emerging talent
Seeking 50 of the World’s
Best Emerging Photographers
We invite you to enter our 4th annual Emerging Talent Awards, which are dedicated to discovering the best emerging photographers from all over the world. Our international jury will select 50 outstanding photographers — from all cultures, all points of view, with no age limit.
Awards will include a digital gallery exhibition at the International Center of Photography Museum in New York City, $20,000 in grants, opportunities for exposure at over 50 international photography festivals, inclusion in the upcoming photobook, The Best of LensCulture Today: 150 Contemporary Photographers, which will be distributed and sold worldwide and so much more. Don’t miss this opportunity to expose your work to a global photography community of over 2.5 million!
Emerging Talent Showcase
Below are examples of the winners and other highly-rated entries of our Emerging Talent Awards 2015 »

Emerging Talent Awards 2016
International Jury

Michael Famighetti is editor of Aperture Magazine. He has edited numerous photography books, including volumes by William Christenberry, Robert Adams, John Divola, Jonas Bendiksen, and a series based on the website Tiny Vices. His writing has appeared in Frieze, Bookforum, Aperture, and OjodePez, among other publications. Famighetti has degrees from Bard College and Columbia University, where he has also taught. He has served as a judge for the American Society of Magazine Editors National Magazine Awards. He speaks and reviews portfolios at leading photography events around the world.

Fred Ritchin is Dean of the School at ICP (the International Center of Photography), serving more than 5,000 students each year in graduate, one-year certificate, continuing education, and youth photography programs. Prior to joining ICP as Dean in 2014, Fred Ritchin was professor of Photography and Imaging at New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts, Director of the PixelPress, and co-director of the NYU/Magnum Foundation Photography and Human Rights educational program. Previously the picture editor of the New York Times Magazine (1978–82), executive editor of Camera Arts magazine (1982–83), and founding director of the Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Program at the International Center of Photography (1983–86), Ritchin has curated numerous exhibitions, and written and lectured internationally about the challenges and possibilities implicit in the digital revolution. His books include In Our Own Image: The Coming Revolution in Photography (Aperture, 1990), After Photography (W. W. Norton, 2008), and Bending the Frame: Photojournalism, Documentary, and the Citizen (Aperture, 2013).

QUAD and FORMAT International Photography Festival
Derby, UK
www.derbyquad.co.uk www.formatfestival.com
Louise Clements has been the Artistic Director of QUAD, a center for contemporary art, film and new technologies in Derby, UK since 2001. She has also been the Artistic Director of FORMAT International Photography Festival since 2004. An independent curator since 1998, she has initiated commissions, publications, mass participation, art, film and photography exhibitions. She is a juror, portfolio reviewer, workshop leader, speaker and award nominator throughout Europe, America and Asia. She has served as a guest curator at such places as Les Rencontres Arles, Discoveries (France), Hamburg Photo Triennial (Germany), Venice Biennale (Italy), Photoquai Biennale (Paris) and many more...

Christopher McCall is the director of Pier 24 Photography in San Francisco, one of the largest exhibition spaces devoted to photography. In 2002, McCall received his MFA in Photography from California College of the Arts, studying under Jim Goldberg and Larry Sultan. After teaching for seven years, he joined Pier 24 Photography in 2009 as the inaugural director, assisting in the conceptualization of the organization’s mission and operating principles. Since opening the doors of Pier 24, McCall has overseen the presentation of five exhibitions and spearheaded the creation of the Larry Sultan Visiting Artist Program, a program in collaboration with the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art and California College of the Arts.

Xavier Soule is the president and director of Agence VU’, one of the most renowned agencies and galleries for photographers in France and Europe. The aim of Galerie VU' is to affirm, on the walls, the diversity of contemporary stylistic photographic approaches, and to compare and contrast current viewpoints, so they can dialogue with their differences. Galerie VU' works like any other commercial gallery: it is simultaneously a space for exhibiting and selling collectors' editions, offering monograph approaches as well as hosting authors' dialogues, group and thematic approaches.

Mutsuko Ota is Editorial Director of IMA magazine. Born in Tokyo, 1968, she started her career as an editor at Marie Claire and worked at several men’s magazines such as Esquire, GQ and others as a feature editor. Besides collaborating with several magazines as a freelance editor, she became involved in various fields including art projects, book and catalogue editing, and film promotion. She became the editorial director of IMA magazine in January 2012. In 2004, she helped produce a physical space called IMA CONCEPT STORE in Tokyo, with the goal of popularizing art photography in Japan.

