The Doug Pensinger Photography Fund supports emerging and early-career sports photographers. Candidates should demonstrate serious pursuit of a sports photography career. Photographers with more than 3 years' sustained professional experience are considered beyond the scope of the DPPF's programs.

THE GRANTS

3 photographers will receive

• A $5,000 grant, to be spent on career development

• Year-long mentorship by DPPF's current industry-leading professionals.

• Expenses-paid* trip to the 2020 DPPF Sports Photography Gathering (see below)
  (Travel coverage for the Gathering is limited to U.S. domestic airfare)

Up to 7 photographers will receive

• A $1,000 gift card for photography equipment

• Expenses-paid* trip to the 2020 DPPF Sports Photography Gathering (see below)
  (Travel coverage for the Gathering is limited to U.S. domestic airfare)

2020 DPPF SPORTS PHOTOGRAPHY GATHERING

Held in Golden, CO on September 25-27, 2020, this 2-day event will be led by top working professionals in the business and will include:

• Multiple individual portfolio feedback sessions

• Small group sessions on issues critical to the world of sports photojournalism

• A keynote presentation by a media team from the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics

Please note: The Gathering is not a workshop. It is designed to provide career advice, access to leading professionals, and individual feedback on the attendees' body of work. This dynamic informal gathering will give unprecedented access to high-level working professionals in the business. It will honor Doug Pensinger's generosity of spirit, strong work ethic, sense of camaraderie, and joyful approach to life and work.

APPLICATION PROCESS

The DPPF is committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity and to providing free merit-based access to its programs. There is no application fee and the process is open to all aspiring sports photographers.

Submissions will be judged on the basis of merit and overall quality. Only complete submissions will be considered, and all decisions by the judges are binding.

Terms and conditions

Additional requirements

50% of your submitted images must be taken within the last 12 months

Simon Bruty
Photographer
Originally from the U.K., Simon Bruty now lives in Washington D.C. During his career, Simon has traveled extensively to work on large sporting events such as World Cup Soccer, Super Bowls, and the Olympics. His feature stories are as diverse as golfers in Greenland, soccer in Zambia, and badminton in Indonesia. Somewhere along the way Simon learned how to make people sit still and has created portraits of some of today's most memorable athletes. His editorial and commercial clients include the Internal Olympic Committee, Sports Illustrated, the All England Lawn and Tennis Club, ESPN, and Canon. He received a Lucie Award in 2016 for Achievement in Sports Photography. He has also received awards from the World Press Foundation, Pictures of the Year, and the International Olympic Committee. The London Observer chose one of Simon's photographs to be included in their list of the World's 50 Greatest Sports Photographs.

Steve Fine
Editor
Steve Fine is currently the picture and sports editor at Flipboard, an app that has over 145 million monthly readers in 22 countries. He curates daily photo galleries around the world's biggest events and creates compelling long-form packages on themes and issues in the sports world. In addition to leading the social strategy for major sporting events, including notifications, he maintains a magazine called The Shot, Flipboard's destination for photography. Prior to joining the Silicon Valley startup six years ago, Steve was the Director of Photography at Sports Illustrated for 17 years, leading a 25- member team of staff photographers and editors. Before that he was deputy picture editor at The New York Times Sunday Magazine and sports picture editor at the paper. He lives and breathes in Manhattan.

Elsa Garrison
Photographer
Elsa Garrison is a staff photographer for Getty Images covering sport and is based in New York City. She is responsible for covering professional and collegiate sports in New York City and the Northeast region of the United States. Elsa regularly covers events such as the Super Bowl, the World Series, FIFA World Cup and the Olympic games. She began her career in 1996 with the sport photo agency Allsport (acquired by Getty Images in 1998) and she was based in Los Angeles. Elsa was the first woman hired as a staff photographer for Allsport and also Getty Images. Over the span of the next 20 years, she moved to St. Louis, Boston and then to New York as her responsibilities expanded to larger markets. Her work can been seen in websites, magazines and newspapers across the globe.

