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Win a 10-day Travel Photography Trip to Morocco!

Travel Photography Scholarship Frequently Asked Questions

In partnership with:

World Expeditions Logo
Airtreks Logo
Osprey Logo

Strictly one application per person.

Eligibility

  • Am I considered a professional photographer?

    This is a 'learning opportunity' for someone who is looking for an introduction into the travel photography industry and, more importantly, is keen to be mentored. The scholarship is not open to professional photographers of any kind.

    For the purposes of this opportunity, we would consider you to be professional photographer if you have been published regularly in commercial blogs, newspapers, magazines or journals. We would also consider you to be a professional photographer if you derive more than 25% of your income from photography of any kind.

    If you are a finalist, you will be asked to outline your experience to date, and it will be the judging panel who decides who is most suitable based on your previous experience, photographic essay and written component.

    Please consider the spirit of the program which is intended to help those with a burning desire to be a professional travel photographer and need some help getting started.

  • I speak very little English. Will this be a problem?
    English does not have to be your first language, but you do need to have conversational English for this scholarship. In order for you to get the most of the mentorship, you will need to be able to understand and converse with your mentor Richard on the trip.

Applications

  • Do the photos have to be from a singular event/place/time?
    The images do not need to be sequential from an event, and, yes, they can be a combined over a period of time. However, every image must tell a story and the images must work TOGETHER to tell a story about a PLACE you have visited. Five great stand-alone images will not win the Scholarship (especially if they are all from different places!). They must represent one place you have visited.
  • What do I need to include in the captions?
    You do not need to write an entire story, just give the photos context and a bit of background. A couple of sentences for each caption should suffice. You MUST include a caption for each image. Images that do not have a caption will receive a score of zero for this component. DO NOT use the personal essay to tell us about your images.
  • What do I need to include in the essay?

    The essay is your opportunity to tell us about yourself. Tell us about YOU, what you hope to gain from the experience and what you hope to contribute back to the greater community through your photography.

    DO NOT use the essay to tell us about the images in your application – that is what the captions are for. If you use the essay to tell us about your entry, you will be penalized!

  • How long does the essay need to be?
    The essay should be no longer than 1,500 characters including spaces. Yes, that's characters not words. You will not be able to submit the application form if your essay is any longer than this.
  • Are HDR images acceptable?
    No, we do not accept images created using HDR techniques. In addition, compositing and multiple exposures are not allowed. Sandwich shots, double exposures, photographs which consist in any way of more than one separate image and images that have been digitally manipulated are not eligible.
  • Do I have to submit RAW files?
    For the shortlisted entries, we will be asking for your RAW files to compare with your submitted files. If you did not originally save your images as RAW files, or no longer have them, an untouched JPEG file would suffice – but only if it was not processed.

The Trip

  • What will the scholarship recipient receive?
    The successful applicant will receive the following:
    • Return economy airfare from the nearest international airport to Morocco, courtesy of Airtreks.
    • A 10-day, all-expenses-paid trip in Morocco courtesy of our friends at World Expeditions, accompanied by your mentor, professional photographer, Richard I'Anson.
    • High-quality adventure backpacks, courtesy of Osprey.
    • A copy of Lonely Planet’s Guide to Travel Photography by Richard I’Anson.
    • The cost of any relevant visas and vaccinations and travel insurance for the duration of the trip from World Nomads.
  • What will I have to produce during and after the trip?
    You will work through a specific shot list of 100 photos that will be commissioned by the scholarship partners as part of your assignment. On your return, you will work with Richard I'Anson through the editorial process to shortlist your top photographs and color balance to achieve professional looking shots. In addition to this, you will also produce a photo story which we will share on the 'Stories' section of WorldNomads.com. You will also be required to keep a daily diary about your time on the trip and submit this, along with the photos you've taken, to World Nomads to be used on your 'On Assignment' scholarship page.
  • What will the mentorship entail?
    Every day, you will work alongside Richard I'Anson to gain invaluable mentoring and hands-on experience in everything from shot set-up, technique and composition through to insights into his many years of diverse experience as a travel photographer and Canon Master.
  • Will I need to bring my own gear? If so, what gear do I need to bring?
    Yes, you will need to bring your own gear. DSLRs are preferable, point-and-shoot cameras and iPhones are less preferable – simply because you are limited in what you can do with them. However, if you are able to demonstrate you have an excellent eye for a story and an excellent grasp of visual language, we will look past gear limitations.

Troubleshooting

Have a question? Ask us below. 

Please note, due to the large number of questions we receive, any question already answered in the above FAQ section or within the comments section will not be answered again.

