IAFOR Documentary Photography Award 2016

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award seeks to promote and assist in the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists. The judges want to see original work from around the world, with the emphasis being on quality content. There will be no prejudices or biases based on production value or budgets. In supporting emerging professionals, there are no entry fees.

The 2016 Award Theme – “Justice”

By seeking to reveal the world’s injustices, the photographer acts as a powerful agent of change. When the photographer bears witness to social problems, human rights abuses, suffering, conflict, poverty, and to those struggling on the margins of society, some justice is done to the subject in that they are noticed and given hope of a voice. The photograph becomes a record and a piece of evidence, communicated effectively to the world regardless of language or culture. Whether from within or outside a suffering community, the photographer is an activist, putting themselves at the service of the promotion of human rights, peace-building and social change.

When the truth, as the photographer sees it, is exposed and disseminated, justice, to a level, is served through the raising of awareness. But the seeming reality of a photograph and its human aspect mean that it is relatable and emotionally powerful in a way that, unlike facts and figures, can inspire more than just stagnant sympathy. The story that a photograph tells has the power to form and change opinion, and in turn inspire action. These actions can create real, tangible justice for the cause that the photograph represents, the impact and importance of which is real and measurable.

We hope that the broad nature of this theme will encourage photographers to submit work that explores justice from a variety of perspectives.