W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund is an organisation established to encourage and support individuals who are active in the field of

photography Photography is the art, application, and practice of creating durable images by recording light, either electronically by means of an image sensor, or chemically by means of a light-sensitive material such as photographic film. It is employed ...

for

humanitarian Humanitarianism is an active belief in the value of human life, whereby humans practice benevolent treatment and provide assistance to other humans to reduce suffering and improve the conditions of humanity for moral, altruistic, and emotional ...

purposes. It gives out the W. Eugene Smith Grant and Howard Chapnick Grant. Since 1979 the fund has worked to seek out independent voices who work and create outside the boundaries of modern publishing and mass media, following the legacy of

W. Eugene Smith William Eugene Smith (December 30, 1918 – October 15, 1978) was an American photojournalist.Peacock, Scot. "W(illiam) Eugene Smith." ''Contemporary Authors Online'', Gale, 2003. ''Biography In Context'' He has been described as "perhaps the si ...

. The American photojournalist, working between 1936 and 1978, was committed to the documentation of human condition and suffering. He travelled searching to portray and capture people's behaviour in emotional distress. For more than thirty years the fund has recognized photographers who explore matters of global importance and address them with integrity and courage.

W. Eugene Smith Grant

Every year a grant is given to a photographer with an innovative and intriguing sight of humans dealing with social, economical, political or environmental issues.

Recipients of W. Eugene Smith Grant

W. Eugene Smith Fellowship

With the award of the Grant, a $5000 (US) Fellowship is also shared between one or more finalists deemed worthy of special recognition.

Recipients of W. Eugene Smith Fellowship

*2010: Kosuke Okahara for ''Ibasyo: self-injury among young Japanese girls'' *2011: Massimo Berutti for ''Dusty path'' *2014:

Moises Saman Moises Saman (born 1974) is a Spanish-Peruvian photographer, based in Tokyo. He is considered "one of the leading conflict photographers of his generation" and is a full member of Magnum Photos. Saman is best known for his photographs from Iraq. Hi ...

for ''Discordia: The Arab Spring'' *2015: Jointly awarded to Mary F. Calvert (for ''The Battle Within: Sexual Violence in America’s Military'') and Marcus Bleasdale (for ''The Unravelling: Central African Republic''). *2016: Oscar B. Castillo *2017:

Edmund Clark Edmund Clark Fellow of Royal Photographic Society, HonFRPS is a British artist and photographer whose work explores politics, representation, incarceration and control. His research based work combines a range of references and forms including b ...

and

Alex Majoli Alex Majoli (born 1971) is an Italian photographer known for his documentation of war and conflict. He is a member of Magnum Photos. Majoli's work focuses on the human condition and the theater within our daily lives. Life and work Majoli was born ...

*2018: Sarah Blesener *2019: Siân Davey *2022: Mary F. Calvert

Howard Chapnick Grant

In 1996 a new award was added, the Howard Chapnick Grant, to encourage leadership in fields that are complementary to photojournalism, such as editing research or education and management. The grant was established to honor the memory of Howard Chapnick, former president of Black Star picture agency and writer of ''The Truth Needs No Ally: Inside Photojournalism''. The $5000 (US) grant funds a variety of projects which might include a program of further education, research, a special long-term sabbatical project, or an internship to work with a noteworthy group or individual.

Recipients of Howard Chapnick Grant

References

External links

*{{official website, smithfund.org Memorial funds Photojournalism awards Photography awards