Jed Jacobsohn
Photographer
Whether it is at a sold out event or one on one with an athlete, Jed Jacobsohn  has a diverse range of experience in creating iconic, quality sports photography for both commercial and editorial clients. He is a photographer and visual storyteller whose work has appeared in major publications around the world, including the New York Times, Sports Illustrated and Time magazine as well as for commercial clients such as Nike, Unilever and Apple. His work has been awarded top prizes in many prestigious contests such as World Press Photo and Pictures of the Year. When he's not dodging athletes either on set or at the stadium, he's most likely teaching his two kids how to throw a two-seam fastball. He's based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Maxx Wolfson
Editor
Maxx Wolfson has been working at Getty Images -- the World's Leading Photography Agency -- since 2003. He is the current Director of Photography for the Americas. At Getty Images, Maxx started working directly with the NBA working on images from photographers all over the league. He quickly transitioned to a field editor working in sports, news and entertainment. Maxx would be in charge of editing events ranging from the Super Bowl to the Academy Awards. In his time at Getty Images, it has taken him to major events all over the world.  Maxx recently led the Getty Images team at his 13th Super Bowl and will play a leading role at his seventh Olympic games in July. Through his work with many sports leagues, Maxx possesses a deep institutional knowledge of the industry. He is a graduate of the University of Arizona with a degree in journalism.

FAQ

When is the deadline?
Submissions will be accepted until 11:59pm EDT on May 1, 2020.

Is there a fee?
No.

Can I enter by email?
No. Submissions can only be made through the application process on Picter.

May non-U.S. citizens apply?
Yes. International applicants should be aware that paid transportation to the Sports Photography Gathering is limited to U.S. domestic airfare and that the DPPF is not able to provide support for visa procurement.

Are there age restrictions for applicants?
No.

What do you mean by “emerging and early-career” photographers?
If you are a student or are within the first few years of establishing a career, you are eligible.
If you have more than three years’ sustained professional experience, you are beyond the scope of our program.

How many images can I submit?
Minimum of 15, maximum of 20 images.

How should I choose my images?
Simply submit your best sports-related work.

Must all images be sports-related?
Yes. Both action photos and feature photos are accepted.

May I submit heavily edited photos?
Images may not be digitally manipulated or altered through extensive post-production processing (other than routine exposure correction, white balance and color toning.) You may be asked to provide original files.

What size / format file should I submit?
jpg only, 1500 pixels on the long side.

Do my images need to be taken within a certain timeframe?
No, but 50% of your submitted images must be taken within the last 12 months.

Some of my images have been submitted to other competitions. Is that OK?
Yes.

Do I retain copyright to my submitted images?
You retain copyright to your work. Winners agree to allow the DPPF to use their names, likenesses, and a mutually agreed-upon selection of their submitted images, free of charge, for the purposes of promoting its nonprofit programs. See more in DPPF’s Terms & Conditions.

When and how will the winners be notified?
Winners will be notified by June 15, 2020, and their names will be listed at DougPensingerPhotographyFund.org/grants.

If my work is not selected, will I receive feedback about it?
We regret that we are unable to provide feedback.

Who are the judges of the competition and the mentors of the winners?
The photographers and editors in DPPF’s Advisory Board will serve as judges and mentors. See JUROR INFORMATION above.

DPPF states that its grants must be used for career development purposes. What does that mean?
Because the DPPF is a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting emerging sports photographers, winners of its grants will be required to submit receipts proving that the proceeds were used for career purposes. Examples of acceptable usage include purchase of photographic equipment and supplies, the cost of courses and software, workshop tuition, and direct travel costs associated with career opportunities. Winners will have one year from the acceptance of the award to submit documentation for how the funds were spent. If you have a question about a specific proposed usage for the funds, please contact us.

How do I contact you?
We may be reached at apply@dppfund.org