Welcome to our calendar of all the major photographic events, competitions, exhibitions, shows and more for 2016. We’ll be updating this page regularly, so keep checking back to see what’s in store for your photographic year.
January Photography Events
Barricade made from barrels, 1916 © Sean Sexton Collection
Jan 16 – Annie Leibovitz: Women opens in London
Famed portrait photographer Annie Leibovitz returns with a new series focusing on reflecting the changes in the roles of women today, on display in Wapping Hydraulic Power Station in London.
Ends Feb 7
www.ubs.com/microsites/annie-leibovitz
Jan 20 – Deadline for entering the World Press Photo Multimedia Contest 2016
The relatively young multimedia contest from World Press Photo enters its sixth year, with prizes for short features, long features and interactive documentaries.
Jan 20-24 – SWPP Photographic Convention, London
This wedding and portrait photography convention/trade show is a veritable feast of education, with five days of action packed programmes designed to help you put your imagery ahead of the game.
Jan 20-24 – London Art Fair
As it runs over the weekend, London Art Fair hosts a selection of photography related events. Photo50 is an exhibition of 50 contemporary works, while Photography Focus Day (Jan 20) includes a discussion on the future of photo books.
Jan 22 – Otherworlds: Visions of our Solar System opens at the Natural History Museum, London
Embark on a journey through space with this photographic exhibition by Michael Benson, featuring original music by Brian Eno. Otherworlds will explore the beauty of our solar system and demonstrate that the visual legacy of six decades of space exploration constitutes a visually stunning, important chapter in the history of photography.
Ends 15 May
22 Jan – The Easter Rising 1916: Sean Sexton Collection opens at the Photographer’s Gallery, London
Drawn from Sean Sexton’s photographic collection, this exhibition investigates the role played by photography in informing the national consciousness that led to Irish independence.
Ends Apr 3
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
22 Jan – Saul Leiter opens at the Photographer’s Gallery, London
Saul Leiter is recognised for his pioneering role in the development and use of colour photography – a collection of lovely impressionistic pieces with a focus on New York.
Ends Apr 3
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Jan 23 – Last chance to see Disco: The Bill Bernstein Photographs at the Serena Morton Gallery, London
American photographer Bill Bernstein’s tribute to New York’s disco scene is displayed, capturing the real crowd who lived it.
Jan 23 – Last chance to see Shigeo Anzai: Index I opens at White Rainbow, London
Practically unknown outside of Japan, Shigeo Anzai has chronicled Japanese art and artistry over a long career, as well as international artists. In this collection, viewers see his collection of he avant-garde in Japan 1970–6, with particular focus on the 10th Tokyo Biennale, 1970.
Jan 29 – Last chance to see David Hurn: The 60’s at the Magnum Print Room, London
Best known for his portraits of stars such as Jane Fonda in Barbarella, David Hurn’s collection of images of the 60’s chronicles the decade, and shows off his hugely diverse range over just 10 years.
February Photography Events
Image courtesy Joe Cornish Galleries
Feb 1 – Deadline for entering the GDT European Photographer of the Year
This German-run competition is open to photographers all across Europe, so you’ve got until March to hunt down a great wildlife shot. Bonus for younger readers – this year the society has introduced categories for children and teenagers.
Feb 4 – Eleven Women Facing War, Nick Danziger opens at the Imperial War Museum
Explore the first UK display of Eleven Women Facing War, an exhibition of photographs and film following the stories of eleven women in different conflict zones from 2001 to 2011, by award-winning British photographer Nick Danziger.
Ends Apr 24
Feb 5 – Deadline for entering the Pink Lady Food Photographer of the Year
Open to professional and amateur, old and young, the Awards celebrate the very best in food photography and film from around the world.
www.pinkladyfoodphotographeroftheyear.com
Feb 5 – Last chance to see Slow Moments at Joe Cornish Gallery, Northallerton
The winning entries from Joe Cornish Galleries and Intravel’s Discovery Competition, which calls for images and stories from faraway places.
Feb 7 – Last chance to see the winners of Landscape Photographer of the Year 2015 on display at Waterloo
With the competition now in its ninth year and going strong, you can catch the stunning winning entries displayed for free – on the balcony at Waterloo station.
Feb 11 – Vogue 100: A Century of Style opens at the National Portrait Gallery
A showcase of the remarkable range of photography that has been commissioned by British Vogue since it was founded in 1916, with over 280 prints from the Condé Nast archive and international collections being shown together for the first time.
Ends May 22
Feb 14 – Deadline for entering the AOP Student Awards 2016
If you’re a student of photography in any capacity (including part-time), why not have a pop at the AOP’s Student Photography Awards? An excellent potential springboard for getting your work seen by more people.
Feb 17 – Deadline for entering the D&AD Next Photographer Award 2016-01-15
The D&AD Next Photographer Award, a prize for up-and-coming photographers, is open again this year, offering industry mentoring and artistic funding. Enter your three best images by this date.
Feb 18 – Performing for the Camera opens at the Tate Modern
Serious performance art, portraiture, or just simply posing for the camera? What does is it mean to perform for the camera? With over 50 seminal photographers on display, the exhibition will look to explore the relationship between photography and performance, engaging with serious, provocative and sensational topics.
Ends June 12
Feb 21 – Last chance to see the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize showcase
The prestigious photographic portrait award returns for another year with a showcase of the most talented photographers in portraiture.
