Established in 2018, Earth Photo is a world-leading international programme dedicated to engaging with still and moving image makers. Working across multiple genres sharing the prescient issues affecting the climate and life on our planet. Our main objective is to reveal the narratives behind the pictures, informing, entertaining and engaging audiences while encouraging conversations about our world, its peoples, environments, and the changing climate.
The category for submissions is completely open, we encourage practitioners of all ages, working in all genres, to send us their most compelling works as relevant to the focus of Earth Photo. Alongside this we have developed a stellar selection of awards, plus a range of collaborations with national and international arts organisations to increase exposure and opportunities for practitioners and audiences. We are excited for you to evolve with us on this journey and look forward to seeing your work.
For our 2024 open call, we are inviting submissions from still and moving image makers from anywhere in the world who have a compelling story to share.
We are looking for work that communicates about the world around us and makes us think differently, capturing nature, people, place, forests, the environment, lands and seascapes, and the varied impacts of, and adaptations to, climate change. Submissions can consist of any genre of photography and moving image but must tell powerful stories about our planet: its inhabitants and lands, the dynamic link between environmental and social issues, its exquisite beauty and power, and also its fragility.
We are open to all approaches and ideas – from documentary, photojournalism, contemporary, artistic and conceptual projects. We are keen to receive proposals from all the image-based genres – moving image, photographic series, single images; long-term researched documentary; multimedia; participatory and mobile.
Individuals and collectives are encouraged to apply. Submissions need to have been created within the last 5 years, however images older than this can be included as part of a longform documentary series or as an archive or vernacular photography, or related project as relevant.
Photographers can submit up to 10 works, we accept short films, photographic images as singles and as a series. Each film submitted needs to be between 5 seconds and maximum 5 minutes long.
All entrants must ensure that the quality of their entries meets the competition’s criteria as stated in the Rules and Guidelines.
Entry is by online submission through this website, and deadline for entry is by 5pm (BST) on Thursday 22 February 2024. All entrants are asked to ensure they have read all Rules and Guidelines before entering.
Please provide a CV (500 words) and a short statement about yourself (250 words) and each of your submitted images/films (100 words). If selected for exhibition, the organisers will ask you for a more detailed description for the catalogue and publicity purposes, as relevant.
At the first stage, entrants are asked to submit up to 10 still photographs or films and a completed entry form. All entries must be in line with the Digital Specifications as detailed in the Rules and Guidelines.
All entrants will be informed if they have been selected for the Final Earth Photo 2024 Shortlist before the 31st of March 2024, by email. All shortlisted artists will be contacted by the exhibition organisers regarding further details for providing final exhibition quality image or film files, and further details about the exhibition dates and events.
All participants will receive:
- Visibility with the Earth Photo team
- The opportunity to be selected for the longlist that will be seen by the Earth Photo 2024 Jury consisting of industry experts from around the world.
- The opportunity to be featured as an excellent submission on the @ForestryEnglandArts curated Instagram feed*. Please bear in mind that this does not guarantee or indicate selection for the final shortlist. *Please add a note in your submission text if you would not like to be considered for this opportunity.
All participants selected for the Final Earth Photo 2024 Shortlist will receive:
- Feature in the Earth Photo 2024 website gallery at www.earthphoto.world
- Feature on the Earth Photo partners’ associated social media accounts
- The opportunity to be considered for New Scientist’s weekly double-page photo spread, Aperture.
- The possibility to be part of the Earth Photo exhibitions. Each exhibition will vary; exhibitions are produced by Earth Photo in partnership with venues. Photographers selected for the exhibitions will be notified individually.
Earth Photo 2024 Award Winners, in addition to the relevant award value, will receive:
- Inclusion in the Earth Photo 2024 RGS-IBG and Forestry England exhibitions and accompanying social media promotion
- An Earth Photo website feature on www.earthphoto.world
- An Instagram takeover on @ForestryEnglandArts
- A feature in the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) magazine, Geographical
- Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) membership and the opportunity to be chosen as the 2024 membership card image, issued to +14,000 members
AWARDS
The 2024 Earth Photo will offer a range of awards. These will include those listed below, however more awards will be added to the list below so please check back for further updates.
Earth Photo Award 2024
£1000 for an outstanding photography project that tells a compelling story about life on our planet
Climate of Change
£500 for a submission that explores the impacts of climate change upon people, environments, and wildlife or showing resilience and innovative adaptations resulting in positive actions.
Forest Ecosystem
£500 for an extraordinary submission relating to trees, forest ecosystems, ecologies, workers, inhabitants, guardians of the forest, forest biodiversity, resilience, climate impacts and communities.
Moving Image Award
£500 for the strongest short film that tells a compelling story about life on our planet
Sidney Nolan Trust Residency Prize
Founded by the famous Australian modernist Sir Sidney Nolan, the Sidney Nolan Trust is delighted to offer a new residency prize to a UK based practitioner. The two-week residency at Nolan’s former home The Rodd will offer unique access to the artist’s important photographic archives and will be awarded for internationally relevant storytelling and innovation.
David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Awards (DWKFPA)
Awarded to two practitioners 25yrs old or under (age as of the 2nd of May 2024) – one for stills photography and one for moving image – and will help young photographers and filmmakers realise their full potential, championing their work and celebrating their emerging talent. The winners will each receive a cash prize of £250 towards the cost of their next project, and mentoring by a leading photographer or filmmaker. In addition, the recipients’ images and films will be exhibited at the Society and at Forestry England locations across England, on the Earth Photo website and across social media platforms.
Photoworks Digital Residency
At least one Earth Photo participant will be selected to work with this prestigious organisation to present their work in variety of ways online, £400.
New Scientist Editors Award:
Mentoring for a photographer / filmmaker with the potential of an image spread in the Aperture section of the magazine or an online video article.
National Trust Attingham Award:
£250 for images that show the work or impact of volunteers protecting habitats under threat of climate change.
More information is available here
