Los Angeles, CA—The Lucie Foundation announced the Guardian Project, an open call that supports the Pathshala/South Asian Media Institute. The Guardian Project specifically benefits documentary photographers as well as photojournalists.
In addition, the Lucie Foundation will donate 50% of the profits received to support the ongoing efforts of their educational programs in photography, film and multimedia journalism. Based in Dhaka, Bangladesh, the Pathshala/South Asian Media Institute targets promising young photographers of the region.
Though an initial quota was kept for women and people from marginalized communities, in the long run, Pathshala will only cater to the most promising talent regardless of class and gender. Moreover, the idea is to take young professionals who, with the right guidance and opportunities, can break into the highest echelons of the international photographic industry and tell their stories to the world.
The Pathshala/South Asian Media Institute was founded by photographer and activist Shahidul Alam. Alam received the Lucie Humanitarian Award in 2018.
Open Call for Guardian Project
The Guardian Project open call is for documentary photography and photojournalism images in several categories. Those categories comprise Nature/Environment/Wildlife (single image); People/Portraits (single image); Street Photography (single image); and Contemporary News/Current Events (single image). In addition, photographers may submit a project photo series of up to five images. Judges will evaluate the complete series together.
What’s more, the open call will feature 50 photographers that the foundation will display in an online exhibition. It is also offering a variety of prizes, including one grand prize that will go to the photograph with the highest score overall in any category.
The grand prize winner will receive a featured interview on the Lucie Foundation website and will be part of the foundation’s online exhibition for this competition. In addition, the grand prize winner will garner a cash prize of $1,000; a $250 B&H gift certificate; a 16×20-inch print of the award-winning image from Digital Silver Imaging; as well as the pick of one Lucie honoree poster (unsigned edition).
Furthermore, the Lucie Foundation will award four category winners. These winners will represent the highest score in the remaining categories. The categories remaining will depend on the grand prize winner.
Category winners will also exhibit as part of the competition’s online exhibition. Additionally, they will receive a $250 cash prize; a $100 B&H gift certificate; a 16×20-inch print of the award-winning image from Digital Silver Imaging; as well as a pick of one Lucie honoree poster (unsigned edition).
The deadline for submissions is May 31, 2021 at 12 midnight ET.