Evan Pricco is the current Editor-in-Chief of Juxtapoz Magazine, a leading international art and culture magazine founded in 1994. He has worked with the magazine for over 9 years, curating groundbreaking special issues and projects on public art, political art, contemporary African art, as well as Juxtapoz' book series. When he was younger, Evan wanted to be a baseball player. Then a writer. Then a therapist. Then a baseball player again. He has since settled on art editor and appreciator of Frank Stella, Takashi Murakami, and Steve Powers.

Jim Casper is the editor-in-chief and publisher of LensCulture, one of the leading online destinations to discover contemporary photography from around the world. As an active member in the contemporary photography world, Casper organizes annual international photography events, travels around the world to meet with photographers and review their portfolios, curates art exhibitions, writes about photography and culture, lectures, conducts workshops, serves as an international juror and nominator for key awards, and is an advisor to arts and education organizations. He serves on the board of directors at SPE, the Society for Photographic Education, the world’s largest association of photography educators.
Entering juried competitions is often the best way to get your work seen by industry professionals who can make a difference in your career.
Emerging Talent Competition Gallery
Featured entries are selected daily by the LensCulture team.
You can click on the photos to learn more about the photographer. If you like someone's work, share their submission on Facebook to help them get more exposure!
Career-Launching Awards
Jury | LensCulture | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Juror's Pick | 50 Emerging Talents | Editors‘ Picks* | Every Entrant | ||
Submission Review by Photo Industry Professional | |||||
Opportunities for Immediate Exposure | |||||
Visibility with LensCulture Insiders | |||||
Massive Exposure to our Global Audience of 2+ Million | |||||
Emerging Talent Awards 2016 Online Exhibition | |||||
International Press Exposure | |||||
NYC Exhibition at International Center of Photography Museum | |||||
International Photo Festival Projections | |||||
Published in “The Best of LensCulture” Photobook | |||||
Featured Article on LensCulture | |||||
LensCulture Network Membership | |||||
$20,000 in Emerging Talent Grants |
*Editors' Picks: During the competition, LensCulture's editors will curate hundreds of entries for immediate exposure to our global audience through the competition gallery and our Facebook page.
Awards & Benefits
AWARDS
JUROR'S PICK:
Each of our 8 judges will personally select a photographer to receive a $2,500 grant.
TOP 50 EMERGING TALENTS:
Our jury will select 50 outstanding emerging photographers — from all cultures, all points of view, with no age limit.

NYC Exhibition at International Center of Photography Museum
A digital exhibition at the ICP Museum in New York City will be held for the Emerging Talents. The International Center of Photography is the world’s leading institution dedicated to photography and visual culture. Through its exhibitions, school, public programs, and community outreach, ICP offers an open forum for dialogue about the role images play in our society. Since its founding, ICP has presented more than 700 exhibitions and offered thousands of classes, providing instruction at every level.
Projections At International
Photo Festivals
We partner with 50 photo festivals from around the world to showcase our award-winning photographers' work year-round. Winners of the 2016 Emerging Talent Awards will be shown at a selection of festivals from our growing list of partners this year, which include: FORMAT International Photography Festival, Voies Off Arles, Krakow Photomonth, Brighton Photo Biennial, Copenhagen Photo Festival, Photomed, Athens Photo Festival, Circulation(s) Photo Festival, Tokyo International Photography Festival, Cortona on the Move, Medium Festival of Photography, Brighton Photo Fringe and many more.
Angkor Photo Festival, Siem Reap, Cambodia
Art Photo Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain
Athens Photo Festival, Athens, Greece
Atlanta Celebrates Photography Festival, Atlanta, GA, United States
Backlight Photo Festival, Tampere, Finland
Bangkok Photo Festival, Bangkok, Thailand
Belfast Photo Festival, Belfast, Northern Ireland
BIP2016 – Biennial of the Possible, Liège, Belgium
BredaPhoto International Photo Festival, Breda, Netherlands
Brighton Photo Biennial, Brighton, United Kingdom
Brighton Photo Fringe, Brighton, United Kingdom
Circulation(s), Paris, France
Copenhagen Photo Festival, Copenhagen, Denmark
Cortona on the Move, Cortona, Italy
DarmStadt Days of Photography, Darmstadt, Germany
Delhi Photo Festival Portfolio Reviews, New Delhi, India
Encontros da Imagem Photography Festival, Braga, Portugal
Eyes On, Vienna, Austria
FestFoto, Porto Alegre, Brazil
Festival della Fotografia Etica, Lodi, Italy
Festival Internacional Fotografia Valparaiso, Valparaiso, Chile
FORMAT, Derby, United Kingdom
FOTO SOLO, New York, NY, United States
FOTOFESTIWAL - International Festival of Photography, Lodz, Poland
FotoLeggendo, Rome, Italy
Fotopub Portfolio Review, Novo Mesto, Slovenia
GuatePhoto Festival, Guatemala City, Guatemala
Indian Photo Fest, Madhapur, India
Krakow Photomonth Festival, Krakow, Poland
Medium Festival of Photography, San Diego, CA, United States
Miami Street Photography Festival, Miami FL, United States
Month of Photography Denver, Denver, CO, United States
Mostra São Paulo de Fotografia, São Paulo, Brazil
Mt. Rokko International Photo Festival, Kobe, Japan
Obscura Festival, Penang, Malaysia
OFF_festival Bratislava, Bratislava, Slovakia
Photo Romania Festival, Cluj-Napoca, Romania
Photolux Festival. International Biennial of Photography, Lucca, Italy
Photomed, Sanary-sur-mer, France
PHOTOMONTH East London, London, United Kingdom
PhotOn Festival, Valencia, Spain
PhotoVisa, Krasnodar, Russia
PondyPHOTO 2016, Pondicherry, India
Tokyo International Photography Festival, Tokyo, Japan
Vienna PhotoBook Festival, Vienna, Austria

