Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011 - Call for Entries

I don't normally cover Photography on this blog.  However I went to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize last year and was impressed with the quality of some of the entries.

So this year I'm highlighting the Call for Entries for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011, a major international photographic award.

Here's what you need to know.

Here are the 2010 prizewinners.  David Chancellor won the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize with his portrait Huntress with Buck.   You can see this in my blog post Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010 - prizewinners

Who is eligible to enter?

• all photographers over the age of 18.  You must must have been 18 years of age or over on 1 January 2010
• there's no constraint in terms of where you live or work
• in terms of status you can be a professional photographer or a gifted amateur or a Student of photography

How many photographs can I enter

• You can enter up to 6 photographs
• all photographs have to be entered as part of the same application

What's the entry fee?

• Every photograph you enter attracts a fee of £23
  

How many people enter and how many get selected?

• Around 6,000 entries are expected
• The exhibition will display photographic portraits by around 60 photographers. 
• That means those who enter have about a 1% chance of getting selected

What's the incentive (ie prize money)?

• the winner of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011 will receive £12,000
• one or more cash prizes may be awarded to the shortlisted photographers.
• ELLE magazine will commission a photographer selected for the Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize exhibition to shoot a feature story for the magazine.  They will pay standard commissioning rates and expenses to the photographer chosen.

The winner of the ELLE Commission 2010
Merel by Clare Shilland
copyright Clare Shilland / source NPG

This is the story behind the photograph which won the ELLE commission in 2010

Shilland, from South London, met Merel in Milan when she shot her for an Italian magazine and later asked her if she could photograph her for her exhibition Girls! Girls! Girls! She says: ‘The concept was that it would be a combination of female nudes and female drummers. I asked Merel if I could photograph her for it and she agreed. I travelled to Antwerp where she lives and we spent a few days there taking pictures. One day we rode bicycles out of the city to some woods and fields - that is where I took this picture.’

What's the deadline for entries?

• The closing date for entries is 23:59 on Thursday 7 July 2011.  
• Entries can be sent in advance of this date either by post or online
• Entry forms will not be accepted on the day when prints are delivered. 

How do I enter

• Complete an online entry form which is now available at www.npg.org.uk/photoprize.  To register your entry online please CLICK HERE;
• Alternatively write and request an application form by sending a stamped seld-addressed A4 envelope to: Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011,  National Portrait Gallery, St Martin's Place, London WC2H OHE
• To download the postal entry form please CLICK HERE

When is the exhibition?

• The Taylor Wessing Photographic Prize Exhibition will be held at the National Portrait Gallery, London between 10 November 2011 until 12 February 2012.
• A 72 page catalogue (RRP £15) which will feature all the photographs selected for the exhibition.

Links:  

• National Portrait Gallery
• Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2011