Photo agency launches annual call to photographers

Photo agency Panos Pictures has introduced an annual call to photographers worldwide to join the agency and increase its global coverage.

The agency, which specialises in global social issues and also produces video and documentaries, is asking for applicants who can demonstrate a "strong journalistic approach and compelling visual narratives" and is particularly interested in photographers with multimedia skills.

"Emphasis will be placed upon originality of ideas and the ability to think outside the confines of traditional photojournalism. We are particularly interested in applications from photographers in Africa, Asia, Latin America and the Middle East," says the call for submissions on the Panos site.

The deadline to respond to this call is 1 March 2011 and successful applicants will be announced by the end of April.

Speaking in a blog post, director of Panos Pictures Adrian Evans says he hopes the call for submissions will make the recruitment process more transparent.

"On average we receive half a dozen enquiries a day from prospective photographers. It's incredible. I thought photojournalism was supposed to be on its last legs! The problem is that it is time consuming dealing with so many enquiries and we don't have time to give each the attention it deserves. An annual call makes the whole process much more transparent. The photographer knows when to apply and what it is that we are looking for and we are able to focus our energies on reviewing the submissions," he writes.

Evans says he is not looking to fill a particular quota of new photographers and will judge submissions on the quality of the work "not who you are or where you are based".

"I'm looking for photographers who can interpret the world around them, rather than just illustrate it - Panos isn't a wire agency. A photographer should have their own vision and aesthetic," he says.

"Equally important is the ability to tell new stories or to tell existing stories in new ways. There is nothing more refreshing than seeing a story or subject I haven't seen photographed before. Too many photographers forget about the importance of identifying and researching stories."

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