Published in The Best of LensCulture Today: 150 Award-Winning Photographers
We are partnering with Schilt Publishing House to produce an annual volume of all our award-winning photographers’ work. The LensCulture photobook will include images from our Exposure, Portrait, Street and Emerging Talent awards. This unique collection of photographic work will be available for purchase and distributed worldwide. Schilt Publishing is also the official publisher for the World Press Photo Foundation and FotoFest.
LensCulture Network Membership
Winning photographers and Jurors' Picks will receive membership to the LensCulture Network, our invitation-only community of internationally recognized photography talent. LensCulture Network members benefit from access to a full range of services, including 10 free entries into any of our annual competitions. Visit the LensCulture Network page to see how membership empowers photographers both creatively and professionally.

Aaron Schuman, Director/Editor, SeeSaw Magazine, UK
Ada Takahashi, Director, Robert Koch Gallery, USA
Adina LoBiondo, Senior Photo Editor, Sierra Magazine, USA
Afton Almaraz, Senior Picture Editor, Getty Images, USA
Alan Taylor, Senior Editor, The Atlantic, USA
Alessandra Capodacqua, Photographer, Curator and Teacher of Photography/ The Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency (EACEA), Italy
Alessandro Zuffi, Rédacteur Photo/ Photo Editor, Free lance, France
Alessia Glaviano, Vogue Italia and L'Uomo Vogue Senior Photo Editor, Events Art Director at Conde Nast, Italy
Alexa Becker, Acquisitions Editor, Kehrer Verlag Publishers, Germany
Aline Smithson, Founder/Editor-in-Chief, Lenscratch, USA
Alison Nordstrom, Independent Scholar/Curator of Photographs, Alison Nordström, USA
Alyssa Coppelman, Contributor, WIRED, USA
Amber Terranova, Marketing Manager, Schilt Publishing, USA
Amy Feitelberg, Photo Director, Los Angeles Magazine, USA
Amy Pereira, Director of Photography, MSNBC, USA
Amy Wolff, Photo Editor, Creative Director, CoEdit Collection, AARP, USA
Andy Adams, Founder & Director, FlakPhoto, USA
Andy Greenacre, Picture Editor, Telegraph Magazine, UK
Ángel Luis, González Fernández Founder and Director, PhotoIreland, Ireland
Ann Jastrab, Gallery Director, RayKo Photo Center, USA
Ann Kendellen, Photographer and Reading Specialist, USA
Anna Dickson, Content and Community Photo Lead, Google, USA
Anna Gripp, Editor-in-chief, Photonews, Germany
Anna Walker, Skillman Owner/Director, Jackson Fine Arts, USA
Anne Bourgeois-Vignon, Global Digital Director, Magnum Photos, UK
Anne McNeill, Director, Impressions Gallery, UK
Anne Morin, Director, diChroma Photography, Spain
Anne Wilkes-Tucker, Curator, Museum of Fine Arts, USA
Antony Dickson, Features Photo Editor, South China Morning Post, Hong Kong
Arianna Rinaldo, Artistic Director, Cortona On The Move, Spain
Ariel Shanberg, Independent Curator and Writer, USA
Audrey Turpin, Production Manager at CENTQUATRE, General Coordinator of Circulation(s) Festival, France
Barbara Čeferin, Owner, Galerija Fotografija, Slovenia
Barbara Tannenbaum, Curator of Photography, The Cleveland Museum of Art, USA
Bas Vroege, Director, Paradox, Netherlands
Ben Zlotkin, Founder & Director, Edition One Books, USA
Bevin Bering Dubrowski, Curator, Photography Specialist and Arts Advocate, BBD Photography, USA
Bjarke Myrthu, Founder & CEO, Storyfriend and BLIND SPOT INC., USA
Bonnie Rubenstein, Artistic Director, Scotiabank CONTACT Photography Festival, Canada
Brett Roegiers, Photo Editor, CNN.com, USA
Brian Paul Clamp, Owner/Director, ClampArt Gallery, USA
Brian Storm, Founder & Executive Producer, MediaStorm, USA
Bronwen Latimer, Deputy Director of Photography, The Washington Post, USA
Carlos Carvalho, Owner, Carlos Carvalho Arte Contemporanea, Portugal
Caroline Hunter, Picture Editor, Guardian Weekend Magazine, UK
Catherine Edelman, Owner, Catherine Edelman Gallery, USA
Celeste Jovanovich, Sales Director, Fahey/Klein Gallery, USA
Celia Davies, Director, Photoworks, UK
Celina Lunsford, Artistic Director & Chief Curator, Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, Germany
Charles Guice, Founder/Director, Charles Guice Contemporary, USA
Charlotte van Lingen, Senior Curator, Kunsthal Rotterdam, Netherlands
Chelsea Matiash, Deputy Multimedia Editor at TIME Magazine, Executive Board Member at National Press Photographers Association, USA
Chris Jordan, Studio Manager, Chris Jordan Photographic Arts, USA
Chris Littlewood, Photography Director, Flowers Gallery, UK
Christophe de Jaeger, Coordinator, BOZAR Photo, Belgium
Christophe Laloi, Artistic Director, Voies Off Arles, France
Christopher Rauschenberg, Founding Member, Blue Sky Photographers' Collective and Gallery, USA
Clare Grafik, Head of Exhibitions, The Photographer's Gallery, UK
Corey Keller, Curator at San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, USA
Corinne Tapia, Director, Sous Les Etoiles Gallery, USA
Cristina De Middel, Artist, Dillon Gallery, UK
