Applications are currently being reviewed
Thank you to all 2021 applicants!
Are you an Australian photographer or filmmaker?
Do you want your work to make a real, positive environmental impact?
The CameraPro Explorer’s Grant is your chance to make it happen.
Established in 2018, the Explorer's Grant empowers Australian photographers and filmmakers to support causes and tell stories that make a difference.
Register your interest for 2022 Explorer's Grant
& 2021 Grant Announcements
2021
Explorer's Grant
We know there’s power in creativity. That’s what fuels our purpose – to inspire and empower people to create a better world – and it’s why we founded the Explorer’s Grant.
To help creators like you change this world for the better.
Cause
Communities or organisations making a positive environmental impact
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Grant
Financial support for both the cause and the story
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Project
Your story, told via photos or video – presented, exhibited or roadshowed (with help from CameraPro) to gain exposure for your cause
Categories & Funding
Eligible entrants may apply for a choice of three categories: photography, video, or junior (newly introduced for 2021).
The Explorer’s Grant judges will select one winner from each category, who will share in $12,500 funding.
Photography
$5,000 funding
($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)
Open to photographers aged 18 and over
Videography
$5,000 funding
($3,000 for project + $2,000 for cause)
Open to videographers aged 18 and over
Junior Photography / Video
$2,500 funding
($1,500 for project + $1,000 for cause)
Open to photographers and videographers aged 13 to 17 years
Criteria
What?
Your proposed photography/video project should focus on relatively remote or unknown Australian places and ecosystems. The judges are looking for creativity that has impact and a strong reach.
When?
Applications currently in review.
How?
- Select the category you want to apply for.
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Complete the Google application form, which includes:
- Applicant Details
- Project Overview
- Project Proposal
- Project Plan & Schedule
- Charity Information
- Examples of Photography/Video
- Submit your application via Google Forms.
Judges
Darren Jew
Professional Ocean, Underwater and Wildlife Photographer
Darren Jew has photographed the planet’s landscapes and wildlife from Antarctica to Zambia over a 30-year career spent on mountain peaks, desert plains and beneath the ocean.
Darren was acknowledged as a ‘Canon Master’ in 2011 and is featured in the Netflix series Tales by Light that focuses on a select number of the world’s best photographers. Darren’s unique vision has earned him the accolade of Australian Professional Nature Photographer of the Year six times between 2007 and 2018.
Marian Drew
Australian Artist
Marian Drew is one of Australia's most significant photographic artists, with a practice spanning 30 years in both education and exhibition. She has held more than 25 solo exhibitions in Australia, United States of America, France, Hong Kong and Germany.
Marian is currently Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland College of Art, Griffith University and PhD candidate at the Canberra School of Art and Design, Australian National University. She was Queensland College of Art (QCA) Director of the Photography Program 2005-2016, and QCA Deputy Director, 2001-2003.
Natalia Mroz
2019 Explorer's Grant Recipient
Natalia is a photographer and content producer. For the last 15 years she has documented social and environmental issues for the United Nations, the Earth Institute at Columbia University, and various development and wildlife conservation NGO’s through photography, text, and video.
Her work has taken her from her home in Australia to Africa, where she has been based in Kenya for the last ten years. In 2019, Natalia was awarded as an Explorer’s Grant recipient with her project, Samburu Tribe and the Grevy's Zebra Trust, which engages indigenous African communities to maximise conservation outcomes for endangered species.
Telan Wade
Explorer's Grant Co-ordinator
After co-ordinating the previous Explorer's Grants alongside CameraPro Founder Jesse Hunter, Telan will now be joining the judging panel. Telan has enjoyed facilitating the grant initiative and is excited to learn about Australian based, environmental projects for 2021.
"I believe this is a pivotal time for creatives, we are able to educate and share important stories and truths about what is happening in Australia, but also to help influence change where it is wanted by multiple communities. Over the last 5 years I've been at CameraPro it's been encouraging to see the Photography and Videography demographic widening.
Previous Recipients
Martin Stinger
(2019 Recipient)
Martin Stringer is a Melbourne photographer, filmmaker, and cancer survivor whose love of nature has inspired his work with numerous environmental NGOs from Australia to remote Nepal.
Martin’s project, Replanting a Rainforest, sets out to raise awareness, funds and seedlings to help restore, protect and buy back the Daintree, Australia's most ancient and biodiverse rainforest.
Sarah Osborn
(2019 Recipient)
Sarah’s project, What remains here now?, continues her work with Forgotten Australians, giving voice to survivors of institutional care as they seek justice against their abusers.
Natalia Mroz
(2019 Recipient)
Natalia Mroz is an Australian photographer, writer and audiovisual producer. For more than 15 years Natalia has documented social and environmental issues for the UN and assorted NGOs all over the globe.
Natalia’s project, Samburu Tribe and the Grevy's Zebra Trust, engages indigenous African communities to maximise conservation outcomes for endangered species.
Jimmy White
(2018 Recipient)
Marine biologist and National Geographic expedition leader Dr Jimmy White has dedicated his life to understanding and conserving the natural world.
His project, Meet the Ocean, is an educational non-profit using virtual reality to teach and inspire the public about marine conservation, and to help rehabilitate kids in hospital.
Jolyon Hoff
(2018 Recipient)
Jolyon is an Australian filmmaker who's fascinated by subcultures, identity and community. The Staging Post, his critically acclaimed 2017 film about Afghan refugees stranded in Indonesia, helped spark a refugee-led education revolution.
Jolyon’s project focuses on Cisarua Refugee Learning Centre – a refugee-run school in West Java teaching 2,000 refugee children unable to attend schools.
Marcus Wong
(2018 Recipient)
Marcus Wong is a Perth-based photographer, filmmaker and graphic designer who was named the 2019 WA Young Volunteer of the Year. Through his work, Marcus is dedicated to voicing the untold stories of people in developing countries.
Marcus’ project focuses on Rafiki Africa Ministries, Buwooya Mission School, EthiopiAid and Action Ethiopia – locally run Ugandan and Ethiopian aid organisations assisting disadvantaged children, women and local farmers.
“This grant allows me to continue a project that is really important to me, to [survivor of institutional abuse] Margaret and to the Forgotten Australian community.
It will allow me to…raise awareness of Forgotten Australians, be with Margaret as she undergoes her court case to seek justice, and also…give back to a charity that is helping vulnerable children in our society.”
“So grateful to CameraPro who funded this trip to be able to tell the stories of small organisations who often don’t have the resources to be able to tell their story to an international audience”
