FotoEvidence
FotoEvidence is a Brooklyn-based not-for-profit publisher of award-winning documentary photobooks on human rights and social justice, serving photojournalists through its Book Award and W Award programs and reaching readers, libraries, and advocacy institutions globally via book sales, free PDFs, and traveling exhibitions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersBrooklyn, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingDigital Commerce or Content
What FotoEvidence does
FotoEvidence is a Brooklyn-based not-for-profit publisher founded around 2010–2011 that specializes in documentary photography focused on human rights, social justice, and ecological issues. Its core 'product' is a curated catalog of photobooks produced through two flagship award programs: the FotoEvidence Book Award (annual since 2011, open to all photographers) and the FotoEvidence W Award (annual since 2019, restricted to female-identifying photographers). Award winners receive end-to-end publishing support — editing, design, printing, and global distribution — and the books serve as archival visual evidence of conflicts and humanitarian crises (Ukraine, Latin America, the Middle East, Africa, South Asia) while functioning as advocacy and educational tools.
The underlying 'platform' is editorial rather than technical: a website (fotoevidence.com) with a global online book store, free PDF distribution to nonprofits and educational institutions, traveling exhibitions at cultural and political venues (19 in Europe, Ukraine, and the US), presence at festivals such as Visa Pour L'Image and the Bologna Photo Books Fair, and paid consulting ('Open Doors for Book Proposals') and workshop offerings for working photojournalists. Print production is outsourced to a printing partner (Ofset Yapimevi). The organization operates with 1–10 employees and is led by publisher Svetlana Bachevanova.
Its revenue mix combines book sales (€35–€80 per copy, limited editions common), recurring membership subscriptions supporting the award programs, tiered individual donations (€25–€1,000), and foundation grants from partners including Open Society Foundations, International Renaissance Foundation, Grodzins Fund, and Water.org. In 2024, the organization launched the FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative — a dedicated program, in partnership with the Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP), to document the Russian invasion of Ukraine since 2014 and produce a multi-book chronicle. This initiative now accounts for the largest share of recent publication output and institutional engagement.
FotoEvidence firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- FotoEvidence
- Legal name
- FotoEvidence
- Website
- https://fotoevidence.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- FotoEvidence is a Brooklyn-based not-for-profit publisher of award-winning documentary photobooks on human rights and social justice, serving photojournalists through its Book Award and W Award programs and reaching readers, libraries, and advocacy institutions globally via book sales, free PDFs, and traveling exhibitions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
FotoEvidence industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Documentary Photography Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130), Book Publishers (51313)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing (MPAJAAAF)
Keywords
Where FotoEvidence is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Brooklyn
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
FotoEvidence business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Digital Commerce or Content
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Book Sales: Direct sales of photo books through the FotoEvidence book store, with books priced between €35-80 for physical copies
- Membership Program: Membership program supporting the FotoEvidence Book Award and W Award for photographers
- Donations: Accepts donations to support photographers producing visual stories for human rights
- Book Proposal Consultation: One-hour online Zoom sessions with publisher Svetlana Bachevanova for photographers pitching book proposals, costing €80
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Standard Book Pricing |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Book Proposal Consultation |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Donation Options |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels6 records
FotoEvidence product offering
Product offeringCore offering
FotoEvidence is a not-for-profit publisher that produces and sells documentary photography books focused on human rights, social justice, and ecological issues. Its portfolio includes titles such as Ukraine: A War Crime, Ukraine: Love+War, War Chronicles: Ukraine 2014-2025, Birth Wars, Pipe Dreams, and HABIBI. The publisher also operates two annual award programs (Book Award and W Award), offers one-on-one book proposal consulting (Open Doors), runs an educational workshop, and provides free PDF copies of all publications to nonprofits, educational institutions, and journalism schools.
Product overview
FotoEvidence is a not-for-profit publisher of documentary photography focused on human rights and social justice. The organization operates primarily through two award programs: the FotoEvidence Book Award (open to all photographers) and the FotoEvidence W Award (for female-identifying photographers). Winners receive publication of their work as photo books. The core product is a portfolio of documentary photo books covering topics including armed conflicts, human rights abuses, environmental issues, and social inequality. The organization also offers consulting services through 'Open Doors' for photographers seeking publication guidance, and educational workshops. All publications are made available in PDF format free of charge, and books are distributed to libraries, schools, and cultural institutions, particularly through the FotoEvidence Ukraine initiative.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- FotoEvidence Book Award: Annual award for photographers whose work demonstrates courage and commitment in the pursuit of human rights
- FotoEvidence W Award
- FotoEvidence Workshop
- FotoEvidence Ukraine
Products and services
- FotoEvidence Book Award Annual award program that selects photojournalists whose work demonstrates courage and commitment in pursuit of human rights. Winners receive publication of their project as a photo book by FotoEvidence.
