Young Photographer Award 2022

The Finnish Darkroom Association and the Finnish Museum of Photography organise a photography competition for young people in March 2022. Organised for the first time, the Young Photographer Award is part of the Helsinki Darkroom Festival's program. The competition is open to all photographers aged 16–20 and living in Finland. Participation in the competition happens with a digital portfolio consisting of  ten photographs, which can consist of photographs created using analogue or digital methods.

Aims and awards

The aim of the Young Photographer Award is to inspire young people to expand their photographic expression. The competition grants its finalists the opportunity to develop technical skills and try out different analog photography techniques. The  jury will select three finalists, each of whom will be awarded with film cameras and films provided by our partners. In addition, the finalists will receive an optional course organised by the Finnish Darkroom Association at the Mörk darkroom in Helsinki. One winner will be selected from the three finalists. The winner will be awarded with the Young Photographer Award Certificate. The works of the finalists will be published on the social media channels of the Finnish Museum of Photography and the Finnish Darkroom Association (Facebook, Instagram and TikTok).

Jury

The judges of the competition are Elina Heikka, director of the Finnish Museum of Photography, Natalia Kopkina, photographer and artistic director of the Helsinki Darkroom Festival, and photographer Milja Laakso from the Photofuss youth group at the Finnish Museum of Photography. The jury evaluates the portfolios on the basis of the totality. The ten photographs in the portfolio do not have to be from a single series, but the jury hopes the images are qualitatively consistent. The jury encourages applicants to present their works with courage, originality and clear expression of their own views.

Participation in the competition

• The application period ends on Thursday, March 31, 2022 at 23:59.
• To participate in the competition, send 10 separate image files by e-mail and one text file to info@pimiotaiteilijat.fi 
• Email Subject: AWARD x Last Name First Name
• Images should be sent in JPG format as an email attachment. Images must be at least 2000 pixels wide. As the file name of the images, mark your full name Last Name First Name, for example LastName_FirstName_1.jpg, LastName_FirstName_2.jpg, etc.
• In addition to the images, create one PDF text file with a max.  500-word description of your interest in photography. In the same file, write your contact information, age, and list the image titles, year when photographed and, if necessary, technical information of the images you submitted.
• The results of the competition will be announced on 15.4. The finalists of the competition will be notified of the result in person.
• Participation is free.

Copyright and liability

• Photographs submitted to the competition must be taken by the entrant himself.
• Entrants must have full rights to the images and their publication, such as permission to use the image from the models in the images for competition purposes.
• The organisers of the competition and the media have the right to publish the pictures of the finalists on the website, in the press and in the print media in connection with the results of the competition or the advertising of the competition for the coming years. Other uses of the competition photos will be agreed with the author.
• Copyright of the photographs remains with the photographer.
• A person under the age of 18 must have the consent of a guardian to participate in the competition.

The partners in the competition are JAS Tekniikka, Suomen Interfoto Oy and Kameratori.

More information and questions related to the competition: info@pimiotaiteilijat.fi