Magnum Photos is a cooperative agency, owned and operated by its Member photographers. The agency is self-selecting. Only around 100 photographers have ever become full Members since the founding in 1947.

To become a full Member of Magnum Photos, photographers partake in a minimum four-year process and must be voted to the next level three times. First as a Nominee, then as an Associate, and finally as a full Member. Applications are reviewed once a year during Magnum’s Annual General Meeting in June, when a dedicated day is reserved for considering and voting on potential new Nominee members’ portfolios.