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DPOTY2021 Competition
Documentary Photographer of the Year
The Documentary Photographer of the Year (DPOTY) competition is organised by the Royal Photographic Society, Documentary Group. It has been running every two years since 2012 and provides an opportunity to showcase documentary work and storytelling.
Anyone of any age can submit their images to DPOTY - this includes student, amateur and professional photographers and story-telling image-makers worldwide. There is no theme or topic, so the choice of subject matter is yours. There is also no limit on when the images were taken. Just show us your best work, that has not been submitted to DPOTY before.
Entry is made online using our submission platform. After the closing date, the online selection is made and final judging will take place in September and October. Entrants remain anonymous throughout the selection process.
This year we have significantly expanded our competition. In line with the RPS Strategic aims, we want to engage with the wider contemporary documentary community and also support photographers’ development. We have therefore expanded the competition categories and broadened the competition entry requirements. We have also expanded the judging panel and have seven internationally recognised judges with broad interest in contemporary documentary photography.
We are keen to see varied and in-depth documentary work, so have increased the number of images required to enter. Previous competitions required only 5 or 6 images; feedback from previous years indicated that this was quite restrictive, even for a basic photo essay. Considering input from experts, comparison with similar competitions and in-line with submissions for RPS distinctions we increased the number of images required. We believe 12 to 15 allows a significant body of work to be submitted and offers entrants more flexibility without making the judging process overly complicated. There is no limit on the subject matter or when the images were taken, giving entrants the maximum opportunity to submit their work.
The entry process uses the same submission software that the RPS use for their International Photography Exhibition (IPE163). The competition is staffed by volunteers, who give their time for free, but there are other fixed costs incurred in running the competition. We have tried to keep the costs to a minimum and make the entry charges small. We are not seeking to make a profit. We recognise that even these small charges may inhibit some entrants, particularly in the ‘global south’. So, we have concessions available on request to help make this as inclusive as possible; please contact dpoty@rps.org
“Documentary photography invites the viewer to engage both visually and intellectually with a relevant topic. The beauty of it is that there are infinite combinations and possibilities between the creator’s perspective and the chosen topics. I’m excited when I see innovative approaches to the medium that challenge pre-existing formulas and offer new visions.”
“Young and experienced photographers, established and emerging talents have all one thing in common: the urge to share their stories. It’s usually new-comers, who introduce new visions and push the boundaries of the medium. Equally exciting is to see how, more experienced artists develop their ideas and practice over the years. I look forward to seeing a good variety of subjects covered with innovative approaches.”
“The photographic community thrives in its diversity, it feeds itself by different visions that together contribute to fulfil our inquisitive nature.”
DPOTY2021 Judge Mimi Mollica
Categories
The Open Category is a new category for our competition and is literally open to anyone, anywhere. We are keen to see new stories, whether that be important global or local issues, or personal projects. They could be dealing with current topics, or exploring a subject over a number of years. To that end we have no limit of when the images were taken. What is important is the story and the vision. We are also keen to help photographers develop, so our prize reflects that, with a bursary and development support from the Martin Parr Foundation.
The Student Category is open to anyone enrolled on a full-time or part-time programme with a formalised photography course or credit or module or foundation which is taught at higher education level, within a diploma, Bachelor’s or Master’s degree (entrants will need to submit academic institution information). We are keen to see work whether that be personal projects or course work that meets the competition requirements. The prize is also aimed at helping new photographers develop, with a bursary and support from Simon Roberts.
RPS Members’ Category. Like previous years, the competition is free to enter for all RPS Members (not just documentary group members). The only real change is the requirement for more images (now 12-15 images, so comparable with a distinction panel) and that there is no limitation on when the images were taken. The prize this year is a FujiFilm X100V, courtesy of FujiFilm UK. All category winners and two commended entries per category will get one year’s free RPS Membership. We will also include these photographers in our DPOTY exhibition.
