Announcing this year’s IAFOR Documentary Photography Award Judging Panel

IAFOR is delighted to announce that Maria Teresa Salvati (Slideluck Editorial) and Ziyah Gafic (VII Photo Agency) have been named as Guest Judges for this year’s IAFOR Documentary Photography Award, alongside our Founding Judge, Dr Paul Lowe (VII Photo Agency/University of the Arts London).


About the Award

The IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched by IAFOR in 2015 as an international photography award that seeks to promote and assist in the professional development of emerging documentary photographers and photojournalists. The award has benefitted since the outset from the expertise of an outstanding panel of internationally renowned photographers and industry professionals, including Dr Paul Lowe as the Founding Judge, and Ed Kashi, Simon Roberts, Simon Norfolk, Emma Bowkett, Monica Allende, Jocelyn Bain Hogg, Maria Teresa Salvati and Ziyah Gafic as Guest Judges.

As an organisation, IAFOR’s mission is to promote international exchange, facilitate intercultural awareness, encourage interdisciplinary discussion, and generate and share new knowledge. In keeping with this mission, in appreciation of the great value of photography as a medium that can be shared across borders of language, culture and nation, and to influence and inform our academic work and programmes, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award was launched as a competition that would help underline the importance of the organisation’s aims, and would promote and recognise best practice and excellence.

Now in its fourth year, the award has already been widely recognised by those in the industry and has been supported by World Press Photo, British Journal of Photography, Metro Imaging, MediaStorm, Think Tank Photo and the University of the Arts London, among others.

Winners of this year's IAFOR Documentary Photography Award will be announced at The Asian Conference on Media, Communication & Film (MediAsia) in Tokyo, Japan. The award follows the theme of the conference, with 2018’s theme being “Fearful Futures”.

In support of up-and-coming talent, the IAFOR Documentary Photography Award is free to enter.


Dr Paul Lowe

Our Founding Judge, Dr Paul Lowe is a Reader in Documentary Photography and the Course Leader of the Masters program in Photojournalism and Documentary Photography at the London College of Communication, University of the Arts London, UK. Paul is an award-winning photographer who has been published in TIME, Newsweek, Life, The Sunday Times Magazine, The Observer, and The Independent, amongst others. He has covered breaking news the world over, including the fall of the Berlin Wall, Nelson Mandela’s release, famine in Africa, the conflict in the former Yugoslavia, and the destruction of Grozny.

His book, Bosnians, documenting 10 years of the war and post-war situation in Bosnia, was published in April 2005 by Saqi books. His research interest focuses on the photography of conflict, and he has contributed chapters to the books Picturing Atrocity: Photography in Crisis (Reaktion, 2012) and Photography and Conflict. His most recent books include Photography Masterclass published by Thames and Hudson, and Understanding Photojournalism, co-authored with Dr Jenny Good, published by Bloomsbury Academic Press.

Paul is an Emeritus Member of VII Photo Agency.

VIDEO: "Testimonies of Light: Photography, Witnessing and History" by Dr Paul Lowe.


Maria Teresa Salvati

Maria Teresa is Founder and editor-in-chief at Slideluck Editorial, which exhibits a selection of the best photographic works and multimedia presented during Slideluck events worldwide, as well as works from guest artists.

Maria Teresa conceived and curated the project Born the Same, a selection of ten different works exploring sub-cultures and micro-stories working as reminders that we are all born the same, despite cultural, emotional and political conditions. The project was first presented at Les Rencontres De La Photographie Arles 2017, during La Nuit de l’Année, and is now travelling globally.

She co-edited and co-curated Hungry Still, an exhibition and publication produced and designed by Slideluck London, FORMAT Festival and QUAD, and printed by AKINA Factory. The collective project showcases twenty-four of the best works that have contributed to the English platform, since its inception, with a selection of images combined with personal anecdotes and recipes.

Maria Teresa is also a personal branding consultant. She helps photographers find their “spot of beauty” and vision, advises them on how to build their identity, and helps them communicate via the most appropriate channels (i.e. social media). Now she teaches in Bari, Italy at F.Project School of Photography and Cinematography, in Rome at Officine Fotografiche, and as a guest lecturer at the London College of Communication (LCC).


Ziyah Gafic

Ziyah Gafic is an award winning photojournalist with 19 years of experience, focusing on societies in conflict and Muslim communities across the globe. He covered major news stories in over 50 countries. His work has appeared in TIME, Le Monde, The New York Times, GEO, The Sunday Times Magazine, La Repubblica, The Telegraph Magazine, The New Yorker etc. He authored five books including Troubled Islam, Quest for Identity, and Heartland. His work won a plethora of awards, including multiple awards at World Press Photo, Visa pour l’image, Arles Rencontres de la photographie and grants from Magnum Foundation, Getty Images and Prince Claus Fund. Ziyah is member of VII Photo Agency and a TED Speaker.

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