Closed: Win a photography assignment to Myanmar!

Travel Photography Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

In partnership with: Intrepid Kathmandu Lonely Planet

Strictly one application per person.

Get your FREE travel photography tips from mentor Richard I’Anson to help prepare your application:

59 Comments

  • elena potito said

    My name is Elena and I'm from Italy. I'd really love to participate, since Richard l'Anson is my favourite photographer and his book ''Travel Photography'' really inspired me. What is more, my biggest dream is to become a travel photographer and participate at this photo contest would be very important to me.sadly, I'm 17 years old and my birthday is in february. I know that I need to be over 18 at the time of the application deadline, but if my parents write a permission, would it be possible to participate?


    Sorry Elena, even with your parents' consent we are unable to offer the scholarship to anyone under the age of 18. We're glad you found this opportunity and we hope to see your photographs among next year's Photography Scholarship applications. Do sign up for our Travel Photography Video Guide and keep perfecting your craft! https://www.worldnomads.com/explore/guides/introduction-to-travel-photography

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Amartya said

    Hi, my name is Amartya and I would really love to learn under Mr.Richard l'Anson. I have seen his works, really amazing and they have stories. I am entering this contest but I don't have a camera. I use my mobile phone to take photos and usually publish some of them on my Instagram. Is it okay to not have a camera?


    Hi Amartya. As mentioned above - camera equipment does not matter at all! Submit what you think works best - it's all about the image. If you think the images taken from your mobile phone can compete with the images we've previously shortlisted then you are welcome to apply with them. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Marcus said

    Do i have to own a semi or professional camera to participate? I do not have one yet, so i only use a good quality cell phone camera for my pictures. I also have a simple amateur digital camera.


    Hi Marcus, see my answer above. Thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Seyon Jennifer said

    I am Seyon Jennifer. I am a graduate in Food Science. I love photography and so I have captured few pictures in and around my house through my mobile. I haven't travelled outside much because of my studies. I have very few pictures of travel. I would like to know if I could post any pictures that I have taken or should I post travel pictures alone. And am I eligible for this programme, since I do photgraphy with my mobile. I donot own a camera.
    Thanks


    Hi Seyon Jennifer, to meet the brief your images must tell a story about a place you have been, so ideally you would have traveled to get to this place. If you have not had the opportunity to travel far, you can submit images of a place close to home. More importantly, every image must tell a story and THEN the images must work TOGETHER to tell a story about this particular place.

    Regarding your question about usage of a mobile phone camera, please see my response to Amartya above. Thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Mossy T. said

    Hello,
    I would like to know if the pictures has to be taken on the period of the competition or not?
    I was in India in December 2016 - February 2017 and would like to know if I can submit the pictures from that trip.

    Thank you in advance.


    Hello Mossy T. You can submit images taken prior to the application period. Good luck!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Rachael said

    Hello,
    Amazing opportunity!
    Do portraits or photos clearly identifying subjects require official permissions or release forms of any kind? I have some I would like to use but only had informal (spoken) permission given.
    Thanks so much.
    Rachael


    Hi Rachael. While we do not require official written release forms, it is your responsibility as the photographer to ensure that the identifiable subjects of your photographs are aware that their images are being used and have provided you with their consent.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Julia said

    Good morning
    My name is Julia and I would like to know if I can apply more than once, using different photo essays.
    Thank you

  • juan calvo said

    What do I need to pay for on this trip? How much money do I need to bring?


    Juan, this is an all-expenses-paid opportunity. Further information about what is included in the prize can be found in Section 14 of the Program Terms and Conditions: https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/terms

    - Pari, World Nomads


  • Brittany Johnson said

    Can you do any minor adjustments to the photos such a cropping? Does the writing portion at have to be in a certain format?


    Yes, cropping and minor color adjustments are okay. However, we want to see a true representation of the images that you captured in the field. So keep your digital adjustments to a minimum - we can and will be able to see through any unnecessary enhancements. Bear in mind that we will also ask for your original RAW files should you be chosen as a finalist, and you will be penalized for excessive changes to your original images.

    No, there is no particular format for the personal essay. Do make sure you answer the question asked and make the most of the space you have been provided to tell us about yourself.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • SHANTI said

    E preciso escrever o texto em Ingles? ou pode ser em Portugues?


    All applications must be in English.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Thais said

    Is it ok to write the captions as first-person narrative?


    Yes, that's okay. Remember you do not need to write an entire story, you just give the photos context and a bit of background.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • George Wagner said

    Like Brittany Johnson, I'd like to know how much post is acceptable. I typically, crop, adjust brightness and contrast, and/or tweak color. How much is too much?