Daphné Anglès, Picture Editor/Bureau Manager, The New York Times Paris, France
Darbe Rotach, Senior Photo Editor, WebMD, USA
Darius Himes, International Head of Photographs, Christie's, USA
Darren Ching, Owner, Klompching Gallery, USA
David Alan Harvey, Full Member Photographer, Magnum Photos, USA
David Birkitt, Owner, DMB, UK
David Campbell, Communications and Marketing Manager, World Press Photo, Netherlands
David Chickey, Publisher, Radius Books, USA
David Drake, Director, Ffotogallery, UK
Dr David Kogan Ph.D., Owner, Cinderella Photography, Canada
Deborah Dragon, Photo Producer / Photo Editor, USA
Deborah Klochko, Director, Museum of Photographic Arts, USA
Debra Klomp, Ching Owner/Director, Klompching Gallery, USA
Denise Wolff, Senior Editor, Aperture, USA
Dewi Lewis, Owner, Dewi Lewis Publishing, UK
Dimitri Beck, Director of Photography, Polka Magazine, France
Dina Mitrani, Gallery Owner, Dina Mitrani Gallery, USA
Dmitri Beck, Director of Photography, Polka Magazine, France
Donna Cohen, Photo Editor, Bloomberg Businessweek, USA
Ed Carey, Director, Gallery 291, USA
Eder Chiodetto, Independent Photography Curator, Brazil
Eduard Planting, Owner, Eduard Planting Gallery | Fine Art Photographs, Netherlands
Elda Harrington, Owner, Escuela Argentina de Fotografia, Argentina
Elena Firsova, Managing Editor, Foto&Video Magazine, Russia
Elie Domit, Director, East Wing Gallery, Qatar
Elinor Carucci, Teacher of Photography, School of Visual Arts, USA
Elisa Medde, Managing Editor, FOAM Magazine, Netherlands
Elisabeth Biondi, Visuals Editor, Curator, Writer, Teacher, Advisor, Biondi Foto, USA
Elissa Curtis, Deputy Photo Director, The Wall Street Journal, USA
Elizabeth Avedon, Correspondent USA/Reporter, L'Oeil de la Photographie, USA
Elizabeth Johnson, Sr. Photo Editor, CNN Digital, USA
Elizabeth Lapp, Head of Social Marketing, Yahoo, USA
Els Barents, Independent Photo Historian, Writer & Researcher, Els Barents, Netherlands
Emily Adams, Photography Exhibition Specialist, Mexico
Emily Graham, Cultural & Education Manager, Magnum Photos, UK
Emma Bowkett, Director of Photography, FT Weekend Magazine, UK
Enrico Bossan, Founder and Art Director, e-photoreview.com, Italy
Enrico Stefanelli, Founder, President and Artistic Director, Photolux Festival, Italy
Erik Vroons Chief, Editor, GUP Magazine, Netherlands
Evgeny Berezner, Deputy General Director, ROSIZO State Museum&Exhibition Center, Ministry of Culture of Russia, Russia
Felicia Anastasia, Founder & Creative Director, Anastasia Photo Gallery, USA
Fiona Rogers, Global Business Development Manager, Magnum Photos, UK
Francis Hodgson, Photography Critic, Financial Times of London, UK
Francoise Callier, Program Coordinator, Angkor Photo Festival, France
Frazier King, Member of Board and Exhibition Committee, Houston Center for Photography, USA
Freddy Denaes, Publisher, Editions de l'Oeil, France
Frits Gierstberg, Head of Exhibitions/Curator, Nederlands Fotomuseum, Netherlands
Gad Edery, CEO, Gad Collection, France
Gaia Tripoli, Photodesk - Deputy for Business and Assignments, International New York Times, Italy
Gail Marowitz, Creative Director, The Visual Strategist, USA
Garry Sommerfeld, Manager Photographic Services, NGV National Gallery of Victoria, Australia
Genevieve Fussell, Senior Photo Editor, The New Yorker, USA
Gilles Steinmann, Photo Editor, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, Switzerland
Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs, National Media Museum, UK
Gregory Eddi Jones, Founding Editor, In the In-Between, USA
Hamidah Glasgow, Executive Director/Curator, The Center for Fine Art Photography, USA
Hannah Watson, Director, TJ Boulting Gallery and Trolley Books, UK
Hélène Joye-Cagnard, Director, Journées photographiques de Bienne, Switzerland
Hideko Kataoka, Director of Photography, Newsweek, Japan
Ian Shive, CEO & Founder, Tandem Stills + Motion, USA
Iatã Cannabrava, Partner, Estúdio Madalena, Brazil
Ihiro Hayami, Director, Tokyo Institute of Photography, Japan
Ishida Tetsuro, Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography, Japan
Jacob Aue Sobol, Photographer, MagnumPhotos, Denmark
James Estrin, Photographer/Lens Blog Editor, The New York Times, USA
Jason Landry, Director, New Hampshire Institute of Art, USA
Jeanne Mercier, Editor, Coordinator, and Trainer, Afrique in visu, Morocco
Jeff Gates, Lead Producer, Smithsonian American Art Museum, USA
Jeff Moorfoot, Editor, BETA Developments in Photography, Australia
Jennifer Blessing, Senior Curator of Photography, Guggenheim.org, USA
Jenny Smets, Member of the Supervisory Board, World Press Photo, Netherlands
Jeremy Ross, Gallery and Sales Manager, Morrison Hotel Gallery, USA
Jessica Lim, Asia Coordinator, Angkor Photo Festival & Workshops, Cambodia
Jessie Wender, Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic, USA
Joanne Junga, Yang Director,Y&G Art, South Korea
Johan Sjöström, Curator of Exhibitions, Gothenburg Museum of Art, Sweden
John Duncan, Editor, Source Photographic Review, UK
