10 Photo Festivals We Would LOVE To Attend... & A Mia Culpa

Photo-centric getaways after more than a year of isolation

10 Photo Festivals We Would LOVE To Attend

By RW Boyer

Paper Arts Collective Staff

This is not a review. In fact nobody we know has attended any of these. That was part of the criteria in selecting these festivals. Many of them are a dedicated trip requiring a plane ride... and a passport. The only other criteria is that there was some degree of focus on photographic prints whether that be small prints in portfolio presentations, various exhibitions, or books. In most cases there's a bit of all of those in the selections.

Many of the festivals are all over the map, both literally and figuratively. Some are intense events that last only a few days. Some last a month with varying degree of scheduled events. Others last an entire season so be sure to check what activities are scheduled for each. There are festivals that are focused entirely **for** photographers with workshops, portfolio reviews, and talks aimed squarely at people that make pictures. There are others that are dedicated to viewers and lovers of photographic art. Then there are those that do a great job of mixing photographers and non-photographer lovers of photography.

Enough with the qualifications. In no particular order here they are with only a brief comment on why we think these are interesting. If anyone has attended these please share your experience. If we missed some that you think are must attend festivals, absolutely share those with us.

Arles - Les Recentres De La Photographie

The south of France on the Mediterranean. Runs for almost three months. Has been running every summer since 1970. Need we say more? This would certainly make a nice photo-centric vacation for a week or two based entirely on event schedules. Sounds like a photographer's personal paradise. Take a look for yourself.

Verzasca Foto Festival

This one looks to be unique. A vast number of activities are held outdoors in the Italian speaking region of Switzerland. It seems a much more intense photographer-centric experience lasting only a few days. Some of us at The Paper Arts Collective are all for outdoor photography, but for those of us that are more urban, well...But, in any event, we can't imagine a photographer that wouldn't be tempted.

Focus On The Story

For those who are USA East Coast based, this one has a bevy of activities all centered around DC Photo Month. Washington DC is a day-trip for us and millions of others on the east coast of the US, we didn't know it existed until we started researching festivals that would be up and running in-person for 2021/2022. Some big name sponsors including Fujifilm. Check it out, especially if a couple weeks in the south of France might be a little out of reality in the next year or so.

Ballarat International Foto Biennale

Need to get really far, far away? This one is for you if you're not a resident of Australia. Actually even if you are isn't everything far away within Australia? This one looks to be print focused, of course. The Hahnemühle paper company is a sponsor.

The list of events for this is a little skimpy for 2021 right now but the organizers responded immediately to our request for information. They promise all of the planned activities, events, and exhibitions will be available this month.

Photo NOLA

The gulf coast of the USA is fairly comfortable in the late fall. Sounds like an activity filled photographic extravaganza in a great city with great food. In their own words; "PhotoNOLA is an annual celebration of photography in New Orleans". By the time this rolls around for 2021 some of us are already sick of the cold.

Cortona On The Move

We all know that Tuscany is nice (understatement). This one looks like a sleeper in a fantastic location that may even get the non-photography obsessed domestic partner approval as well. If Joel Meyerowitz says it's okay, that's good enough for us at The Collective. Hanging out in Tuscany with fanatic photographers, enjoying prints, sipping on a glass of Italian wine... WOW! Might this shout out get us some free passes??? yeah... right...

Review Santa Fe

Another USA-based festival, this one seems to be a more intimate version of Photolucida with a few additional twists. Yep, far more portfolio review oriented but a lot of opportunities to see others' work on paper as well as coincidental exhibitions of photography. Take a look and be sure to look at their past programs to get a better feel for what's coming up.

CIP Festival

This one is very, very, very, exhibition focused. It appears to virtually take over the city, and a very nice city on the Mediterranean at that. You know that part of the Mediterranean with all those picturesque Greek Isles? Also looks to have high domestic partner approval potential.

Festival International du Photojournalisme

For documentary/photojournalism folks, this one has to be on the bucket list for anyone that loves the genre. About as far south in France as one can go. If you love documentary photography this would be a dream vacation... if involved in the photo industry in any way may even be able to write it off your taxes? Maybe during "Pro-Week"?

Copenhagen Photo Festival

Saving the best for last? Nope, saving what appears to be a very diverse festival for last. One of those festivals that involve a lot of other activities surrounding the formal program developed by the festival organizers. This one promises to be unique. Probably too late for 2021 but there's always next year.

This list is not meant to be comprehensive. It's merely the photography festivals that we whittled down to what we'd love to attend, not all in one year but this is our list. We sure hope to do all of them at some point. It would be hard picking just one to attend this year. Getting the list down to ten was a lot of work. Sadly quite a few that might have made this list don't seem to have a 2021 or 2022 program. We'll update the list with a few of the very interesting ones as we uncover them.

Now for the Mia Culpa...

In our last email to you we made a major goof. In announcing that the deadline for The Paper Arts Collective's 2021 Exhibition & Contest was fast approaching (June 30) we totally forgot to include the link to it. So, for those of you interested in becoming part of this exciting opportunity, here is the link.