LensCulture Visual Storytelling Awards 2019

Competition summary:

The LensCulture Visual Storytelling Awards recognize the work of photographers weaving compelling narratives into their work. Our international jury is looking for image makers who are defining contemporary visual storytelling, whether that be through documentary work, imaginative storytelling, or something that combines (or defies!) all of the above.
Show us how you’re using photography to chronicle world events or the experiences of those closest to you. Take our breath away with narrative images that challenge our thinking, expand our understanding or hit a chord with our emotions. Surprise us, delight us, confront us.
This competition aims to uncover photographers from diverse backgrounds and experience levels, share their work with the world and connect them with career-changing opportunities. Winners will be exhibited at Aperture Gallery in New York City in 2019!

Category details:

Awards in Two Categories:

DOCUMENTARY

Awards given for series & singles submissions
Documentary-based interpretations of real events, people, places and issues. Traditional or contemporary, these visual stories and narrative moments offer insights into the worlds with we live in. Global issues or small cultural events. Current affairs or family affairs. Your work may be a personal story hinting at universal themes, an in-depth investigation, or something else that aims to inform, inspire, and move.

IMAGINATIVE STORYTELLING

Awards given for series & singles submissions
Based on fact, fiction, or a combination of both. Perhaps you’re approaching a documentary story in a conceptual way. Perhaps you’re mixing photography with other media or constructing imagery to achieve your unique vision. We love discovering new ways to tell stories and this category is specifically for all non-conventional visual storytellers working outside the realms of traditional documentary. Consider this your wildcard!

Entry requirements:

Participants will need to sign up for free LensCulture account. Photographers of all nationalities over the age of 18 are invited to enter.

Entry fee:

Single entry: Free
5+ Singles: 50 USD, 10 USD for each additional photograph
Series (up to 10 images): 60 USD

Prize details:

Cash Awards

Series

$5,000 for Documentary Winner
$5,000 for Imaginative Storytelling Winner

Single Image

$2,500 for Documentary Winner
$2,500 for Imaginative Storytelling Winner

Other Awards

Jurors' Picks

Each of our 8 jurors will select a photographer who they feel deserves a special distinction.

Finalists

25 photographers will be shortlisted and announced on our website.