THE FIFTY

At VSCO, we're here to celebrate photographers, their craft, and their careers. In August, we held an open call, inviting working American photographers across genres, career levels, and backgrounds to share their work for the chance to see their photo on a billboard in their state. With over 13,500 submissions, the response was the largest and most inspiring our curation team has seen. We're grateful to everyone who submitted their work.

The submissions were exceptional, with a richness and diversity across the collection. Some reflect the beauty of our country, while others tell powerful stories about Americans and their lives. Still others are simply remarkable moments frozen in a single frame. From thousands of submissions we've selected 50 incredible photographers, one from each state, and we couldn't be more honored to share their work.

Every photographer selected will have their photo and their name prominently featured on their own billboard in their state. We couldn't think of a better way to celebrate their photography than making it as big as possible for everyone to see. But celebrating the careers of photographers means more than showing their work — they need to get paid. So each of the fifty receives an honorarium, a feature on our website and across our social channels, a year of VSCO Pro, a seat in a virtual portfolio review, a ticket to a members-only workshop with The Freelance Photographer, and a place in our press outreach for The Fifty.

We considered a range of factors in making our selections, including:

‍Immediate impact. We wanted to find images that stopped us cold. Each stands out visually, but it also holds a deeper story that invites the viewer to lean in.

‍A distinct point of view. We wanted images we hadn't seen before. Some truly captured a singular snapshot of time, while others captured familiar themes from an unexpected perspective.

‍A range of career paths and experience. The stories of working photographers are diverse, and we knew we needed to represent that full spectrum. Many are established professionals shooting for some of the world's largest brands and publications, while others are emerging professionals who bring a fresh perspective to photography.

What ties The Fifty together is a shared drive and a passion to push their work forward. We hope this exposure brings them new opportunities, encourages others to pursue their career aspirations in photography, and inspires millions with the stories behind every photograph.