photojournalists, video producers and editors, developing visual reporting skills and working across different parts of the newsrooms.  

Audrey studied journalism and photography at Michigan State University, and completed internships with the Chicago Tribune, the Detroit Free Press and Seattle Times. She has an interest in underwater and drone photography.  

Audrey said: “I’m beyond thrilled to be joining The Sydney Morning Herald, and I can’t wait to work alongside and learn from some of the country’s best photographers and journalists.

“I’m incredibly grateful to Canon for this partnership and the opportunity to continue growing as a photojournalist.”

Ruby is an aspiring foreign correspondent with a passion for storytelling through photography, video and field reporting. Her portfolio spans Australia and Asia and includes documentaries, photo essays and multimedia stories. 

Ruby said: “I’m excited to be joining The Age as a visual journalist trainee. It’s a real privilege to learn and develop my skills alongside such an experienced and talented team. I’m eager to learn from everyone and to continue growing as both a photographer and journalist. Thank you to The Age and Canon for this incredible opportunity.”

Executive Editor Luke McIlveen, said: “With a rich history of documenting history through images, the Herald and The Age newsrooms welcome Audrey and Ruby. Working alongside our award-winning journalists, our trainees will not only develop their skills but our newsrooms too will benefit from the real-world experience they bring to us. We can’t wait to see how Audrey and Ruby contribute to the country’s two most-read mastheads.” 

Aaron Berthelot, Senior General Manager – Consumer Sales & Marketing, Canon Oceania, said, “Congratulations to Audrey Richardson and Ruby Alexander on their selection as visual journalist trainees. Canon is proud to support the next generation of visual storytellers through this partnership, and we’re excited to see their perspectives continue to develop within two of Australia’s most respected newsrooms.”    

The traineeship program is funded as part of a three-year partnership with Canon Australia, providing dedicated investment in the trainees’ development, alongside industry-leading gear for both the trainees and Nine Publishing staff photographers.

The traineeships are a unique opportunity for those with a strong passion for photography and video storytelling to contribute to the mastheads’ high-quality visual journalism. 

The Herald and The Age have a combined total readership of 12 million, and a rich heritage of quality, independent photojournalism.

Canon

Canon is a world-leading imaging brand that actively inspires and enables people to achieve more than they ever thought they could through products, services and solutions for business and consumers. 

With global revenues of more than $US28.5 billion in 2024, Canon has ranked among the world’s top 10 in the U.S. patent rankings for 41 consecutive years*.

Also part of the Canon Oceania Group companies and brands in the region are Canon Finance Australia, SUNSTUDIOS, Canon Business Services ANZ, Satalyst, Canon New Zealand Limited and Canon Business Service Centre in the Philippines.  

 *Information published as of January 15, 2025 by IFI CLAIMS Patent Services, a U.S. patent research company.