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

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INTERNATIONAL FESTIVAL PROJECTIONS • INDUSTRY INSIDER EXPOSURE • $22,000 in Awards
Closed for new entries. Winners will be announced in mid-April.

Seeking the New Photographic Portrait

497952232 325 The LensCulture Portrait Awards is the 2nd annual call for international portrait photography. The importance of portraiture is present in cultures across the world, illustrating the power and endurance of human connection. With over 145 countries represented on LensCulture, in over 15 languages, we’re seeking new global perspectives on the modern day portrait. This is an open call for portrait photography from around the world. 6 Winners, 8 Juror's Picks and 25 Finalists will be chosen.

Deadline: Monday, March 2, 2015 11:59pm PST

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    © Felicia Simion
  • %c2%a9+neil+buchan grant
    © Neil Buchan-Grant
  • %c2%a9+david+pace
    © David Pace
  • %c2%a9+louise+whiting
    © Louise Whiting
  • %c2%a9+ilona+szwarc
    © Ilona Szwarc
  • %c2%a9+keliy+anderson staley
    © Keliy Anderson-Staley
  • %c2%a9+robin+austen
    © Robin Austen
  • %c2%a9+pavel+wolberg
    © Pavel Wolberg
  • %c2%a9+hossein+fatemi
    © Hossein Fatemi

Open to All Types of Portrait Photography From Around the World

STUDIO • CANDID • CONCEPTUAL • ENVIRONMENTAL • STREET • ALTERNATIVE PROCESS • SELF-PORTRAITS • GROUPS & COUPLES • STAGED • COMPOSITES • SELFIES

Flags

international
jury 2015

  • Deborah Dragon
    Deputy Photo Editor
    Rolling Stone Magazine
    New York, NY
    rollingstone.com
    more about Deborah
    Rolling Stone’s deputy photo editor Deborah Dragon has collaborated with a long list of award-winning photographers to conceptualize, supervise and execute hundreds of memorable photo shoots since she arrived at the prestigious publication in 2002. She has also worked as a photo editor and helped dictate the visual presentation of such top national publications as FHM, Entertainment Weekly and Details. Deborah continues her fine-art work taking photographs using handmade pinhole cameras, exhibiting her work in numerous shows.

    She has a BFA in photography and lives in New York City.
    Dragon pic
  • Alexa Becker
    Acquisitions Editor
    Kehrer Verlag Publishers
    Heidelberg, Germany
    kehrerverlag.com
    more about Alexa
    Alexa Becker is the Acquisitions Editor for photography and art books for Kehrer Verlag Book Publisher. Having obtained her Master's in Art History from the University of Heidelberg, she started her career at Kehrer in 2003, where she is responsible for selecting and acquiring new photography-related projects.

    Founded in 1995, Kehrer Verlag in Heidelberg Germany specializes in books in the fields of photography, fine arts, and culture, working together closely with international artists, authors, museums and cultural institutions.
    Becker pic
  • MaryAnn Camilleri
    Founder, The Magenta Foundation
    Ontario, Canada
    Director, Flash Forward Festival
    Boston, USA
    more about MaryAnn
    Established in 2004, The Magenta Foundation is Canada’s pioneering non-profit, charitable arts publishing house. Magenta was created to organize promotional opportunities for artists, in an international context, through circulated exhibitions and publications. Projects mounted by Magenta are supported by credible international media coverage and critical reviews in all mainstream-media formats (radio, television and print). Magenta works with respected individuals and international organizations to help increase recognition for artists while uniting the global photography community.

    Through its successful emerging photographers program, Flash Forward, Magenta’s expansion into Boston has allowed the organization to set a standard for community collaboration while developing both a domestic and international presence vital to the success of artists. Magenta’s latest diversification and growth will continue through Magenta POP. These pop up art exhibitions premiered September 2013 in Pittsburgh and continue, making the City of Pittsburgh its next base.