Important dates

11 October Applications close
27 November Winners announced
02 April Trip begins

50 Comments

  • Devon Halse said

    Are photos taken using portrait mode on an iPhone not eligible under the "compositing and multiple exposures are not allowed. Sandwich shots, double exposures, photographs which consist in any way of more than one separate image and images that have been digitally manipulated are not eligible" rule?


    Hi Devon, good question. We will permit using Portrait Mode on a iPhone. Our scholarship rules were written with DSLR cameras in mind, in order to avoid submissions that had been excessively digitally manipulated to the point of looking unrealistic.

    - Pari, World Nomads

  • Ben said

    Can images (with accompanying raw files) captured with drone-mounted cameras be used when they contribute significantly to a story?
    If not, can aerial photos from aircraft be used?
    -Ben

    ---
    Hi Ben,

    Thanks for your question. You can apply with drone-mounted cameras or aerial shots for this scholarship.

    Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Daniel Gioia said

    Hello,

    My name is Daniel
    I have a doubt about if all 5 photographies have to be in the same place/travel. For example, can I have 3 pictures from the same travel and the other 2 from another place?

    Thnk you for your time, have a nice day!

    ---
    Hi Daniel,

    Thanks for your question. Here is what is stated above: every image must tell a story and the images must work TOGETHER to tell a story about a PLACE you have visited. Five great stand-alone images will not win the Scholarship (especially if they are all from different places!). They must represent one place you have visited.

    We've found in the past the best applications have had images all from the same place to tell a strong story about the location, you might find it difficult to tell a story about a single place with images from other locations. Also remember, you don't necessarily need to upload 5 images, we do accept applications with a minimum of 3.

    Best of luck!
    Bec

  • Gabriele said

    Hi, my name is Gabriele and I'm from Italy.
    I would like to partecipate but I already know that in April I will be in Japan.
    In case of winning, do you cover the travel to the winner all over the world? Or the winner has to travel from the same country of residence?

    Thank you very much

    ---
    Hi Gabriele,

    As long as you know at the time of the winner's announcement where you'll need to be flown from to get to Morocco in April, we'll be able to arrange the flights from there.

    Best of luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Clizia said

    Hello there, am I eligible to apply from Italy?

    ---
    Hi Clizia,

    Yes, you're eligible to apply for this scholarship!

    Best of luck,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • April M West said

    I'm a new photographer in would like to submit to this contest, but I don't have RAW images. I use the Caplio G3 model S and it only shoots in jpeg.

    It's really old, but a great camera. Is there a way I can still participate?

    Thanks.

  • April M West said

    Sorry, I found my answer.

  • Sam said

    Hello,

    How edited can the photos be? Can I eg. remove big rocks from a street, or other subjects that disturb the image somehow?

    ---
    Hi Sam,

    Thanks for your question. For this application process, 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.

    Best of luck!
    - Bec , World Nomads

  • Hannah said

    What do you mean by "Paint a picture for us of the budding photographer behind the story" ?

    ---
    Hi Hannah,

    This refers to in the essay - don't worry you don't need to paint an actual picture! Just use the words in the essay to tell us more about you and why you're the person we should choose to receive this scholarship.

    Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Daniel said

    Thank you for the answer before about 3 images from a place and 2 of other place..

    But I went in 2015 to a place and this year 2018 I went too, so i have photo of the exact same place. So would be a problem to have 5 photos of different years but same place as you said?

    thank you


    ---
    Hi Daniel,

    No that wouldn't be a problem, the images can be from over a period of time and don't need to be sequential, they just need to work together to tell a story of the place.

    Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Dani said

    Hello,

    The photograph we sent have to have metadata of the ISO, shutter speed and diaphragm?

    Thank you for your time, havea a good day

    ---
    Hi Dani,

    We'll only need to see the RAW files of the images (or JPEG files if the RAW aren't possible) for the shortlisted applications.

    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Phil said

    Hello,

    I am a bit surprised my question hasn't been addressed yet. Do you need signed release forms for any faces/people that appear in the photographs?
    Every photo with people in the shot, I had permission from the person(s) at the time, however, I did not get them to sign any release forms at the time of travel and photographing them.

    Thank you!

    ---
    Hi Phil,

    Good question. 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.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Anne said

    I keep getting this error when I try to submit my application: 413 Request Entity Too Large
    I made sure all of my written components are within the character limit, is this telling me my files are too large or something else?

    ---
    Hi Anne,

    Yes you've guessed it, that error message appears when the image files are too large for our server to handle, please make sure each image does not exceed 1MB.

