Corinna Kern is an independent photojournalist and documentary photographer based in Israel.
Over the past ten years, she has been documenting the complex realities of society through in-depth photo reportages and news coverage. Inclined towards the counter-cultural and non-mainstream, her personal projects give intimate insights into people’s lives on the margins of society, while proposing a challenge to preconceived notions.
After a career as a video editor at Germany’s public broadcaster WDR, Corinna realised her dream of becoming a full-time photojournalist in 2013 and completed a Master's in Photojournalism at the University of Westminster in London. Upon completion of her studies with distinction, she was selected for the Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent Award and mentorship. During this time she based herself in South Africa to work on personal long-term projects. In 2016, she relocated to Israel where she works for a variety of international publications and news agencies, including Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Der Spiegel, Stern, Die Zeit, Die Welt, GEO, DPA, Focus, Bilanz, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Guardian, Le Monde, and many others.
Her work has been exhibited at photo festivals worldwide and gained international recognition through prestigious photo contests, such as Pictures Of The Year International, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Sony World Photography Awards, and International Photography Awards.
Corinna is represented by laif agency and is part of Women Photograph.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2022
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice category 'News'
2021
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice category 'News'
2018
Prix ANI
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), 1st Place category 'Urbanism and Culture'
PHOTO IS:RAEL Open Call, Selected for Exhibition
2017
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice
Inclusion in photo book 'Firecrackers - Female Photographers Now', published by Thames & Hudson
2016
International Photography Awards, 1st Place category 'Lifestyle'
Eddie Adams Workshop, Participant
Joop Swart Masterclass, Nominee
Sony World Photography Awards, 'Portraiture', Shortlisted
Lumix Festival for Young Photojournalism, Selected for Exhibition
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards, 'Stillness & Distance'
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards, 'Open Category'
Head On Portrait Award
2015
Photolucida Critical Mass Top50
International Photography Awards, 'People, Lifestyle', 3rd Place
International Photography Awards, 2x Honorable Mention
Lensculture Portrait Awards
NPPA Best of Photojournalism, 'Contemporary Issues Story', 3rd Place
Pictures of the Year International, 'Feature Picture Story', 3rd Place
The Documentary Collection Exposure Award
Alexia Foundation Professional Grant, Finalist
30 under 30 Contest by The Photography Show & Magnum Photos, Shortlisted
PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, White Competition, Honorable Mention
International Photography Awards: 'One Shot / Home', Honorable Mention
One-Eyed Jacks Open Call, 2nd Place
2014
Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent Award, Winner
Photolucida Critical Mass Top50, Finalist
Lensculture Emerging Talent Awards Top50,
ND Awards, category 'Environmental', 2nd Place
ND Awards, category 'Photojournalism/Story', Honorable Mention
Moscow International Foto Awards, category 'Personality', 2nd Place
Moscow International Foto Awards, 3x Honorable Mention
Go Indie Photo Contest, category 'Lifestyle', Winner
Perugia Social Photo Fest, Honorable Mention
PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Honorable Mention
PDNedu Student Photography Contest, Honorable Mention
Magnum Showcase 'Youth Culture', Winner
2013
Getty Images Reportage, Selected for Mentorship
The Guardian Student Media Awards, Shortlisted
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Eyes On Mainstreet, Wilson, NC, USA
2022
Eyes On Mainstreet, Wilson, NC, USA
JeonJu International Photo Festival, Jeonju, South Korea
Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
2021
Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
2019
Visas de l'ANI: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2018
Local Testimony, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival, Israel: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2017
Local Testimony, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
Backlight Photo Festival, Finland: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Obscura Photo Festival, Malaysia: Screening of 'Mama Africa'
University of Wisconsin Exhibition 'Unspoken': Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2016
IPA Best of Show, New York: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Lumix Photo Festival, Hannover: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, London: Screening of 'Female Maskers'
Lodz Fotofestiwal, Poland: Exhibition 'Critical Mass' / Photo Contest Finalists
Head On Photo Festival, Australia: Exhibition of portrait 'Female Masker'
2015
Angkor Photo Festival, Cambodia: Screening of 'George's World'
Circulations Festival, France: Screening of 'George's World'
Photon Festival, Lithuania: Screening of 'George's Bath'
Boutographies Rencontres Photographique, France: Screening of 'George's Bath'
One Eyed Jacks Open Call, Brighton, UK: Exhibition of 'Mama Africa'
2014
Lensculture Emerging Talent, Barcelona: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
Seoul Lunar Photo Fest, Korea: Screening of 'George's World'
New York PhotoWorld Festival, USA: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
Backlight Photo Festival, Finland: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
Krakow Photo Fringe Festival, Poland: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
British Shorts Film Festival, Berlin: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
SELECTED INTERVIEWS
Issue Magazine: 'Interview between Corinna Kern and Female Masker Christian', 2017
PF Magazine: 'Corinna Kern kruipt onder de huid van subculturen', 2017
PBS Newshour: 'Inside the world of South Africa's spiritual healers', 2015
Verve Photo: 'Interview about photo from the series Mama Africa', 2015
Feature Shoot: 'Photojournalist Corinna Kern on her most important photo project', 2015
VICE: 'Mama Africa - Corinna Kern photographs the lives of Transgender South Africans'
2015
Ayiba Magazine: 'Mama Africa - Documenting Transgender South Africans', 2015
Getty Images: 'Living on the Fringes of Society', 2014
Lensculture: 'George's Bath', 2014
Huck Magazine: 'My Sweet Shot', 2014
Over the past ten years, she has been documenting the complex realities of society through in-depth photo reportages and news coverage. Inclined towards the counter-cultural and non-mainstream, her personal projects give intimate insights into people’s lives on the margins of society, while proposing a challenge to preconceived notions.