    Notable titles published by Magenta include Phantom Shanghai and Hanoi Calling by Greg Girard, The Station Point by Robert Bourdeau, The Dead by Jack Burman, Carte Blanche Volumes 1 & 2 and the Flash Forward Festival Catalogues 2004 to the present. Upcoming Titles include The Watchers by Haley Morris- Cafiero and Self & Other: Portrait as Autobiography by Aline Smithson.
    M camilleri pic
  • Paula Tognarelli
    Executive Director
    Griffin Museum of Photography
    Boston, MA
    griffinmuseum.org
    more about Paula
    Paula Tognarelli is the Executive Director and Curator of the Griffin Museum of Photography. The Griffin Museum of Photography located in Winchester outside Boston, Massachusetts, is a small nonprofit photography museum whose mission is to promote an appreciation of photographic art and a broader understanding of its visual, emotional and social impact. The museum houses 3 galleries and maintains 4 satellite gallery spaces and several virtual on-line galleries as well. Ms. Tognarelli is responsible for producing over 60 exhibitions a year at the Griffin and its surrounding satellite spaces.

    She holds an M.S. in Arts Administration from Boston University, BA from Regis College, is a graduate of the New England School of Photography and is a current candidate for her Masters in Education at Lesley University. She has juried and curated exhibitions internationally including American Photo's Image of the Year, Photoville's Fence, Flash Forward Festival, Deland Arts Festival, Center for Fine Art Photography, PDN's Photo Annual, PDN's Curator Awards, the Kontinent Awards, the Filter Festival in Chicago, San Francisco International Photography Exhibition, Your Daily Photograph for Duncan Miller Gallery, the Lishui International Photography Festival in Lishui, China. She is a regular participant in national and local portfolio reviews, has been a panelist and featured speaker at photography events and conferences including MacWorld. She has been a panelist for the Massachusetts Cultural Council's Photography Fellowships and is a nominator for the Prix Pictet in Geneva, Switzerland, a nominator for the Heinz Prize in Pennsylvania, the Robert Gardner Fellowship at Harvard University, the St. Botolph Prize and the Rappaport Prize in Massachusetts. She is a past member of the Xerox Technical Advisory Board. She is on the advisory board of the New England School of Photography and the Flash Forward Festival Boston.
    P tognarelli2 pic
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    Anna Walker Skillman
    Owner/Director
    Jackson Fine Art
    Atlanta, GA
    jacksonfineart.com
    more about Anna
    Anna Walker Skillman has been a loyal and active participant in the arts community for the last 17 years. Graduated in Art History from the University of Georgia in 1991, she began her career working at the Haines Gallery, a leading contemporary art gallery in San Francisco. In 1993, Anna moved to Atlanta to manage the studio of famed Atlanta artist Todd Murphy. After working with Mr. Murphy to help establish his career, Anna turned to photography and joined Jackson Fine Art in 1998. In March of 2003, she purchased Jackson Fine Art from Jane Jackson who became curator of the prestigious and renowned collection of Sir Elton John. Ms. Walker Skillman is honored to have the opportunity to continue a reputation of excellence in exhibiting photography by both emerging and established artists. With a focus on a blend of 20th century and contemporary work, she promises to continue her commitment to Atlanta as an active and loyal participant of the arts community. Anna resides in Decatur with her husband, Ben, and two children.
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    Natalie Matutschovsky
    Senior Photo Editor
    TIME Magazine
    New York, NY
    time.com/photography
    more about Natalie
    Natalie Matutschovsky joined TIME in 2010 as associate photo editor. In addition to contributing to weekly features and special packages like the TIME 100 and an annual roundup of great-performances portraits, she edits for the Culture section. Natalie was formerly at the New Yorker, where she curated images for the fiction section.
  • Casper pic
    Jim Casper
    Editor & Publisher
    LensCulture
    Paris, France
    lensculture.com
    more about Jim
    Jim Casper is the founding editor and publisher of LensCulture, one of the leading destinations for contemporary photography from around the world. As an active member in the contemporary photography world, Casper organizes annual international photography portfolio review events, curates arts 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.
Enter Competition
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awards &
benefits

