August's Photography Awards and Opportunities

The Bird In Flight Prize, Burtynsky Grant, Circulation(s) Festival Open Call, and our own International Online Photobook Masterclass are among the top opportunities open for entry this August. Learn all about them and how they can support the production and dissemination of your work.

The Bird In Flight Prize, Burtynsky Grant, Circulation(s) Festival Open Call, and our own International Online Photobook Masterclass are among the top opportunities open for entry this August. Learn all about them and how they can support the production and dissemination of your work.

FOLIO - Online Photobook Masterclass / Deadline: 10 September / No entry fee

In our second six-month Online Photobook Masterclass, Witty Books’ publisher Tommaso Parrillo and designer Federico Barbon will return to guide 10 photographers through the creative processes of conceiving and designing a brand-new photobook. At the end of the program, all participants will be ready to present their work to an international audience in the form of a dummy and Witty Books will select one to be professionally published in an edition of 500. Production will be fully financed by Witty Books with a contribution from PHmuseum Lab.

The Masterclass will consist of three online five-hour group classes and two individual 60-minute sessions with Tommaso Parrillo and Federico Barbon, in which participants will gain a general understanding of the contemporary photobook world and have the opportunity to engage in specific discussions aimed at working on ideas and improving methodologies. The program also includes five interactive studio visits with guest artists, curators, and gallerists, the names of whom are yet to be finalized. To apply, simply provide some personal details and submit a link to your portfolio. Submission is free. Further information is available at phmuseum.com/education.

Bird In Flight Prize '21 / Deadline: 10 October / €20

The Bird In Flight Prize is designed to support photographers who think outside the box of traditional artistic standards. “Our contest is not about photo projects that cater to the existing general demand” write the curators. “It’s about discovering new ways to tell a story using the means and tools of photography. We encourage artistic freedom and diversity therefore we don’t impose time constraints upon our participants. We do not limit them in their choices of subjects and creativity methods. We also allow image editing as well as the usage of other images.”

The jury this year features seven industry experts including Karen McQuaid (Senior curator at The Photographers’ Gallery), Paolo Woods (Photographer and co-founder of RIVERBOOM collective), David Company (Managing Director of Programs at the International Center of Photography), Paola Jiménez Quispe (Photographer, Bird in Flight Prize ‘20 winner), Valentine Bo (Photographer, member of the Ukrainian Photographic Alternative), NayanTara Gurung Kakshapati (Co-founder of the Photo Kathmandu festival), and Newsha Tavakolian (Photographer, Magnum member). Together they will assign a host of prizes that come in the form of a €2,000 cash grant, private online portfolio reviews with members of the judging team themselves, and an online exhibition at phmuseum.com in January 2022. There is also a Nomination Readers’ Choice Award in which the editorial board will select 15 photo series from the applications and the winner be chosen by open voting through the contest website. This special prize comes with a €500 cash grant. The deadline is 10 October. Further information can be found at prize.birdinflight.com.

2021 Burtynsky Grant / Deadline: 7 September / No entry fee

Contact Photography Festival and world-renowned photographer Edward Burtynsky have teamed up once again to launch the Burtynsky Grant – a $5,000 grant that looks to support a Canadian artist in the creation of a photobook. Established back in 2016, the contest is intended for photo-based artists who are in advanced stages of developing a cohesive, rigorous body of work presented in book form. The jury will be looking for submissions from those who have created a book dummy and who have had little to no prior opportunity to self-publish or work with a publisher.

Applicants must submit a minimum of 10 spreads of a book dummy that best communicates the project and vision for publication; a project statement about the photobook and how the grant funding would be used; expressions of interest from publishers if available; and a CV or artist statement. The final deadline is 7 September. To learn more and apply, visit scotiabankcontactphoto.com.

Circulation(s) Festival Open Call / Deadline: 13 September / Entry fee: €25

Circulation(s) Festival is calling all European photographers or photographers living in Europe to submit work for exhibitions at next year’s festival which is set to take place between 31 March and 29 May. Each year, at the Centquatre-Paris and satellite sites in France and abroad, Circulation(s) reveals the vitality of young creation and speaks for the diversity of photographic expressions through unique events. A stepping-stone for artists, and a prospective and innovative laboratory of contemporary creativity, the festival has become, over the past 10 years, a must-attend event on the photography calendar and a trendsetter.