    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Leda said

    Hello,

    I would like to delete my subscription and subscribe another. I made a mistake with the title of my application. There are less than 12 hours that I applied. :/

    ---
    Hi Leda,

    Please email scholarships@worldnomads.com with your issue and we can help you from there.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • maya said

    hi there
    I would like to apply for this chance but it seems that I encounter errors in sending the application.
    I checked there is no problem with my internet connection..
    I hope I still have a chance to..

    thank you

    ---
    Hi Maya,

    If you're still having issues, please email scholarships@worldnomads.com. All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Ammi said

    My name is Ammi and I'm looking forward to apply for the scholarship. My question is about the team that will travel to Morocco. Will it be only the winner and the mentor? or will there be more people from the company or the mentor's team involved?

    ---
    Hi Ammi,

    You will be traveling with the mentor and a producer from World Nomads. Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Rahana Alom said

    Hi,
    I have a galaxy S9+, I'm guessing pictures form this will not be accepted?

    ---
    Hi Rahana,

    We do accept applications taken by Android phones, we just will need to see your original image file before the editing process.

    All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Luis said

    Hi guys,

    I have a couple of questions regarding image editing and digital treatment:

    - Is image cropping and realignment accepted? If so to what extent?
    - Could you be a bit more specific about exactly what would be considered over-treatment? For example, adjusting white-balance, a couple stops exposure, increasing contrast, tweaking highlights and shadows, and a do bit sharpening, how much of that is acceptable?
    - Also, in case of digital B&W photos, are we allowed to increase noise levels to get a grainier image?

    Thanks!

    ---
    Hi Luis,

    1) Yes you can crop and realign your images.
    2) While it's hard to have specific rules about how much editing is too much, the general guideline we go be is minor edits are okay. 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.
    3) Again, you have to use your judgement on this one, we want to see a true representation of the images that you captured in the field, so be careful that you're not taking it too far with your editing.
    Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • serra said

    Hi,

    Can we use panoramic images especially if they are taken on the site?


    Thanks

    ---
    Hi Serra,

    Yes you can use panoramic images, but be aware of scaling and how the images will appear to the judges when they are looking at your application. Best of luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • SK said

    Are photos captured on an iPhone acceptable/ eligible? Thanks!

    ---
    Hi SK,
    Yes they are eligible!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Jay said

    Hello,

    I was wondering if you have to be eighteen to apply.

    Thank you!

  • Francesca said

    While I'm trying to submit my essay, at the end of the process, appears this message: 413 Request Entity Too Large. What does it mean and what can I do?
    Thank you so much
    Francesca!

    ---
    Hi Francesca,

    This error message appears when the image files are too large for our server to handle. Please make sure that all your images are below 1MB.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Ludmila said

    Olá!
    Eu gostaria de saber em qual idioma tenho que enviar meu ensaio e todo o restante. Se pode ser em minha língua nativa mesmo.
    Obrigada!

    ---
    Hi Ludmila,

    The application does need to be completed in English so the judges will be able to understand. While English does not have to be your first language, you do need to have conversational English for this scholarship. In order for you to get the most of the mentorship, you will need to be able to understand and converse with your mentor Richard on the trip. Boa sorte!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Teresa Ainsworth said

    I noticed that in your description you keep using terms like ... a foot in the door, a budding photographic career etc. Does this mean you will not accept submissions or allow a winner to be a senior who just likes photography and has no intention of being a professional photographer? We old people take good photos too.
    Just asking before I submit anything.

    ---
    Hi Teresa,
    Of course we accept submissions from anybody over the age of 18. However, regardless of age, this is a 'learning opportunity' for someone who is looking for an introduction into the travel photography industry and is keen to be mentored. Please consider the spirit of the program which is intended to help those with a burning desire to be a professional travel photographer and need some help getting started. All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Eric said

    Hello, I was wondering how much of the judgment will be based on the technical aspects of photography or is it solely base on the subject matter and how well the images link to each other? For example, if a photo is a bit overexposed or, a bit out of focus, etc.

  • Niti Shah said

    What do u consider in over treated pic???

  • Niti Shah said

    Any kind of watermark permitted????

  • Aditya said

    I have been trying to submit my application for a long time now. Nothing seems to work. I have tried different browsers and even cleared the cache and cookies. It just keeps telling me that the site cannot be reached, and that maybe the server is temporarily down or the location has been permanently changed. I am sure that all my captions and photos are within the limits and so is my essay. What else should I do?

    Also, at the time of filling the application, it is written there that the photos should be less than 2MB and you have written everywhere else, FAQs and comments, that the photos should be less than 1MB. Could you please clarify?

