Entries are now open for 2020’s Association of Photographers awards

As a publication that aims to champion creativity, we know how difficult it can be to get the exposure you’d like. In particular, there aren’t too many opportunities to get your work in front of decision makers in the industry. But, for those working in the medium of film and photography, there is a rather big one on the horizon.

The Association of Photographers (AOP) have recently opened applications for the 36th edition of its annual awards. One of the highlights of the photographic calendar, it includes celebrated categories for professionals, enthusiasts and students, and new for 2020, the Emerging Talent Award – open to anyone working in the industry for less than three years.

The world-renowned event, which is held in London in July, attracts industry commissioners and agencies looking to find both established and emerging talent, and for the first time ever, will allow moving image and innovation work to be submitted in any Awards category. Whether you have created that one image that tells its own story, or a series of images that complement each other and examines things over a longer period of time, there are options to enter both.

For instance, last year’s award winners include John Ross, who shot the album artwork for Stormzy’s Gang Signs and Prayer, Tina Hillier for her beautiful series on the Women of Zataari, and Spiros Politis for his striking side-on portrait of a swan-like ballerina.

This celebration of image-makers is not just a one off event either, as winners and finalists will have their work publicly exhibited for two months at Canada Square in Canary Wharf, east London. Those selected will also have their details and work in the Awards Book circulated to 2000 industry creatives, which has become a compendium for those in the industry looking for new photographers to commission.

Entries are open until 2 April 2020, so if you’re a photographic, film or moving image leaning creative there’s still plenty of time to submit your work. It is recommended that creatives enter a single image, or a series, limiting entries to three or four images if the latter. When it comes to the moving image, entrants can submit a piece up to seven minutes in length.

The AOP welcomes personal, collaborative and commissioned works too, but be sure to reference those you have worked with if submitting a collaboration, whether its a director, editor, colour grader or musician. In general, innovation is an attribute the AOP keeps an eye out for, this can be through storytelling, traditional or digital techniques