Jolene Hanson, Director, The G2 Gallery, USA
Jon Jones, Director of Photography, Sunday Times, UK
Jorge de la Torriente, Owner / Photographer, De La Gallery, USA
Juli Lowe, Director, Catherine Edelman Gallery, USA
Julien Jourdes, Co-Founder and COO, Blink.la, USA
Karen Davis, Director/Co-owner, Davis Orton Gallery,USA
Karen Downey, Project Manager, Arts Council, Ireland
Karin Bareman, Exhibitions & Projects Organiser, Autograph Abp, Netherlands
Karol Hordziej, President & Art Director, Foundation for Visual Art, Poland
Kathleen Prutting, Manager Photo Editor, CBS Broadcast Network, USA
Kathy Moran, Sr. Editor, Natural History at National Geographic Magazine, USA
Kathy Ryan, Director of Photography, The New York Times Magazine, USA
Ken Geiger, Dep. Director of Photography, National Geographic Magazine, USA
Kenneth Dickerman, Digital Photo Manager, The Washington Post, USA
Kottie Gaydos, Director of Operations & Curator, Detroit Center for Contemporary Photography, USA
Kris Graves, Studio Manager and Photographer, Guggenheim Museum, USA
Krzysztof Candrowicz, Director at Lodz Art Center, and Artistic Director at Hamburg Triennial of Photography, Poland
Kurt Mutchler, Senior Science Photo Editor, National Geographic Magazine, USA
Lars Boering, Managing Director, World Press Photo, Netherlands
Laura Pressley, Executive Director, CENTER, USA
Laura Serani, Artistic Director, Photography Residence Foundation Treilles, France
Lauren Ford, Photographic Director, Dazed & Confused, UK
Linda Benedict-Jones, Executive Director, Silver Eye Center for Photography, USA
Lisa J. Sutcliffe, Curator of Photography and Media Arts, Milwaukee Art Museum, USA
Lizzy Oppenheimer, Senior Photo Editor, InStyle, USA
Louise Clements, Artistic Director, Derby QUAD Limited and FORMAT International Photography Festival, UK
Luc Rabaey, Owner, 44 Gallery, Belgium
Lucy Bell, Director, Lucy Bell Fine Art, UK
Maarten Schilt, Publisher and Gallerist, Schilt Publishing & Gallery, Netherlands
Magdalena, Herrera Director of Photography, GEO France, France
Maja Saphir, Web Photo Editor, Fast Company, USA
Manila Camarini, Photo Editor, D La Repubblica, Italy
Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, President/Founder, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film, USA
Marc Prüst, Artistic Director, Photoreporter Festival Baie de St. Brieuc, Netherlands
Marcel Feil, Deputy Director of Artistic Affairs, FOAM, Netherlands
Marcia Allert, Director of Photography, The Daily Beast, USA
Margaret Kelly, Exhibition and Art Fair Manager, Pace/Macgill Gallery, USA
Margy Dudley, Owner, Open Shutter Gallery, USA
Maria Garcia Yelo, Deputy Manager, PHotoEspaña International Festival of Photography and Visual Arts, Spain
Marie-Pierre Subtil, Chief Editor, 6 Mois, France
Marion Hislen, Director, Circulations Festival, France
Marisa Schwartz Taylor, Photo Editor, The New York Times, USA
Mark Murrmann, Photo Editor, Mother Jones, USA
Martin Parr, Award-Winning Photographer and Curator, UK
Mary Virginia Swanson, Manager of Institutional Giving, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts Foundation, USA
MaryAnn Camilleri, Founder, The Magenta Foundation; Director, Flash Forward Festival, Canada
Matt Shonfeld, Executive Director, Institute for Artist Management, UK
Matt Stuart, Independent Street Photographer, UK
Matthew Craig, Co-Founder and CEO, Blink, USA
Matt Tucker, Picture Editor, BuzzFeed, UK
Mauro Bedoni, Freelance Photo Editor, USA
Maya Byskov, Artistic Director, The Independent AIR, Germany
Meaghan Looram, Deputy Photo Editor, The New York Times, USA
Melissa Ryan, Director of Photography, Nature Conservancy Magazine, USA
Mia Diehl, Photography Director/Fortune Magazine, USA
Michael Dooney, Director, Jarvis Dooney Galerie, Germany
Michael Famighetti, Editor, Aperture Magazine, USA
Michael Foley, Owner, Foley Gallery, USA
Michael Mack, Founder, mackbooks.co.uk, UK
Michael Weir, Director/Founder, Belfast Photo Festival, UK
Michael Wichita, Director of Photography, AARP, USA
Michael Zajakowski, Features Picture Editor, Chicago Tribune, USA
Michelle Dunn Marsh, Executive Director at Pacific Center Northwest, Founder of Minor Matters Books, USA
Miriam Romais, Independent Curator, Photographer at RomaisPhotos, USA
Miyako Yoshinaga, Director, Mikayo Yoshinga Gallery, USA
Molly Roberts, Chief Photography Editor, Smithsonian Magazine, USA
Monica Allende, Photography Editor, Curator, and Educator, UK
Moritz Neumüller, Academic Director of Photography Programs, Istituto Europeo di Design, Spain
Moshe Rosenzveig, Director, Head On Photo Festival, Australia
Mutsuko Ota Editorial, Director, IMA magazine, Japan
Natalie Matutschovsky, Senior Photo Editor, Time Magazine, USA
Natasha Egan, Executive Director, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, USA
Nathalie Gallon, Director and Curator, Tarfa Project, France
Nathalie Herschdorfer, Director, Museum of Fine Arts Le Locle, Switzerland
Neil Binkley, Creative Director/Founder, BINKLEY +, USA
