Development Grants
DPPF Development Grants support sports photographers whose portfolios demonstrate talent and technical skills while their biographies and essays reflect significant cultural, political and/or geographic challenges that have impacted their ability to advance their careers.
Our judging panel chooses recipients of the Development Grants from the applicants who remain after the primary grants have been awarded.
You may apply to be considered for a Development Grant by answering an optional essay question on the grant application.
International candidates should be aware that the DPPF is not able to provide support that is prohibited under U.S. law.
2026 Development Grantees
Luís Amaral
Luís is a Brazilian sports photographer who works with Clube Atlético Mineiro, documenting the game from inside one of Brazil's most passionate football environments.
Asher Greene
Asher is a U.S. photographer working with the United Football League and Gotham FC. He previously interned with the New York Yankees and New York Giants.
Yuran Yuan
Yuran is a Chinese photographer who previously worked as an international press member for the Atlanta Hawks and as a creative video intern with the Florida State Seminoles.
Julius Joshua Nyerere
Julius is a Ugandan photographer who is documenting the Toyota Buffaloes Rugby Club. He recently had the opportunity to cover the Rugby Africa Cup Games in 2025.
2025 Development Grantees
Ray Bahner
Ray graduated from the University of Oklahoma in 2023 with a degree in entrepreneurship then interned at the Frisco Roughriders. He is currently the Academy/Athletics Photographer at the Air Force Academy.
Ella Hall
A student at Louisiana State University, Ella is a student photographer for LSU Football and is majoring in mass communication with a minor in communication studies. She is a native of Key West, Florida.
Jaiden Tripi
Jaiden was a photography intern with the Boston Red Sox in 2023, after graduating with a BFA in Photojournalism from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He is a native of Rochester, New York.
2024 Recipients
Wamwayi Hassan Omar
Wamwayi is based in Kampala Uganda. His work focuses on highlighting the growing culture of rugby as a sport in Uganda.
Marison Bilagody
Marison graduated with a degree in Journalism from the University of Arizona. He is originally from Tuba City, Arizona on the Navajo Nation.
2023 Recipients
Rana Bagheri
Rana is an independent photographer in Isfahan whose mission is capturing women’s activities in Iran.