    ---
    Hi Aditya,

    The website should be fully up and functioning now, so please try submitting your application again. If you're still having issues submitting, please email scholarships@worldnomads.com.

    In regards to your second question, you can submit with images less than 2MB in size. All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Dinoop raj said

    hai team, i think there is a problem with your submission form. after entering all the required fired and submit, it shows an error message of this site cannot be reached it says
    The webpage at https://www.worldnomads.com/Orchard.DynamicForms/Form/Submit might be temporarily down or it may have moved permanently to a new web address.

    I am not sure if my entry has been registered yet or not. How can we confirm if our entry is successfully submitted or not? will we receiving an email confirmation regarding the same? please update

    ---
    Hi Dinoop,

    If your application was successfully submitted you will be able to view it here: https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2018/applications/. If you are still having issues please email scholarships@worldnomads.com. All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Justin said

    Hi,
    I have just completed my entry and am waiting on submitting. I am avid 15 year old photographer living in Shanghai, China. I am wondering if my age would be an issue as I am under 18. I have gone over this with my parents and I do have their consent. Thanks.

  • Sinead said

    I see from these comments that you can submit photos taken by a phone and that the photos must not be over-edited. Can you submit Instagram photos?

    ---
    Hi Sinead,

    It's at your discretion what over-editing means. We will need to see the original files of your images.
    All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Gabriel Melhado said

    Hey there! Can I submit photographs taken with film cameras (on this particular case, an old 35mm Olympus)? The analog photographs were converted into digital files by scanning the roll of film.

    ---
    Hi Gabriel,

    Yes, you can submit images taken with a film camera, however the same post-production guidelines apply. The faithful representation of what was captured at the time of the shot being taken must be maintained.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Preeti Patel said

    Hello,

    Is it fine if i submit 5 photos and among them few are of DSLR and few of my mobile click? I just used both my dslr and mobile for clicks in my location.

    Thank you.

    ---
    Hi Preeti,

    As long as your images are telling a strong story then that is fine. Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Gautam Doshi said

    Hi,

    Do I have to submit the images with the longest edge being no longer than 940 pixels as mentioned in the FAQs? Please do let me know.

    Best,
    Gautam

    ---
    Hi Gautam,

    We recommend this pixel length as some people have encountered errors when submitting their images with different pixel lengths. Best of luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Agata Gajewska said

    Hi,
    I submitted the application today, because English is not my first language, I used by chance wrong word under the first image, is it possible to change it?because the sentence doesn't have sense, or send again the application with correction?if I send again the application it isn't disqualified me?
    Thank you ,I am waiting for the answer,
    Agata

  • Agata Gajewska said

    Hi,
    I have just submitted application, but because English is not my first language I made by mistake word error,under first of my image so the meaning of the sentance is completely different. Can I somehow make correction?or can I send again the application with correct word?Won't I be disqualified if I send again the application?,
    Thakns,
    I am looking forward the answer,
    Agata Gajewska , (United Kingdom)

    ---
    Hi Agata,

    I have replied to the email you sent to scholarships@worldnomads.com in regard to your issue
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Daniel Gioia said

    Hello,

    - Can the picture have 300 dpi/ppi if it wheights less than 2MB?
    - Can the picture have more de 940 pixels length if wheights less than 2MB?
    - The "940 pixels lengh and 72 dpi/ppi" is just a recomendation? Or the obligatory thing is to have less than 2MB no matter what ppi or pixels lengh the picture have?

    Thank you for your time, have a nice day

    ---
    Hi Daniel,

    These specs are just recommendations. Your images will not upload if they are more than 2MB and you will receive a 413 error.
    All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • vanya said

    can i take a series of 5 photos in different but connected locations to tell a story of a concept or idea that comes together through all 5 photographs together?

    ---
    Hi Vanya,

    Thanks for your question. Here is what is stated above: every image must tell a story and the images must work TOGETHER to tell a story about a PLACE you have visited. Five great stand-alone images will not win the Scholarship (especially if they are all from different places!). They must represent one place you have visited.

    We've found in the past the best applications have had images all from the same place to tell a strong story about the location, you might find it difficult to tell a story about a single place with images from other locations.
    Good luck!
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • A B Pawar said

    Paint a picture for us of the budding photographer behind the story.
    Sir, I didn't understand what does that mean.

    ---
    Hi,
    This refers to the personal essay where we'd like to know more about you and what motivates you as a photographer.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • grace said

    Hi, I am not sure if I have seen the instruction if file naming the entries. Is there a rule how to file name each entry? Not so sure if listed, please clarify, thank you for your future reply.