Newsha Tavakolian, Magnum Photographer, Iran
Olivier Laurent, Editor of LightBox, Time Magazine, USA
Patricia Lanza, Content Director, Annenberg Space for Photography, USA
Paul di Felice, Senior Lecturer (Visual Arts), University of Luxembourg, Luxembourg
Paula Tognarelli, Executive Director, Griffin Museum of Photography, USA
Pavel Banka, Editor in Chief, Fotograf Magazine, Czech Republic
Paweł Szypulski, Curator, Krakow Month of Photography, Poland
Peggy Sue Amison, Artistic Director, East Wing Gallery, UAE
Phillip Prodger, Head of Photographs, National Portrait Gallery, UK
Raffaela Lepanto, Photo Editor/Consultant, PhotoFusion Photography Centre, UK
Regina Maria Anzenberger, Founder, AnzenbergerGallery, Austria
Régina Monfort, Photo Editor, FotoEvidence, USA
Richard A. Brooks, Deputy Photo Director for Asia Pacific, Agence France-Presse (AFP), China
Rina Tokura, Editor-in-Chief, IMA Magazine and Concept Stores, Japan
Roger Archibald, Photo Editor, Society of Environmental Journalists, USA
Roger Tooth, Head of Photography, The Guardian, UK
Roman Härer, Creative Director, plainpicture, Germany
Roxanne Behr, Senior Photo Editor, New York Magazine, USA
Rui Prata, Director, Museu da Imagem, Portugal
Rupert Jenkins, Founder and Head of Corrections, Durrington Edits, USA
Ruth Offen, Director/Curator, www.waterworksgallery.com, USA
Sacha Lecca, Deputy Photo Editor, Rolling Stone Magazine, USA
Sadie Quarrier, Senior Photo Editor, National Geographic Magazine, National Geographic Society, USA
Sam Barzilay, Creative Director, United Photo Industries, USA
Sara Guerrini, Freelance Photo Editor and Photography Consultant, Italy
Sarah Bonk, Photo Editor, Forbes, USA
Sarah Leen, Director of Photography, National Geographic Magazine, USA
Sarina Finkelstein, Photo Editor, Money Magazine, USA
Scott McKiernan, Founder/Director, ThePicturesofTheDay.com, USA
Sean Corcoran, Curator of Prints and Photographs, Museum of the City of New York, USA
Sébastian Hau, Director, Le Bal Books, France
Selva Barni, Founder & Editor, Fantom Editions, Italy
Serge Belet, Senior Exhibitions Manager / Exhibitions Management, National Gallery of Canada, Canada
Dr. Shahidul Alam, Director, Chobi Mela Festival of Photography, Bangladesh
Silvia Mangialardi, Director, Fotomundo Magazine, Argentina
Simon Lim, Senior Photo Producer, Greenpeace East Asia, China
Stacey Baker, Owner, Stacey Baker Photographic Artistry, USA
Stephen Mayes, Executive Director, Tim Hetherington Trust, USA
Stephen Perloff, Editor, The Photo Review, USA
Sujong Song, Independent Photography Professional, South Korea
Susan Spiritus, Owner, Susan Spiritus Gallery, USA
Susan Zadeh, Founder/Photography Director, Eyemazing Editions, Netherlands
Suzanne Opton, Photographer/Educator, International Center for Photography, USA
Taj Forer, Cofounder & CEO, Fabl, USA
Tala Skari, Director of Photography, International New York Times, France
Thomas Seelig, Director, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland
Tiffany Hagler-Geard, Photo Director, SheKnows, USA
Todd Hido, Photographer, USA
Todd James, Sr. Photo Editor, National Geographic Society, USA
Todd Tubutis, Associate Director, Sheldon Museum of Art, USA
Tomoka Aya, Owner/Director, The Third EyeGallery Aya, Tokyo, Japan
Ute Noll, Photo Director, Du Kulturmagazin, Germany
Valerie Fougeirol, Co-commissioner with Rafal Lawandowski, Asymetria Gallery, France
Vangelis Ioakimidis, Director, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece
Volker Lensch, Photo Editor at Stern Magazine, G&J, Germany
Whitney Johnson, Deputy Director of Photography, National Geographic, USA
Wim Melis, Curator, Noorderlicht Photography, Netherlands
Xavier Canonne, Director, Musée de la Photographie, Belgium
Xavier Soule, CEO of Abvent Group and Gallery VU, France
Yuko Yamaji, Curator, Kiyosato Museum of Photographic Arts, Japan
Yumi Goto, Independent Curator, Editor, Researcher and Consultant, USA
Zoe Chun, Communications Director, Kukje Gallery, South Korea
Visibility With Industry Insiders
We are now connected to over 3,000 photography industry insiders all over the globe, including top photo editors, book publishers, gallery owners, festival directors, agents, curators, online media publishers, and many more. LensCulture has become a key resource for these professionals to discover new work from photographers around the world. Industry-wide exposure is critical for both emerging and established photographers—all it takes is one set of eyes to change the future of your career.
International Press Exposure
Each year, LensCulture award-winners receive vast international press coverage from publications and media outlets around the world. Winners, finalists and entrants have been featured in such major publications as the BBC, The Guardian, Huffington Post, Spiegel Online, TIME Lightbox, The British Journal of Photography, The Telegraph, among many other national and international media outlets. This kind of press exposure can lead to viral, global recognition of your work.


