"The growth of our grant program is a testament to Getty Images' ongoing commitment to making tangible, positive contributions in the world through the power of imagery," said Andrew Saunders, vice president of imagery at Getty Images.  "These grants enable more photographers to produce extraordinary imagery for important causes, supporting non-profits, NGO's, professional associations and charities."

Getty Images is bringing together a distinguished panel of industry experts to judge the grant applications.  The panel currently consists of Curator Christopher Phillips, International Center of Photography; Creative Director Dennis Friedman, W Magazine; and, Publisher and Editor Lesley Martin, Aperture Foundation.

The two grant recipients will be announced at the 2009 Cannes Advertising Festival in June.  In addition to the cash prize, the winning photographers will have the option to collaborate with Getty Images' team of art directors, photo editors and producers during the execution of their project.  The photographers' resulting work will be showcased on gettyimages.com and will be used by the non profit to develop more powerful visual communications.

"Photographers are encouraged to approach their grant project with a high level of creativity and collaboration with the non-profit and their creative agency," said Saunders. "It also provides photographers with tremendous flexibility in their donation to the non-profit.  Photographers can choose to have either all or a portion of the funding directed to the designated charity if they wish to contribute their own time or resources to the project."

Grants for Good applications are due April 15, 2009.  To apply, photographers are asked to submit a short written proposal outlining the shoot plan, a supporting portfolio of work, their CV/resume, a profile of the non-profit with whom they will partner, and a statement of the organization's support for the application.  All materials are to be submitted digitally through the new Getty Images Grants website, www.gettyimages.com/grants.

Getty Images Grants Program was first established in 2004 with Grants for Editorial Photography, awarding five a year of $20,000 each to fund visionary new work by established and rising photojournalists.  Since its inception, 20 photojournalists have been empowered to bring compelling news stories to light, while improving their craft with personally motivated assignments.  In 2009, Getty Images is pleased to expand its program with Grants for Good, which enables photographers to produce powerful new imagery for the greater good.

For more information on Getty Images Grants for Good and Grants for Editorial Photography, including complete submission guidelines, please visit www.gettyimages.com/grants

About Getty Images
Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of still imagery, footage and multi-media products, as well as a recognized provider of other forms of premium digital content, including music.  Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover, purchase and manage images and other digital content.  Its award-winning photographers and imagery help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world's most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and websites.  Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.

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Media Contacts:
Alison Crombie
Senior Director, Public Relations EMEA & Asia Pac
Getty Images
+44 (0) 207 424 8081
Alison.crombie@gettyimages.com

Molly McWhinnie
Manager, Public Relations US
Getty Images
+206 925 6054
molly.mcwhinnie@gettyimages.com

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"The split second that I had this idea and presented it to my agent at Getty Images, I was extremely excited by the prospect of our partnership.  I was overwhelmed by how quickly Getty Images embraced this idea," said Robert Kent, photography and founder of CEF, headquartered in Vancouver BC.   "Getty Images went above and beyond, offering additional donations, art direction on shoots and administrative assistance.  None of this would have been possible without their support and compassion."

Through these funds, CEF supports many projects focusing on children and women’s issues, including health, education and sustainability in developing nations.  To date, the funds have helped to build an elementary school and establish scholarship funds in Guatemala; support educational projects at Fezeka School in Cape Town, South Africa; and, a number of income and livelihood enterprises in Ethiopia.  CEF also collaborates with other non-profit organizations with a shared desire to help the global community, including Alianza, Education without Borders, As Green as it Gets, Free The Children and Canadian Hunger Foundation.

CEF's philanthropic efforts are made possible by a group of photographers and creative professionals committed to making a positive difference in the world.  Each June, photographers participate in the foundation's annual Summer Solstice Shoot, held in various locations around the world, and collaborate with Getty Images' art directors to create compelling imagery.  Royalties generated from the licensing of the imagery enable the Compassionate Eye Foundation to aid in the improvement of education, health and sustainability in developing nations.

"The whole proposition immediately resonated with us at OJO Images as an exciting, logical and achievable path to create funds," said Chris Ryan, photographer and chairman of London-based OJO Images.  "By combining several of our photo teams with the talents of Getty Images' art directors, these shoots have become an utterly enjoyable, creative, rewarding and uplifting experience for all participants.  Furthermore, it enables us to create and donate hundreds of strong conceptual images towards the CEF collection."

Since its inception in 2005, Compassionate Eye has partnered with Getty Images and contributing photographers to create imagery that becomes an on-going source of funding for the foundation's philanthropic efforts.  By collaborating with more than 100 photographers, CEF's collection features more than 1,000 inspiring and conceptually strong creative images, which have earned various industry awards and accolades including Photo District News Photo Annual and Creative Review Photography Annual.

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About Compassionate Eye Foundation
Compassionate Eye Foundation is an innovative non-profit organization founded on the principle that creative people as a community can, and want to make a positive difference in the world.  It is CEF's belief that education is the cornerstone to change.  It is through promoting education, that CEF assists developing communities around the world, become more sustainable and healthy.  Each year on or around June 21st, the Summer Solstice, photographers and their crews around the world voluntarily produce a one day stock photo shoot.  The royalty revenue generated through image licensing at Getty Images is donated to CEF.

To obtain more information about Compassionate Eye Foundation and their charitable efforts, or to get involved, please visit http://www.compassionateeye.org.

About Getty Images
Getty Images is the world's leading creator and distributor of still imagery, footage and multi-media products, as well as a recognized provider of other forms of premium digital content, including music.  Getty Images serves business customers in more than 100 countries and is the first place creative and media professionals turn to discover purchase and manage images and other digital content.  Its award-winning photographers and imagery help customers produce inspiring work which appears every day in the world's most influential newspapers, magazines, advertising campaigns, films, television programs, books and websites.  Visit Getty Images at www.gettyimages.com to learn more about how the company is advancing the unique role of digital media in communications and business, and enabling creative ideas to come to life.

To view or licensing imagery from the Compassionate Eye Foundation collection on Getty Images, or learn more about their collaborative efforts, please visit http://www.gettyimages.com/cef.

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