Sony Electronics Renews Alpha Female ‘Creator in Residence’ Contest to Support Next-Generation Photographers and Filmmakers

Winners to Receive $21,000 Project Budget, up to $5,000 in Sony Gear and Industry-renowned Mentors

Sony Electronics Inc. today announced contest applications are now open for the second Alpha Female Creators-in-residence program.

Launched in summer 2018, Alpha Female is a program that provides extensive resources and opportunities to advance the careers of female photographers and filmmakers. In 2019, Sony is renewing the initiative and remaining firmly committed to promoting diversity and fostering the growth of all voices in the photography, videography and filmmaking industries.

In the successful inaugural year of the Alpha Female program, five women were selected from more than 6,000 contest applications to participate in the creators-in-residence program, each receiving a prize package that included financial support for personal projects, along with an assortment of Sony camera gear and a mentorship with one of Sony’s female Artisans of Imagery.

 “This program inspired me to push myself further than ever before, while also opening so many doors for my career,” said 2018 Creator-in-residence winner and award-winning wedding photographer Megan Allen. “My work is light-years ahead of where it was seven months ago, and my clients are thrilled with the results.” 

This year’s Alpha Female contest will recognize a total of six award winners: four in the category of Photography and Videography, and two in the category of Filmmaking/Cinematography. In addition to project funding and Sony gear, each winner will receive educational opportunities and invitations to specially organized networking events throughout the program.

“Alpha Female is a way for us to bring talented female creators out of the shadows and into the foreground in an industry where they are too commonly underrepresented,”said Neal Manowitz, deputy president of Imaging Products and Solutions at Sony Electronics. “We are continually inspired by their work and are proud to offer our support.”

Sony Alpha Female Artist-in-residence Prizes 

Winners of the Sony Alpha Female award program will receive $21,000 and up to $5,000 in Sony equipment to help fulfill their creative projects, as well as access to additional loaner equipment to help bring their artistic vision to life.

Mentorship

Each winner will be paired with a successful Alpha Female Artisan photographer or filmmaker—women who have all been paving the way for the next generation of women creators. These mentors will impart wisdom and professional knowledge, helping winners to elevate their craft and career to new heights.

The Alpha Female mentors are among the most talented photographers and filmmakers in the industry. Supporting mentors of the Alpha Female program include Amber Baird, Brooke Shaden, Caroline Jensen, Cristina Mittermeier, Jean Fruth, Katrin Eismann, Marvi Lacar, Me Ra Koh, Nancy Borowick, Sara France, Taylor Rees and Zabrina Deng. Final mentors will be matched according to each winner’s needs and creative style.

Contest applications and official contest rules for the Alpha Female Creator-in-residence Program are available HERE .

A variety of additional content related to Sony’s “Be Alpha” campaign, including articles, videos and events, can be found HERE.

Publisher Note: This is just the kind of program I beleive in.  One of my goals for photoPXL is to make it a place where women feel welcome and can have a voice.

Kevin Raber
August 2019

Kevin Raber
Indianapolis, IN

Photography is my passion and has been for 50 plus years. My career in photography has allowed me to travel the world, meet some of the most interesting people on the planet and see things I could never have dreamed of. My goal is to share the passion of picture taking through photographs and teaching with as many people as I can, hoping it brings them as much joy and happiness as it has me. I do this through photoPXL.com, this site, as well as Rockhopper Workshops, and other projects, as well as teaching as Artist In Residence at the Indianapolis Art Center.