That's right, you heard that correctly! Aftershoot has created a fund dedicated to giving back to the photography community, with a total budget of $1 million.
You may be aware of Aftershoot for its state-of-the-art AI-assisted culling software and AI photo editing software, which speeds up workflow, saving countless hours scouring images and removing those misfired or missed focus shots. However, it's not the AI software that is making the headlines today, as Aftershoot announces the Create Together Fund and commits $1 million (about £773,000 / AU$1.5m) to support photography communities around the globe – 'Empowering photographers everywhere'.
The groundbreaking initiative aims to support photographers in creating and nurturing local photography communities by funding events such as workshops, photo walks, model shoots, meetups, and 'other such offline events'.
The Aftershoot Create Together fun aims to fund over 750 events across the UK, US, Canada, Australia, and New Zealand by 2025, offering grants from $1,000 to $5,000 to provide financial support for the hiring of venues, props, models, and beyond.
Founder of Aftershoot Harshit Dwivedi states, “We're super excited to launch this initiative. Working closely with photographers, we understand the power of community and the kind of impact it has in their growth. We want to support photographers who inspire and learn from each other and this fund is a step towards empowering them to grow together.”
Aftershoot commented that establishing this fund is designed to 'support photographers in building and growing thriving photography communities', and the company invites all passionate photographers, and photography educators to apply.
So who exactly can apply? The official answer is active professional photographers, emerging photography community leaders, and photography educators, however, this answer essentially means anyone with a passion for sharing photography knowledge and cultivating a community focused on creating images.
Those interested in applying can do so via the Aftershoot Create Together Fund website where you can find more details, along with the registration form. Applications for the first wave of funding are open today and close on August 23, 2024, when the next window of funding will be announced.
This fund sounds like an amazing opportunity to create local photography communities without the added worry of finding funding for hiring a venue or food for attendees. The fund can be used for a dedicated workshop, or for an introductory mixer for local kids to try out photography, the possibilities are endless and should be taken advantage of.
