Meet the photographers selected for VSCO’s US billboard project

VSCO has announced the final 25 photographers selected for The Fifty, a nationwide billboard project showcasing one photographer from each US state. Selected from more than 13,500 submissions, the largest open call in VSCO’s history, the full lineup spans a wide range of disciplines, backgrounds and career stages.

We previously covered the call for submissions. The first 25 photographers were announced in September, and their images began appearing on billboards in October, with the rollout also including the NYSE’s digital billboard in New York City’s Times Square.

A photograph by Lin Bvtcher, one of the first 25 photographers selected for The Fifty, on a billboard in California.VSCO

“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,” said California photographer Lin Bvtcher, whose project features women and their cars. “I never imagined that my little project featuring women and their cars would take me here but alas, it has.”

The newly announced photographers explore subjects ranging from cultural identity and belonging to environmental change. For example, Alabama photographer Bob Miller’s The Last Generation examines generational knowledge disappearing from family farms, while Pennsylvania’s Cielito Mercado explores how food and family recipes preserve cultural identity. Indiana-based Jingyin Che uses staged self-portraits to examine belonging within American institutions, and New Jersey photographer Ed Kashi’s selected work comes from a larger project examining climate change and agricultural labor.

An Ohio billboard features work by Kate Sweeney, who was among The Fifty’s first 25 selected photographers.VSCO

VSCO says the project advances the company’s mission of championing photographers by expanding where their work gets seen. “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,” said VSCO CEO Eric Wittman in a press release.

The Fifty heads to Miami

Hendrick Robles’s black-and-white photograph appears on a Virginia billboard as part of The Fifty’s first round of selections.VSCO

Alongside the nationwide billboard rollout, VSCO is bringing The Fifty to Miami ahead of Art Basel Miami Beach in December. A four-week wheatpaste poster exhibition opens November 6 across 20 locations, complementing the project’s Florida billboard.

VSCO will also host a free community event on November 7, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., featuring Florida’s selected photographer, Nat Segebre, alongside Melina Deya and Deun Ivory. Moderated by Paul Weaver, founder of VSCO’s professional education platform The Freelance Photographer, the discussion will cover their paths from hobby to profession, career challenges and defining “I made it” moments.

You can see a selection of the photographers below, but head to VSCO’s The Fifty page to explore all 50 photographers.

Alabama

Bob Miller

Photographer: Bob Miller

Bio: Bob Miller is an American photographer and filmmaker whose documentary work has illuminated contemporary social issues in over a dozen countries. His independent photographic works have been published and exhibited internationally, and as an Emmy-nominated cinematographer he enjoys challenging and inspiring audiences through filmmaking collaborations. Drawn to his home state by the passing of his grandfathers, ‘The Last Generation’ began as an intimate reflection on the photographer’s own agricultural lineage. As the nature of farming changes rapidly in America, and as rural communities begin to confront their own post-agricultural identities, he hopes this expanding reportage encourages audiences of all ages to sit at the feet of their elders, to consider how the mysteries of generational knowledge might be preserved before they are lost.

About the photo: In this image, Zoey Allen leans on her grandfather Jackie “Jackrabbit” Allen while noodling for catfish in the river behind their farm. The image is from the series The Last Generation, which is a collection of coming-of-age stories representing would-be farmers and their quest for identity, as they choose to adapt or abandon a generational legacy around agriculture. By elevating the points of view of young people and their elders, the project illustrates the vital role traditional midsize farms and ranches have played in the preservation of culture over time, and asks ‘what is lost?’ when the forces shaping modern agriculture continue unabated. As a majority of the world’s producers are gradually pushed to the margins, and as our collective connection to the land thins, The Last Generation offers a timeless visual record that dignifies those caught in the ‘disappearing middle’ of American agriculture, and elevates those charting pathways out of it.

Alaska

Marlena Sloss

Photographer: Marlena Sloss

Bio: Marlena Sloss is a Juneau, Alaska-based documentary photographer whose work explores the interconnectedness of humans and the natural world. Marlena uses photography to examine how this intrinsic connection with nature shapes our sense of meaning. She has contributed to publications including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Guardian and The New Yorker. She holds an M.A. in Visual Communication from Ohio University and is a member of Women Photograph.

