Six men and six women were selected for the Joop Swart Masterclass from a longlist of 141 photojournalists and documentary photographers spanning 53 countries.
They are: Bego Antón, Spain; Bryan Denton, Isadora Kosofsky and Bryan Schutmaat, US; Meeri Koutaniemi, Finland; Giorgio Di Noto, Italy; Emilie Regnier, Canada; Raphaela Rosella, Australia; Naman Protick Sarker, Bangladesh; Akos Stiller, Hungary; Andrejs Strokins, Latvia; and Ilona Szwarc, Poland.
The 12 photographers were selected on 23 April by an independent committee in Amsterdam, which included BJP associate editor Olivier Laurent; Sarah Leen, director of photography at National Geographic; Associated Press photographer Peter Dejong; and photographers Rena Effendi and Tanya Habjouqa.
[bjp_ad_slot]Reflecting on this year’s portfolios, the selection committee commented that photographers are continuing to “push personal boundaries” and challenge conventions.
“Photographers are looking into new ways of telling a story. The work we saw looked more daring [and uses] artefacts, letters, drawings and found objects to add to the narratives. We saw photographers choosing more intimate and inclusive approaches, [and] there was a tendency towards stories with a strong element of mood and poetry. In this sense, we can see photojournalism using a more expansive vernacular.”
The photographers will take part in the masterclass in Amsterdam from 02-08 November, where they will receive guidance and feedback on their work from six photography experts who are yet to be named.
Participants will each prepare a photo essay around the theme ‘irresistible’ in advance, which will form the basis of their discussions with mentors during the six days. The photo essays will then be edited and published in Next #04, the fourth edition of the masterclass series publication, designed by Teun van der Heijden and co-published with Schilt Publishing.
The annual World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass, named after the foundation’s late chairman who was a passionate supporter of young photographic talent, was launched in 1994 and has since become one of the most respected and established events of its kind. Its goal is “to bring together some of the most experienced individuals in photojournalism with 12 young, promising photographers to share and pass on their knowledge and experience”, write the organisers on the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass website.
Joop Swart “offers a focused, intimate and reflective learning experience to young photographers, aiming to foster their intellectual, artistic and professional growth”.