Tekuma is very proud to announce their partnership with 1X.
Based in Sweden, 1X is the world’s most exclusive online photo gallery and represents some of the boldest, newest talent in the global photography community.
Photography by Gilbert Claes.
Tell us about 1X’s beginnings. What sparked the idea?
1x was created by two Swedish college students who wanted to create a community and gallery that only featured photo art of the highest quality. Each day, more photos are uploaded on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram than you can view in a lifetime. This means that a lot of beautiful photos are overlooked. The idea behind 1x is to give quality photography the exposure it deserves. Only a small number of photos are published each day. Every photo in the gallery has been hand picked by professional gallery curators, just like in a real photo gallery.
You mentioned going into ‘startup’ mode. What changes can we expect from your platform? Any exciting projects coming up?
We have plenty of exciting things coming up in the near future. We just launched our new photo contest, 1x Photo Awards, with a grand prize of $20,000. Anyone can enter their photo and have a chance to win. We are also putting the finishing touches on our new photo book, “Visions.” It features some of the finest works from the gallery and is printed in a super exclusive edition of 500 copies. We are always looking for new ways to make our platform more exciting for our members.
Photography by Greetje van Son.
You only accept 5% of all submissions. With millions of submissions, publishing a photograph on 1X is quite an achievement. What is the curation process? What do you look for?
To be featured in the gallery, the photo has to go a long journey. First, the photo is curated by our own members. They have the chance to vote on whether they think the photo should be published or not. The photos that pass member curation are forwarded to our official curators, who make their decision both on technical and creative qualities. The photo should also bring something new to the gallery. If the photo is selected for publishing, it will appear in the gallery within two weeks and the photographer is informed of the happy news.
Have the entries evolved in any way over the years? Have you had to adapt your curatorial process? What is your stance on digitally manipulated photos?
The general quality has greatly improved over time. It is obvious that smartphone cameras have made photography much more accessible. Many start photographing with their smart phones and then move on to more advanced photography. Since modern photography is very diversified, we have broadened our curatorial team. We have curators that specialize in all different categories, including digitally manipulated photos. We call the genre Creative Edit and it’s highly appreciated.
Who are your curators? What is the process to get involved? Do you have any tips or advice for aspiring photographers?
Our curators are experts in their specific field of photography. Many curators are renowned photographers in their own right, while others have backgrounds as Art Directors or experience from galleries, such as Tate Modern Art. Our curators are selected based on their knowledge and experience in a certain genre. We also encourage education and have several curators with master degrees in art, which we think is a good foundation for being a curator. As an aspiring photographer, it’s usually a good idea to try different things in order to find out what you are good at. Perhaps you like climbing mountains – then landscape or nature photography could be the thing for you. Perhaps you are more of a people person – then portrait photography might be better. Or, if you are good at computers, Creative Edit is a great genre for you. Everyone has an inner photographer, just waiting to be found.
Photography by Ambra.
To see more of 1X’s work, visit their website or shop one of their photographer’s collection below.
Jure Kravanja, featured here, focuses on therapeutic abstract, architectural, and landscape photography. He studied Sociology and Pedagogics, and his primary interest lies in photography as a means of diagnostic and therapeutic treatment. Currently, he performs research at the Clinical Psychiatric Center in Slovenia. His photography has been included in publications such as Black & White Magazine and Foto Video, exhibited in New York, and has received international photography awards.