Start of the Fifth ZEISS Photography Award

Photographers from all over the world are invited to submit a photo series by February 4, 2020, in response to the topic “Seeing Beyond – Discoveries.”

The fifth ZEISS Photography Award competition is now open. The World Photography Organisation and ZEISS are calling on ambitious photographers from all over the world to present their work on the topic of “Seeing Beyond – Discoveries” to an international expert jury. They can submit photo series comprising five to ten images until February 4, 2020, at www.zeiss.com/photographyaward.

The topic “Seeing Beyond – Discoveries” can and should be interpreted in the broadest sense, as making new discoveries is human nature. This can be a personal revelation, a scientific and technical breakthrough, or an idea leading to social transformation. What matters is that the story tells a strong, distinctive story. All genres of photography are welcome.

Entries will be judged by a jury composed of three leading lights from the world of photography. The submissions will be judged on both their quality and creativity.

A shortlist of up to 15 of the best entries will be announced alongside the winning series on March 31, 2020. The winner can look forward to fantastic prizes: ZEISS camera lenses of their choosing to the value of €12,000 and €3,000 to put towards a photo trip. The award ceremony will take place on April 16, 2020, as part of the Sony World Photography Awards in London. The winning photos along with selected shortlisted submissions will be on display at Somerset House in London from April 17 to May 4, 2020.

ZEISS will also invite the winner to visit company headquarters in Germany. There they will get a peek behind the scenes at ZEISS and have ample opportunity to test out ZEISS lenses for themselves. The winner will also have the chance to work directly with ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation.

“I’m incredibly grateful for the ZEISS Photography Award. It gave me the chance to share my subjects’ stories with a global audience,” says previous year’s winner Rory Doyle. The US photographer wowed the jury with his series on the lives of Afro-American cowboys and cowgirls in the rural Mississippi Delta. “Thanks to the award, international media picked up my project. I can’t ask for more, especially because my project turns the lens on people who are often overlooked.”

• October 15, 2019: Competition open for submissions
• February 4, 2020, 2 P.M. (CET): Competition closed for submissions
• March 31, 2020: Release of the shortlist and announcement of the winner
• April 17, 2020: Award ceremony and gala dinner London
• April 18 to May 6, 2020: Winner’s photos and selected photos from the shortlist on show at Somerset House in London

The ZEISS Photography Award will be hosted jointly by ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation. Last year, around 8,350 photographers from 150 countries submitted almost 58,000 photos.

You will find further details about the ZEISS Photography Award, the Terms and Conditions of Participation, and how to apply at www.zeiss.com/photographyaward. Follow us on social media: @ZEISSCameraLenses (Instagram and Facebook), @ZEISSLenses (Twitter), @WorldPhotoOrg, and #ZEISSPhotoAward.