Photo by Vincenzo Mazza, winner of the Luminous Landscape Grant. Pollino National Park, Italy.

The Luminous Endowment, an charitable fund headed by Michael Reichmann, has announced its first round of grant recipients. Reichmann is the founder of Luminous Landscape, a website dedicated to fine art photography. His focus has shifted recently to the creation of the Endowment, which awards merit-based grants to photographers seeking to start or complete projects, books or exhibitions. The aim, according to Reichmann, is to create ‘a global community of those who can give, along with those who will benefit from the generosity of others’.

Six different grants in total are awarded semi- or twice-annually, and grant applications are accepted from photographers all over the world. The first round of grant winners are listed in the release below. Photographers receiving funding range from California-based Dennis Hearne and his ‘Bright Moments’ documentation of a changing San Francisco, to Italy-based Vincenzo Mazza’s documentation of Pollino National Park and its unique natural landscape. See their work and find out more about the grants over at Luminous Landscape. 

Press release:

The Luminous Endowment for Photographers Announces Its First Grant Winners

Opens Period for New Grant Submissions

NDIANAPOLIS, December 2, 2014 — Michael Reichmann and the Luminous Endowment for Photographers’ board of directors are pleased to announce the first winners of five different grants. These merit-based financial awards will help support the winners in realizing their photographic projects.

Grants have been awarded as follows:

The M. Reichmann Grant

Title: “Bright Moments”
Winner: Dennis Hearne – California, United States of America
Awarded $5,000  

The Luminous Landscape Grant

Title: The Southern Ancient Guardians
Winner: Vincenzo Mazza – Rome, Italy
Awarded $5,000  

The Mylio Grant: Memories and Stories

Title: Costică Acsinte Archive
Winner: Popescu Mario-Cezar – Ialomita, Romania
Awarded $2,500  

LensWork Publication Skills Grant

Title: Montes Niviferi
Winner: Jacek Łuc – Lower Silesia, Poland
Awarded $2,500

The Nicholas Kitto Grant For Emerging Photographers In Greater China

Title: Yunnan Orphans, documenting the dreams of a new generation.
Winner: Sean de Sparengo – new territory, Hong Kong
Awarded $5,000  

“For this first period, we received more than a hundred applications,” said Michael Reichmann, founder of The Luminous Endowment for Photographers. “Many very exciting different projects were seeking funding and it was not easy to choose. We are pleased to announce that submissions are now open for the next round of grants, and we look forward to receiving new applications!”

A sixth grant has also been established: The Emerging Young Photographer Grant, sponsored by a retired architect and urban planner. This grant of $5,000 will be awarded semi-annually; it is intended to encourage emerging photographers between the ages of 18 and 30 with an interest in documenting their community, environment and circumstances or factors affecting their lives.

To learn more about how to apply for a Luminous Endowment grant, please see: http://www.luminous-endowment.org/grants/

Contributions are appreciated
The Endowment depends upon the generous contributions from the community. Individuals and corporations who donate $35,000 or more may create “named” grants. To find out more about how to contribute, please go to: http://www.luminous-endowment.org/pages/donate