    Hi George, these minor edits are okay. See my response to Brittany above. Remember - we're looking for a budding photographer and not a Photoshop or Lightroom expert, so as long as the edits are justifiable and the images are a faithful representation of what you saw you will not be penalized.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Mario said

    Hello,

    the 5 images l wish to submit were taken with a point and shoot camera and the option of RAW files was not available - does that automatically mean that they are JPEG files on the memory card? Finalists are expected to provide technical data but a point and shoot camera does not record meta data details.


    Hi Mario, you do not need to provide the image metadata with your application. You may upload JPEG images. If your photo essay is shortlisted we will require the original JPEG files to ensure your image has not been over-processed.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Faha said

    Hi,

    Can animal photography be used from a certain place I visited. It will be a story but not necessarily unique to the place. What I mean to ask is that should the images tell a story that could have happened in any place or should the focus of the story be to bring out the place itself through imagery.

    Thank you!


    The story does not have to be unique to a particular place, however, each photo must work together tell a story about the place you have traveled to. Animal photography can also be used.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Jeremy said

    Hi,

    I didn't see anywhere that talked about post-process editing and it's impact on your submission.

    I read the HDR note and was wondering if that applies to actual HDR shooting or can post process mimic that?

    I'm attempting to be light on my editing (brightness, color balance, contrast, etc) but I don't want disqualify myself if I do something wrong in preparation for submitting my application.


    Hi Jeremy, the rules on HDR submissions apply to both HDR shooting and the use of software in post-production to mimic HDR results. Light editing is acceptable, just don't go overboard.

    - Pari, World Nomads




  • Thiago Lopes said

    Hi! If i can create a essay with a solid concept, made in diferent countries at the same period, can i upload it setting just one of the countries?

    Thanks!


    Hi Thiago, your images must be of one place. Photo essays with images taken in multiple countries will be disqualified.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • natalia said

    Hi, just wondering how many winners per year taken?
    Thank you!


    Only one winner is chosen each year.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Anna said

    Incredible opportunity.....

    Maybe a weird question but can I ask if the itinerary is decided and more o less where about in Myanmar?
    Or if it can be changed on request?

    Thank you.


    The itinerary will be decided with our partners at Intrepid Travel. It cannot be changed on request.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Simona said

    Hi, I was just trying to upload my photos but those that are vertical (e.g. like portraits) automatically once uploaded show up horizontally........ Is there a prerequisite for the layout? I didnt find any so hope its just a minor tech issue? I have rotated the photo as it should be my end. Thanks for the help.


    Hi Simona, there is no prerequisite for the layout. Portrait images are accepted. If you are unhappy with the layout of your submission please email us at scholarships@worldnomads.com and we will help you fix this.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Vincenzo Di Nuzzo said

    HI, I've just submitted some photos about the "beaters" procession. I this the vertical photos are over sized, they are more than 940 pixels on the longest length of the image wide . How can I submit them again? Is it possibile? or they are ok?

    thank you, regards
    Vincenzo


    Hi Vincenzo, if you are happy with the way your application is displayed, then it is fine. Our application form is unable to process overly large images, which is why we have stated the size limit.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Fio said

    Hi!
    I love taking pics, but I am not really knowledgeable on the technical aspects of it. For this contest I am looking into more info of old pics of mine and my camara was set to take Vivid pictures, does that disqualified those picture in particular?
    Also what do you guys recommend about vertical pictures since your specifications seem to recommend horizontal pictures.

    thanks!!
    -Fio


    Hi Fio, your images will not automatically be disqualified if your camera was set to a vivid setting. You may also include vertical images in your submission.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Carole Noronha said

    Hello!
    Wondering if you can help me. I submitted my entry and when I had the chance to view it, one of the photos was repeated 5 times instead of a different photo each time. This isn't how my application looked before I entered it. How can I correct this? :-(
    I'm not able to get back in to view my entry anymore.

    Thanking you, Carole :-)


    Hi Carole, please check your emails, I've responded to you there. Thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Chris Schuhmann said

    I am so excited about this opportunity! I've been exploring all my old photos looking for the best possible story. I guess my question is, I didn't even know what a RAW file was till very recently. Some of my favorite images were shot with a simple point and shoot before I realized what a passion and gift I had for photography. Will a lesser quality image with a lesser quality camera count against me in the process? Some of my favorite images are clearly shot with a lesser quality camera, and I was a very inexperienced pup at the time. But that means the subject matter came from a very untrained eye! Imagine if I get more training!!
    Thank you


    Hi Chris, you will be judged on your images and not the type of camera you have used. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Brunna said

    Hello!
    I`m from Brazil and I`d like to know if the essay abouy myself has to be in english... Because I`m not a fluent and It would be easier for me to write it in portuguese.
    Thanks!

  • Dayana said

    Hola!! estoy muy encantada con esta oportunidad, pero tengo nervios no soy tan buena en inglés, entiendo poco... ¿Eso sería una gran dificultad?

