$21,000 in prizes up for grabs in Leica Women Foto Project Awards

Leica women foto project awards 22
(Image credit: Leica)

Leica has announced a call for entries for its fourth annual Leica Women Foto Project Award – and this year, the brand’s initiative to promote diversity in photography expands to new regions across the globe. 

For the first time ever for these awards, Leica will accept entries from the United Kingdom, Mexico and Canada in addition to the United States. One award winner per region will walk home with a Leica SL2-S and a Leica Vario-Elmarit-SL 24-70mm f/2.8 ASPH lens, as well as a cash prize of $10,000 (approximately £9,200 / AU$15,400).

"We are delighted to bring the fourth iteration of the Leica Women Foto Project to the United Kingdom and open the award to talented photographers across the country," said Lydia Beagelman, head of marketing for Leica UK.

"With the Leica Women Foto Project, we want to shine a light on the female perspective and the importance of capturing moments that bear witness to how we see and interact with our world."

Leica Women Foto, Rania Matar - 2022 winner (Image credit: Leica)

Since its inception in 2019, the Leica Women Foto Project has served as a platform to cultivate a diverse and inclusive community through photography. Its mission is to encourage photographers to demonstrate the importance and impact of a woman’s point of view, serving as a catalyst to reframe how we see, think, and express our visual narrative. 

"Photography has the power to give reason for hope: Don't look the other way, shake things up, express and advocate for change – the connection to humanity and our responsibility to bear witness to its moments is at the heart of Leica’s culture – from the Leica Oskar Barnack Award to the Leica Women Foto Project Award," said Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, art director for Leica Galleries Worldwide and Leica Women Foto Project juror.

"With these initiatives, we recognize and celebrate the courageous photographers and the stories they express through their unique lens"

Leica Women Foto, Rania Matar - 2022 winner (Image credit: Leica)

How to enter Leica Women Foto Project Awards

Applicants are requested to submit a photo story made with any make or model camera that bears witness to humanity as expressed through the female perspective. Submissions will be selected by a diverse group of jurors renowned in the world of photography which consists of:

Karin Rehn-Kaufmann, Director, Leica Galleries Worldwide

Amanda de Cadenet, Photographer, Author, and Media Personality

Liz Johnson Arthur, Photojournalist & Editorial Photographer

Natalia Jimenez, Senior Picture Editor, National

Elizabeth Krist, Former Senior Photo Editor at National Geographic

Kate Kuo, Director of Photography LA Times

Whitney Matewe, Photo Editor, Time Magazine

Mary McCartney, Photographer

Renee Mussai, Senior Curator and Head of Curatorial & Collection, Autograph ABP

Nikki Reed, Actress, Photographer, Writer

Laura Roumanos, Co-Founder, Photoville

Sara Rumens, Features Picture Editor, The Times

Jennifer Samuel, Photo Editor, National Geographic

Maggie Steber, Documentary Photographer & Guggenheim Grant Fellow

Sandra Stevenson, Associate Director of Photography for CNN.

To submit your entry, visit the Leica Women Foto Project Award website before entries close on November 07.

Candidates must be legal residents of the US, Canada, UK or Mexico, and 21 years or older at the time and date of entry. Leica will announce the winners on March 08 2023, via Leica USA and UK’s respective websites, newsletters, and Facebook and Instagram accounts.

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Sebastian Oakley
Ecommerce Editor

For nearly two decades Sebastian's work has been published internationally. Originally specializing in Equestrianism, his visuals have been used by the leading names in the equestrian industry such as The Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI), The Jockey Club, Horse & Hound, and many more for various advertising campaigns, books, and pre/post-event highlights.

He is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, holds a Foundation Degree in Equitation Science, and holds a Master of Arts in Publishing. He is a member of Nikon NPS and has been a Nikon user since his film days using a Nikon F5. He saw the digital transition with Nikon's D series cameras and is still, to this day, the youngest member to be elected into BEWA, the British Equestrian Writers' Association.

He is familiar with and shows great interest in 35mm, medium, and large-format photography, using products by Leica, Phase One, Hasselblad, Alpa, and Sinar. Sebastian has also used many cinema cameras from Sony, RED, ARRI, and everything in between. He now spends his spare time using his trusted Leica M-E or Leica M2, shooting Street/Documentary photography as he sees it, usually in Black and White.