The fifth edition of the International Photography Festival – Xposure, is looking for exceptional photographers in the genre of travel and documentary photography to participate in the newly launched edition of its premier Timothy Allen Photography Scholarship Award (TAPSA).

Over the last four editions of Xposure, 20 photographers have benefitted from TAPSA and trained under award-winning photographer Timothy Allen, in whose name the scholarship has been established. Those who want to send their online applications need to visit https://awards.xposure.ae/scholarship-award/.

Scholarships will be offered to a total of five photographers who enter a portfolio of images that represent the best of their work shot within the last three years. This portfolio can comprise one or more stories or just a selection of single images. Tim Allen will judge the entries, both individually and as a story portfolio, based on ingenuity and originality as well as photographic excellence in both image-making and storytelling.

The five winners will receive a 10-day travel package to Sharjah, including a five-day location workshop by Timothy Allen. They will also be given assignments, a portfolio review, one-to-one coaching, location photography training and the opportunity to present their work and story to a live audience in the main auditorium.

Scholarship winners will also benefit from opportunities to meet some of the great names in photography and receive an additional portfolio review from a leading Director of Photography or Photo Editor and attend seminars and workshops. The deadline for sending entries in September 23, 2020.

This competition is open to anyone over the age of 18 years at the time of entry submission. Candidates should register online on the Xposure website. Images should be submitted in JPG file format with a preferred resolution of 300 dpi.

Speaking about the scholarship, Allen said: “In its fifth year, TAPSA is continuing to attract exceptional new talent from around the world with entries increasing substantially every year. Previous recipients are also continuing to excel in their photographic careers with notable successes including a contract at Reuters, assignments with National Geographic and the New York Times; invitations to the New York Portfolio Reviews, VII Academy scholarship and Angkor Photo Festival, as well as an acclaimed solo exhibition at Xposure International Photography Festival. TAPSA is free and open to all and this year, as always, I am incredibly honoured and excited to once again have the chance to play a part in helping the careers of emerging photographers from the world over.”

Some of the past winners include, Ana Caroline de Lima from Brazil, who won the TAPSA Award in 2017. She is a documentary photographer, writer and visual anthropologist known for her work with traditional cultures around the globe. Her work has been exhibited in over 20 countries in solo and group exhibitions. She has won many awards and recognitions such as Team SCA and Getty Images Award, Women Photograph 2019 year in pictures, Survival International Photo Competition, and Sinchi Photo Competition, among many others. TAPSA 2017 winner will have an exclusive exhibition in Xposure 2020.

TAPSA winner in 2018, Linus Escandor II is a photojournalist and documentary photographer from Manila, Philippines, whose award-winning work focuses on the themes of environment, health, social and human rights issues. The Guardian, Dagbladet, The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Grazia France, The Times UK, Boston Globe, Washington Post, and CNN International, to name a few, have published his work. He had his own gallery at Xposure 2019.

2019 winner Senthil Kumar Rajendran, an environmental and wildlife photographer from India, was endorsed by Tim Allen and received a lot of media exposure, especially on CNN. He has won several awards from international organisations like POYi, Istanbul Photo Awards, National Geographic, WWF, Pano, Nature Image Awards, and UNESCO, among others.

Hosted annually by the Sharjah Government Media Bureau (SGMB), Xposure has grown to establish itself as the most significant photography and imaging show in the MENA region, and is widely attended by the world’s most acclaimed photographers, leading media and film professionals, photography enthusiasts, students and educators. For more information, visit https://xposure.ae/.