VSCO has announced the first 25 photographers that it has selected for The Fifty, it’s project that is putting 50 photographers and their work on billboards across the country.
Announced in August, The Fifty offered 50 photographers, one from each state, the chance to have their work featured on billboards across the country, licensed, and compensated by the company.
“The Fifty is a nationwide recognition of photographers in the United States, showing that you can make it right where you are. At VSCO, we’re here to celebrate you, your craft, and your career,” VSCO said. “If you’re doing the work, we want to see it. This could be your moment to see your work on a billboard in the state where you live.”
Answering questions about compensation, VSCO actually followed up with PetaPixel regarding that topic a week later.
VSCO has now revealed the first 25 photographers it will feature across the country, selected through that open call which drew more than 13,500 submissions, which it says is the largest open call in the company’s history.
“The selected work spans a range of styles, subjects and perspectives, representing photographers across genres, career stages and cultures from communities around the country,” VSCO says.
“The Fifty started with a simple belief that people are building photography careers in every corner of the U.S., beyond the traditional creative hubs, and they deserve to be seen and celebrated,” Eric Wittman, CEO of VSCO, says. “As the world’s biggest champion of photographers, we wanted to use the largest canvas we could find to put photographers front and center. By showcasing their work in their local communities, we’re introducing more people to their unique perspectives while also creating more business opportunities for them.”
VSCO says its goal is to deliberately make photography more physical and human-centered in a time when visual culture is “becoming increasingly synthetic and ephemeral.” Additionally, the company says that rather than using the billboards just to advertise VSCO, it’s using the space to elevate photographers.
In addition to the large-format displays, each selected photographer receives an honorarium, a feature across VSCO’s website and social channels, a year of VSCO Pro membership, a virtual portfolio review, and access to a members-only workshop with The Freelance Photographer.
The first four billboards will appear in Georgia, Illinois, New York, and Washington state, with 21 more slated to follow in short order. The full list of 25 photographers and their locations are available to peruse now, with an additional 25 coming as the program concludes later this fall.
Image creditsVSCO
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