© Gangfeng Zhou, China, Shortlist, 2019 ZEISS Photography Award

The World Photography Organisation and ZEISS today announce the brief and call for entry for the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award - an international photography competition that challenges photographic artists to submit bodies of work responding to a selected theme.

For its fifth edition, the ZEISS Photography Award today announces the theme of "Seeing Beyond - Discoveries" and photographers entering the competition are asked to enter five to ten images that fit the theme.

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Commenting on the theme, ZEISS said: "The theme 'Seeing Beyond - Discoveries' tests photographers to use their camera as a tool to explore and question the world. Throughout time the human race has thrived on making discoveries, whether it be a personal revelation, a scientific and technological breakthrough, or an idea that has led to social change. The ZEISS Photography Award provides the opportunity for artists to put a spotlight on these new, unseen discoveries in life. All submissions must be accompanied by a supporting statement outlining the story behind the body of work."

A shortlist of up to 15 photographers and one winner for the 2020 ZEISS Photography Award will be revealed on 31 March 2020.

The 2020 winner, who will be revealed at the 2020 Sony World Photography Awards grand ceremony on 16 April 2020 in London, will receive €12,000 worth of ZEISS lenses, €3,000 to cover travel costs for a photography project and the opportunity to work with ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation.

© Rory Doyle, United States, 2019 ZEISS Photography Award 

The winning images and shortlisted works will also be exhibited at Somerset House in London from 17 April - 4 May 2020. ZEISS will also invite the winner to the company headquarters in Germany, where they will get a peek behind the scenes of the ZEISS world and the opportunity to get to know its lenses. 

The 2019 winner of the ZEISS Photography Award, which had the theme of 'The Unexpected', was Rory Doyle with his series 'Delta Hill Riders' which gave audiences a visual insight into the subculture of African American cowboys and cowgirls in the rural Mississippi Delta.