VSCO reveals final 25 photographers for its nationwide billboard campaign

VSCO has finalized its nationwide “The Fifty” campaign, tapping 25 additional photographers to showcase their work on large-format public billboards across their home states. This concludes a project that began in August with the goal of representing every U.S. state through a single artist.

The initiative drew more than 13,500 submissions, marking the largest open call in the company’s history. Following the initial announcement of 25 participants in September, the final group of artists has now been confirmed. The work of the first 25 photographers has been appearing on billboards throughout the country since October, including on the NYSE digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square.

Bridging the Gap to Professional Careers

The campaign is designed to convert high-profile visibility into tangible career growth. VSCO CEO Eric Wittman noted that the project offers photographers direct exposure to prospective brands and clients. Beyond the billboard placement, participants receive compensation for licensing their work for use within their home markets. For 15 years, VSCO has championed photographers, giving them the tools and community to develop their craft and help them grow, Eric Wittman, CEO of VSCO, says. The Fifty takes that further by putting photographers and their work in front of potential clients and brands with the goal of turning visibility into real job opportunities that help them build the careers they desire.

The final roster includes a diverse range of disciplines and career stages. Pennsylvania’s Bob Miller documents the loss of generational knowledge on family farms, while Cielito Mercado explores the intersection of food and cultural identity. Elsewhere, Indiana-based Jingyin Che utilizes self-portraiture to investigate belonging, and Emma Bostwick captures the nuances of nostalgia through wedding photography.

VSCO Showcases Photography in Miami Streets

VSCO expanded the project’s footprint on November 6 by launching a series of public activations in Miami. The company deployed wheatpaste posters across 20 city locations, a four-week installation intended to complement the existing Florida billboard. These efforts, alongside community events, aim to champion the people behind the images.

A community event follows on November 7 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The discussion is slated to address the professionalization of photography, coinciding with the lead-up to Art Basel Miami Beach.

Impact on Artist Portfolios

For the selected artists, the scale of the campaign has provided a significant platform. California photographer Lin Bvtcher, who documented women and their cars, cited the placement of her work in Times Square as a career milestone. A billboard in California, my home state, and now a billboard in Times Square is truly an experience I will never forget and one I am immensely proud of, Bvtcher adds. I never imagined that my little project featuring women and their cars would take me here but alas, it has. I am still in shock, quite frankly. New Jersey’s Ed Kashi, whose project focuses on agricultural workers and climate change, described the selection as an honor that allows him to share his work on a national stage. It is an honor to be a part of this awesome project that celebrates photography, and that I can represent the great state of New Jersey, and share my personal work with the world, Kashi says.

VSCO Chooses Photographers from Global Submissions

The 50 photographers were culled from the 13,500 submissions with a focus on diverse backgrounds and visual disciplines. The full list of participants is now available on the official VSCO website.