  • Exposure to over 500 photo industry insiders: curators, gallerists, editors, creative directors and publishers.
  • Be included in video projections at photo festivals around the world.
  • Over $22,000 in awards and opportunities for photographers to gain massive global exposure and career-changing recognition.
  • Chance for immediate exposure in the LensCulture Competition Gallery.
— JURY SELECTED — LENSCULTURE
Winners Finalists Editors' Picks*
$22,000 in Cash Awards
Projections in International Photo Festivals
‘Portait Award 2015’ Printed Annual
LensCulture Online Review Session
Exposure with LensCulture Insiders
Immediate Exposure in Competition Gallery
Massive Online Exposure
LensCulture Portfolio Account

*Editors' Picks: LensCulture editors will select hundreds of photographers during the competition for immediate exposure to our global audience of over 1,000,000 via social media and the Awards' website (before the judging begins). ALL highly rated entries (not only winners and finalists) will gain visibility with LensCulture Insiders, and will win invitation-only LensCulture Portfolio accounts, which serve as a platform to reach our audience of over one million worldwide.

learn more about the awards:

Cash Awards

Series Award:
Grand Prize $5000
2nd Prize: $2000
3rd Prize: $1000

Single Image Award:
Grand Prize $3500
2nd Prize: $1500
3rd Prize: $1000

New! Juror's Picks:
Each juror will select one photographer to receive a $1,000 Juror's Picks Award.

International Photo Festivals

The top work from Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists will be digitally projected at photo festivals and events throughout the year. LensCulture participates in the most important photography festivals each year and we work endlessly to promote our winning selections at each of these influential events around the world.

Award festival

Exposure with LensCulture Insiders

Work from Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists plus hundreds of the other top-rated photographers from this competition will be shared with LensCulture Insiders, our network of influential photography professionals. We believe this kind of exposure is critical for photographers to gain valuable opportunities.

Alan Taylor, Editor/Web Developer, The Atlantic, Boston, MA

Alejandro Castellote, Photography teacher, critic and freelance curator, Spain

Alexa Becker, Acquisitions Editor, Kehrer Verlag Publishers

Alexandre Percy, Owner, ACTE 2 GALERIE, Paris, France

André Frère, Editor, André Frère Éditions, Marseille, France

Andy Adams, Founding Editor, Producer, Publisher, FlakPhoto Madison, WI

Ângela Ferreira, Artistic Director, PhotoFestival Encontros da Imagem, Braga, Portugal

Anna Walker Skillman, Owner/Director, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, GA

Arianna Rinaldo, Director, OjodePez Magazine, Barcelona, Spain

Ariel Shanberg, Executive Director, Center for Photography at Woodstock, NY

Bill Kouwenhoven, Critic, author, journalist

Bridget Coaker, Director, Troika Editions, London, UK

Catherine Edelman, Owner and Director, Edelman Gallery, Chicago, IL

Celina Lunsford, Artistic Director, Fotografie Forum Frankfurt, Germany

Clare Grafik, Head of Exhibitions, The Photographer's Gallery

Corey Keller, Curator of Photography, SFMoMA

Darius Himes, International Head of Photographs at Christie's

Darren Ching, Owner, Klompching Gallery

Dewi Lewis, Publisher, Dewi Lewis Publishing

Dimitri Beck, Editor-in-Chief, Polka Magazine and Gallery

Duan Yuting, Director, Lianzhou Foto, China

Eder Chiodetto, Curator of Photography of the Museum of Modern Art of São Paulo

Elie Domit, Director, East Wing , United Arab Emirates

Elina Heikka, Curator of Photography, Finnish Museum, Finland

Ellen-K Willas, Co-founder, PUG Gallery, Oslo

Emma Bowkett, Photo Editor, Financial Times Weekend Magazine, UK

Fumiaka Bamba, Photo/Art Concierge at Tsutaya Books, Tokyo

Genevieve Fussell, Photo Editor, The New Yorker

Guillaume Piens, Director, Art Paris, France

Hamidah Glasgow, Executive Director/Curator, The Center for Fine Art Photography, Fort Collins, CO

