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Capturing the moments that make us what we are

Deadline: Thursday 11 April 2024, 23:59 UK time

Enter all of our photography awards for free as a Full Access Member

Portrait of Humanity

In a time of uncertainty and division, photography has the power to bridge gaps and highlight the common threads that weave us together. Photography has the ability to capture the rich tapestry of cultures, backgrounds, and experiences that make up our shared humanity.
Now in its sixth edition, the Portrait of Humanity award by British Journal of Photography returns once more to celebrate diversity, community and unity through photography.

Why enter

Get exhibited worldwide

Portrait of Humanity sits amongst the most viewed photographic exhibitions. Thirty winning images and three winning bodies of work will be exhibited internationally, including in Four Corners Gallery, London; Indian Photo Festival, Hyderabad, and Fotofestiwal’s Night of Photograpy, Łódź

Get published in a photobook

200 shortlisted images will be featured in the Portrait of Humanity book published by Bluecoat Press.

Get judged by industry leaders

Judges from past editions include Sangsuk Sylvia Kang, photographer, journalist, and photo editor at TIME; Sunil Gupta, artist and educator; Marina Reyes Franco curator, Museo de Arte Contemporáneo de Puerto Rico (MAC) and more.

Get featured in international press

Alongside print and digital coverage from British Journal of Photography, Portrait of Humanity award winners have been featured by the BBC, The Guardian, The Times, The Independent, CNN, It’s Nice That! and many more.

Prizes

Single Image Category

30 winning images will be exhibited internationally

200 shortlisted images will be featured in the Portrait of Humanity Vol. 6 photobook published by Bluecoat Press

Your work will be shared with our extensive national and international press list

Stories Category

Three winning bodies of work will be exhibited internationally

Three winning bodies of work will be published in British Journal of Photography 

Your work will be shared with our extensive national and international press list

Judges

Each year the Portrait of Humanity jury brings together prominent photography figures from around the world. 

Alessia Glaviano

Head of Global PhotoVogue and Director of the PhotoVogue Festival

Elias Redstone

Founder/Artistic Director, PHOTO International Festival of Photography, Melbourne

Ioana Mello

Independent photography curator

Amak Mahmoodian

Multidisciplinary artist and educator

Sueraya Shaheen

Co-founder, SURA Art Advisory

Tanlume Enyatseng

Founder and Creative Director, Banana Emoji

Angel Luis González Fernández

Founder of PhotoIreland

Max Gorbatskyi

Curator, Open Eye Gallery (Liverpool, UK)

Miho Odaka

Independent photography curator

Samantha Clark

Senior Picture Editor, National Geographic

Melissa Alcena

Portrait and Documentary Photographer

Ufuk Şahin

Manager and Partner, MAS Matbaa. Founder, MASA

Special thanks to our partners

Hear from our past winners

Winners

Discover the winning photography that’s made waves across the world. 

Free entry for photographers in non-high-income locations

Photographers located in non-high-income countries can enter Portrait of Humanity Vol.6 for free. Are you eligible? See the list of qualifying countries, and complete the form via the link below.

Frequently Asked Questions

I have lost the email with my entry link

If you have lost your entry, use the reset form here.

The system is stating that my entry has been claimed when I have not entered.

Use the reset form here to retrieve your unique entry URL

Can I pay by PayPal / Cheque / Cash?

We can only accept Memberships and One-Off entries paid for with a credit or debit card online

Can I enter more than once?

Yes, once you become a Member you may enter as many times as you choose.

I have a promotional code, how can I use it?

We offer free entry to photographers residing in non-high income countries. To claim the free entry please fill out this form and follow the instructions that will be sent via email. 

I have a promotional code, but it doesn’t work?

If you experience any issues with the promotional code, please contact support@1854.media 

Why is there a fee?

To find out more about why there is a fee to enter our awards visit our 1854 Awards: Why is there a fee? page

I bought too many entries / ran out of time, can I get a refund?

Sorry, but all entry fees are non-refundable, as stated in the terms and conditions that you accepted on entry.

Can I upgrade my entry?

No unfortunately we can not upgrade your entry once a purchase has been made

The entry system is saying that my entry has already been claimed when I haven’t entered. What do I do?

You may have already received an email from us with your entry link. If so, submit your images through the link provided.

I am an 1854 Access member, why am I being asked to pay for my entries?

You will need to click on the members log in section on the submission platform, and enter your membership number in order to submit your entries.

Have my images uploaded correctly?

If your images have been uploaded correctly you will see a small version of each photo on the entry page, alongside the caption you entered. If you cannot see your photo, then your image has not been uploaded correctly. If a caption has been stored but no image, you can delete it using the Edit option.