  • Mahesh Shanker said

    I had entered several images in the 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of The Year. None of my photos won and I did not place as a finalist. I checked with the contest helpdesk and they said I retain the rights but as per the rules of that contest in the link below, an entrant will extend a non-exclusive worldwide license for all images submitted to the contest to the contest sponsor to use the images in any manner it deems fit. The section 'License' in the rules provided in the link below explains the full scope of this license:

    http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/photographer-of-the-year-2017/rules

    Hope this is okay and the images can be entered into this contest. Thank you very much.


    Hi Mahesh. From what you've written above it seems you still own the rights to the image and have provided National Geographic a "non-exclusive" license. If that's the case, there should be no issue in submitting the same images for our scholarship. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Prasanth Mamakar said

    Hi, this is Prasanth. I have a small doubt that is, suppose I wrote my own story and shoot a series of photos with the help of my friends. Will that be acceptable? As it was mentioned that the photograph must be of the orignal subject I am not sure whether my Idea of shooting is valuable.


    Hi Prasanth, every photo submitted must be taken by the applicant themselves. You cannot submit photos taken by anyone else, even if the idea of the photo story is your own. Your friends can be subjects in the photo but they cannot take the photos for you. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Gustavo Moura said

    Hello,

    I had my application posted on Friday 12th of September. Everything was fine, my application was there.

    Surprisingly, today I went to the website to see it and I did not find it in the posts and when I checked the link, I found my texts and words with other photos!! I would like to know what happened and how can I have my application back to normal again.

    Thank you,

    Gustavo

  • Gustavo Moura said

    This is the link to the application I wrote about on the last comment:

    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/a-weekend-with-the-guarani-mbya-kuarai-guata-pora


    How strange Gustavo! I've sent you an email so that we can fix this up. Please check your inbox. Thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Kate said

    Hi:-)
    As I narrow down my images, I'm wondering if this follows photo journalism type rules re: limited to no "content" editing, or if we are allowed to submit images where minor edits have been made to remove a distracting element from them. (ie using "spot removal" in Lightroom) Apologies if a duplicate question. Thank you!


    Hi Kate, yes minor edits such as spot removal are allowed.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Genevieve said

    Hi, thank you for posting this incredible opportunity and I am excited to apply as I aspire to be a travel photographer!

    I shoot on both film and using a DSLR,but is it okay for me to submit 35mm print scans for the competition entry? Thus I can not provide RAW images for these, just the original scans.

    Thank you

    Genevieve

  • Chris said

    Is there any max age limit to enter? I'm 65.


    Hi Chris. No, there is no upper age limit for this opportunity. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Matt Estrada said

    Hi there,

    I've tried twice to submit an application called Kenya - The Pride of Africa, but both times two pictures are duplicated and two are missing. I triple checked the applications for errors each time, and they looked great. The thumbnails were showing the correct images before I submitted. Is there somewhere I can email the correct photos? The captions and the essay are all OK - just two missing pictures in each of the applications I tried submitting. The errant applications are here for reference:

    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/kenya-the-pride-of-africa-2
    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/kenya-the-pride-of-africa

  • Evie Chapman-Hammond said

    Hi, where will the winner be announced and will I be notified or have to check myself? Thanks!


    Hi Evie, the winner will be contacted via email. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • claudia said

    Hello,
    In my application there is a mistake, although I specified that I am italian the series I've sent (taken in France so that geotag is correct) displays "by claudia cuomo (france)" instead of Italy, could you correct that please?
    Here's my application:
    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/battle-of-algiers
    Thank you

    Hi Claudia. Thanks for applying! Your country of residence has been fixed. All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Natasha Crane said

    Hi there,

    I haven't received a confirmation email. Was I suppose to?

    Thank you


    Hi Natasha. Yes, you should receive a confirmation email. Please check your junk inbox as it may have appeared there. The best way to ensure your application has been received is to search for your photo essay on this page:
    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Raj said

    Hello, what are the rules for submitting 2 different stories from different places?

  • Lucas Faria said

    Hi,
    I just posted my application, but the photos are not loading. Is there something wrong?
    Thanks for your help.


    Hi Lucas. I've responded to you via email. Please see my response there. Many thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Jishnu Sankar said

    I uploaded my story successfully. But i haven't got any confirmation or notification mail about this program or my application. Are we supposed to receive anything like that or is this normal?


    Hi Jishnu. Yes, you should receive a confirmation email. Please check your junk inbox as it may have appeared there. The best way to ensure your application has been received is to search for your photo essay on this page:
    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Stephanie said

    Hello, I am having the same issue as Kate M - The form will not submit because of the essay part, even though I am below the character limit. An error message appears at the top of the page when I click submit saying "Please tell us why we should choose you in 1500 characters (including spaces) or less." I have tried multiple times and really hope this can be fixed soon so I can submit prior to the closing date!


