Portrait Awards 2021 - Now Open for Entries!LEARN MORE »

2016
emerging talent
call for entries
© Katsumi Saiki
DIGITAL EXHIBITION IN NEW YORK CITY | FREE SUBMISSION REVIEW | INDUSTRY RECOGNITION | MASSIVE GLOBAL EXPOSURE

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!

Closed for new entries.

Emerging Talent Showcase

Below are examples of the winners and other highly-rated entries of our Emerging Talent Awards 2015 »

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Emerging Talent Awards 2016
International Jury

Michael Famighetti
Editor
Aperture Magazine
New York, USA
www.aperture.org/magazine
more about Michael

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
Dean of the School
International Center of Photography
New York, USA
www.icp.org
more about Fred

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).

Louise Clements
Artistic Director
QUAD and FORMAT International Photography Festival
Derby, UK
www.derbyquad.co.uk www.formatfestival.com
more about Louise

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
Director
Pier 24 Photography
San Francisco, CA, USA
pier24.org
more about Christopher

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
Président
Agence VU’ & Galerie VU’
Paris, France
www.agencevu.com
more about Xavier

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
Editorial Director
IMA Magazine
Tokyo, Japan
imaonline.jp
more about Mutsuko

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
Editor-in-Chief / Web Editor
Juxtapoz Magazine
San Francisco, CA, USA
www.juxtapoz.com
more about Evan

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
Editor-in-Chief
LensCulture
Amsterdam,
The Netherlands
www.lensculture.com
more about Jim

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.

Mary Virginia Swanson, Executive Director, LOOK3 Festival of the Photograph

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!

© Tim Warner

Career-Launching Awards

JuryLensCulture
Juror's Pick50 Emerging TalentsEditors‘ 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!

— Christian Bobst
See Christian’s full review »

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.

— James Niven
See James’s full review »

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!

— Alicja Dybowska
See Alicja’s full review »

Learn More and View Actual Submission Reviews »

© Mark Dorf

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.

© Matt Eich

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:

FINE ART • PORTRAIT • LANDSCAPE • ARCHITECTURE • INTERIORS • ALTERNATIVE PROCESS
PHOTOJOURNALISM • DOCUMENTARY • CONCEPTUAL • VISUAL STORYTELLING
STILL LIFE • B & W • NATURE • STREET PHOTOGRAPHY • ABSTRACT • EXPERIMENTAL • STAGED
Closed for new entries.
© Anais Boileau

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:

Poike Stomps
The Netherlands

Rich, vibrantly photographed street crossings in all 42 of Europe's capitals. A simple concept that resonated deeply with our global audience after being recognized in last year’s Street Photography Awards.

Sander Troelstra
The Netherlands

Driven by a passion to understand humanity through portraiture, Sander Troelstra travelled to South Africa to photograph his “Children of the Night.” His commitment to his craft is inspiring—hear the rest of his story.

Floriane de Lassée
France

Listen to Floriane de Lassée, Emerging Talent 2014 winner, tell her inspiring story about traveling around the world to photograph the loads that people carry—a journey filled with discoveries and surprises.

Kurt Simonson
United States

Kurt Simonson spent over 10 years working on his "Northwoods Journals," a photographic journey into his ancestral narrative. Learn more about this magical series and also how Kurt was able to share his story with the world.

Richard Tuschman
United States

Originally a painter and printmaker, Richard Tuschman combines his passions in realizing these perfectly constructed dioramas, inspired by the work of Edward Hopper. Hear more about the work and the career-changing impact the Exposure Awards had on his career.

Elena Chernyshova
Russia

In this video, hear Elena’s thoughts about her long-form documentary project, Days of Night, Nights of Day, and what happened when the story went viral, reaching over 738K people in just a week. It’s a unique story that grips people from the start.

Kirsty Mitchell
United Kingdom

Visual Storytelling 2014 winner Kirsty Mitchell shares "Wonderland," the stunning fictional narrative she just completed. See what happened after her LensCulture win was announced: it's a beautiful story on every level.

Ellie Davies
United Kingdom

Ellie Davies transforms the woodland spaces around her home into a wondrous studio, through which we can become re-acquainted with nature, trees, even the stars. Learn more about her unique work and how her career took off.

Kerry Mansfield
United States

Two-time LensCulture Finalist Kerry Mansfield talks about her amazing experience of fighting breast cancer as well as the origins of her latest series, Expired. Kerry's photographs are as powerful & inspiring as her story.

More Success Stories

Here are a few more examples from previous LensCulture winners and finalists of how these awards impacted their careers:

  • Joshua Rashaad McFadden
    United States
  • Niki Boon
    New Zealand
  • Steve Scallone
    Australia
  • Denny Renshaw
    United States
  • Camille Michel
    France
  • Thomas Kiefer
    United States
  • Hans Gindlesberger
    United States
  • Sian Davey
    United Kingdom
  • Sandra Pereznieto
    Mexico
  • Tony Corocher
    Italy
  • Alan Thomas Wilkie
    Norway
  • Franky Verdickt
    Belgium
  • Bela Doka
    Hungary
  • Eugenio Grosso
    United Kingdom
  • Philipp Englehorn
    Hong Kong
  • Kurt Simonson
    United States
  • Carlotta Cardana
    United Kingdom
  • Katrina Kepule
    Latvia
  • Vincent Gouriou
    France
  • Frances Denny
    United States
  • Tetsuya Kusu
    Japan
  • Sandra Hoyn
    Germany
  • Marjorie Salvaterra
    United States
  • Joan Alvado
    Spain
  • Tsutomu Yamagata
    Japan
  • Adrien Tache
    France
  • Ali Mobasser
    United Kingdom
  • Andreas Olesen
    Denmark
  • Andrejs Strokins
    Latvia
  • Anne Berry
    United States
  • Antoine Bruy
    France
  • Birgit Püve
    Estonia
  • Candace Gaudiani
    United States
  • Candace Karch
    USA
  • Claire Felicie
    Netherlands
  • Daesung Lee
    South Korea
  • Daisuke Takakura
    Japan
  • Dayna Bartoli
    Norway
  • Debi Cornwall
    United States
  • Douglas Ljungkvist
    United States
  • Fabrice Fouillet
    France
  • Fulvio Bugani
    Italy
  • Greg Kahn
    United States
  • Heidi Woodman
    United Kingdom
  • Ian Hughes
    United Kingdom
  • Ioana Cirlig
    Romania
  • Jessica Hines
    United States
  • Joana Choumali
    Cote d'Ivoire
  • Jorge de la Torriente
    United States
  • Jürgen Novotny
    Germany

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

2016
emerging talent
call for entries
© Santiago Vanegas