Getty Images teams up with IG to bless three dope young photographers

Getty Images and Instagram are changing the lives of three photographers for the third year in a row. How?

They’ve awarded India-based photojournalist, Saumya Khandelwal; LA-based documentary photographer, Isadora Kosofsky; and Arkansas-based photographer Nina Robinson with $10,000 grants.

That’s not all the three grant winners will receive. Khandelwal, Kosofsky, and Robinson will also have the opportunity to showcase their work at the Getty Images Gallery in London from October 24 to November 4.

Plus a mentorship from a world-class Getty Images photojournalist. It’s lit.

All three photographers have something about their artistic eye that made them stand out of the other several thousand photographers, videographers, and visual artists that applied for the grant.

India-based photojournalist, Saumya Khandelwal

Muskaan*, 14 years old, waits for the groom at her wedding. This is Shravasti district, Uttar Pradesh. It’s got some of the worst, and most alarming statistics on child marriage in India. Consider this: “couples” in the age group of 10-19 have produced six million children. And Uttar Pradesh leads with the highest number of children born to underage parents at 1 million. . ‘Child Brides of Shravasti’ is a long term project that observes how child marriage changes the lives of young girls. The project is supported by National Foundation of India. *name changed #childbride #childmarriage #girlchild #girleducation #reportagespotlight #creativeimagemagazine #burnmagazine #lenculture #natgeo #indiaphotostory #indiaphotoproject #unicef #unfpa #girlsnotbrides #saumyakhandelwalphotos

A post shared by Saumya Khandelwal (@khandelwal_saumya) on Sep 8, 2017 at 11:10am PDT

Khandelwal has used her photojournalistic skills to bring social issues, including gender and the environment, to the surface.

Her project, ‘Child Brides of Shravasti’, particularly touched the hearts of the grant’s judges.

The images tell the stories of young girls who are forced into marriage at a very young age. Her pictures capture a pure and devastating emotion.

Imagine being a pre-teen on the verge of entering one of the most important phases of adulthood.

Khandelwal uses Instagram as a tool in order to portray her insightful images in the most real way possible.

Her work depicts how the lives of these innocent girls from Uttar Pradesh, India drastically change after child marriage.

LA-based documentary photographer, Isadora Kosofsky

Bianca, age 87, 2013. My best friend Bianca who I have been documenting for 10 years. She is a unique figure in my life who is both a photographic subject and a friend. We met in a coffee shop in Los Angeles in 2007 where I would go do homework. A year into our friendship, she was diagnosted with Dementia. Shortly after, she was placed in a retirement home. Bianca has no family other than a daughter who does not want a relationship with her. After so many years, we’ve basically adopted each other. Bianca had a career as a Flamenco dancer for 20 years and then was a seamstress until she was 80. On the first day I met Bianca, she asked me what my passion was. I told her it was documentary photography. She responded, “oh good. You will never be lonely.” Bianca’s favorite song is Blue Moon. The project about Bianca is both a photo series and video multimedia (a visual diary) titled Blue Moons of Bianca, which I have yet to share. Sunday is usually the day that I visit Bianca, but cannot today, so I share an image of her. #bianca #seniors #aging #documentary #bluemoon #elderlywomen #seniorrights #dementia #dementiaawareness

A post shared by Isadora Kosofsky (@isadorakosofsky) on Apr 30, 2017 at 3:37pm PDT

Wow!

Kosofsky’s aesthetic is like a breath of fresh air. Her creative touch has documented social issues from a humanistic standpoint.

She has been able to capture life on camera.

Kosofsky was selected because of her heart-touching images encompassing aging, poverty, mental health, and substance abuse.

How could she not stand out? Damn.

Arkansas-based photographer, Nina Robinson

Every time I see this photograph, I think of the celebration of beauty within in us — our hair, our skin, our magic. When we’re younger, we often lose sight of those natural parts of us that we didn’t think was beautiful, to begin with. We question our identity, our self-worth and where we fit into this world. Then one day you wake up. In this image, cousin Jayla gets her hair done by her mother before a birthday party.

A post shared by An Arkansas Family Album (@arkansasfamilyalbum) on Oct 24, 2017 at 2:52pm PDT

The whole point to the Getty Images Instagram Grant is to bring to light creatives who use Instagram to document stories from underrepresented communities around the world.

Robinson embodies this premise. She uses her photography skills to document the everyday life of her own family in rural Arkansas.

Her project, ‘An Arkansas Family Album’, tells the story of loss, love, and tradition in a rural Black Southern community.

Swedish photographer, Nora Lorek, came close and received an Honorable Mention from the judging panel

Phone by Julius Caesar, 8 Helicopter by Maita Alafi, 6 Radio by Ronald Juma, 9 Soldier with weapon by Isaac Ladu, 10 Doll by Kiden Dorris, 13 Laptop by Steven Joel, 5 Toys made by some of the kids from South Sudan who’ve been living in Bidibidi refugee settlement for almost a year. On assignment for @natgeo July/August 2017.

A post shared by Nora Lorek (@noralorek) on Aug 17, 2017 at 1:23pm PDT

Lorek’s work hasn’t gone unnoticed. Her photographic candor in Uganda and work with South Sudanese refugees will forever be respected.

These photographers are touching souls with their lenses. Follow them on their journey to success.

Who knows? Maybe next time you’ll be chosen.