    Hi Stephanie, we have looked into this issue and it should now be fixed. Many thanks

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Jared Buckley said

    Hi Pari

    Unfortunately, it seems that my application only uploaded 1 of my images to all 5 of the spaces. How can I go about fixing this?

    Cheers


    Hi Jared, this is a known issue which usually occurs because the name of your image files are too long. Could you please try again after shortening the image file name to something like; photo1.jpg , photo2.jpg etc. ?
    That should resolve the issue. Let me know once you've done so by emailing scholarships@worldnomads.com and we'll delete your initial application. Many thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Natasha Crane said

    Hi Pari,
    My photo essay is on the website but I haven't received a confirmation email (yes I've checked junk). I'm thinking maybe I entered my email address wrong in that case. Will this affect my application?

  • World Nomads said

    To everyone that's been receiving a 404 page error -
    Our application form had a technical glitch. You should now be able to use the "Apply now" link to apply.

    All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Alex said

    I've been trying to submit my application for over a week, but continue to receive the message " Please tell us why we should choose you in 1500 characters (including spaces) or less" I've tried multiple browsers, different computers etc. Everything is within guidelines, photo size, character count etc. Any suggestions? Alternate way to apply?

  • Steph said

    Same problem as Alex above, and others - I'm annoyed that I've been trying every day for so long to submit my application but it won't let me no matter how I do it. It's now the last day before it closes and it's not fair that some people will miss out because of a glitch in the form. I very much wanted to apply to this!

  • Jared said

    Hi Pari

    Unfortunately, it seems that my application only uploaded 1 of my images to all 5 of the spaces. How can I go about fixing this?

    Cheers


    Hi Jared, this is a known issue which usually occurs because the name of your image files are too long. Could you please try again after shortening the image file name to something like; photo1.jpg , photo2.jpg etc. ?
    That should resolve the issue. Let me know once you've done so by emailing scholarships@worldnomads.com and we'll delete your initial application. Many thanks!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Steph said

    Hi everyone - For those having the 1500 character essay problem, I figured it out. I had to remove even more words so that it was at least 10 characters under the limit on the supplied counter. Not sure why it won't let us submit if we are right at the limit or too close to it but there you go!

  • Evelyn said

    Hi,

    So sorry to bother you, but it seems I also have not received a confirmation email for my application. I submitted it several days ago and do see my photo essay on the applications page. Do I still need a confirmation email, or would it be better to have one? Thanks!

  • Mark said

    Application form itself is back online but clicking the final submit button brings up an Application Error on the server....You know I did website technology before photography....looks like you could use my help. 3 days trying to submit and still no luck...

  • omkar said

    On clicking the final submit button the page keeps on loading


    Hi Omkar. Could you please;

    · Double check that all of your images are 1MB or under in size and that they each have a short and unique file name with no spaces.
    · Make sure that your personal essay is 1500 characters not words (including spaces).
    · Ensure you have a good internet connection.
    · Try using another device (preferably a desktop computer), web-browser or internet service to complete the application form.

    All the best!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Kumar Judhajit Dey said

    Hi Judhajit here- You see after hitting the submit button the page was still buffering so I had to re hit the submit button but then when I see the list of successful photo story by the applicant's I find my photo story having got uploaded twice. Can you people please help?


    Hi Judhajit, I've responded to your email please check your inbox. For those who are finishing off their application, please make sure each image you upload is under 1MB. This should ensure your images are uploaded quickly.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Simon Jacobs said

    One of my images is 50MB RAW file and the smallest file size Lightroom can produce as a jpeg is 1.8MB. Can I still submit it? When I set a max file size of 1MB in Lightroom I get an error message telling me Lightroom cannot export the image within the requested parameters and it asks me to increase the max file size.


    Hi Simon, it may work. Give it a try!

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • mihai codrescu said

    Hi! Where can I see the list of applications for this year's scholarship? Just to check if everything is ok with mine. Thanks!

  • omkar said

    I uploaded my story successfully. But i haven't got any confirmation or notification mail about this program or my application. Are we supposed to receive anything like that or is this normal?

  • Lee Alexander said

    Hi, I have the same issue as omkar above. Uploaded my application successfully and can see it in the applications section but got no confirmation emails. I can see it in the applications though so I'm sure it's fine.

    https://photo17.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2017/applications/life-in-ubud

  • Angela said

    Hello Pari,
    In case we haven't been asked for the submission of the raw file yet, does it mean that we haven't been shortlisted?
    Thank you and have a nice day :)

  • Michael Sheridan said

    And the winner is.......?

  • Ananya S Sharma said

    Who are the winners?

  • LEAH A SCHMIDT said

    Please announce the winners!

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