NANPA Summit College Photography Scholarship and Internship Application Overview

Notice: Applications for the 2010 NANPA Summit College Photography Scholarship program are now closed. Please check back in June 2010 for next year's program.

Candidates may still submit an application to indicate an interest in an internship with a NANPA photographer or affiliated organization. In the event that additional internships become available, we will notify you and facilitate coordination with the individuals/organizations offering the internship.

Photo by Ronnie Mabou

Networking with peers and professionals, attending workshops and photographing in the field are just a few of the opportunities that will be provided to the select group of scholarship students attending the Sixteenth Annual Nature Photography Summit sponsored by NANPA in Reno, Nevada, February 16-19, 2010.

Past participants frequently describe their experiences at the NANPA Summit with phrases like inspiring, incredible or even "life-altering"! It truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity to make personal contacts with the top pros in nature photography as well as editors and other industry leaders.

To qualify, you must be at least 19 years of age as of December 31, 2009. You do have to be a full-time college student in an accredited two or four year college, university, trade or vocational school. You don't have to be an art major. You don't even have to call yourself a nature photographer, but you will be one when you leave the NANPA Summit! You do have to have a camera (film or digital) that accepts interchangeable lenses. Lastly, transportation to and from the conference site is the responsibility of the student. Past winners of NANPA's High School and College Scholarships are not eligible to apply.

Each college student selected to attend the Annual NANPA Summit will be provided with the following:

Photo by Linda Helm

Full Summit registration
One year NANPA membership
Photo field trip led by NANPA pros
Portfolio review given by a professional stock agent or photo editor
Ticket to the Awards Banquet
Opportunity to network with mentors throughout the Summit
Admission to all Summit keynote presentations and breakout sessions
All meals
Hotel room (double occupancy) at the conference site

Photo by Ronnie Mabou

In addition, students will convene each morning for breakfast to meet, listen and speak to a variety of invited guests. Throughout the Summit, students will have the opportunity to brainstorm, critique images and talk with pros on a variety of subjects.

College Students: This is an opportunity of a lifetime! Don't miss your chance to attend the 2010 NANPA Annual Summit! If you have any questions, contact the program coordinator, Keith Snell, or Jeannine Broker. If you would like to speak with some of our past participants, please contact Keith Snell for a list of student representatives. They would love to talk with you!

NANPA spends approximately $1,500 per student to develop and operate the scholarship program. We invite you to make a contribution to help support the program for future students.

Scholarship and Internship Application Process:

This online application is used to apply for both the scholarship to attend the Nature Photography Summit, and to indicate your desire to seek an internship with a NANPA Professional or affiliated organization. Organizations with internship positions will review the applications to narrow their search for qualified applicants, and then contact the applicants directly to finalize the details of the internship (duration of the commitment and stipend, etc.) Contractual details will be negotiated directly between the intern and the organization offering the internship, and NANPA cannot be held liable for any breach of contract.

If you are interested in applying for a college scholarship to the NANPA Summit or applying for an internship with a NANPA affiliate, complete the following application sections and submit them no later than November 9, 2009. All applications must be submitted via the NANPA website. Applications cannot be submitted any other way. To assist in Internet access, computers are available at local schools, libraries and/or a full service business copy center, such as Kinko's. Prepare all your image submissions BEFORE starting the online application! All images must be submitted electronically. See PHOTO SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS below for details on how the images need to be prepared and submitted.

SCHOLARSHIP/INTERNSHIP APPLICATION FORM

After reading the guidelines below, you can access the online application form by going to the bottom of the page and clicking on the button.

To avoid losing valuable information while online, we recommend that applicants first answer the essay questions in a separate saved document. When completing the online form, those answers can then be copied and pasted into the appropriate section and edited as necessary.

Also, be sure to prepare ALL your photo submissions (described below) BEFORE starting the online application process.

FIFTEEN (15) PHOTOGRAPHIC IMAGES

Each applicant must submit fifteen photographic images that best demonstrate the diversity of his/her photographic skills and interests. The subject matter may include but is not limited to nature. Each photo should include a title and a brief caption, not to exceed 50 words. We also recommend a saved document for this text as well.

THEMATIC PHOTO ASSIGNMENT

In addition to the 15 images required above, each applicant must submit a collection of five nature-oriented images that express their interpretation of a single theme or concept of their choosing. This is your opportunity to demonstrate your ability to tell a story with your photography. The images submitted need not be recent photographs, although shooting images specifically for the thematic photo assignment may be your best bet. Please include a thematic introduction of 100 - 250 words for the entire series of five 5 photos. Once again, we recommend a saved document for this text.

PHOTO SUBMISSION REQUIREMENTS

To submit your photographic images, first complete the application. After you click Submit, you will be directed to the photo upload page. The image files must be JPEG (jpg) format, sRGB colorspace, be 1024 pixels on the long side, and 72 dpi. Maximum file size is 350k.

Remember to prepare ALL your images BEFORE starting the online application. You will not have an opportunity to go back and upload them later.

On the upload pages there will be instructions and space to upload your images. For each image click Browse to select the image from your computer, enter (paste) the title, and the brief descriptive paragraph about why the image was made and/or selected for submission. Then click Submit Image to upload each photo. After you have completed all photo entries, click Finalize Submission to complete your application.

If you have difficulty uploading images, please contact Jeannine Broker at the NANPA office, 303-422-8527, for assistance. All college student applicants must use this website for their submission. Applications will not be accepted any other way.

LETTER(S) OF RECOMMENDATION

At least one letter of recommendation, but no more than two (2), must be submitted by a professor or teacher, coach, activity leader or other adult who can attest to your qualities and experiences, such as interpersonal skills, willingness to share, sense of responsibility, creative expression, photographic endeavors, and any environmental issue involvement. The contact information (name, address, day & evening telephone #'s, email address) of the student and writer must be included in the recommendation. The writer must send the recommendation to the NANPA office by postal service (see addresses below) or email (preferred). In the letter of recommendation, make reference to the NANPA Summit College Photography Scholarship.

NANPA Office Address:

Jeannine Broker
NANPA
10200 W. 44th Avenue, #304
Wheat Ridge, CO 80033-8527
303-422-8527