Instagram isn\u2019t just about the pursuit of likes and heavy filters. Over the years, the service has evolved into a display of what our beautiful world has to offer, captured for posterity one profile at a time. It has also become a great platform for users to tell a story\u2014and that\u2019s exactly what a new Getty partnership is in search of.<\/p>\n
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If you think your profile exhibits the kind of hard-hitting photojournalism typically found in National Geographic, you can apply for a $10,000 grant being offered by Getty Images. In partnership with Instagram, the respected photo agency will offer money to three users who believe their body of work documents \u201cstories from underrepresented communities around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWe recognize that Instagram has introduced new opportunities for emerging voices, outside the mainstream media, to create and share projects of social importance,\u201d Getty says. \u201cThis grant provides financial support and mentorship to amplify their impact.\u201d<\/p>\n
This is a new frontier for Getty, and a big win for Instagram, proving the service is more than just a useless social network; it\u2019s a platform for people to connect and encourage change. The grants will be awarded based on a user\u2019s current body of work on Instagram, focusing on things such as the ability to tell a story, and, above all, their quality of imagery. Additionally, entrants need to submit a biography, and how they approach photography and their subjects.<\/p>\n
You can fill out an application here<\/a>. Judges for the grant include Malin Fezehal, Maggie Steber, and Ramin Talale, who are all documentary photographers, along with photojournalist David Guttenfelder, and Kira Pollack, who is the director of photography atTIME.<\/em><\/p>\n