Hasselblad Masters 2016 is now open

"We believe the new Masters Awards 2016 programme is the most compelling ever for the world's most accomplished photographers. For this edition we have new categories and each of the ten winners will not only gain a Hasselblad Master accolade and global exposure but also a new high-end Hasselblad medium format camera." - Perry Oosting, Hasselblad CEO


The biennial hunt is on to find ten outstanding photographers worldwide who will win elite 'Hasselblad Master' honours for 2016.


Photographers looking to enter the new-look 2016 competition will have from February 16th until May 31st 2015 to submit three images in one or more of the following ten categories:

• Art
• Landscape/Nature
• Wedding
• Portrait
• Fashion/Beauty
• Products
• Architecture
• Wildlife
• Project//21
• Street/Urban

Perry Oosting, Hasselblad CEO said: "We have made some changes to the 2016 Competition - which reaches out to both professionals and young, ambitious and aspirational photographers. We look forward to supporting all photographers with our new competition platform.


The announcement of the 2016 Masters Competition on February 16th coincides perfectly with the launch of the new Hasselblad website, in line with the new competition platform.


Now, for the first time ever each winner will pick up a brand new high-end medium format Hasselblad camera alongside the ultimate honour of becoming an elite Hasselblad Master.


Winners of each category will be tasked to create a new and unique set of theme-based images using the latest Hasselblad camera equipment for the edition of the exclusive Hasselblad Masters Commemorative Book. The Book will be launched at a special trophy ceremony at photokina 2016 in Cologne. Winning photographers will be published on the Hasselblad global website, in other Hasselblad publications and various advertising promotions as well as presented at exhibitions around the world."


The rules have changed slightly for the latest competition. Every entrant still needs to upload three images per category but now the voting will be applied to individual images rather than the photographer. This means that the full gamut of photographic skill must be seen in one image. This change will improve every entrant's selection opportunities.


For the new category Street/Urban we are looking for not only comprising gritty street photography but the life of the city itself and the people who live in it.


The judging process:


Hasselblad Masters are judged on their photographic ability; creativity; compositional skills; conceptual strength and technique - and are acknowledged to have made a compelling contribution to the art of photography.


Now photographers, who must have been working professionals for at least three years (other than in the Project//21 category) can submit images captured by any large format, medium format or 35mm- type DSLR camera providing 16MP resolution or higher. Images captured on film are also eligible, but they must be submitted digitally.


Three juries (internal jury, public vote and Masters Jury) will shortlist entries and nominate final winners in each category. The 24-strong Masters jury will comprise key editors, selected previous Masters winners and some of the most accomplished photographers in the world.

The 2016 jury will be unveiled later in the year; past jury members have included world renowned photographers such as Marco Grob, Steve McCurry, and Tim Flach.


Entries are submitted via www.hasselblad.com. Winners will be announced in January 2016.

For full details on competition download Masters 2016 Rules & Regulations: www.hasselblad.com/about/corporate/terms-and-conditions

Previous edition of Hasselblad Masters 2014 published in "Hasselblad Masters Vol. 4 - Evolve": www.teneues.com/shop-int/books/new-books-winter-2014/hasselblad-masters-vol-4


About Hasselblad

For over half a century Hasselblad has been the leading manufacturer and partner for photographers who work in the medium format environment and demand optimum quality and innovation.

In 1962 Hasselblad cameras gained iconic status following the decision by NASA to select them for space missions.

The H Camera System with its professional lens family and unique advancements is widely acknowledged as the most comprehensive digital camera system of its kind available today.

In 2012 the company launched into new market space with ranges of advanced cameras for enthusiasts.

Recently Hasselblad was the first to launch the fully integrated medium format camera system incorporating the latest in CMOS sensor technology: the H5D-50c. The latest CMOS-based product launches also include the CFV-50c digital back for V System photographers and a 200 Mpix Multi-Shot camera H5D-200c MS.


More information at www.hasselblad.com