The best way to get inspired or take creative photos is to attend some photo festivals. These days, photo festivals have been well-welcomed. They not only offer photographers a wide range of exhibition spaces but also hold diverse activities such as panel discussion, portfolio reviews, and some job opportunities and many others. Below are the 10 best photo festivals in the world.
Website: https://www.rencontres-arles.com/
Location: Arles. South of France
Type: Petty art and photojournalism
Rencontre D’Arles Festival is one of the world’s popular festival and is held in summer every year in the south of France. The festival welcomes 100,000 visitors each year. If you want to meet the world’s top editors, Rencontres Arles is the best place.
Website: https://photoville.com/
Location: Brooklyn, NY; Los Angeles, CA
Type: Thought-Provoking, Challenging, and Exceptional Photography
The Photoville, as a non-profit organization, offers a good platform in which photographers and other attendances can engage with each other. In the 2019 festival, there are more than 100,000 attendants in this festival and it offers different programs including panel discussions, hands-on activities, and many others.
Website: https://www.parisphoto.com/
Location: Grand Palais. Paris. France
Type: Art fair dedicated to photography
Founded in 1997, Paris Photo is the largest international photography festival across the globe, which is held in November every year. Paris Photo provides all attendees with range and diversity of exhibitions based on photo galleries and attracts professionals, artists, photography collectors globally. This fair also has a special section for book dealers and publishers who showcase their high-quality artworks. In short, it is a must-visit festival in your life.
Website: https://visitcenter.org/
Location: Santa Fe, NM
Type: Portfolio Reviews
Review Santa Fe Photo Festival, as a weekend conference, is held in a unique place where many photographers have serious discussions, share their fine arts with the audience including industry leaders, editors, publishers, and so on. This festival aims to provide a good opportunity for talented and great photographers.
Website: https://formatfestival.com/
Location: Derby, UK
Type: Art & documentary exhibitions, workshops, portfolio reviews and talks
Format bills itself as the UK’s leading international festival of photography and is held every year. During the festival, it organizes many different open talks, conferences, and collaboration across the world and attracts more than 100,000 visitors to this fair.
Website: https://copenhagenphotofestival.com/
Location: Copenhagen, Denmark
Type: Development of Photography
Copenhagen Photo Festival is the largest photo festival in Copenhagen and provides a place for communication and learning between photo-based artists and photographers. It welcomes over 55, 000 people to this festival, and at the same time, it builds a bridge between fine art and documentary photography.
Website: https://www.miamistreetphotographyfestival.org/
Location: Miami, FL
Type: Street Photography
Founded in 2012, Miami Street Photography Festival, as an international street photography festival, presents contemporary street and documentary photography in collaboration with History Miami Museum. During the fair, it can provide the best photography workshops and exhibitions across the world and hopes that every people or photographer can learn some helpful things via lectures, talking, and more.
Website: http://www.verzascafoto.com/
Location: Sonogno, Switzerland
Type: outdoor exhibitions, artists presentations, portfolio reviews, photo nights
Verzasca Foto Festival is held in a special place-a real natural environment in which all people can interact with each other peacefully and explore some beauty of our nature. In this festival, you not only enjoy some outdoor activities, presentations meetings but also photo nights and live music. On top of that, you can stay away from the rush and take fresh air while sharing your visions and ideas with other people.
Website: http://fotofest.org/
Location: Houston, TX
Since it is founded in 1983, FotoFest has grown into an international best-known festival and offers the first and long-running Biennial of photography and new media art in the US. Over 275,000 audiences from 34 countries attend this festival and they are actors, publishers, photography collectors, and more. During the festival, some important issues will be discussed, such as the Global Environment, LGBTQ+ communities, and water.
Website:https://www.photolucida.org/
Location: Portland, OR
Type: Culture of Photography
PORTFOLIO REVIEWS FESTIVAL, a five-day festival, serves as a good platform for all photographers who engage with other audiences via lectures, talking, workshops, portfolio reviews. More importantly, the core of this festival is the portfolio. The festival focuses on promoting the work of emerging and mid-career photographers. Additionally, it has an online program in the photography community- Critical Mass.
From https://www.pergear.com/blogs/deals/top-10-must-visit-photo-festivals-in-2020