- FotoEvidence W Award Annual award specifically for female-identifying photographers, supporting and publishing their documentary photography work on human rights and social justice topics.
Quantifiable outcome
- Books available in PDF format free of charge for nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, and journalism schools
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use FotoEvidence
Customer profileNamed customers2 records
Segments2 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
FotoEvidence technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature2 records
FotoEvidence partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Ukrainian Association of Professional Photographers (UAPP)coreFotoEvidence Ukraine initiative partnership with UAPP to support Ukrainian photographers and preserve Ukrainian culture through photobooks documenting the Russian invasion since 2014
- World Press PhotomajorPartnership for the 2020 FotoEvidence Book Award, with HABIBI by Antonio Faccilongo selected for publication in collaboration with World Press Photo
- VII AcademyminorSupporting production of The Eyes of Earth by Solmaz Daryani
- Bronx Documentary CenterminorCollaboration on documentary photography exhibitions and events
- ContextArtminorPartner organization in the photography documentary community
- Ofset YapimeviminorPrinting partner for FotoEvidence books
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights5 records
FotoEvidence competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Edition Lammerhuber: Austrian publisher of photography books with strong documentary and human-rights subject matter focus, including award-winning reportage photography — closely aligned with FotoEvidence's editorial emphasis.
- TBW Books: Independent publisher of photography books and series based in Oakland, known for limited-edition documentary and art photo publications. Closely comparable in scale, specialty publishing model, and visual focus.
- Radius Books: Nonprofit publisher of photography and visual culture based in Santa Fe, focused on producing high-quality limited-run photo books with a similar donor/subsidy-supported funding model to FotoEvidence.
- Aperture Foundation: Nonprofit photography publisher of books, magazines, and limited editions founded in 1952. Most direct US-based comparable, with an established name in documentary and fine-art photo publishing, a curatorial awards/exhibition program, and similar institutional mission-driven positioning.
- Schilt Publishing: Amsterdam-based independent publisher of photography books with a strong documentary and documentary-fine-art catalog, overlapping directly with FotoEvidence on subject matter and book format.
- MACK Books: UK-based independent publisher specializing in photography and visual culture books, including documentary photo essays. Closely aligned with FotoEvidence on product type (high-quality photobooks) and target customer (photo collectors, libraries, and documentary photography enthusiasts).
- GOST Books: London-based independent publisher of photography, art, and documentary photobooks with a comparable focus on documentary work and a similar book-award-adjacent curatorial reputation.
- Dewi Lewis Publishing: UK-based independent publisher specializing in photography books, including documentary photo essays, with a strong European festival presence (similar to FotoEvidence's appearance at Visa Pour L'Image and Bologna).
Broad incumbents
- World Press Photo Foundation: Larger established foundation that runs the most recognized photojournalism awards globally and publishes related content. FotoEvidence already partners with World Press Photo (2020 Book Award), and the organization overlaps on curatorial credibility and contest-driven content sourcing.
- Magnum Foundation: Nonprofit arm of Magnum Photos that supports and funds independent documentary photography projects through grants and exhibitions — overlapping with FotoEvidence on documentary photography funding, exhibition programming, and human-rights storytelling, though with a much larger parent brand.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
FotoEvidence social profiles
Digital presenceFotoEvidence financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
FotoEvidence leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles16 records
FotoEvidence subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
FotoEvidence funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
FotoEvidence M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about FotoEvidence
What does FotoEvidence do?
FotoEvidence is a not-for-profit publisher that produces and sells documentary photography books focused on human rights, social justice, and ecological issues. Its portfolio includes titles such as Ukraine: A War Crime, Ukraine: Love+War, War Chronicles: Ukraine 2014-2025, Birth Wars, Pipe Dreams, and HABIBI. The publisher also operates two annual award programs (Book Award and W Award), offers one-on-one book proposal consulting (Open Doors), runs an educational workshop, and provides free PDF copies of all publications to nonprofits, educational institutions, and journalism schools.
Is FotoEvidence a public or private company?
FotoEvidence is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was FotoEvidence founded?
FotoEvidence was founded in 2011. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is FotoEvidence based?
FotoEvidence is headquartered in Brooklyn, United States, in the North America region.
How does FotoEvidence make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are membership Program, donations and book Proposal Consultation.
Who are FotoEvidence's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Edition Lammerhuber, TBW Books, Radius Books, Aperture Foundation, Schilt Publishing, MACK Books, GOST Books and Dewi Lewis Publishing. Broad incumbents are World Press Photo Foundation and Magnum Foundation.
Does FotoEvidence have an API?
No public API is recorded for FotoEvidence.
What industry is FotoEvidence in?
FotoEvidence's product category is Documentary Photography Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAJAAAF, Art, Photography & Illustrated Books Publishing. Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.