About the photo: This image is from my body of work called “the Land said,” which explores the question, “what can nature teach us about the human experience?” While working on this project I traveled by van from Alaska to Mexico, photographing people with deep connections to the earth through their daily lifestyles and personal philosophies. I made this photograph with my grandfather’s Rolleiflex 3.5 MX-EVS on Kodak Portra 400, during an overnight wilderness trip documenting a stone age skills instructor and his connection to the landscape.

Arkansas

William J. Hilliard

Photographer: William J. Hilliard

Bio: William J. Hilliard is a photographer based in Arkansas, specializing in capturing authentic moments, people, and places. His work focuses on natural imagery and a documentary approach, with an emphasis on telling stories through photographs.

He has worked with editorial and commercial clients and is always looking for new opportunities to create meaningful work.

About the photo: Fly fishing is a staple in the natural state. Not just a hobby but an addiction. A humbling one at that.

Connecticut

Peter Mendelson

Photographer: Peter Mendelson

Bio: Peter Mendelson is a fine art photographer based in Weston, Connecticut. His photographic work explores the ways people shape the places around them through the structures, objects, and visual traces of everyday life. He is drawn particularly to coastal and urban environments and to subjects that convey a sense of place and reflect aspects of local culture and human experience. Peter’s award-winning work has been exhibited in galleries across Connecticut, New York, Rhode Island, and Massachusetts. He is represented by Jules Place in Boston, and his fine art prints are held in private and corporate collections. His photography has appeared in publications spanning art, design, travel, and style.

About the photo: I photographed this scene at a marina in Norwalk, Connecticut, during the off-season when boats were out of the water for repairs and maintenance. I was drawn to the bold red and blue hulls, weathered surfaces, and intersecting lines of the boat stands, which created an unexpected abstract composition. The image is part of “New England Narratives,” my ongoing exploration of New England, its enduring traditions, and the everyday details that give it a distinctive sense of place.

Indiana

Jingyin Che

Photographer: Jingyin Che

Bio: Jingyin Che is a Chinese artist and educator based in Bloomington, Indiana. Working with staged photography and installation, he explores migration, institutional spaces, and the uncertainty of belonging. He earned his MFA in Photography from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor’s degree in Electrical Engineering with a minor in Studio Art from The Ohio State University. He currently teaches studio art at Indiana University Bloomington.

About the photo: This self portrait is part of Harmless: To Be Proven, a series exploring the suspicion surrounding Chinese and Chinese American scholars in the United States. Drawing on my background in engineering, I stage photographs in laboratories, classrooms, and other academic spaces where I once imagined my future. Through these scenes, I explore how familiar places can become unsettling when your presence feels subject to scrutiny.

Kentucky

Maddie McCuddy

Photographer: Maddie McCuddy

Bio: Maddie McCuddy is a documentary photojournalist (b., La Center, WA), currently based in Harrison County, KY and Missoula, Montana. She graduated from the University of Montana with a BA in photojournalism, a minor in wilderness studies, and has traveled all over the U.S. She’s dedicated to capturing the quieter, intimate, and emotional moments of rural life. Outside of her work, Maddie is constantly curious– a jack of all trades, but a master of none. She enjoys experimenting in the kitchen, making pottery, exploring the mountains of Montana, and occasionally rapping My Shot by Hamilton.

About the photo: The Yoders, who are Old Order Amish, join a game of softball outside of their children’s two-room school house on Oct. 23, 2025 in Mays Lick, Kentucky. This is a part of a larger series, Where Time Stands Still, as seen on my website.

Maine

Savannah Daras

Photographer: Savannah Daras

Bio: My name is Savannah Daras, I’m 38, a photographer from Maine and have been pursuing photography for over 20 years. Creating visual art has always been a big part of my self expression, whether it’s self portraits, photographing others, or using other mediums like digital art and videography; I have always been an artist. I love working with colors, fine tuning them to fit my vision, and incorporating nature and ethereal elements. Being able to share my inner world with others through my art is so special to me. Beyond photography I am a huge animal lover, I love nerdy things, eating delicious food, and traveling the world.

About the photo: This image was created as part of a set that was shot at a local beach that I frequented growing up, so it’s a very special place to me. My model (Hattie Watson) effortlessly looked elegant and stunning in every single photo we shot together. I especially love this image in particular because of the soft colors and vibrant sky in the background.

North Carolina

Robert Carl Swann

Photographer: Robert Carl Swann

Bio: I’m a multidisciplinary artist and writer with a desire in crafting intimate, intentional works using unique visual styles to tell the stories of subjects from different backgrounds spanning the entirety of the US and internationally. My body of work spans photography, video, art/creative direction, poetry and other written works. 

