The Alexia Foundation's two-day education seminar at Prague's Charles University drew an over-capacity crowd. More than 125 students and working professionals filled a lecture hall that had 95 seats. They filled the chairs and sat on the floor in walkways and in front of the podium. The Oct. 5-6 seminar was sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and co-sponsored by the university's Department of Journalism.

Accompanying the seminar, The Alexia Foundation’s “Eyes on the World” photojournalism exhibition opened at the University’s Department of Media Studies and Journalism. The exhibition is available for viewing through October.

The seminar consisted of lectures by three Alexia faculty members, presentations by two Czech photographers, and a portfolio session at the end of the seminar attracted approximately 25 students.

The seminar opened with a welcome by Embassy Charge d’Affairs Mary Thompson-Jones and Journalism Faculty Dean Jan Jirak. James Dooley, executive administrator of the Alexia Foundation, gave a history of the Foundation and outlined its goals. He showed work produced by past award winning Alexia grant recipients."

Karel Tuma, a Czech freelance photographer and an organizer of Czech photo agency Choice Images, showed pictures from his agency's photographers including his own, and talked to the audience about the difficulties of serious photographers starting a gallery to display and sell their work.

Dooley then discussed "Photographic Ethics." He talked about iconic images and how still photos have great power to inform and document. He showed and discussed photographs in which photographers and their publications altered reality using digital manipulation. He discussed the importance of photographers having strong ethical standards.

Ami Vitale, an Alexia grant winner and a member of the Foundation's board of advisors, talked about how photographers must be willing to adapt and embrace changes and new technologies. She told the students that she is back in school working on a Master’s degree at the University of Miami with the goal of improving her video skills. She showed video projects she had recently completed using the new Nikon still digital camera that also shoots video. Vitale told students that the current methods of photographers putting their images on the web is evolving and changing quickly and that they must be willing to evolve also.

The second day opened with Dooley showing work of the 2008 and 2009 Alexia student and professional award winners. Dooley explained how students and professionals can apply for the grants.

Michele Stephenson, a member of the Foundation's board of advisors and former TIME Magazine director of photography, spoke about visual journalism at TIME. She presented several powerful video projects TIME photographers and editors have compiled. She discussed how magazine photography has changed and how TIME has changed.

Filip Lab, head of the photography program at Charles University, ended the lecture series with a presentation of work he has done in Eastern Europe showing places where historic events occurred. Lab is a photographer, lecturer and author.