Getty Images today announced the first recipients of its 2006 Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography. Selected from 110 applications from 29 countries, Kristen Ashburn and Andrew Testa, both U.S.-based photojournalists, will each receive a $20,000 grant in addition to collaborative editorial support from Getty Images’ team of photo editors. Since the inception of the Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography in September 2004, seven grants of $20,000 each have been awarded to fund, support and inspire the best global talent in photojournalism.
Leveraging her experience in reportage photography, Kristen Ashburn will use her grant to communicate the plight of HIV/AIDS sufferers in Zimbabwe. Within the context of the struggle against abject poverty, Kristen will report on the hope and support provided by the churches and other places of worship that have sprung up in areas most affected by the diseases.
Ashburn comments, “Zimbabwe’s HIV/AIDS sufferers do not necessarily find answers in God, but religion and its customs obviously provide a measure of comfort and antidote to one of the tragic side effects of the pandemic – loneliness. My project will focus on the priests and volunteers who represent a grassroots response to the crisis that Zimbabwe is still facing – and I hope the grant will enable me to capture the hope personified by these courageous actions.”
Andrew Testa’s “New Beginning for Kosovo” will focus on the build-up to this year’s resolution of the final status of Kosovo, which will determine who will control the future of the troubled province. Testa will cover the precarious peace that was brokered in Kosovo in 1999 and how the outcome of this year’s referendum will affect the wider region.
Testa comments, “With the support of the grant, I now have the opportunity to immerse myself in the region and its people and report their complex problems through the power of images. I believe it is very important that the world witnesses events from this sometimes forgotten corner of Europe, at a critical time for local and wider global stability.”
Of the 110 applications received from 29 countries, 107 applications met all submission requirements and the anonymous projects and portfolios were evaluated by three independent judges. During the week of January 9, 2006, the three judges, world-class photojournalists and industry experts Giovanna Calvenzi, photo editor at Sportweek (Italy); Natasha Lunn, photo editor at The New Yorker (US); and, leading photojournalist and co-founder of Contact Press Images (US), David Burnett, collaborated to select the two winners.
Burnett commented, “The struggle to cut through the large quantity and high quality of entries was a challenge, but it was so exciting to see all this incredible work in one place! It is reassuring to see that the future of photojournalism is so strong and that topical issues can be tackled in such a sensitive, thought provoking way. We hope these winners will inspire even more photographers to apply for the next round of grants later this year.”
“We are not complacent about our leading position within the editorial market and recognize the importance of supporting the future of the industry by working with both up-and-coming, talented young photojournalists as well as those who are more established in their profession,” added David Laidler, Getty Images’ director of photography, editorial. “Yet again, we have been highly impressed by the powerful proposals submitted, as well as the strong geographical diversity of the entries we received. We look forward to seeing how these talented photojournalists will communicate their stories in the insightful, passionate and empathetic way they deserve.”
Getty Images also announced that Aidan Sullivan, vice president for editorial photographer relations, has joined the grants team and will lead it forward. He notes, “Working as a photojournalist can be lonely and difficult. Editorial budgets to fund this kind of work seem to diminish every year. It is important that we contribute to our industry and support the efforts of these photographers so that they can continue to produce great work.”
Getty Images awards five $20,000 grants annually, totaling $100,000, to fund work by established and rising photojournalists. In addition to funding, grant recipients work alongside the company’s team of photo editors for support in project execution. Grant winners are given the opportunity to sign a one-year exclusive rights agreement with Getty Images, whereby their work could be marketed and available for licence to customers worldwide through www.gettyimages.com. The photographers will always retain all copyright of their imagery.
Applicants for the second round of grants to be awarded in 2006 should submit a written proposal of 500 words or less to explain the scope, significance and journalistic merit of their chosen project, along with a supporting portfolio of work, by June 15, 2006. Three additional grants will be announced in September 2006 at Visa pour l’Image Festival of Photojournalism in Perpignan, France. For further information about the application guidelines and the 2006 grant recipients, please visit www.gettyimages.com/editorial-grants
About Getty Images
Getty Images is the world’s leading creator and distributor of visual content and the first place creative professionals turn to discover, purchase and manage imagery. The company’s award-winning photographers and imagery help customers create inspiring work which appears every day in the world’s most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and Web sites. Headquartered in Seattle, WA and serving customers in more than 100 countries, Getty Images believes in the power of imagery to drive positive change, educate, inform, and entertain. Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com.
This article was last modified on March 30, 2022
This article was first published on March 10, 2006
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