The Magnum Expression Award

Magnum Photos in association with HP announce the first annual Expression Photography Award. The Magnum Expression Photography Award was established by Magnum Photos and HP with the goal of raising awareness and inspiring change through campaigns using photography as an expressive medium.

Its mission is to discover and illuminate compelling documentary photography employed in innovative ways to affect social awareness and propel humanitarian compassion.

A panel of four Magnum photographers and one HP large format printing representative will select 20 finalists. One chosen winner will receive a $10,000 grant to support the continuation of his/her work, HP’s large format Designjet Z3200 Photo printer for fine art printing, archival pigment inks, fine art paper and additional prizes from contributing partners Blurb & PhotoShelter. Two honorable mentions and the remaining 17 finalists will also receive awards to support & encourage their photographic work. Participation is at no cost and photographers worldwide are encouraged to submit.

Magnum photographers comprising the jury are: Alec Soth, Jonas Bendiksen (work featured above), Paolo Pellegrin, and Susan Meiselas.

Submission Guidelines:
The judges are searching for revealing imagery that illustrates a dedicated compassion and intensity using photography as a medium. The inaugural theme for the award is Communities.
A sense of community is at the core of our lives, in some cases it unites us and in others it divides us from one another. This universal force is omnipresent in humankind and our diverse forms of expression, from acts of benevolence and kindness to movements of oppression and isolation.
Each manifestation of human action has its causes and effects, its beneficiaries or victims. These impulses and actions are shaped by our individual identities and reflect our collective spirit.
The judges urge participants to embrace the theme of communities and consider the expansive nature of how it pervades our lives and affects our perceptions. Participants’ submissions may be for a completed project or one that is ongoing.

Criteria for Evaluation:
• Excellence & inventiveness in building a photographic narrative.
• Singularity of vision and compassion for the subjects.
• Ability to produce a thought-provoking visual presentation.

Participants can submit their entry at http://expression.magnumphotos.com.