Category Archives: Photography

Here are the outstanding winning photos of the International Photography Awards (IPA) 2023. The International Photography Awards conducts an annual competition for professional, amateur, and student photographers globally, creating one of the most ambitious and comprehensive competitions in the photography world today.

OnePlus is the official sponsor for IPA’s 2023. Photographer of the Year won the cash prize of $12,000 and Discovery of the year wond the cash prize $6,000. The 11 Category winners in the Professional Categories will each receive a $1,200 cash prize, and the 11 Category winners in the Non-Professional Categories will each receive a $600 prize.

A stellar international jury of renowned photography experts judged more than 14,000 entries from 120 countries around the world to finally select these outstanding category winners, each of whom are in the running to receive the IPA’s top two prizes—Photographer of the Year for the professional categories, and Discovery of the Year for the non-professional / student categories. The finalists for these two awards will be presented—and the winner announced—at the Lucie Awards Gala on October 30, 2023 at Carnegie Hall in New York City.

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#1 Editorial / Press Photographer Of the Year: Ukraine’s War by Wolfgang Schwan

In early January, 2022 I traveled to eastern Ukraine for the first time with the intention of covering an environmental story. Instead I found myself covering daily life in the trenches of Donbas for the next two months. Over this time I developed a deep appreciation for the hospitality and generosity of Ukrainians. I decided to stay once the war broke out on Feb. 24 and work covering breaking news and daily life throughout 2022. This story is an overview of my coverage spanning eight months in Ukraine in 2022.

#2 Nature Photographer Of the Year: Ice Fantasy by Barbara and Maciej Noskowski

We are absolutely fascinated by these beautiful patterns on the frozen lakes we discovered in February this year. They are like flowers, branches, stars, abstract compositions, minimalistic, fantastic! You can only see them from above. As we later found out, these are holes created as a result of vegetation inside the lake. These sprawling cracks and surrounding shapes are a quite rare sight.

#3 Fine Art Photographer Of the Year: Old Father Thames by Julia Fullerton-Batten

#4 Special Photographer Of the Year: Pets meets Vintage by Horst Kistner

#5 People Photographer Of the Year: Freedom to Fly by Allison Hunter

#6 Architecture Photographer Of the Year: Ships on land by Gang Wang

#7 Sports Photographer Of the Year: Mikaël Kingsbury, Olympic Freestyle skier by Finn O’Hara

#8 Advertising Photographer Of the Year: The End of the Dream by Thomas Broening

#9 Analog / Film Photographer Of the Year: Our War by Edgar Martins

#10 Event Photographer Of the Year: NYC Women’s March 2017 by Nabil West

#11 Analog / Film, Fine Art: 1st Place – Fade to Black by Martina Holmberg

#12 Architecture, Abstract: 2nd Place – Color Conversation by Gleici Rufatto

#13 Architecture, Buildings: 3rd Place – Jiangnan by Bin Zhang

#14 Architecture, Cityscapes: 1st Place – Red zonem by Marcin Giba

#15 Editorial / Press, Photo Essay: 1st Place – Cattle of Kings by Karolina Wojtasik

#16 Fine Art, Landscape: 1st Place – Bodies by Zac Henderson

#17 Fine Art, Minimalism: 1st Place – Laguna Nord by Alessandro Tagliapietra

#18 Fine Art, Portrait: 1st Place – Alex and Zoe by Emily Fisher

#19 Fine Art, Still Life: 1st Place – Weave My Light by Kayoko Nemoto

#20 Nature, Aerial / Drone: 3rd Place – Veins Of The Earth by Robert Bilos

#21 Nature, Animals: 2nd Place – Circle of Life by Moises Levy

#22 Nature, Astrophotography: 2nd Place – Written in the star by Sun Haoran

#23 Nature, Landscape: 1st Place – The ions ballet by Cari Letelier

#24 Nature, Landscape: 3rd Place – Once in a Lifetime by Ryan Fitzsimons

#25 Nature, Other: 1st Place – Mystery by Tianhang Zhang

#26 Nature, Seasons: 2nd Place – Siglufjordur by Julie Mullock

#27 Nature, Sunrise / Sunset: 1st Place – Daybreak at Lítli-Hrútur by Joshua Earle