Harris Fogel, Director/Curator, Sol Mednick Gallery & Gallery 141, Philadelphia, PA

Hideko Kataoka, Director of Photography, Newsweek, Japan

Irène Attinger, Library Director, Maison Europeene de la Photographie

Irina Chmyreva, Curator, Photovisa International Festival of Photography, Krasnodar, Russia

James Estrin, Co-Editor, New York Times Lens Blog

Johan Sjöström, Curator of Exhibitions, Gothenburg Museum of Art, Gothenburg, Sweden

John Duncan, Editor, Source Photographic Review, UK

Juan Travnik, Director, FotoGaleria del Teatro, Buenos Aires, Argentina,

Karen Downey, Senior Curator, Belfast Exposed, UK

Karin Bareman, Assistant Curator, Foam Fotografiemuseum, Amsterdam

Klaus Kehrer, Owner, Kehrer Art and Photo Publishers

Laura Pressley, Executive Director, Center, Santa Fe, NM

Lisa J. Sutcliffe, Curator of Photography, Milwaukee Art Museum

Manfred Zollner, Photo Editor, fotoMAGAZIN, Hamburg, Germany

Marc Feustel, Curator; publisher; Japanese photography expert; Studio Equis; Eyecurious blog

Marc Prüst, Photography Consultant and Curator, France

Marcel Feil, Deputy Director, Artistic Affairs - FOAM

Maria Patomella, Museum Curator, Sweden

Marie Sumalla, Photo Editor, Le Monde

Markus Schaden, Publisher, Director of Museum of the Photobook, Cologne, Germany

Marloes Krijnen, Director, FOAM, Netherlands

MaryAnn Camilleri, Founder, The Magenta Foundation; Director, Flash Forward Festival

Michael Famighetti, Editor, Aperture Magazine

Michelle Faour, Production Manager en ROLF ART

Monica Allende, Picture Editor, The Sunday Times Magazine, UK

Mutsuko Ota, Editorial Director and Curator, IMA Magazine, Galleries and Concept Stores, Tokyo

Nailya Alexander, Owner, Nailya Alexander Gallery, NYC

Nayomi Miyake, Editor, Kyuryudo Art-Publsihing Co., Ltd., Tokyo

Olivier Laurent, Editor, TIME Lightbox

Paula Tognarelli, Executive Director, Griffin Museum of Photography, Boston, MA

Pete Brook, Writer, Prison Photography and Wired.com

Rebecca Mcclelland, Photography Director, New Statesmen, UK

Reem Al-Faisal, The Empty Quarter Gallery Paris, France & Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Regina Maria Anzenberger, Founder and Director, Anzenberger Agency, Austria

Richard A. Brooks, Deputy Photo Director for Asia Pacific, Agence France-Presse, China

Rina Tokura, Editor in Chief, IMA Magazine and Concept Stores, Tokyo

Roy L. Flukinger, Senior Research Curator, Harry Ransom Center, Austin, TX

Shahidul Alam, Curator, Author, Educator, and Director, Chobi Mela Festival of Photography, Bangladesh

Sheyi Bankale, Editor and Founder, Next Level Magazine, UK

Sujong Song, Director and Curator, The Edition Photographic Consultancy, South Korea

Takashi Kakishima, Director, Poetic Scape Gallery, Tokyo

Tetsuro Ishida, Curator, Tokyo Metropolitan Museum of Photography

Thomas Seelig, Curator, Fotomuseum Winterthur

Tina Schelhorn, Director, Galerie Lichtblick, Cologne, Germany

Tomoka Aya, Director, The Third EyeGallery Aya, Tokyo

Tomoki Matsumoto, Director, Publisher and International Distributor, T&M Projects, Tokyo

Urs Stahel, Director, Fotomuseum Winterthur, Switzerland

Ute Noll, Director, On Photography & Illustration, Stuttgart, Germany

Valerie Fougeirol, Director, Temple Gallery, France

Vangelis Ioakimidis, Director, Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece

Vicenç Boned Lloveras, Owner, Galeria Tagomago, Barcelona

W.M. Hunt, Head Bear at Dancing Bear, NYC

William Ewing, Curator at Foundation for the Exhibition of Photography, Switzerland

Wim Melis, Director, Noorderlicht Festival, Netherlands

Xavier Canonne, Director, Musee de la Photographie, Charleroi, Belgium

Yannick Bouillis, Offprintparis France

Yumi Goto, Curator, Reminders Photography Stronghold, Tokyo

Aaron Schuman, Editor, SeeSaw Magazine, UK

Alessandra Capodacqua, Curator, Author, Educator, Studio Marangoni, Italy

Aline Smithson, Founder/Editor, Lenscratch, USA

Alison Nordstrom, Consulting Curator for International Programs, Griffin Museum of Photography, USA

Alyssa Coppelman, Photo Editor, Slate, Feature Shoot, USA

Ángel Luis González, Director, PhotoIreland, Ireland

Anna Dickson, Photography Director, AOL/Huffington Post Media Group, USA

Anna Gripp, Editor , Photonews, Germany

Anne Bourgeois-Vignon, Creative Content Director, London, UK

Anne Morin, Curator/Director, diChroma photography, Spain

Barbara Tannenbaum, Curator of Photography, The Cleveland Museum of Art, USA

Bas Vroege, Director, Paradox and YDoc, Netherlands

Bevin Bering Dubrowski, Director, Houston Center for Photography, USA

Bjarke Myrthu, Founder & CEO, Blindspot, USA

Brian Clamp, Owner/Director, ClampArt Gallery, USA

Brian Storm, Founder & Executive Producer, MediaStorm, USA

Carlos Carvalho, Director, International Festival of Photography of Porto Alegre, Brazil

Charlotte van Lingen, Curator, Kunsthal Rotterdam , Netherlands

Christophe de Jaeger, Curator, Center For Fine Arts Brussels, Belgium

Christophe Laloi, Artistic Director, Voies Off Arles, France

Daphné Anglès, European Photo Assignment Editor, The New York Times, France

David Birkitt, Director, DMB Represents, UK

David Drake, Director, Ffotogallery, Wales

Debra Klomp Ching, Owner/Director, Klompching Gallery, USA

Ed Carey, Director, Gallery 291, USA

Elda Harrington, Director, Escuela Argentina de Fotografia, Argentina

Elena Firsova, Managing Editor, Foto&Video Magazine, Russia

Elisabeth Biondi, Independent Curator, Biondi Foto, USA

Elizabeth Avedon, Photobook Designer/Blogger, Elizabeth Avedon, USA

Elizabeth Lapp, Curator and Image Guru, Flickr/Yahoo, USA

Emily Adams, Exhibitions Director, PhotoEspaña, Spain

Enrico Bossan, Editorial Director, Colors Magazine, Italy

Erik Vroons, Chief Editor , GUP Magazine, Netherlands

Francis Hodgson, Photography Critic, Financial Times of London, UK

Francoise Callier, Program Coordinator, Angkor Photo Festival, France

Freddy Denaes, Publisher, Editions de l'Oeil, France

Frits Gierstberg, Curator, Nederlands Fotomuseum Rotterdam, Netherlands

Gad Edery, CEO, Gad Collection, France

Greg Hobson, Curator of Photographs, National Media Museum, UK

Hannah Watson, Director, Trolley Books, UK

Hélène Joye-Cagnard, Codirectrice, Journées photgraphiques de Bienne Biel-Bienne, Switzerland

Ihiro Hayami, Director, Tokyo Institute of Photography, Japan

James Wellford, Photo Editor, Curator & Educator, , USA

Jason Landry, Owner/Director, Panopticon Gallery, USA

Jeff Gates, Managing Editor, American Art's Blog, Smithsonian Institution, USA

Jeff Moorfoot, Festival Director, Ballarat International Foto Biennal, Australia

Jessie Wender, Photo Editor, The New Yorker, USA

Joanne Junga Yang, Director of International Committee, Seoul Photo Festival, Korea