Massive Exposure to our 2M+ Global Audience
Winning images will be showcased in the Emerging Talent 2016 Online Exhibition, accessible by photography-lovers all over the world immediately after the results are announced as well as long after the competition closes. Selected photographers will also be published in feature articles on LensCulture's home page and published across LensCulture's social media and editorial channels. We have found this to be a very effective strategy for getting photographers exposure that leads to career-building opportunities — see our Success Stories
Immediate Exposure Opportunities
The sooner you enter, the better your chance to be selected by LensCulture's editors for immediate exposure in our Competition Gallery, which is seen by our global audience. Some of these entries selected by the LensCulture editorial team will also be shared across LensCulture's online channels – our web site, mailing list, mobile platform, and social media channels. Access to additional opportunities and resources to share your work and gain recognition and exposure are provided to all participating photographers.

Free Submission Review
by Industry Professionals
We know how important critical feedback is to fine-tuning your work, and we want you to feel as confident as possible every time you submit to a call for entry. Enter the Emerging Talent Awards 2016 and you qualify to receive a free Submission Review. Our Submission Reviews include a personalized critique on how to make your submission stronger — what is working well and what can be improved — as well as recommendations for improving your practice and preparing your work for competitions, grants, juried exhibitions, and other calls for entries. We have over 100 trusted and qualified educators, photo editors, curators, publishers, gallerists, and other industry professionals who provide meaningful critiques and actionable feedback on your photography.
Read what LensCulture's community of photographers is saying about Submission Reviews:

