New images released to mark new jury
2018 Sony World Photography Awards, New images released to mark new jury
• A selection of entries from the Awards’ Open competition is now available viaworldphoto.org/press
• Judges offer their advice to those entering
• All entries to the Awards are free at www.worldphoto.org/swpa
Click for direct access to the 2018 Open competition entries
September 26, 2017: The juries of the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards, one of the world’s leading photography competitions, are today announced by the World Photography Organisation. To mark the occasion, a selection of entries to the Open competition are released and the new judges offer advice to those entering the Awards.
The hand-picked experts from across the photographic industry making up the juries are:
• Professional competition jury: Chair: Mike Trow, Picture Editor, British Vogue, UK/ Naomi Cass, Director, Centre for Contemporary Photography, Australia / Sue Davies OBE, Founder, The Photographers’ Gallery, UK / Gareth Harris, Chief Contributing Editor, The Art Newspaper, UK / Dewi Lewis, publisher, Dewi Lewis Publishing / Philip Tinari, Director, Ullens Center for Contemporary Art (UCCA), China
• Open, Youth and National Awards competition: Chair, Zelda Cheatle, curator
• Student Focus: Reiner Opoku, international art agent and Co-Founder Parley for the Oceans
Click for full judges' biographies
The 2018 judges offer the following advice to potential entrants:
“Pick your stories carefully, see how they fit with
your belief structures. Research the story, and other
people’s work in the area, and then shoot it. Be ruthless
in your editing and quality control, and be consistent in
the presentation of images. And always get the opinion of
others – how they see things is not necessarily how you
see it and will help give objectivity to the sense of
whether your pictures work or not.”
Mike Trow,
Chair, Professional competition
“Enter
something you believe in and that you think we would
appreciate and believe in too.”
Sue Davies OBE,
Juror, Professional competition
“For me
the most important thing is that a photographer develops
their own voice – that their individual qualities and
personality comes through. This ultimately means finding a
theme / a subject that they really believe in and that they
really care about.”
Dewi Lewis, Juror,
Professional competition
“Don’t
replicate anyone else’s style (too
much).”
Gareth Harris, Juror, Professional
competition
“Be sincere, think about the
message within your work, keep it simple and work from the
heart.”
Zelda Cheatle, Chair, Open, Youth &
National Awards competitions
Worldwide recognition and grant opportunities for winners
Now in its 11th year, the Sony World Photography Awards celebrates the finest contemporary photography from the past 12 months. All competitions – Professional, Open, Youth, Student Focus and National Awards – are free to enter at www.worldphoto.org/swpa.
The Awards’ winning and shortlisted photographers can enjoy worldwide recognition and exposure, in addition to cash prizes, the latest digital imaging equipment from Sony and inclusion in global exhibitions.
New for 2018, award-winners can also secure a grant to fund future photographic projects form Sony. Multiple grants of $7,000 (USD) will be awarded to selected winners of the Professional competition and $3,500 (USD) will be given to chosen shortlisted Student Focus photographers to work together on a new photographic commission set by Sony and the World Photography Organisation.
Forthcoming deadlines and announcements
The closing dates for the 2018 Sony World Photography Awards are:
• December 4, 2017 – Student Focus
• January 4, 2018 – Open, Youth and National Award competitions
• January 11, 2018 – Professional competition
The shortlist for all competitions of the Awards will be announced on February 27, 2018. The Open and National Awards winners will be announced March 20, 2018. The Photographer of the Year and the Professional category winners will be announced April 19, 2018.
See the 2018 category descriptions here.
ENDS