Julien Jourdes, Co-Founder and COO, Blink, USA

Karol Hordziej, President & Art Director, Foundation for Visual Art & Krakow Photomonth, Poland

Krzysztof Candrowicz, Artistic Director, Hamburg Triennial of Photography, Germany

Lars Boering, Director, Managing Director at World Press Photo, Netherlands

Laura Serani, Deleguée artistique, Mois de la Photo à Paris, France

Linda Benedict-Jones, Curator of Photography, Carnegie Museum of Art, USA

Louise Clements, Co-Founder/Director, QUAD and Format Festival, UK

Maarten Schilt, Publisher, Schilt Publishing, Netherlands

Magdalena Herrera, Director of Photography, GEO, France

Manila Camarini, Photo Editor, D La Repubblica, Italy

Manuel Rivera-Ortiz, President/Founder, Manuel Rivera-Ortiz Foundation for Documentary Photography & Film, USA

Marie-Pierre Subtil, Chief Editor, 6 Mois, France

Marion Hislen, Director, Circulation(s) Festival, France

Mary Virginia Swanson, Author, Educator, and Consultant, MVS & Assoc., USA

Matt Shonfeld, Executive Director, Institute for Artist Management, UK

Matthew Craig, Co-Founder and CEO, Blink, USA

Michael Weir, Founder & Artistic Director, Belfast Photo Festival, Northern Ireland

Michelle Dunn Marsh, Executive Director/Founder, Pacific Center Northwest, USA

Miriam Romais, Executive Director, En Foco Inc, USA

Molly Roberts, Chief Photography Editor, Smithsonian Magazine, USA

Moritz Neumüller, Festival Curator/Program Director, Istituto Europeo di Design, Spain

Moshe Rosenzveig, Director/Photographer, Head On Photo Festival , Australia

Natasha Egan, Associate Director, Museum of Contemporary Photography at Columbia College, USA

Nathalie Gallon, Director, Foundation Carmignac Gestion, France

Nathalie Herschdorfer, Curator, Director, Museum of Fine Arts, Le Locle, Switzerland

Patricia Lanza, Content Director, Annenberg Space for Photography, USA

Paul di Felice, Director, European Month of Photography, Luxembourg

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, Dubai

Raffaela Lepanto, Photo Editor/Consultant, PhotoFusion Photography Centre , UK

Régina Monfort, Photographer/Consulting Editor, FotoEvidence, USA

Roman Härer, Creative Director, plainpicture, Germany

Rui Prata, Director, Museu da Imagem, Portugal

Sam Barzilay, Festival Director, Photoville, USA

Sara Guerrini, Picture Editor, Newsweek Europe, UK

Sarah Leen, Director of Photography, National Geographic Magazine, USA

Scott Mc Kiernan, Vice President, National Press Photographers Association, USA

Sébastian Hau, Director, Le Bal Books, France

Selva Barni, Founder & Editor, Fantom Editions, Italy

Silvia Mangialardi, Editor, Fotomundo Magazine, Argentina

Stephen Mayes, Executive Director, Tim Hetherington Trust, USA

Stephen Perloff, Editor, The Photo Review, USA

Susan Zadeh, Photography Director, Eyemazing Editions, Netherlands

Suzanne Opton, Photographer, Educator, International Center for Photography, USA

Taj Forer, Director, Daylight Magazine, USA

Xavier Soule, President/Director, Gallery VU, France

LensCulture Portrait Awards 2015 Printed Annual

A museum-quality competition catalog featuring the Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists work will be distributed to hundreds of LensCulture Insiders and industry experts including editors, curators, festival directors, publishers, gallery directors and more.

Award annual Winners, Juror's Picks & Finalists receive a full page spread.

Immediate Exposure in LensCulture Competition Gallery & Social Media

Just by entering your work, you have an opportunity for immediate exposure in our Competition Gallery where online visitors can view and share your work with their networks. Our editors review incoming work daily so we recommend not waiting until the deadline — start your submission now for a chance at immediate exposure!