Feb 25 – Deadline for entering Wildlife Photographer of the Year 52
Hot off the heels of last year’s success, the prestigious wildlife photography competition is wasting no time resting on its laurels and is back for another round. The winning images will once again be displayed in a touring exhibition.
March Photography Events
Paul Strand Photographing the Orgeval Garden, 1974, © Martine Franck / Magnum Photos
Mar 6 – Last chance to see Dallas Seitz: The American Story at the IMT Gallery
An exhibition of new photographs, video and object works that address the Cold War, ideas of God, isolation, and of the concept of Mutual Assured Destruction. Seitz’s work explores some of the urgent themes of how a global clash of cultures entangles itself into revisited objects, locations and their memories.
Mar 19-22 – The Photography Show, Birmingham NEC
The programme for the Photography Show this year looks in fine shape, with workshops, competitions, live shows, talks and more.
Mar 19 – Paul Strand: Photography and Film for the 21st Century opens at the V&A
In a major retrospective of Paul Strand, and the first since his death in 1976, this exhibition will explore the work of a photographer whose images have helped define how fine art and documentary photography is understood and practiced today.
Ends July 3
Mar 19 – Last chance to see the Jerwood/Photoworks Awards 2015 on display, Impressions Gallery, Bradford
The first national Jerwood/Photoworks Awards recognise outstanding future photographic talent. The awards have enabled three artists to develop their practice and create new work. See their display at the Impressions Gallery.
Mar 19 – Last chance to see Sand in my Eyes: Sudanese Moments by Enikö Nagy, Brunei Gallery
Presenting very different images to those one might expect from Sudan this exhibition is taken from the over 26,000 photos, and 2,500 pieces of oral proverbs, legends, myths, poetry and songs Enikö has collected. Reclaiming the narrative about Sudan, the epic journey provides an intimate look into a people and the human experience.
Mar 28 – Last chance to see Alec Soth: Gathered Leaves at the Science Museum
In his first major UK exhibition, influential Minnesota native photographer Alec Soth displays his unique take on Americana through small town portraiture. Mournful and intense, this is not to be missed.
Mar 28 – Last chance to see Julia Margaret Cameron: Influence and Intimacy at the Science Museum
Discover the vibrant life and works of pioneering photographer Julia Margaret Cameron in our new exhibition, Julia Margaret Cameron: Influence and Intimacy, marking the 200th anniversary of her birth.
April Photography Events
Credit: The Airport, 2012, Helen Marshall & Risang Yuwono, Project Tobong, MEDIA/INNOVA
Apr 3 – Last chance to see Flat Death: Edgar Martins & Jordan Baseman at the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
Through photographic projects by Edgar Martins and Jordan Baseman, this exhibition presents two series of work that invite us to reflect on how we deal with death, as a society and individually.
Apr 10 – Last chance to see Wildlife Photographer of the Year 51
The prestigious wildlife photography display closes its doors on April 10, ahead of the 2016 competition judging, so make sure you get in beforehand. A must for any with an interest in nature photography.
Apr 10 – Last chance to see Project Tobong At The Horniman Museum And Gardens
This stunning series of portraits are the result of a collaborative project by British artist Helen Marshall and Indonesian artist Risang Yuwono. The photographs capture the Ketoprak Tobong Kelana Bakti Budaya, one of the last remaining nomadic theatre troupes in Yogyakarta, Java.
Apr 15 – Open 2 show opens at the Open Eye Gallery, Liverpool
The second show in the Open series, Open 2 presents six new or early career artists, considering our unique perspectives as we experience life together.
Ends Jun 2
Apr 15 – DBPFP 2016 showcase on display at the Photographer’s Gallery
The four artists shortlisted for the Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016 display their work ahead of the competition’s winner being announced. The Deutsche Börse Photography Foundation Prize 2016 is an annual prize for a body of work which is felt to have significantly contributed to photography in Europe.
Ends Jun 26
www.thephotographersgallery.org.uk
Apr 22 – Sony World Photography Awards announcement and display, Somerset House, London
The prestigious awards continue for another year, with an open gallery for the public in London’s iconic Somerset House.
Ends May 8
Apr 24 – Last chance to see Lee Miller: A Woman’s War at the Imperial War Museum
This exhibition explores the impact of the Second World War on women’s lives through the photography of Lee Miller, one of the most important war photographers of the twentieth century.
Apr 24 – Last chance to see Robert Mappelthorpe at the Bowes Museum
Renowned American photographer Robert Mappelthorpe is hosted as part of the Tate group’s Artist Rooms in the Bowes Museum. Known for his vast, provocative and powerful body of work, Mappelthorpe is now established as one of the most important artists of the late twentieth century.
May Photography Events
Dante Gabriel Rossetti, Proserpine, 1874. Tate. Presented by W. Graham Robertson 1940
May 4 – Mona Hatoum opens at the Tate Modern
The first major survey of acclaimed photographer Mona Hatoum to take place in London, this exhibition presents a selection of her work, drawing on thirty-five years of consistent and radical thinking which combines her political and aesthetic concerns.
Ends Aug 21
May 11 – Painting with Light opens at the Tate Britain
An exhibition celebrating the spirited conversation between early photography and British art. It brings together photographs and paintings including Pre-Raphaelite, Aesthetic and British Impressionist works.
Ends Sept 25
Mar 16 – Strange and Familiar: Britain as Revealed by International Photographers opens at the Barbican
Curated by the iconic British photographer Martin Parr, Strange and Familiar considers how international photographers from the 1930s onwards have captured the social, cultural and political identity of the UK.
Ends Jun 19
