About

Magnum Photos is a cooperative agency, owned and operated by its Member photographers. The agency is self-selecting. Only around 100 photographers have ever become full Members since the founding in 1947.

To become a full Member of Magnum Photos, photographers partake in a minimum four-year process and must be voted to the next level three times. First as a Nominee, then as an Associate, and finally as a full Member. Applications are reviewed once a year during Magnum’s Annual General Meeting in June, when a dedicated day is reserved for considering and voting on potential new Nominee members’ portfolios.

Submission Process for Prospective Nominees

To initiate the process of becoming a Nominee, the first step in joining Magnum Photos, please submit a photography portfolio comprising a minimum of two separate projects, each containing up to 30 images per project. Following this, indicate your nearest Magnum office. While we welcome applications from around the globe, our Magnum offices are situated in New York, Paris, and London. Subsequently, provide us with insights about yourself and the projects you've selected for submission. Please note that Magnum only accepts digital applications in the first phase of submission.

If your portfolio shows promise in the initial review round, it will then be shown to all full Members of Magnum. They will evaluate your portfolio, discuss and critique your work and that of other applicants, and decide whether or not to extend an invitation to join by a simple majority vote. Should your application be selected, you will be contacted via telephone or email by one of the Members by the end of June.

What We’re Looking For

Magnum Photos seeks prospective Nominees with solid photographic skills and considerable storytelling ability. Accepted Nominees exhibit a clear and robust visual language, as well as an open-minded and versatile practice. While individuality and independence are, and always have been, defining traits of Magnum photographers, embracing community and collaboration is equally vital, especially in understanding the cooperative nature of Magnum. Familiarity with Magnum’s history and standards is essential, and an awareness of its position on digital manipulation and AI is appreciated.

Prospective nominees should believe they bring a unique perspective to the agency, whether through geography, narrative, or background. We want new points of view, not replicas. Passion for authentic visual storytelling and a commitment to capturing the world with integrity remain more crucial than ever. Nominees will be expected to uphold strong personal ethics while still challenging conventions and pushing boundaries.

Selection

If your application is successful, you will be contacted by one of Magnum’s photographers toward the end of June and invited to become a “Nominee” member of Magnum, a category of membership which presents an opportunity for Magnum and the individual to get to know each other, but there are no binding commitments on either side.

After two years of Nominee membership, photographers then present an updated portfolio to apply to become “Associate” members. If successful, those photographers become bound by all the rules of the agency and enjoy all the facilities of its offices and worldwide representation.

After another two years, an Associate member wishing to apply for full membership presents a further portfolio of work for consideration by the Members. Once elected as a full Member, this effectively confers membership of Magnum for life or for as long as the photographer chooses.

How to apply

1. Submit your work in minimum 2 separate projects with up to 30 images per project.
2. Choose your nearest Magnum office
3. Tell us a little about yourself, your motivation to join Magnum, and the projects you have submitted.
4. Make sure your images are jpg format with a minimum of 4000 pixels on the longest edge.

FAQs