The 2019 EyeEm Awards Jury On What Makes a Good Submission

Here is your first introduction to The 2019 EyeEm Awards jury. Find out more about each jury member and hear their best advice for submitting a winning image.

Entering the biggest global photography competition doesn’t have to be scary. The EyeEm Awards is open to those just discovering photography, professionals and everyone else in between! Today, we introduce three of this year’s jury members to give you the creative direction you need to submit your photos with confidence.

The 2019 Awards jury is diverse and covers anything from brand experts to globally renowned photographers. Each jury member will be given the difficult task of selecting the finalists for our 10 unique categories, as well as The 2019 Photographer of the Year.

We spoke to three of the visual experts on what will catch their eye when judging this year’s submissions - keep reading to find out more.

So, What Makes a Winning Image?

Tutes, Photographer and Videographer

Born in Ecuador and raised in New York City, Jose “Tutes” Tutiven is a Bronx based photographer, videographer and producer with a knack for capturing authentic moments.

Showcasing personal, intimate details through his portraiture and lifestyle work, Tutes is committed to making a difference and providing value to every community-based campaign. Having worked for a long list of brands and agencies, including Fortune 500, the creator is showcasing just how valuable digital content can be as a medium for expression.

“When it comes to portrait photography, some of the things I look for are emotion, composition, vulnerability, connection with the subject and even the surrounding environment. There’s a lot of variables and challenges when it comes to nailing one or even all of these elements in a single image - that’s what makes it a creative challenge if you’re up for it. Whenever I look at a portrait, if it keeps me engaged and in wonder, then it definitely met my expectations.”

Ulrich Grill, Founder of Red Bull Illume

To Ulrich Grill photography is more than just a click – it’s a perfect mixture of passion, skill and attitude. His enthusiasm for photography soon forged an inseparable link, inspiring him to also expand his portfolio from professional aerobatic hang-gliding career to lifestyle images.

In 1997, Ulrich finally combined business know-how with expertise and founded the Austrian advertising and communication agency zooom productions, which soon rocketed to success and still benefits from Ulrich’s captivating photography and creative direction for campaigns and brands such as Red Bull, Braun, Leica, Gore-Tex, Yodobashi and many more. zooom productions opened up offices in Los Angeles in 2006 and Tokyo in 2019 servicing clients around the globe.

In 2006 he started Red Bull Illume, which now holds the reputation of being the “Olympics” of adventure and action sports imagery contests. And in 2014 he founded COOPH, short for “Cooperative of Photography”, which is a highly acclaimed photographers apparel and accessories brand, as well as being the world´s biggest YouTube brand channel on photography.

“My photographic career started in the great outdoors – actually, high above it! – taking pictures from my hang glider. So you could say when it comes to ‘The Great Outdoors’, I have a pretty good view! Now, as a judge for this category, it doesn’t mean I’m going to be looking just for drone shots – far from it.

There’s a lot of things that go into making a great photo – sharp focus, great light. Composition is incredibly, incredibly important – your photo can have all the right parts, but if they’re not in the right place, it’s not going to be a compelling image – period. You don’t have to follow the rules – although if you’re going to break them, you’ve got to do it right.

But what I’m looking for is a new perspective and honest, authentic, storytelling – and in the best case, both of them together. I want to be surprised and inspired. For nature photography, a photo is great if it makes me want to be right there, right now – but if it makes feel like I already am there, then it’s truly an incredible image.

Shannon Ghannam, Global Education Director - Magnum Photos

Shannon Ghannam is the Global Education Director at Magnum Photos, responsible for the celebrated agency’s educational programming globally, including the recently launched online learning platform Magnum Learn.

Shannon has collaborated on numerous photographic books, international exhibitions and multimedia projects including the Emmy award winning photojournalism app Reuters The Wider Image. Shannon has worked in various roles at Screen Labs, Night Contact photography and multimedia festival, Australian Associated Press (AAP), The Australian Photojournalist Journal, The National Archives of Australia as well as developing a year long collaborative portraiture project with refugee communities for the Australian Red Cross.

“I am looking for something I have not experienced before, whether that is a new story, approach or feeling evoked. I also want to see work that has been made with an understanding of the greater context in which it exists – an understanding of discussions around contemporary photography or work that feels informed by the pressing issues of our time. I also want a glimpse into the heart and mind of the photographer in the work.”

Don’t miss the chance to have your work seen and shared with our global creative community! This is your chance to win amazing prices and kick-start your career in photography. Submit multiple photos to The 2019 EyeEm Awards now!