About Aperture
Aperture, a not-for-profit foundation, connects the photo community and its audiences with the most inspiring work, the sharpest ideas, and with each other — in print, in person, and online.
Created in 1952 by photographers and writers as “common ground for the advancement of photography”, Aperture today is a multi-platform publisher and center for the photo community. From our base in New York, we produce, publish, and present a program of photography projects, locally and internationally.
About Aperture Portfolio Prize
The purpose of the Aperture Portfolio Prize is to identify trends in contemporary photography and highlight artists whose work deserves greater recognition. When choosing the first-prize winner and runners up, Aperture’s editorial and curatorial staff look for innovative bodies of work that haven’t been widely seen in major publications or exhibition venues.
What Winners Receive
The first-prize winner will be featured in Aperture Magazine and will receive a $3,000 cash prize and an exhibition in New York. The winner and up to four runners-up will be featured in an online gallery on aperture.org. All finalists are announced in the foundation’s e-newsletter, which reaches fifty thousand subscribers across the globe, including curators, critics, and members of the photography community. The winner and runners up may also be presented the opportunity to participate in the Aperture Foundation limited-edition print program.
Juror Information
The Aperture Portfolio Prize jury is comprised of Aperture’s experienced editors and curatorial staff. This year, the jury includes Chris Boot, executive director; Annette Booth, director of exhibitions management; Charlotte Chudy, assistant editor of books; Michael Famighetti, editor of Aperture Magazine; Annika Klein, editorial assistant of Aperture Magazine; Taia Kwinter, Managing Editor, Books; Amelia Lang, Associate Publisher, Books; Samantha Marlow, associate editor of books; Lesley A. Martin, creative director; Kellie McLaughlin, director of the limited-edition print program; Brendan Wattenberg, managing editor of Aperture Magazine; and Denise Wolff, senior editor of books.
Enter the 2018 Aperture Portfolio Prize
Timeline
Requirements
Submission Requirements
- 1 Project with 10 to 15 photos
- Project description with up to 1500 characters
- Biography and CV
Special Requirements
- Entrants must be Aperture Magazine print subscribers.
Entrance Fees
- No entrance fees.
How To Enter
This year, the sole entry requirement for entering the Portfolio Prize is to be an Aperture Magazine print subscriber. To subscribe, please visit aperture.org/magprize.
Once you’ve subscribed, you will receive an e-receipt containing your unique magazine account number. After free registration with Picter – in the first step of the submission process – you will be prompted to enter your Magazine account number.
If you are already a print subscriber and your subscription is current through Spring 2018, issue #230”, there is no additional fee to enter the prize. Please check your inbox for an e-mail containing your account number or send an e-mail with your name and address to custsvc_aperture@fulcoinc.com.
Judging Criteria
When reviewing entries, Aperture’s editors and curatorial staff consider the following criteria:
- Is the work new, i.e., created in the last five years?
- Is a theme or topic carried throughout the portfolio in a consistent manner?
- Do individual images have strong composition, strong use of color or tone etc.?
- What technical and presentation choices has the photographer made, and are they appropriate for the work? For example, is there a clear reason for the work being black-and-white versus a digitally enhanced palette?
- Does the body of work take an innovative or unique approach to the subject matter?
Previous Winners
