Documentary Photographer of the Year 2021 Competition

Have you a story that needs telling? Is there a documentary project you want to share with the world? Entering the Documentary Photographer of the Year 2021 could be your first step.

DPOTY is now bigger than ever and is open to everyone. A great opportunity to have your project judged by a professional international panel.

Winning and commended entries will be shown in an exhibition at Fujifilm House of Photography, London and be part of a UK Touring Exhibition. You will also have an opportunity to give a talk as part of the RPS Engagement series to showcase your work.

Our biennial Documentary Photographer of the Year competition will be running again this year. DPOTY2021 promises to be bigger and better than ever, with additional categories including Open and Student, as well as a Members’ Competition.

Our intent is to create an international open competition for photographers and image-makers, of all ages, focused on documentary and visual storytelling. Submissions are encouraged from new, emerging and established photographers from anywhere, on any story or topic, from global issues to personal experiences. The competition is looking for work that is technically excellent, impactful and offers a fresh perspective.

This is a unique opportunity to take part in a group exhibition in London and a UK touring exhibition, to present work to an international judging panel, and a worldwide audience through a complementary series of online talks and media.

We will be looking for project series of between 12 and 15 images with a title and project statement, to be submitted via an online process. Submissions opened on 6 May 2021 and close on 5 August 2021.

Our Competition categories include:

Open - open to anyone, anywhere (fee £10 per project)

Student - for anyone enrolled in full-time or part-time photographic education (fee £5 per project)

Member - for all RPS members (free to members)

Discounts and concessions will also be available on request to encourage inclusivity.

Judging will be by an International Panel of Judges: Mimi Mollica (Photographer/Director Offspring Photo Meet), Roy Mehta (Photographer), Lekgetho Makola (Director Javett Art Centre, Pretoria), Bindi Vora (Photographer/ curator Autograph), Marie Sumalla (Le Monde, Paris), Tanvi Mishra (Caravan, India) and Rosy Santella (Internazionale, Rome).

Our prizes this year include the opportunity to be part of an exhibition at Fujifilm House of Photography, London, and a UK Touring Exhibition. The RPS Member winner will receive a Fujifilm camera X100V (courtesy of our sponsors Fujifilm). The Student winner will have development support from leading photographer Simon Roberts HonFRPS. The Open winner prize is a bursary to create new work, with development support from the Martin Parr Foundation. In each category there will be two commended entries, each will be included in the exhibition as digital projections and will win one-year free membership of the RPS. All winners and those commended will also have opportunities to give Engagement Talks.

See our website more details rps.org/groups/documentary/dpoty-2021

from the series ‘Breadwinners’

Lina Geoushy - DPOTY2019 Winner