The 2015 LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards are now open and there’s $15,000 in cash prizes up for grabs. They’re accepting entries as both solo images and series but the deadline is September 1, 2015 so you’ll need to get your street on quick for this one! Hit the jump for more info.
LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards
The first ever LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards are open to all photographers and all approaches. Unlike most photo contests, the LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards are accepting entries as single images or Series (up to 10 images). Winners and finalists will also get portfolio reviews so it’s a great chance to show your best work and get some excellent feedback at the same time!
Deadline for entry is Tuesday September 1, 2015.
Entry fees start at $20 for a single image and go as high as $60 for a series of up to 10 images. $15,000 in cash prizes are being split between single image and series categories:
Series Award:
1st Place: $5000
2nd Place: $3000
3rd Place: $1500
Single Image Award:
1st Place: $3000
2nd Place: $1500
3rd Place: $1000
Click Here To Enter The LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards.
StreetShootr’s Take
Any contest is only as good as its judges and it’s a bit of a concern that there isn’t a single street photographer on the panel. The one exception might be Jacob Aue Sobol who is a Magnum photographer working in the documentary tradition. He’s known for working in extended series and photobooks and he’s an amazing image maker. You may have seen one of his images during the release of the original Leica Monochrom:
Even if it’s a bit of a stretch, street and documentary photography often cross paths and regularly share a common visual language so it’s good to see a someone like Jacob on the panel. But the rest of the judges occupy a variety of positions as creative or photo directors in the publishing industry and none of them appear to be directly involved in street photography in any way. You have to remember that the judges are the final word in any photo competition. Either you trust them or you don’t – this is something you’ll need to decide on your own.
This being said, LensCulture is a fairly well respected online photography magazine but it’s not exactly cheap to enter this contest so weigh your options and act accordingly. You never know, you could just be sitting on the next winning image!
What’s your take on the LensCulture Street Photography Now Awards? A great chance to expose your work to a worldwide audience? Or just another money grab disguised as a contest? Post your ideas on the commens below and keep the conversation going!