There isn’t enough room for my image title, or other text

Please note the maximum lengths that apply to these texts. The length limits are noted on the form used to enter them and are given in characters (letters and spaces), not words.

My image was created as part of a collaboration, how do I ensure that all collaborators are credited?

In the description of your image(s), please clearly state that each image was created in collaboration with another artist, and give their name and email address.

I can’t see the option to submit my entry

The Submit button appears at the top of your entry page once you have uploaded at least one image.

What happens when I submit my entry?

Your entry will be confirmed on a web page after submitting, and then we will send you a confirmation email, and your images (along with their captions, statements etc) are stored, ready to be viewed by the judges.

I have submitted my entry – can I change it?

No, once your entry has been submitted you may no longer alter it in any way.

Could you please check my images / text / entry?

Unfortunately  this isn’t possible – our system receives thousands of images, and we don’t have the capacity to check each entry. . Please ensure that you are happy with your images and statement before submitting it.

Can you please provide an invoice for my entry?

Your entry confirmation email includes a full VAT invoice, we can not provide any other invoice request

Why haven’t I received my award status?

In order to receive your award status, you must be subscribed to our newsletter. If you unsubscribe from our mailing lists, we will not be able to contact you.

If you have unsubscribed, you can resubscribe by filling out this form. Once you have received an email from us, you can toggle your settings to choose what you do and don’t want to hear from us.

Portraits must have been taken after 1st January 2023

Portraits may be of individuals or groups of people

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All relevant subject consent must have been obtained for the use of the photographs for publication and exhibition. In the case of minors (persons under 18) parental/guardian consent must be obtained.

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All photographers should adhere to the 1854 Awards Standard of Practice

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We welcome applications from international professional and non-professional photographers of all ages

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Images can be shot using any camera model (film or digital) or electronic device, and images may be portrait, landscape or square in format.

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Each entrant will be deemed to warrant that they own the entire copyright for the work or that they have permission from the licensee and/or copyright owner/s for the uses.

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Each image can be a maximum of 10MB in size. All images must be submitted as JPEG files – any files submitted in any other format (including TIFF, PDF, PSD etc) will be discarded.

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Once your images have been uploaded to the system you will see an option to submit your entry. Only submitted entries will be viewed by the judges.

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You may submit a title (200 character limit) and caption (750 character limit) for each photograph entered. For the Stories Category, you can also provide an artist’s statement (1000 character limit). All accompanying text must be written in English.

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Deadline: 11 April 2024 – 23:59 (UK Time).

Judging will take place shortly after the deadline.

Entrants have an additional 24 hours following this deadline to finalise and submit their entry.

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Images must have been taken after January 2023, and can have been shot anytime up to the deadline of this award.

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Once your images and captions have been uploaded to the system you will see an option to submit your entry. Once submitted, your entry cannot be altered. Only submitted entries will be viewed by the judges.

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The shortlisted photographers must be available to supply high-res files promptly for publication.

Digital files of the shortlisted and winning images will be created for press and publicity purposes.

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1854 Media & British Journal of Photography cannot be responsible for any loss or damage to submitted work.

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No copyright is transferred to 1854 Media & British Journal of Photography in respect of any works entered or accepted.

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1854 Media & British Journal of Photography reserve the right to display, reproduce and publish in any media, any entry, without payment, for the sole purpose of Portrait of Humanity – this year and in future – and its promotion and publicity.

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1854 Media will organise and cover costs from the curation, framing, printing and production of the Portrait of Humanity Exhibitions in 2024.

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A selection of images will be published through 1854 Media & British Journal of Photography digital channels.

If through to the shortlist of Portrait of Humanity, the photo book publisher may edit the accompanying text for accuracy, grammar, or to keep it to length if necessary

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All shortlisted and winning images may be licenced by third parties and foreign rights. If the Portrait of Humanity book or exhibition is licenced in another language, we reserve the right to accept or deny permission.

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You will be asked to pay for your entry by Credit Card. All payments are handled securely by our payment partner Stripe. After payment, you will receive an email containing a personal upload URL, where you may submit your images and statement.

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All entry purchases are final. Having purchased an entry, it is your responsibility to upload and submit your images and statement before the deadline. No refunds will be issued.

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In order to receive your award status, you must be subscribed to the Awards Communications list on our mailing system. If you have not received your status after the deadline, you must simply resubscribe by filling out a form to our newsletter list. 

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All entries are subject to 1854 Media’s General Competition Terms and Conditions

Deadline: 11 April 2024 – 23:59 (UK Time).

1854 Access Members can enter all our awards for free!

Celebrate the strength of human connection through your lens