The Open is a worldwide search for the greatest photographers of our generation. It features both online and live events and delivers one of the largest prize purses in the photo industry: $50,000US. It is an exposure powerhouse that connects photographers with a global audience.

True to its name, The Open welcomes all photographers. It is a search across six continents with a simple mission: discover the undiscovered; rediscover the established; bring the best photographers to the forefront.

The Open is comprised of two separate events:

SOLO

An online competition gallery of single images, where half of the finalists are selected by an expert panel of judges and the other half are driven by public voting, fueled by the major social media platforms. The Photographer of the Year and the category winners share $25,000US.

LIVE

A mind-blowing live competition in which 6 invited photographers choreograph the best images of their careers into 7-minute productions. The LIVE event takes place on September 28, 2012 in Vancouver, Canada and the prize purse is $25,000US.

The Open is designed from the ground up to generate widespread exposure and business-building opportunities for photographers. It has amassed a database of hundreds of thousands of photo lovers and media around the world. It also connects directly with 50,000 creative industry professionals from North America, Europe, Latin America and Australia – art directors to photo editors and publishers to ad agencies – who tap into The Open to discover new talent. Photographers can also sell gallery quality prints through FotoMoto on their Artist's Page on The Open.

The Open leverages the networking power of social media and the energy of live competition to put the spotlight on the world’s best photographers. It combines the reach of Tumblr, StumbleUpon, Twitter, Facebook, Google+ and layers of digital marketing tools to generate exposure for its artists.

Entering The Open is simple. Start today by entering one or more images into the online SOLO competition and create your own Artist’s Page. The moment you enter, you are connected to a global audience.