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January 21, 2026 — 5.00am
A young photographer with dreams of becoming a foreign correspondent is joining the award-winning photographic team at The Age as a visual journalist trainee.
With an impressive global photographic portfolio, Ruby Alexander was a stand-out to photographic and senior editors among applications from across the country.
The Age visual journalist trainee Ruby Alexander joins the team this month.
“I started off with videography, when I was probably around 9 years old,” she said. “I got my first real DSLR when I was 14, and that was when I really started taking photos. I’ve been doing it ever since.”
Alexander, now 22, is in her final semester of a double degree in business and media at Swinburne University.
With aspirations of working as an overseas correspondent one day, her photography and videography have taken her across Australia and Asia, filling her portfolio with documentaries, photo essays and multimedia stories.
“Career-wise, Bangladesh was the first place I ever did a documentary and that really kick-started the videography side of things as something I really want to do for work. It was a really good experience, just doing stories more in line with what I want to do in my career. Everywhere I’ve been in Asia has been absolutely phenomenal. ”
The visual journalist trainee program at The Age and The Sydney Morning Herald is funded as part of a broader three-year partnership with Canon Australia, which are providing a dedicated investment, alongside gear for trainees and Nine Publishing staff photographers.
Alexander, who is based in Melbourne, said she was interested in the role because it’s a rare opportunity that offers a traineeship focused on photographic journalism.
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“This one is very specifically unique in that way, which is why I was so inclined to pursue it.”
“I’m really excited to get the mentoring from photographers I’ve already been following. I’m really excited to learn from them.”
Nine Publishing executive editor Luke McIlveen said the trainees would work alongside award-winning journalists to develop their skills.
“Our newsrooms too will benefit from the real-world experience they bring to us. We can’t wait to see how Ruby contributes to the country’s two most-read mastheads.”
Aaron Berthelot, senior general manager of consumer sales and marketing at Canon Oceania, congratulated Alexander on her selection.
“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,” he said.
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