In 1966, 21-year-old French photojournalist Catherine Leroy ventured into the chaos of the Vietnam war, capturing the raw emotion and humanity of troops and civilians alike. Now, Leroy’s photos are being exhibited at the 2025 Ballarat International Foto Biennale, on show now until 19 October.
Main image: Veteran of the People’s Army of Vietnam in Danang, photographed by Catherine Leroy in November 1980. Photograph: Catherine Leroy
Sat 23 Aug 2025 02.00 CEST
Leroy’s unflinching visual storytelling is credited with reshaping war photography. Here, she captured civilians fleeing before the arrival of North Vietnamese troops, near Saigon on 29 April 1975.
In 1977, Leroy captured her descent into combat after jumping with the 173rd Airborne Division as part of Operation Junction City. She became the first and only accredited woman and civilian journalist to parachute into combat during the war.
