Hey Aspiring Photog, Your Big Break Just Got Here

How many times have you had some version of the following conversation:

You: Oh, so you're a photographer?

Them: Yeah. I'm pretty into photography.

You: Cool! What do you shoot with?

Them: Oh. My iPhone.

I hate to break it to you, but having an iPhone and access to Instagram does not a photographer make. A real photographer actually, you know, knows about photography. Bottega Veneta is giving the chance of a lifetime to the real deal with their "New Exposure" photography competition. It's a chance for aspiring fashion photographers to break into the industry — without slaving away as an intern or assistant.

"New Exposure" is open to all photographers and students without an official agent, and boasts some seriously impressive prizes. The winner will receive a year-long mentorship with Ivan Shaw, Vogue‘s Director of Photography and with big-time photographic agency Art + Commerce; $10,000; a gallery exhibition in New York during fashion week; and — maybe the coolest thing of all — the opportunity to shoot a Bottega Veneta campaign. Basically, it's like winning the Golden Ticket, but instead of going to The Wonka Factory, you get a major boost to your career. Oh, and you won't turn into a blueberry.