Applicants should submit a maximum of 15 images, a short biography, and a short descriptive text about the series. Around 20 photographers will be selected by an independent jury which will convene at the end of September to make their choices. Additional information can be found at festival-circulations.com.

Gomma Photography Grant / Early Bird Deadline: 31 August / Entry fee: €20

Now in its eighth year, the Gomma Photography Grant is an all-inclusive award that aims to promote photographers - both emerging and established - working across all genres of visual storytelling. Since it was established in 2004, Gomma has gained a reputation for bringing recognition to undetected artists with the jury applying a strict meritocratic approach to judging. “We like to reward photographers that do not follow the trends and are not copycats of any kind," declare the editorial team. "We are looking for photographers with a fresh eye, courage, and a distinct personality; someone that has no fear to show their own soul throughout the work. Artists that have the curiosity to investigate the common and capture the every day."

Winners of the First, Second, and Third Prize will receive €1,000, €500, and €200 respectively, while three smaller recognitions will be granted to the Best Documentary work, the Best Black and White work, and Best Rising Talent. To apply, photographers must submit between six and 20 images from either an ongoing or completed project and a short introductory statement. The Early Bird deadline is 31 August with the final deadline set for 7 October. Visit gommagrant.com to find out more.

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OTHER DEADLINES:

AAP Magazine, Edition No. 20 - Travels / Deadline: 24 August / Entry fee: $30

AAP Magazine is calling all photographers to submit work to be printed in their upcoming publication that will feature the best projects showcasing the theme Travels. “We are looking for your travel photographs, near and far, to the edge of the earth and to the places perhaps known only to you” write the editorial team at AAP. “Whether you're hauling around a view camera and a tripod or just pulling a mobile phone out of your back pocket, we want to see what you've captured and how you're telling your story.” Sandrine Hermand-Grisel – the expert juror – is open to all genres and is looking to discover the best and most interesting photography from all over the world. Winners will receive US$1,000 in cash awards, a free copy of AAP Magazine, and international press exposure.

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Kassel Dummy Award / Deadline: 30 September / Entry fee: €36

Fotobookfestival Kassel has launched the 2021 edition of the Kassel Dummy Award, inviting all photographers worldwide to submit their unpublished photobook mock-ups for the chance to win exhibition and publishing opportunities in addition to monetary prizes. 50 books will be shortlisted by an independent jury and this selection will be showcased at several international photography events across both Europe and Asia. The winning book will be produced and published by Fotobookfestival Kassel’s new cooperative partner MAS, the leading Turkish photobook printing and binding house from Istanbul. Second and Third Prize winners will each get a production grant worth €2,000 and €1,000 respectively for future projects.

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Paris Photo - Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards / Deadline: 10 September / Entry fee: US$20 - US$60

Initiated back in 2012, the Paris Photo-Aperture Foundation PhotoBook Awards have developed into one of the most famed contests in the industry, dedicated solely to the celebration of the photobook’s contribution to the evolving narrative of photography. Visual storytellers, artists, photographers, publishers, galleries, and institutions around the world are invited to submit their photobooks into three different categories: the First PhotoBook Prize (for a first self-published / limited-edition book); the PhotoBook of the Year Prize (for a book authored by more than one photographer/artist in which the dominant content is photography); and the Photography Catalogue of the Year Prize (for the best exhibition catalogue or museum publication of the year).

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Budapest International Foto Awards / Deadline: 30 August / Entry fee: US$10 - US$50

Having first been established last year, the Budapest International Foto Awards have set out a mission to promote the work of professional and emerging photographers to the fast-growing artistic community in the Hungarian capital, putting them in the spotlight and providing them with a great platform to showcase their work. The awards will seek to recognise the power and influence of photography in shaping how we see the world. Applicants must enter work into one of nine categories, namely Advertising, Architecture, Book, Editorial, Events, Fine Art, Nature, People, Portfolio, and Science. A host of monetary awards and exhibition opportunities are on offer.

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Visit our awards page to get a complete view of the best photography opportunities that are currently open for entry.