If You Leave
- Text by Alex King
- Photography by Emmanuel Rosario
If You Leave seems to be always changing, metamorphosing into new shapes and forms, but throughout its many transformations it has always been an invaluable resource for striking contemporary photography.
Laurence Von Thomas started the blog in 2009 as his personal online visual diary, but since then it has developed into a Tumblr with nearly half a million followers, spawned exhibitions and four printed editions, but the next evolution looks to be the most exciting yet.
The If You Leave Showcase 2014 is a new photography competition open to all photographers worldwide. The best 200 images will be shortlisted and presented to a showcase jury that includes, Huck, It’s Nice That, Dazed & Confused and others. The images will be published in a new If You Leave magazine that will appear twice yearly and the winning 20 images will be presented in a special exhibition on the day of the first issue’s launch.
If You Leave have gone to Kickstarter to make sure that every photographer can submit images for free, without the usual competition fees. Submissions open this week and run until midnight on the 8th of July. Keeping with the theme and feel of the blog, photographers will be asked to send single images, rather than bodies of work, so that images speak for themselves, without any context.
Head over to Kickstarter to support the project or check out If You Leave for information on how to submit.
You might like
Behind the curtain at Alternative Miss World 1981
Olympia glamour — Running a subversive take on the traditional beauty pageant, the Andrew Logan organised event prioritised underground creativity and invention. Photographer David Corio went behind the scenes at its biggest edition.
Written by: Miss Rosen
New exhibition highlights British radical living over 200 years
Earthly Paradise — Taking place at the William Morris Gallery, it explores the homes and lives of artists, writers, musicians and more, as well as the conditions that allowed them to thrive.
Written by: Isaac Muk
What life on the Strait of Hormuz is really like
Southern Winds — Bandar Abbas based photographer Morteza Niknahad has been capturing the diverse communities and stories of his local region since he first picked up a camera. His new series highlights the human impact of war.
Written by: Isaac Muk
Nick Haymes’s intimate portrait of his family’s life
Chronograph — Over 25 years, the photographer documented his son’s lives as they grew into adults. The resulting photobook is an exploration of the passage of time, as well as the optimism of youth.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Kristina Rozhkova’s scatty, confronting portrait of captivity
Gut Feeling — The Russian artist’s 2024 arrest and subsequent detention opened her eye towards the omnipresent dynamics of power and control. Her new photobook is a stark exploration of being trapped.
Written by: Isaac Muk
UK’s first ever Latino film festival is coming to London
LoLaFF — Taking place between October 2-6, it will feature 55 filmmakers from Latin America, with an opening night at the Barbican.
Written by: Isaac Muk
