The future of photography:

Sony and the World Photography Organisation hosts a global symposium on photography education

•  Leading photography educators brought to Photokina
•  Biggest global platform for the discussion of photography education
•  Virginia Morrison, Steve Pyke, Jonathan Worth and Ruth Eichhorn present
•  Part of WPO's and Sony's commitment to emerging new talent

12 September 2012: The World Photography Organisation (WPO) is proud to announce the inaugural Student Focus conference dedicated photography education.

The World Photo Educators' Symposium will be the first of its kind, bringing together leading professors of photography from across Europe and the US to discuss the future of photography education. Never before has a regular platform been created for so many different voices from around the world to be heard. It will take place at Photokina, Cologne, Germany from 22-23 September and will be hosted by Sony and the World Photography Organisation as part of its Student Focus programme.

The Terry O'Neill Award 2012

1st Prize £3000 2ndPrize £1000 3rdPrize £500

"One of the great joys of my career has been the Terry O'Neill Award. In just a few years it has encouraged thousands of young photographers and every year I get to assemble of panel of judges who get to see the work of the young people who will become the stars of tomorrow. It is exhilarating to sift through thousands of entries and see the world through their eyes – and to be surprised, because there are images out there that add new dimensions to the narrative of life and refresh our jaded palates." Terry O'Neill.

See www.oneillaward.com for more information

Grand Prix de la Découverte Now Open for Entries

An International Fine Art Photography Competition

The International Fine Art Photography Competition, strong supporter of the Artists Bill of Rights, is now open for entries. This annual competition invites emerging and mid-career fine art photographers to submit work for the coveted 2012 prize, the Grand Prix de la Découverte. The competition is open to photographers around the world and will be juried by an exceptional panel of judges, noted for their wide-ranging experience and expertise in fine art photography. The jury includes photographers Jane Evelyn Atwood and Michael Kenna; Jean-Claude Lemagny, honorary curator of photography for the Bibliothèque Nationale in Paris; David Travis, former Chair of the Department of Photography for The Art Institute of Chicago; Julie Grahame, publisher of aCurator Magazine; and Alexandre Percy, Director and Co-Owner of the Acte2 Galerie in Paris.

"We're honored to have such an diverse and distinguished jury during our launch year," said Program Director Meredith Mullins. "These individuals have deep roots in the fine art photography community and have been instrumental in supporting emerging photographers and presenting exhibits around the world that both educate and inspire."

01 July 2012: The World Photography Organisation (WPO), organisers of the Sony World Photography Awards, announces the launch of four new translations of its website - www.worldphoto.org. In addition to the five current translations, the website will also be available in Japanese (jp.worldphoto.org), Chinese (cn.worldphoto.org), Korean (kr.worldphoto.org) and Taiwanese (tw.worldphoto.org). The launch is part of the WPO's ongoing efforts to make the awards and its photographic community more accessible to the growing number of photo enthusiasts across Asia.

Since its launch in 2007, the online presence of the World Photography Organisation and its awards has grown enormously. The number of unique users to the website has increased by over 650% and entries to the awards have increased by 60% - to date over 430,000 images from 178 countries have been submitted.