#28 Nature, Trees: 1st Place – Treelogy by Cristiano Xavier

#29 Nature, Wildlife: 3rd Place – The Statues of Mara by Lakshitha Karunarathna

#30 People, Children: 2nd Place – Haar and Fret by Emily Fisher

#31 People, Family: 2nd Place – Years and years… by Prajnyan Goswami

#32 People, Newborn / Baby: 1st Place – Best friends for life by Heidi Breugelmans

#33 People, Portrait: 3rd Place: Open mind, open heart by Olivia Mazzola

#34 People, Self-Portrait: 3rd Place – New Habitat by Bella von Einsiedel

#35 People, Street Photography: 1st Place – # # Y i # by Nina Papiorek

#36 Special, Night Photography: 1st Place – 中国速度 by Wei Chen

#37 Special, Panorama: 1st Place – Oil Painting in Dreams by Weinan Li

#38 Special, Smartphone Photography: 1st Place – Shadow Self-Portraits by Tony Hertz

#39 Special, Travel : 3rd Place – Underwater Portal by Benjamin Yavar

#40 Sports, Extreme sports: 1st Place – Nouria Newman – The Fearless by Sandro Baebler

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Three top soccer players from English team Arsenal FC have swapped scoring goals to taking photos for Visit Rwanda’s Photography Challenge. Gabriel Magalhães, Ben White and Bukayo Saka tested their skills behind the lens in the hope of taking the winning shot, under the guidance of sports photographer Sam Mironko.

Cameras for sports photography need to have fast burst modes and precise autofocus so that photographers are able to freeze fast-moving subjects. A skill that comes naturally to the people who do it every day proved to be a bit more of a challenge to the players who are more used to controlling a ball than a camera. Playing for one of the elite Premier League teams, the three are no strangers to being photographed – but which prevailed behind the camera?

• Check out the best lens for sports photography – telephoto zooms perfect for capturing action in the distance

Armed with what looks like a Sony A9 II and a prime lens, the three players were tasked with taking a sharp, crisp image of a teammate doing “keepy uppies” (a drill to keep tapping the ball in the air with your feet). Although Sam described photography as “just pressing a button”, the players quickly learned there was a lot more to it than that. The limitations of a prime lens meant there was no zooming in and out to get the shot, and instead the players had to move around to get the perfect picture.

Each player had ten seconds to compose their image and take the shot. While they all managed to take a clean image (the camera settings had already been dialed in by Sam), Gabriel was the only one to really move around and experiment with different angles – and was crowned the winner.  In the second task, each player was asked to pose in the position they would want their statue to be in, while Mironko took their photos – a much easier task.

• Watch the Visit Rwanda photography challange

Over on Instagram, Mironki described what an “incredible feeling” it was to represent his country while creating memories alongside his favorite childhood team. Visit Rwanda is a tourist information center that has partnered with Arsenal Football Club in an attempt to support the country’s tourism industry. It is hoped by partnering with a high-profile team, more people will notice how the country has transformed in recent years and attract more visitors.

I don’t think these world-class soccer players are going to change careers any time soon but, perhaps the next time they see a photo of themselves online or in a newspaper, they’ll have a little bit more appreciation for the photographer who took it. You can watch the Visit Rwanda photography challenge here.

Check out the best monopods and best tripods– perfect for taking the weight of massive heavy telephoto lenses.

Rotolight, has officially launched its highly-anticipated ANOVA PRO 3 via Kickstarter. The ANOVA PRO 3 is a powerhouse 1×1 production LED light featuring a custom-designed LED optic system, representing the pinnacle of Rotolight’s advanced lighting products.

With a 22,000 lux output, the ANOVA PRO 3 surpasses its predecessors, the Anova and AEOS 2 PRO, delivering over double the brightness. This revolutionary light introduces industry-first features and unmatched versatility, catering to the needs of TV production, filmmakers, professional photographers, and content creators.

