Gear Grants For Black Photographers & Filmmakers

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The application period for these grants has ended. Winners will be announced via email and Instagram during the week of September 7th. Thanks for your interest!

Peak Design, Sony, BorrowLenses, Arc'teryx and OneWheel are teaming up to award gear grants to 6 Black photographers or filmmakers. Each grant will include over $3500 in gear:

  • Sony Alpha a7III Mirrorless Camera with 28-70mm Lens
  • Peak Design Carbon Fiber Travel Tripod
  • 2 Peak Design Everyday Bags of choice
  • Peak Design Tech Pouch
  • Peak Design Slide Lite, Leash, and Cuff straps
  • Peak Design Capture Clip
  • BorrowLenses $250 gift card
  • 2-year subscription to SmugMug Pro
  • 2-year subscription to Flickr Pro

Eligibility

To be considered for a grant, complete the application above. These grants are open to Black photographers and filmmakers based in the US, and are intended for those who don’t have the resources necessary to acquire their own professional-level gear. We encourage creatives of all levels of experience to apply. Winners will be chosen based on a combination of talent, interest, motivation, and need.


Timing

The application period opens on August 18th and closes on September 1st. Grant recipients will be announced the week of September 7th. After winners are announced, all qualified applicants will receive emails with special 1-time-use discounts from Sony and Peak Design.



Gear Grants FAQs

Why are you giving out these grants?

For most, the road to becoming a full-time professional photographer is long and bumpy. One especially big pothole is professional-level gear. It’s pricey. And while nice gear is not the defining factor in going pro, it can certainly be a critical level-up.

Recently, Peak Design asked L Renee Blount to share her experiences being a Black photographer and climber. She did (have a read) and in doing so challenged brands in the outdoor and photography industry to grant more gear to aspiring Black photographers. In L’s words, “if you want to see more people of color in outdoor photography, lower the barrier.” Challenge accepted.

We called our friends up at Sony and BorrowLenses and put together 3 full professional kits—full-frame camera/lens, bags, tripod, straps/clips, and credit for future gear rental. Upon launching these grants, other brands took note. With the help of funds from Arc'teryx and OneWheel, we've been able to create 3 additional grants for a total of 6 complete gear packages. The goal of these grants is to help 6 aspiring Black photographers or videographers (of any experience level) level-up their gear.


What criteria will be used to determine grant winners?

Winners will be chosen based on a combination of talent, interest, motivation, and need. An applicant’s existing portfolio will be a consideration in awarding grants, but not the only one. We encourage you to apply even if you feel your portfolio is not as polished or robust as you’d like.


Why limit these grants to Black photographers?

Black people are certainly not the only population underrepresented in the photography, filmmaking, and outdoors industries. But the history, contexts, and systems that created inequity for Black people in these industries are specific, unique, and not shared by all underrepresented people. At Peak Design, we believe that to promote inclusivity is to not be colorblind, but rather understand and counteract the barriers faced by specific groups of people. These grants are exclusive to Black photographers and not all photographers for the same reason we say “Black lives matter” and not “all lives matter.”


Why US-only?

We have a global audience and try our best to make all promotions open to entrants worldwide. But in this case, some of the prize items cannot ship internationally.