I really have to say thank you (BIG TIME!) to the LensCulture team: first of all, for the submission review I received after the LensCulture Award — it really helped me to re-edit the 8 pictures for the World Press Photo Award submission, where I then won 2nd prize! Second, for the publication of this story on the front page of LensCulture. Your article went online just a few days before the judging process, so it's very well possible that that was also helpful for convincing the jury. Keep up the great work at LensCulture, you do an amazing job for photographers and the photography world!


Not in my wildest dreams did I expect such a positive response! Thank you! It gives me validation to continue on my Photographic journey, always being honest and true to what I see and feel. Besides this, it was also very encouraging and thorough in critique of each image. Also noted and appreciated were all the relevant and further reading links. Thanks so much.


I found the comments most perceptive, precise and accurate. I will certainly bear them in mind when resuming this project (or other projects of a similar stylistic profile). I appreciate the fact that the reviewer meticulously analysed all the technical details of the photos, as well as the general idea underlying the whole series. Thank you very much!

LensCulture's Commitment
to Education
We believe student photographers should have access to the best tools and services to help them elevate their photography practice and prepare their work for international exposure and recognition—even before they graduate. The LensCulture EDU Program provides photography students with resources and tools for creative and professional development including:
- Free Student Portfolio Account to showcase their work
- 30% discount on their entry into the Emerging Talent Photography Awards
- Free Submission review from photo industry professionals
- Opportunity for global exposure in the LensCulture Student Gallery
Educators and students can visit LensCulture EDU to learn more about our program and register for a free Student Portfolio Account.
Participate. Engage. Share. Connect.

Our photography competitions are different. We believe every photographer who participates deserves an opportunity for global recognition AND expert feedback . The sooner you enter, the more opportunities you have to share your work and engage with the global photo community. Unlike most competitions, you can change your entry after you submit and all the way up to the deadline. So, get started today and don't miss this opportunity.
Who’s an “emerging” photographer? Anyone who has not yet received significant international recognition. Please see our FAQ for more details.
Open to All Types of Photography:
Career Changing Exposure
For over 10 years, LensCulture has been committed to helping photographers of all levels move forward creatively and professionally. In that time, we have heard from hundreds of photographers who were able to achieve a breatkthrough in their careers though participation in the LensCulture community. We continuously produce video interviews with these photographers to introduce you to individuals who have taken their work to the next level. Here are some of our favorites:
More Success Stories
Here are a few more examples from previous LensCulture winners and finalists of how these awards impacted their careers:
WE RESPECT ARTIST’S RIGHTS
All photographers retain full copyrights for their own work. Period. Winners and Finalists grant LensCulture limited, restricted use of winning photos only to promote the photographers themselves and in connection with marketing the Awards competition itself. Details can be found in the Competition rules
emerging talent