The photography industry has long been – indeed, continues to be – dominated by men, but recent years have seen manufacturers and organizations attempt to address this gender imbalance through various approaches.
Competitions and grants have become one way in which female photographers have been able to showcase their perspective on everyday matters, and Leica is now doing its bit to help create a more diverse pool of photographic voices with a new initiative.
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The US arm of the photographic specialist has launched the Leica Women Foto Project, a platform that will play host to ongoing programs and events designed for female photographers, as well as a photography award dedicated to the project.
The award itself will see three photographers receive a $10,000 prize to support a personal project that's relevant to today's social and political climate, as well as the use of a Leica Q2 for a year.
Once the year is up, the three recipients will pass those cameras on to next year's three winners, but will receive another camera in its place to help them continue their work.
"We enable growth through an expansion of thought when we actively support inclusivity through the photographic medium," says Kiran Karnani, Director of Marketing for Leica Camera North America.
"With the Leica Women Foto Project, we aim to embolden photographers to think outside one's own point of view, support underrepresented voices to speak their visual languages, and celebrate new ways of seeing."
To qualify, entrants must be 21 years or older and US residents. Leica USA requires a series of 10 images to be submitted from a personal or long-term project, along with a 500-word proposal that explains the candidate's intended project and details on how that money would be spent.
You can enter via Leica USA's website but you should get in there sharpish as entries close on August 29. The winners will be announced on October 16.