Award gallery

Live, Online Review Session

All Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists will have the opportunity to participate in a live, online review of their work with a photography expert on our new review platform, LensCulture Sessions. You will get valuable feedback, expert advice and will learn how to get more exposure for your work.

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Award session

Massive Online Promotion for Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists

Work from Winners, Juror's Picks and Finalists will be shared across our global network of over 1,000,000 on LensCulture.com, our email list, and multiple social media channels. We have found this to be a very effective strategy for getting photographers exposure that leads to opportunities—see our Success Stories.

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Promotions include a Feature article on LensCulture, Facebook & Flipboard

Ongoing Exposure with a LensCulture Portfolio Account

All Winners, Finalists plus hundreds of the top-rated photographers will get a free, invitation-only portfolio account on LensCulture to showcase your work. Gain access to our invitation-only network of the world's most cutting edge photographers for on-going exposure to our 1 million+ global audience of photography lovers and industry experts. Plus, LensCulture editors can discover your latest work and potentially feature it in articles, Editors’ Picks, and social media.

Award portfolio account

“For decades I kept my photographs in boxes in a closet, or at best, on walls of my small, apartment living room. Now, thanks to LensCulture’s amazing international reach, one of my projects, “Birthday Suits: A Woman, Her Camera & Time” is known all over the world.”

Lucy Hilmer, San Francisco, USA
Finalist, LensCulture Emerging Talent 2014
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show us your work!

Portrait photography is among the most iconic work created by photographers and enjoyed by people around the world. Last year, we saw work from over 145 countries and now we want to discover the best portrait photography of the 21st century. We welcome submissions by photographers from every culture and background; from professionals, to emerging talents, students and amateurs — using any and all techniques of photography.

The earlier you enter, the greater your chance for exposure! So, don't miss this opportunity to be recognized as one of the best portrait photographers in the world.

There are no limitations on age, level, genre or location. For further information, please see our FAQ.

Closed for new entries. Winners will be announced in mid-April.
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

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career
changing
exposure

Kirsty Mitchell’s story began with “Wonderland”—her beautifully imagined series which gained a name for itself by winning the Fictional Narratives category of the 2014 Visual Storytelling Awards. Her exposure from this award led to endless press requests and prominent features in The Guardian, BBC News and in magazines from Germany, Russia and South America—all in less than one month! Kirsty is now an internationally acclaimed and widely published photographer. Along with hundreds of other LensCulture winning photographers, Kirsty’s career is in full swing, with more opportunities for exposure than ever before. Need more information? Hear it from Kirsty herself in the video feature below.

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    Kirsty Mitchell
    London, 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.

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    Kerry Mansfield
    San Francisco, CA

    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.

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    Ellie Davies
    London, UK

    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.

More Success Stories

  • Jorge de la Torriente
    United States
  • Ali Mobasser
    United Kingdom
  • Lucy Hilmer
    United States
  • Sarah Choi
    Hong Kong
  • Daesung Lee
    South Korea
  • Tina Schula
    United States
  • Tsutomu Yamagata
    Japan
  • Maroesjka Lavigne
    Belgium
  • Dayna Bartoli
    Norway
  • Richard Tuschman
    United States
  • Carlotta Cardana
    United Kingdom
  • Michael Marten
    United Kingdom
  • Yijun Liao
    United States
  • Jessica Hines
    United States
  • Anne Berry
    United States
  • Candace Gaudiani
    United States
  • Daniele Pintore
    United Kingdom
  • Fabrice Fouillet
    France
  • Ellie Davies
    United Kingdom
  • Claire Felicie
    Netherlands
  • Daisuke Takakura
    Japan
  • Andrejs Strokins
    Latvia
  • Acacia Johnson
    United States
  • Nina Roeder
    Germany
  • Hebe Robinson
    Norway
  • Douglas Ljungkvist
    United States
  • Michelle Sank
    United Kingdom
  • Andrea Stone
    United States
  • Tara Bogart
    United States
  • Louisa Marie Summer
    United States

Editiononebooks logo Printing of the LensCulture Portrait Awards 2015 Annual generously provided by Edition One Books.
www.editiononebooks.com

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