A photography competition aimed at kick-starting the careers of ambitious students is now taking entries.

The annual EIZO Awards, organised by computer monitor manufacturer EIZO, are designed to "champion creativity behind the lens" and help talented students to gain a foothold in the business.

Falmouth University students in various photography disciplines such as fashion and commercial can enter for the chance to win the top prize – an exclusive placement with a world-renowned photographer as well as an EIZO ColorEdge monitor.

 

One of last year's winners, Laura Fearn

Now in its third year, the judges for this year's awards are all UK-based professional photographers and include; Nick Ballón, a London-based documentary and portrait photographer; esteemed landscape photographer Catherine Hyland and Benedict Redgrove, an innovation specialist whose most recent work includes shooting an ambitious project with NASA.

There will be three winners in total from across the UK, one chosen by each of the judges. One of the former winners of the 2017-18 award is Annabel Lake (age 22), a graduate from Central St Martins in London, who commented: “Entering the EIZO Award allowed me to work on a live brief and direct my own project, something that will be crucial in my development as a professional.

 

Picture by Irene Mendez Cruz

"My entry commemorated one year of the passing of my grandad, who would have been married to my grandma for 60 years, so creating something to celebrate the love they shared was really special to me.

“I’d encourage this year’s entrants to focus on the narrative and the story they’re trying to tell. Sometimes keeping it simple is best to let your passion come through.”

 

A photograph from another one of 2017's winners, Annabel Lake

Hayley Osborne, marketing manager for EIZO, added: “There is a wealth of photography talent across the UK and so our awards are designed to unlock that skill, flair and imagination. By working closely with universities, we want to champion the creative photographers of the future and give students the best possible platform to showcase their work. We’d love to see what the students of Falmouth have to offer!”

Both universities and students can now download a copy of the EIZO Awards brief and find details on how to enter at www.eizocolour.com/eizo-award/.

Entry submissions are now open until May, with winners being announced the following month.