Currently, we do not accept applications to ISSP. The ISSP 2010 Applications will be announced around end of March 2010 - please come back to check our website!

You can become a student of ISSP if you fulfill the following general requirements:

• You have had an active interest in photography as a medium of self-expression or are already working in the field;
• You have a strong motivation to advance your personal vision and understanding of photography;
• You have, currently or in the past, engaged yourself in studying photography in a professional and/or arts school, a photo-club, or by means of self-study;
• You are proficient enough with the use of your camera - the basic technical elements of photography will not be a part of the teaching process directly;
• You are at least 18 years old;
• You are able to understand and express yourself freely in English, the official language of the ISSP;
• You agree to adhere to the rules of ISSP, and to pay the participation fee.

Participation in previous ISSP is not considered neither advantage or disadvantage. It is your experience and motivation that matter.

Foreign participants are encouraged to apply! We expect that around half of participants will come from Latvia, and half from abroad.

Technical requirements:

• If choosing to work in black & white technique, you must have a technical knowledge of the black and white process: how to develop your film and make prints from your negatives;
• If choosing to work in digital technique, you should have some background knowledge of processing and printing the digital images (and scanning, if you choose to work with colour negative film). Your camera must have sufficient resolution to produce high quality A4 size prints.

How to apply?

Fill in the application form, and include a ‘portfolio’ of 3-5 photographs taken within last year. Return the filled Application to organizers by the deadline, by email office@issp.lv. As simple as that! :)

Selection of participants and timeline

The ISSP has a limited number of spaces - we can accommodate 50 participants only (10 per workshop). The brightest and most motivated participants are selected by evaluation committee based on their applications. All fully completed applications meeting the criteria and having been submitted before the deadline will be considered. The main selection items for potential students are their background and motivation statement, and the portfolio works.
The results of the selection process are communicated by the end of May. The students will have to confirm their participation by payment of advance fee within a couple of weeks.

NB! Earlier application increases your chances to participate in the 1st workshop of your choice!

Fees and Expenses

We are currently fundraising for ISSP 2010, - the participation fee will be known by the end of March. ISSP is a non-profit entity and we try to keep the fees at the minimum to allow for participation of students based on their talent and motivation, vis-a-vis their financial well-being. The participation fee for ISSP 2009 was 170,00 LVL- including accommodation, full board (three meals a day) for the entire duration of the School, and local transportation during the workshop. Students are responsible for the cost of travel to and from Ludza, film development and printing costs, as well as other personal expenses.

If you have further questions concerning the applications, write to us at office@issp.lv!