Solms, Germany (March 2014) – The Leica Oskar Barnack Award announces the addition of a third category: the first-ever “public award,” in honor of 100 years of Leica photography. The winner of this category will walk away with a cash prize of 2,500 euros, and will be selected by the public, who can vote for free online at www.i-shot-it.com, the world’s leading website for photography competitions. Voting takes place April 1 – 30 and those who vote online will be entered in a raffle to win Leica compact cameras.
In celebration of 100 years of Leica photography, Leica Camera is honoring Oskar Barnack – the pioneer of photography who invented and constructed the first successful Leica camera – by doubling the cash prizes for his photography competition. The winner of the main category of the Leica Oskar Barnack Award will receive a cash prize of 10,000 euros and Leica M-System equipment valued at 10,000 euros. A second winner in the newcomer category, for entrants under age 25, will be awarded a cash prize of 5,000 euros, as well as a Leica rangefinder camera and lens.
From more than 2,500 entries, the members of the international jury have selected a shortlist that can now be viewed on www.leica-oskar-barnack-award.com. All three awards will be presented in the course of the Rencontres Internationales de la Photographie photography festival held in Arles, France, July 7-13, 2014. A special issue of LFI magazine in July will present the winners and finalists along their work.
