As of 11:59 pm PDT on Friday, May 31st when the submission window for the 2019 Follow the Light Surf Photography Grant Program closed, we had received 97 entries from 16-25-year-old surf photographers from around the world.
France, Brazil, Spain, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Canada, England, and the US are all represented.
Twins
Photo: Javi Garcia
Since its inception in 2006, this represents the greatest number of entries and countries in our history.
We are now in the process of combing through every image and application, and so far we are blown away by the creativity, quality, and diversity of the work.
From lonely beaches in West Africa to the jam-packed line-ups on the Goldy, we are seeing gems in every portfolio.
In addition to the cash grants that will be awarded to all of our finalists on Thursday, September 12th at the Ocean Institute in Dana Point, we have also been working closely with our partners to create real working opportunities for our selected photographers.
Here are just a few:
- A trip to the North Shore to shoot the Triple Crown for Vans
- A studio shoot for Billabong
- Working for the WSL to shoot the Fresh Water Pro at the Surf Ranch
- A trip to the WCT event in Portugal to shoot for FUEL TV who will also feature all of our finalists in new episodes of “F-Stop”
- A shoot for Olloclip that will be part of their “Featured Artist” series
Over the next 90 days, we will be posting select images from all our entrants on our Instagram @followthelightfoundation as well as announcing all of the details related to our awards ceremony.
Stay tuned!
“Keep ’em Sharp and Keep ’em Bright”
