Earth Photo 2023 - Call for Entries

About

Established in 2018 by Forestry England, the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG) and Parker Harris, Earth Photo is a world-leading international programme dedicated to engaging with still and moving image makers. Its main objective is to reveal the narratives behind the pictures, encouraging conversations about our world, its peoples, environments, and the changing climate.

2023 brings some exciting changes for the open call.

●      For the first time, the category for submissions is completely open. Earth Photo 2023 encourages practitioners of all ages to send their most compelling works.

●      Earth Photo 2023 will be offering new awards, including £1,000 for an outstanding photography project; £200 and publication in an upcoming book with Forestry England and Cultureshock; £500 for a project that explores the impacts of climate change; and £250 each to one photographer and one moving image maker under the age of 25.

●      A range of new collaborations with national and international arts organisations, including the Sidney Nolan Trust and Lishui International Photography Festival, will increase exposure and opportunities for practitioners and audiences.

OPEN CALL FOR ENTRIES

Each year, Earth Photo organises an open call followed by an awards presentation, exhibitions, and events.

Earth Photo 2023 welcomes work that conveys the world around us and makes us think differently, capturing nature, people, place and space, forests, the land and seascapes, and the varied impacts of, and adaptations to, climate change.

Individuals and collectives are encouraged to submit up to 10 images, as singles or a series. Projects need to have been created within the last five years. In addition to photography, Earth Photo welcomes short films between five seconds and five minutes long.

Entry is by online submission, and the deadline is Tuesday 2 May 2023, 5PM (BST). An entry fee of £15 will be charged to each entrant for up to 10 images.

A longlist will be created by the Earth Photo team featuring the strongest submissions for the jury panel of industry experts to review and shortlist. 

All entries that make the final Earth Photo 2023 Shortlist will be considered for the Earth Photo 2023 exhibitions, and a chance to receive one of the awards.

All participants selected for the final Earth Photo 2023 Shortlist will: 

●      Feature in the Earth Photo 2023 website gallery at www.earthphoto.world.

●      Have an opportunity to appear in the New Scientist’s weekly double-page photo spread, Aperture.

●      Have an opportunity to take part in the Earth Photo exhibitions.

JURY 

The entries will be considered by a jury made up of experts from the fields of photography, film, geography, and ecology, including distinguished curators, environmentalists, writers and artists, and chaired by Louise Fedotov-Clements, National Curator of Contemporary Art, Forestry England & Co-Founder/Patron, FORMAT International Photography Festival.

The judging panel will include:

●      Tim Boddy, Picture Editor at New Scientist

●      Vron Harris, Filmmaker and Lecturer in Film Production; and David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Award Judge and Mentor (moving image category)

●      Skinder Hundal, Global Director of Arts, British Council 

●      Ciril Jazbec, award winning independent photographer and filmmaker; Board member of Kranj Photo Fest and National Geographic Photographer

●      Azu Nwagbogu, Independent Curator; Director/Founder of African Artists Foundation/Lagos Photo and National Geographic Explorer at Large.

●      Marissa Roth FRGS, Pulitzer Prize-winning photojournalist and David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Award Judge and Mentor (stills category) 

●      Fiona Shields, Head of Photography at the Guardian

●      David Stock FRGS, Senior Video Producer at New Scientist

●      Wang Peiquan, Director of Lishui Photography Festival & Director of China Photographers Association, China 

●      Wang Xueke Isabella, Director of International Department of Lishui Photography Festival and Director of Collection Department of Lishui Photography Museum, China

●      Mariam Zulfiqar, Director of Artangel  

●      Chaired by Louise Fedotov-Clements, National Curator of Contemporary Art, Forestry England & Co-Founder/Patron, FORMAT International Photography Festival.

EXHIBITIONS

A selection of works from the shortlist will be featured in the Earth Photo 2023 exhibitions:

●      At the Royal Geographical Society (with IBG), London from 26 June to 23 August 2023.

●      On a national tour to Forestry England sites including: Moors Valley Country Park & Forest; Bedgebury National Pinetum & Forest; Dalby Forest; Haldon Forest Park and Grizedale Forest.

●      A selection of works from the shortlist will also be on display at the Sidney Nolan Trust, from 13 July to 30 September 2023.

Earth Photo’s international exhibition partner is Lishui International Photography Festival. Projects selected for the final Earth Photo 2023 Shortlist and our award winners will be considered for an exhibition at the new Lishui Photography Culture Centre, China, co-curated with Lishui International Photography Festival. 

AWARDS 

Photographers and filmmakers will also have the chance to win a wide range of awards:

●      Earth Photo 2023: £1,000 for an outstanding photography project that tells a compelling story about life on our planet.

●      Climate of Change: £500 for a project 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 moving image work that tells a compelling story about life on our planet. 

●      We the Forest: £200 and publication in an upcoming forests, science and art focused book by Forestry England in partnership with Cultureshock. 

●      David Wolf Kaye Future Potential Awards: Awarded to two practitioners under the age of 25 – one for stills photography and one for moving image. The winners will each receive a cash prize of £250 towards the cost of their next project, as well as mentoring by a leading photographer or filmmaker.

●      Sidney Nolan Trust Prize: Founded by the famous Australian modernist Sir Sidney Nolan, the Sidney Nolan Trust is delighted to be an Earth Photo exhibition tour partner in 2023 and to offer a new residency prize to one 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.

Photographers and filmmakers are encouraged to take part in Earth Photo 2023 by entering online before Tuesday 2 May 2023, 5PM (BST).