  • Pedro Romero said

    I have been trying to submit my application but keeps telling me "Image1 must be one of the following file types: .jpg, .jpeg, .png." However, all my images are JPEG and under 2MB (In fact under 1mb), so I dont understand why it tells me something is not true. I have also tried in PNG and says the same.
    CAN anyone tell me what is going on as today is the last day to apply ?
    PLEASE AND THANK YOU

    ---
    Hi Pedro,
    I've replied to the email you sent us.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • grace said

    Hi, unfortunately after completing the forms, did not notice the country selected for the entries was wrong. Before I could made a change the website was uploaded already. Is there any way or chance just to update the country location, please thank you .-(

    ---
    Hi Grace,
    Please email schoalrships@worldnomads.com explaining your issue with a link to your application and we can help you from there.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Cassie said

    Hi there,

    I make less than 25% of my income from photography but I am a full-time videographer. Does this fall under the umbrella of professional photographer?

    Thanks,
    Cassie

    ---
    Hi Cassie,

    I've replied to the email you sent to us.
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Mahesh Shanker said

    Hi,

    I just submitted my application and it was processed. This is the application link:

    https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2018/applications/the-ganga-aarti-ceremony-at-dashashwamedh-ghat-varanasi

    Following are the three points I wanted to clarify:

    1) My second photo was cropped. Is that okay?

    2) Also, not sure if all the photo captions were within the 300 character limit. Could you confirm this please?

    3) In the essay, rather than painting a picture of myself as a photographer, I explained how this scholarship will help me move towards my goals and become a better photographer. Please confirm if these three issues are okay and if my application has been accepted.

    Thanking You,

    Regards,
    Mahesh Shanker

    ---
    Hi Mahesh,

    Yes we have received your application and there is no problem with any of those issues.
    All the best,
    - Bec, World Nomads

  • Mahesh Shanker said

    Hi,

    I just submitted my application and it was processed. This is the application link:

    https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2018/applications/the-ganga-aarti-ceremony-at-dashashwamedh-ghat-varanasi

    Following are the four points I wanted to clarify:

    1) My second photo was cropped. Is that okay?

    2) Also, not sure if all the photo captions were within the 300 character limit. Could you confirm this please?

    3) In the essay, rather than painting a picture of myself as a photographer, I explained how this scholarship will help me move towards my goals and become a better photographer.

    4) During the export process from lightroom, I specified that the images should be 2 MB and all have come below 2MB and were uploaded along with the application. In the comments above, I noticed that it was mentioned that the images should be 1 MB or below. Just wanted to clarify this.

    Please confirm if these four issues are okay and if my application has been accepted.

    Thanking You,

    Regards,
    Mahesh Shanker

  • Mahesh Shanker said

    Hi,

    I just submitted my application and it was processed. This is the application link:

    https://www.worldnomads.com/create/scholarships/photography/2018/applications/the-ganga-aarti-ceremony-at-dashashwamedh-ghat-varanasi

    Following are the four points I wanted to clarify:

    1) My second photo was cropped. Is that okay?

    2) Also, not sure if all the photo captions were within the 300 character limit. Could you confirm this please?

    3) In the essay, rather than painting a picture of myself as a photographer, I explained how this scholarship will help me move towards my goals and become a better photographer.

    4) During the export process from lightroom, I specified that the images should be 2 MB and all have come below 2MB and were uploaded along with the application. In the comments above, I noticed that it was mentioned that the images should be 1 MB or below. Just wanted to clarify this.

    Please confirm if these four issues are okay and if my application has been accepted.

    Thanking You,

    Regards,
    Mahesh Shanker

  • Vanya said

    I have been trying to upload my application for hours, and all I’ve been getting is an error message! I can attach the photographs of that error messages on here if you’d like. I’d really like to submit my entry in some way as I’ve been working on it for weeks! Please, a little help!
    Thank you!

  • Hanz Rippe said

    Good morning,

    I’m Hanz Rippe a Colombian photographer.
    Right now I’m in a remote area in Colombia and the internet connection is very poor.
    I would like to ask you if my application was uploaded successfully.

    Thanks

    Hanz Rippe

  • Hanz said

    Good morning,
    Right now I’m in a remote area of Colombia.
    Yesterday I had lots of troubles uploading the pictures due to a very poor internet connection.
    I would like to ask you if my application uploaded successfully.

    Thanks

  • Alessandra Marins said

    I can't find my pictures at the gallery can you tell me which page I am at?
    also the page 28 show as an error.
    My name is Alessandra Marins and I applied on October 11.

    ---
    Hi Alessandra,

    I can confirm we successfully received your application.
    - Bec, World Nomads

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