After the finalists of the Sony World Photography Awards open and professional categories were announced last week, this week the ten Student Focus finalists have been unveiled. The Student Focus competition aims to support both up-and-coming photographers and the institutions where they study. It isn't just about the prizes—new cameras for all of the finalists and €35,000 of equipment for the winning student's university—but about the workshops, tutorials, and networks that it brings to them. This year, Student Focus entrants were asked to submit a single image conforming to the brief 'Tomorrow's news'. Ten of those have been selected to go through to the final and complete a second assignment.
- Argentina – Nadia Navarro, Al Aire
- Bangladesh - Rahul Talukder, Pathshala South Asia Media Institute
- China - Li Dandan, Nanjing University of the Arts
- Denmark – Tor Birk Trads, Danish School of Media
- New Zealand - Chloe Riddell, University of Auckland
- Romania - Sebastian Vacariuc, Babes-Bolyai University
- South Africa – Russell Bruns, Rhodes University
- South Africa – Tara Mette, Stellenbosch Academy of Design & Photography
- United Kingdom – Scarlet Evans, Central St Martins
- USA - Jordan VanSise, Marylhurst University
Next up: compile a series of images titled Self-portraits. They've all been awarded brand new Sony A7s for making it this far, and they must use them to create the self-portrait series.
All of the finalists, together with their university tutors, will be flown to the awards ceremony in London in April and their work will be exhibited at Somerset House along with the other awards' finalists.
