Photographers should think twice about entering LensCulture

This Dutch-based organisation, lensculture.com, run by an American guy in Amsterdam, try to claim to some heavyweight affiliations — I was suckered in by their mention of Magnum, FOAM, and The Guardian — which they have little if anything to do with — and dealing with them was not good.

After they pocket your initial fee, their so-called “expert” practitioner “1:1 Reviews” feedback seemed like it had been cut and pasted; it directly contradicted information I’d provided in the bio, showing they didn’t read anything I’d written. I’m not alone in that, it seems, from what I’ve read elsewhere on the web.

Even worse, even though I didn’t make the “jurors'” cut, they then uploaded all of my images at high resolution without any sort of copyright protection, easily downloadable from their website or on google image search, despite multiple deletion attempts by me.

I had to send them several legal cease & desist notices to remove the material or face consequences. A few weeks later it’s gone, though I’m sure my high-res originals have been snaffled by various bots in the interim. A waste of time, energy and money, alas.

Thanks to this site for alerting me to other such scams and tricks.

3 comments
  • Anonymous

    It is my impression (after being a gullible member and spent far too much money on Lensculture’s worldwide competitions, for exposing my work to stellar international juries).THAT they are primarily interested in the coarsest screaming new new new items of the year which disgust me. Of course they also have come up with the NEW HUMANISM which by their interpretation is SENSATIONAL and the reverse of anything humanist. Just my opinion in reverence to Robert Frank’s VERY SUBTLE work. I first took my film to be developed by the man who developed Robert Franks film before he was famous. He took me upstairs to look at some work that reminded him of someone else. It was Robert Frank. I had never heard of him. Now I am miraculously old and healthy. BTW, sometimes Lensculture comes up with a winner whose work I admire.

  • Anonymous

    I have never submitted work – so the high res and no copyright submissions are of concern – but no experience here. Though quite surprised – This is a fine photo magazine to which I have subscribed for years and keep the past issues in my library. The journal was recommended by MFA graduates in Photography at MassArt as one of THE magazines in photography to follow.

  • Anonymous

    My experience is quite different. I’ve won a juror’s pick award. I’ve had them show my work on their IG and FB pages from other competitions I’ve entered. I’ve been an article on their website. I know at least 8 people who have won or placed in their awards.

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