With experience through creative projects, editorial photography and directorial works, I’ve crafted captivating visual experiences for clientele and been featured in several exhibitions. I’ve been fortunate to work with various teams to collaborate and nurture new talents, fostering a healthy environment for creativity.

About the photo: Fallen Angel for Othello and the Fall of the American Negro — I felt deeply connected to those I saw/see suffering from drug use stemming back to my upbringing in DC. When I think of fallen angels I think of those who’ve had their lives ravaged by the destroyer of worlds: by drugs.

New Jersey

Ed Kashi

Photographer: Ed Kashi

Bio: Ed Kashi is a renowned American photojournalist and filmmaker known for intimate, socially engaged documentary work spanning nearly five decades, from the Kurdish people to oil in Nigeria to aging in America. A contributing photographer to the VII Foundation and multimedia pioneer, he’s produced fourteen books and co-founded Talking Eyes Media with his wife, Julie Winokur. He has brought consistent depth and integrity to documentary storytelling, earning recognition as one of the most respected voices in visual journalism.

About the photo: Farm workers picking cherry tomatoes on leased farmland in Redland, Florida on May 1, 2024. Most of them are from Guatemala. This image is part of an ongoing project about the impact of increased heat stress caused by climate change on manual labor around the world.

Nevada

Mikayla Whitmore

Photographer: Mikayla Whitmore

Bio: Mikayla Whitmore (b. 1988, Las Vegas, NV, situated on the traditional homelands of the Nuwu, Southern Paiute People) is a queer artist and photojournalist specializing in photography, mixed media, and installation. Their work explores space, landscape, reciprocity, and existentialism to unpack Western tropes, queer identity, and the sublime in the everyday. Whitmore holds a BFA in Photography from UNLV (2010) and works with a range of editorial and news outlets. They are a member of Women Photograph and the NPPA, maintaining a practice flowing between exhibiting art, creating narrative-driven photojournalism work, and assisting and consulting other creative professionals.

About the photo: This image shows a selection of boots for sale at a local swap meet I came across one day in North Las Vegas in 2022. I have been going to this place since I was a kid, and always find myself walking the outdoor marketplace with friends and strangers alike, all looking for something, but not exactly sure where to find it. Connected by place for a brief moment. 

This image is from a larger series called The Grand Slam. A photo essay combining a collection of real-life moments and hand-built clay dioramas based on memories from growing up and from being an adult living in Las Vegas as the pandemic changed how I engaged with my hometown & community. This photo essay and corresponding text was featured online for Live in America, a performance art festival at The Momentary in Northwest Arkansas from June 2-12, 2022.

Oklahoma

Alex Eischeid

Photographer: Alex Eischeid

Bio: Alex Eischeid is an award-winning conceptual self-portrait photographer based in Norman, Oklahoma. Her work draws from her experiences as a woman and a mother, using the self portrait as both subject and symbol to explore identity, expectation, vulnerability, and resilience. Blending surreal elements with emotional realism, her images exist somewhere between the familiar and the imagined, creating narrative-driven scenes that invite genuine introspection. 

Beyond her photographic practice, Alex is an educator who teaches both online and in person, with a focus on conceptual photography, creative editing, lighting, and intentional storytelling. Her work is regularly shown in solo and group exhibitions locally and  internationally.

About the photo: “Freight Expectations” is a part of a larger series of self portraits titled “Surprise! Oklahoma.”, in which I explore the weird and wonky that my home state of Oklahoma has to offer. Freight Expectations was taken outside of my storage unit on a blistering summer afternoon. I love shooting in spaces that most people wouldn’t consider to be beautiful or aesthetically pleasing.

Texas

Megan Sumpton

Photographer: Megan Sumpton

Bio: Megan Sumpton is a self-taught photographer specializing in live music, portrait, and event photography. Her work focuses on capturing raw energy, authentic moments, and the stories that unfold through her lens. Through bold visuals and compelling imagery, she aims to create photographs that resonate and leave a lasting impression.

About the photo: This photo was taken at Black on the Block, a traveling vendor festival, celebrating Black businesses, culture and community. I was drawn to the details of her grills, jewelry, and personal style, which reflect the influence of Texas hip-hop culture. I wanted to capture those details in a way that felt bold, intimate, and true to the moment.