Selection of photographers for the 5th edition of the International Photo Festival Leiden

The International Photo Festival Leiden (IPFL) is proud to present the names of the 15 selected talented photographers, who will display their work to the general public in an open air exhibition in Leiden during the photo festival from 9 to 17 May 2020.

Out of 127 photo submissions from all over Europe, the professional jury, led by jury chairwoman Philippien Noordam (Art Advisor for the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, jury member for the National Portrait Prize and chairwoman of the Dutch Association for Corporate Art Collections), made a balanced and well-considered choice. The selection gives a fine impression of the diverse talent of these up-and-coming photographers, originating from the Netherlands, Belgium, Sweden and Germany, among others. All genres are represented: from documentary to portrait, from landscape to macro photography. The entries were evaluated by the jury in complete anonymity.

Philippien Noordam: And then the jury members start to discuss. This is the nicest part, during which many different perspectives are exchanged and considered. Finally, there is a unanimous decision. This is exciting every time, but in a sense it is also a confirmation of the (visual) knowledge that is gathered here, when a choice has to be made from 127 x 4 photos.

These are the selected photographers for the International Photo Festival Leiden 2020, in alphabetical order:

1. Kristel ter Beek
2. Jesper Boot
3. Erik van Cuyk
4. David de Haan
5. Elena Helfrecht
6. Pascale Hustings
7. Tahné Kleijn
8. Xenia Klein
9. Laura Koolen
10. Yael Laroes
11. Julian Simon Pache
12. Sebastian Steveniers
13. Hristina Tasheva
14. Roosje Verschoor
15. Doro Zinn

Out of these 15 photographers, one winner will ultimately be selected who will receive a cash prize of 1,500 Euros. The winner will be announced on Saturday, 9 May 2020 on the opening day of the photo festival.

Winners of the previous editions:

2018: Saskia Aukema with her series 'Veiled'.
2015: Alexander Krack with his series 'The Treatment'.
2014: Renate Beense with her series 'Gewoon Pa' [Just Dad].
2013: Marijke Groeneveld with her series 'Zeg maar dat het door de zon komt' [Say It Is Because of the Sun].

The 5th anniversary edition of the International Photo Festival Leiden takes place from 9 to 17 May 2020 in the cultural centre of Leiden, with the Lammermarkt as its beating heart. For ten days, Leiden - City of Discoveries - is all about photography, with a versatile public program and freely accessible indoor and open air exhibitions. The daily program will be available from 15 March on: www.photofestivalleiden.com. Here you can also find more information about the photo festival itself.

Michael Joseph: Lost & Found

By Michael Joseph

Publisher : Kehrer Verlag

2024 | 144 pages

Lost & Found documents a contemporary American subculture of young Travelers through raw, striking portraiture and intimate storytelling. These Travelers abandon home to move around the country by hitchhiking and freight train hopping in a nomadic, transient existence outside of mainstream society. Along their personal journey driven by wanderlust, escapism, or a search for transient jobs, they find a new family in their traveling friends.

The high of freedom, however, does not come without consequence. The black and white portraits are made in public, on the street, using natural light. Individual stories, as a collection, form a greater narrative. Over ten years in the making, Joseph’s portraits reveal the human condition. They capture courage, tenderness, and determination in his subjects that have been largely ignored and unseen.

An incredible book that we highly recommend! All About Photo

All About Michael Joseph

Nick Brandt: Sink / Rise, The Day May Break: Chapter Three

By Nick Brandt

Publisher : Hatje Cantz

2024 | 120 pages

Through his widely acclaimed work, English photographer Nick Brandt (1964) addresses pressing environmental issues, consistently highlighting mankind’s impact upon the natural world. His work is truly a fusion of artistry and activism, and he is best known for capturing the majestic landscapes of Africa as well as intimate portraits of its wildlife. Sink / Rise is the third chapter of The Day May Break, an ongoing global series portraying ecological degradation and destruction. This chapter adopts a slightly different approach than its predecessors: taking humans, rather than animals or landscapes, as his subjects. Sink / Rise focuses on South Pacific Islanders impacted by rising oceans from climate change. The people in these photos, photographed underwater in the ocean off the coast of the Fijian islands, are local representatives of the many people whose homes, land and livelihoods will be lost in the coming decades as the water rises. In Brandt’s images, the Islanders sit down at tables, stand on chairs and embrace―all the while, their pinched expressions reveal the desperation of their asphyxiating condition.

All About Nick Brandt

Lisa McCord: Rotan Switch

By Lisa McCord:

Publisher : Kehrer Verlag

2024 | 204 pages

Rotan Switch is the first monograph by Lisa McCord, documenting life on her grandparents’ cotton farm in the Arkansas Delta community of Rotan. It takes its name from the community’s central landmark—the railroad switch where farmers loaded their cotton bales onto trains headed out of the Delta. Although it hasn’t been used in years, it remains a potent symbol of the complex intersections of industry and agriculture, of race and injustice. Collected over the last forty-four years, these images and stories are a reflection on the people and places that have taught McCord the meaning of the word home. It is also a self-exploration into her inherently complicated role in this community as both the photographer and the granddaughter of the farm owner.
This publication is a long-term project, constructed from McCord's analog photographs, family snapshots and ephemera. Including, monochrome photographs, color polaroids, and recipes.

Christer Strömholm

By Christer Strömholm

Publisher : Dewi Lewis Publishing

2024 | 296 pages

Christer Strömholm is recognised as one of the major figures of 20th century European photography. Strömholm captured his surroundings in black‐and‐white images that display his integrity, understated humour and a highly personal aesthetic. With an unmistakable sensitivity to human suffering, based on his personal experience, he took photography in a new direction. Sean O’Hagan, writing in The Guardian, has described him “as the father of Swedish photography both for his abiding influence and for his role as a teacher.”

Selection of photographers for the 5th edition of the International Photo Festival Leiden

All about the festival

Selected Books