After a career as a video editor at Germany’s public broadcaster WDR, Corinna realised her dream of becoming a full-time photojournalist in 2013 and completed a Master's in Photojournalism at the University of Westminster in London. Upon completion of her studies with distinction, she was selected for the Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent Award and mentorship. During this time she based herself in South Africa to work on personal long-term projects. In 2016, she relocated to Israel where she works for a variety of international publications and news agencies, including Reuters, The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Bloomberg, Der Spiegel, Stern, Die Zeit, Die Welt, GEO, DPA, Focus, Bilanz, Neue Zürcher Zeitung, The Guardian, Le Monde, and many others.
Her work has been exhibited at photo festivals worldwide and gained international recognition through prestigious photo contests, such as Pictures Of The Year International, NPPA Best of Photojournalism, Sony World Photography Awards, and International Photography Awards.
Corinna is represented by laif agency and is part of Women Photograph.
AWARDS & RECOGNITIONS
2022
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice category 'News'
2021
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice category 'News'
2018
Prix ANI
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), 1st Place category 'Urbanism and Culture'
PHOTO IS:RAEL Open Call, Selected for Exhibition
2017
Local Testimony (Israeli News Photography Contest), Curator's Choice
Inclusion in photo book 'Firecrackers - Female Photographers Now', published by Thames & Hudson
2016
International Photography Awards, 1st Place category 'Lifestyle'
Eddie Adams Workshop, Participant
Joop Swart Masterclass, Nominee
Sony World Photography Awards, 'Portraiture', Shortlisted
Lumix Festival for Young Photojournalism, Selected for Exhibition
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards, 'Stillness & Distance'
Kuala Lumpur International Photoawards, 'Open Category'
Head On Portrait Award
2015
Photolucida Critical Mass Top50
International Photography Awards, 'People, Lifestyle', 3rd Place
International Photography Awards, 2x Honorable Mention
Lensculture Portrait Awards
NPPA Best of Photojournalism, 'Contemporary Issues Story', 3rd Place
Pictures of the Year International, 'Feature Picture Story', 3rd Place
The Documentary Collection Exposure Award
Alexia Foundation Professional Grant, Finalist
30 under 30 Contest by The Photography Show & Magnum Photos, Shortlisted
PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, White Competition, Honorable Mention
International Photography Awards: 'One Shot / Home', Honorable Mention
One-Eyed Jacks Open Call, 2nd Place
2014
Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent Award, Winner
Photolucida Critical Mass Top50, Finalist
Lensculture Emerging Talent Awards Top50,
ND Awards, category 'Environmental', 2nd Place
ND Awards, category 'Photojournalism/Story', Honorable Mention
Moscow International Foto Awards, category 'Personality', 2nd Place
Moscow International Foto Awards, 3x Honorable Mention
Go Indie Photo Contest, category 'Lifestyle', Winner
Perugia Social Photo Fest, Honorable Mention
PX3 Prix de la Photographie Paris, Honorable Mention
PDNedu Student Photography Contest, Honorable Mention
Magnum Showcase 'Youth Culture', Winner
2013
Getty Images Reportage, Selected for Mentorship
The Guardian Student Media Awards, Shortlisted
GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2023
Eyes On Mainstreet, Wilson, NC, USA
2022
Eyes On Mainstreet, Wilson, NC, USA
JeonJu International Photo Festival, Jeonju, South Korea
Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
2021
Local Testimony, Tel Aviv, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
2019
Visas de l'ANI: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2018
Local Testimony, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
PHOTO IS:RAEL International Photography Festival, Israel: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2017
Local Testimony, Israel: Exhibition of Israeli News Photography
Backlight Photo Festival, Finland: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Obscura Photo Festival, Malaysia: Screening of 'Mama Africa'
University of Wisconsin Exhibition 'Unspoken': Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
2016
IPA Best of Show, New York: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Lumix Photo Festival, Hannover: Exhibition of 'Female Maskers'
Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition, London: Screening of 'Female Maskers'
Lodz Fotofestiwal, Poland: Exhibition 'Critical Mass' / Photo Contest Finalists
Head On Photo Festival, Australia: Exhibition of portrait 'Female Masker'
2015
Angkor Photo Festival, Cambodia: Screening of 'George's World'
Circulations Festival, France: Screening of 'George's World'
Photon Festival, Lithuania: Screening of 'George's Bath'
Boutographies Rencontres Photographique, France: Screening of 'George's Bath'
One Eyed Jacks Open Call, Brighton, UK: Exhibition of 'Mama Africa'
2014
Lensculture Emerging Talent, Barcelona: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
Seoul Lunar Photo Fest, Korea: Screening of 'George's World'
New York PhotoWorld Festival, USA: Exhibition of 'George's Bath'
Backlight Photo Festival, Finland: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
Krakow Photo Fringe Festival, Poland: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
British Shorts Film Festival, Berlin: Exhibition of 'A Place Called Home'
SELECTED INTERVIEWS
Issue Magazine: 'Interview between Corinna Kern and Female Masker Christian', 2017
PF Magazine: 'Corinna Kern kruipt onder de huid van subculturen', 2017
PBS Newshour: 'Inside the world of South Africa's spiritual healers', 2015
Verve Photo: 'Interview about photo from the series Mama Africa', 2015
Feature Shoot: 'Photojournalist Corinna Kern on her most important photo project', 2015
VICE: 'Mama Africa - Corinna Kern photographs the lives of Transgender South Africans'
2015
Ayiba Magazine: 'Mama Africa - Documenting Transgender South Africans', 2015
Getty Images: 'Living on the Fringes of Society', 2014
Lensculture: 'George's Bath', 2014
Huck Magazine: 'My Sweet Shot', 2014