Doug Pensinger Photography Fund announces inaugural grants for emerging sports photographers
The newly-formed Doug Pensinger Photography Fund (DPPF) announces its inaugural series of grants and mentorships. Established in 2019, the DPPF is unique in its nonprofit focus on emerging sports photographers.
The 2020 Sports Photography Grants program features:
- $5,000 grants and one-year mentorships by members of DPPF’s Advisory Board for the top three applicants
- $1,000 equipment grants for seven additional applicants
- Expenses-paid trip to the 2020 Sports Photography Gathering for all awardees
The application portal is at https://contests.picter.com/dppf-2020-sports-photography-grants.
The DPPF is committed to promoting inclusivity and diversity and to providing merit-based access at no cost to participants.
“Doug Pensinger was a great photographer and an incredible mentor to me and many others,” says DPPF Board Member Ezra Shaw, chief photographer, Getty Images. “The DPPF is an amazing opportunity to keep Doug’s legacy alive by helping passionate young sports photographers, and I am honored to be part of it.”
In addition to more than $20,000 in grants, the DPPF hosts an annual Sports Photography Gathering, where awardees spend a weekend meeting the professionals in DPPF’s Advisory Board, receiving portfolio feedback, and participating in small group sessions on issues critical to their developing careers. The 2020 Sports Photography Gathering will be held in Golden, Colo., on Sept.25-27 and will include a keynote presentation from members of the Getty Images media team on their coverage of the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, Japan.
“Doug knew the importance of getting a great sports photograph but was clever enough not to be consumed by that goal, and that’s what drew so many people into his orbit,” states DPPF Board Member Simon Bruty, a photographer whose clients include Sports Illustrated and the International Olympic Committee. “In that spirit, the DPPF will encourage young photographers while reminding us all that there’s a bigger picture out there: life.”
The DPPF’s Advisory Board comprises sports photojournalists and editors whose work is featured by Getty Images, Sports Illustrated, ESPN, and major media outlets; they have been recognized by World Press Photo, National Press Photographers Association, the International Olympic Committee, and Pictures of the Year International. 2020 Advisory Board members are photojournalists Al Bello, Simon Bruty, Elsa Garrison, Sean Haffey, Harry How, Jed Jacobsohn, Helen Richardson, and Ezra Shaw; and editors Steve Fine, Rebecca Butala How, and Maxx Wolfson.