Critical Mass Turns 20!

We’re excited to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Critical Mass in 2025! Since its inception, this prestigious platform has revolutionized how photographers connect with the industry—offering artists the unique opportunity to have their work seen by a wide panel of esteemed fine art photography professionals, all at once.

Each year, Critical Mass brings photographers’ portfolios directly to the eyes of influential museum curators, gallerists, publishers, editors, educators, artists, and media producers. The competition has launched countless careers, awarding participants with scholarships, solo exhibitions, residencies, publication features, and more.

Our Top 50 finalists have included many renowned artists such as Matt Eich, Cig Harvey, Manjari Sharma, Rania Matar, Phillip Toledano, Hiroshi Watanabe, Alejandro Cartagena, Aline Smithson, Tariq Zaidi, Julie Blackmon, Jessica Todd Harper, and Louie Palu, among others.

Registration for Critical Mass 2025 opens June 2nd!
Don’t miss this chance to have your work seen by up to 200 top industry professionals in what is widely considered the most prestigious fine art photography competition in the world. It’s a landmark year—and we can’t wait to experience your work.

Images above from Critical Mass Top 50 finalist (from top right to bottom left): 2005 Hiroshi Watanabe, 2006 Jessica Todd Harper, 2007 Rania Matar, 2008 Cig Harvey, 2009 Alejandro Cartegena, 2010 Manjari Sharma, 2011 Jane Fulton Alt, 2012 K.K. DePaul, 2013 Amy Friend, 2014 Aline Smithson, 2015 Tariq Zaidi, 2016 Michael Joseph, 2017 Jennifer McClure, 2018 Shinya Masuda, 2019 Rory Doyle, 2020 Rebecca Moseman, 2021 Tria Giovan, 2022 Jason Gardner, 2023 Rashod Taylor, 2024 Heather Evans Smith.