Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can I submit my images in a form other than as jpegs on cd?

A: No. Images can originate in any format but must be submitted digitally on cd. No e-mail submission of images is accepted.


Q: Can I submit an entry in which one person is both the writer and the photographer?

A: No. The collaboration must involve at least two people.


Q: Can I submit an entry in which there is one photographer and two writers [or vice versa]?

A: Yes. Total sample length [ten pages of writing, twenty slides] should remain the same.


Q: Can I include in my budget the cost of publishing the work?

A: No. The $20,000 is to be spent on materials, traveling, etc. — everything necessary to produce the work.


Q: Can I submit more than one entry, or be the photographer [or writer] on more than one project?

A: Yes. All applications must be complete for all parts [resumes, etc.].


Q: Must the $20,000 be spent in the year following award?

A: Yes. The fieldwork must be done in that year. The prizewinners' work will be featured in Document and on the CDS Web site.


Q: Must the writer and photographer be U.S. citizens?

A: No. The applicants can be of any nationality (however the writing sample must be in English).


Q: If applicants live abroad and don't have a U.S. bank account, is it possible to pay the application fee by some other method?

A: Yes. The easiest way to pay the fee is with a credit card. Please include card information with your application; we'll need: type of card, card number, expiration date, name as it appears on card, and current billing address (include phone number). (We're sorry, but we can't accept online payments.)

Hand & Eye: Fifteen Years of the Dorothea Lange–Paul Taylor Prize: view photographs and writing from ten past prizewinning projects