Sony World Photography Awards 2012 - Student Focus

A competition which has established itself as the world’s most high-profile student photography award has announced the shortlist for its 2012 competition.

The 2012 Sony World Photography Awards Student Focus competition is open to universities worldwide that run a photography programme and the 2012 competition has attracted entries from over 200 institutions across six continents.

This year's student competition brief was based on the philosophy of the haiku poem.  The photographers were asked to take on a role similar to that of a haiku poet and create and submit one image that depicts a 'fleeting moment', or 'the decisive moment'. 

The ten shortlisted institutions are:
 
Europe

• Russia, St Petersburg State University of Film and TV, Nikita Baranov
• Denmark, Danish School of Media & Journalism, Nikolai Linares Larsen 
• Spain, Institut d’Estudis Fotogràfics de Catalunya (I.E.F.C), Montse Balañá Verges
• UK, London College of Communication, Thamyres Matarozzi
• UK, Middlesex University, Asef Mohammad

Oceania

• New Zealand, AUT University, Ivan Liang                                                        

North America

• USA, Rochester Institute of Technology, Jenny Magruder

South America

• Argentina, Escuela Motivarte, Abente Lila Maia                                

Asia                

• China, The Central Academy of Fine Arts (CAFA), Gong Zhe

Africa/Middle East      

• South Africa, Rhodes University, Nina Grindlay

Ten photographers from each of the shortlisted institutions have now been chosen to take part in the final competition with the winner announced at the Sony World Photography Awards ceremony at London’s Park Lane Hilton Hotel on 26 April 2012.  All shortlisted photographers will also take part in World Photo, London at Somerset House, London. 

The brief for the next stage of the competition is 'Your world in colour'.  This stage of the competition will be completed in the resident country of the ten finalists using the latest cameras from Sony.  Using this brief, the ten shortlisted photographers will be asked to create a series in colour that must evoke emotion through the choice of colour.  They have a month prior to the awards in April to submit their images before they and their tutors fly to London to compete for the 2012 title.  The overall winner will be awarded approximately 45,000 Euros worth of Sony digital imaging equipment for their institution.

Visit World Photo for more information.