Filipino Photojournalist selected for the 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass
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Filipino photojournalist Veejay Villafranca was selected along with 11 other young photographers to participate at the 20th edition of the Joop Swart Masterclass which will be held in November 2-8, 2013 in Amsterdam, the Netherlands. Villafranca was chosen among 174 candidates from 54 countries nominated exclusively by World Press Photo’s 18 international committees around the world.
The Photojournalists Center of the Philippines is honored by Villafranca’s inclusion in the 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass, a testament that Filipino photojournalists can be at par with photojournalists around the world in producing excellent bodies of work. Villafranca currently sits as a PCP Board member.
The 12 participants were selected by an independent jury which inculdes Els Barents (the Netherlands), director Huis Marseille museum for photography; Manoocher Deghati (France/Iran) Middle East photo manager The Associated Press; Silvia Omedes (Spain), curator and director at Photographic Social Vision Foundation; Paolo Patrizi (Italy) photographer; and Larry Towell (Canada), photographer Magnum Photos. The jury is thrilled that the 2013 Masterclass participants bring in great diversity in both style and nationality.
The 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass provides an opportunity for these emerging photographers to interact with six prominent experts in the field of photojournalism to “discuss the technical and visual aspects of their work, as well as their role as a photographer.” Participants are expected to produce individual photo essays around the theme “Hope” which will be discussed and edited during the six-day meet before it will be published in Next#03, a publication showcasing works of Joop Swart Masterclass participants.
20th EDITION JOOP SWART MASTERCLASS WELCOMES 12 NEW TALENTShttp://www.worldpressphoto.org/content/20th-edition-joop-swart-masterclass-welcomes-12-new-talentsWorld Press Photo announced the names of the 12 young photographers who have been selected to come together with a group of masters for the 20th edition of the annual World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass, at a dinner hosted by Canon during the Awards Days. During the six-day masterclass meeting to be held from 2 to 8 November 2013 in Amsterdam, the participating photographers will interact with six prominent experts, discussing technical and visual aspects of their work, as well as their role as a photographer.
The following 12 photographers - 5 men and 7 women of 10 different nationalities - will participate in the 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass:
Evgenia Arbugaeva, Russia
Fatemeh Behboudi, Iran
Arnau Blanch Vilageliu, Spain
Peter Dicampo, USA
Maika Elan, Vietnam
Edouard Elias, France
An-Sofie Kesteleyn, Belgium
Diana Markosian, Russia/USA
Ali Noureldine, Palestinian Territories
Dina Oganova, Georgia
Maria Turchenkova, Russia
Veejay Villafranca, The Philippines
Acceptance to the masterclass is exclusively by nomination and selection. This year’s participants were chosen among 174 candidates from 54 countries, who had submitted their portfolios after having been nominated earlier.
On Wednesday 24 April, an independent selection committee met in Amsterdam to make the final selection.
The final committee consisted of:
Els Barents (the Netherlands), director Huis Marseille museum for photography;
Manoocher Deghati (France/Iran) Middle East photo manager The Associated Press;
Silvia Omedes (Spain), curator and director at Photographic Social Vision Foundation;
Paolo Patrizi (Italy) photographer;
and Larry Towell (Canada), photographer Magnum Photos.
Regarding the 174 portfolios that were submitted, the committee reflected:
“We recognized certain trends in the work, fashionable styles. On the one hand were pictures that seemed heavily influenced by photo magazines that publish new documentary styles—a tendency to make images more dramatic, to go for texture rather than narrative. On the other were those that followed more traditional photojournalistic formulae, derived from newspaper photography. Both these tendencies were strongly evident. But we were interested in freshness, in finding photographers who would move into new ground through the masterclass.”
Regarding the selected participants, they commented: “After we had settled on the final twelve choices, we were surprised at the wide range of countries they came from, and also at the even gender balance. This had come quite naturally, through the quality of the images, rather than through any preconceived plan.”
In preparation for the masterclass meeting in November, the participants will execute a photo essay on a theme, which for this year is “hope”. The essays will be discussed with the masters and edited to be published in Next #03, the third edition of the book in the masterclass series, designed by Teun van der Heijden and co-published with Schilt Publishing.
Since 1994, the Joop Swart Masterclass has brought together some of the finest young photographers from around world, and leading professionals in the fields of documentary photography and photojournalism. It offers a focused, intimate and reflective learning experience to young photographers, aiming to foster their intellectual, artistic and professional growth. The Joop Swart Masterclass holds prime position among the seminars, debates and other educational programs regularly organized within the World Press Photo Academy. It is named after the foundation’s late chairman, who was a passionate supporter of young photographic talent.
The masters of the 2013 Joop Swart Masterclass will be announced later this year.For more information about the Joop Swart Masterclass, please visit: http://www.worldpressphoto.org/joop-swart-masterclassThe Joop Swart Masterclass is supported by Ammodo Foundation, CSM and Canon, who provides all participants with a grant.
World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon.
About World Press Photo
World Press Photo organizes the leading international contest in visual journalism. The foundation is committed to supporting and advancing high standards in photojournalism and documentary storytelling worldwide. Its aim is to generate wide public interest in and appreciation for the work of photographers and other visual journalists, and for the free exchange of information. The activities include organizing annual photojournalism and multimedia contests and global exhibition tours. The Academy programs strive to stimulate high-quality visual journalism through educational programs, grants and by creating greater visibility through a variety of publications. World Press Photo is an independent, non-profit organization with its office in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, where it was founded in 1955.
For further information, please contact:
The press department at World Press Photo
press@worldpressphoto.org or tel. +31(0)20 676 6096.