World in Focus is a premier photography event that was created to involve the Northwest photography community and also celebrate the creativity of photographers from beyond the region. The event was established as the Art Wolfe Invitational Exhibit in 1997, was renamed the Earth Day Invitational Exhibit in 1998, and became the Northwest Exhibition of Environmental Photography in 2001. The annual juried photo contest selects winners whose images are publicly displayed for six weeks in Seattle, and represents a powerful educational tool, as well as an opportunity to promote the vision of amateur and professional photographers.

PhotoMedia magazine is proud to take over the direction of the 2003 event, adopting the new name World in Focus and expanding its scope even further. Eligibility for the contest will be expanded to all residents of the United States and Canada, and entries will be accepted in digital format for the first time. In addition to the opening reception and presentation by a renowned keynote speaker, the event will now include a two-day seminar series with top names in nature, environmental and endangered cultures photography.

The exhibit continues to be sponsored by Blue Earth Alliance, a Seattle-based 501(c)(3) organization that supports photographic projects documenting endangered species and threatened cultures. Since its inception, the event has relied predominantly on the efforts of volunteers.