Following the success of previous campaigns for products like the Rotolight NEO 3 and AEOS 2 PRO Editions, Rotolight offers its user community exclusive early access and discounts through the ANOVA PRO 3 Kickstarter campaign. Backers gain the opportunity to select from various ANOVA PRO 3 options, including multi-light kits and accessory bundles, becoming the first to experience its exceptional performance and innovations.

The ANOVA PRO 3 builds upon the legacy of the award-winning Rotolight ANOVA PRO series, renowned for its use by leading broadcasters and studios, including Amazon Studios, Netflix, BBC, and ITV, on major productions like ‘Ghostbusters: Afterlife’ and Amazon’s ‘The Expanse.’ Developed over 12 years with user feedback and cutting-edge R&D, this light promises significant advancements for creative professionals.

An industry-first, the ANOVA PRO 3 boasts IP65 weather resistance and native battery operation, making it suitable for challenging conditions ranging from snow to tropical rain-showers. The light incorporates a groundbreaking ‘Magic Eye’ optical light sensor positioned on its front, which automatically measures and matches any Kelvin or HSI colour, eliminating the need for a light meter and simplifying on-set lighting adjustments.

Key Features of the Rotolight ANOVA PRO 3

• Unparalleled brightness, >22,000 lux at 3ft, making it the brightest 1×1 panel on the market.
• IP65 rated for outdoor use in extreme weather conditions.
• Native IP dual V lock battery operation.
• Innovative ‘Magic-Eye’ optical light sensor for instant and precise colour matching.
• Intuitive full-color touchscreen display, an industry-first.
• In-built lumenradio wireless DMX, wired DMX, and Bluetooth app control via the Rotolight app (iOS & Android).
• Adjustable color temperature from 1,700-20,000 Kelvin.
• 16.7 million colours and compatibility with 2500 gels, including LEE and Rosco filters.
• Exceptional battery performance with an industry-leading energy consumption to power ratio (200W).
• HSS Flash mode doubles power output.
• Compatibility with transmitters from Elinchrom, Godox, Pixapro, Neewar, and more.
• Previous generation accessories, such as yokes and barn doors, are compatible.
• SmartSoft electronic diffusion enabled.
• 2-year manufacturer warranty included.

The ANOVA PRO 3 comes equipped with Rotolight’s patented ‘Smart-Soft’ electronic diffusion technology, complemented by an optional Rotolight Smart-Soft Box. This innovation empowers users to adjust diffusion electronically, focus, and spread without the need for gels or additional modifiers, saving time and resources on set.

With an industry-leading brightness output of 26,600 lux at 3 feet, 250% more powerful than its predecessor, combined with exceptional battery performance, the ANOVA PRO 3 is a lightweight (3.5kg) and portable solution, perfect for outdoor shooting. It offers 16.7 million colours, 2500 filters, and state-of-the-art RGBWW chips, providing endless creative possibilities.

The ANOVA PRO 3 features Rotolight’s acclaimed suite of CineSFX effects, adding drama to scenes with ease. It can be customized, with settings easily recalled, reducing on-set time. Additionally, the light will be manufactured and assembled exclusively in the UK, ensuring the highest quality standards, and includes a 24-month manufacturer’s warranty.

Rod Gammons, CEO of Rotolight, commented, “We are delighted to announce our latest innovation… The Anova PRO 3 represents the pinnacle of LED technology and delivers class-leading performance that saves you time on set.”

The Rotolight ANOVA PRO 3 Kickstarter campaign

Vivid, cinematic and poetic, it’s all about my inner contemplation whenever I take a walk in the rain.

And this time it was a dark gloomy evening when I left home and reached the fairyland of my city Kolkata named Park Street where rain blends with vivid lights and makes the street looks like a lucid dream.

And when it pours I just keep my camera shutter open n let it capture the mood to keep it as the way it is. In my imagination evening rain is an amazing fusion of colours, lights, moods and fairy droplets.

Everything was a crazily beautiful experience for me that evening, either it’s simply a commuter holding an umbrella with his shadow on the middle of the road or simply the play of light n colours on the wet seat of scooter waiting there, either it’s the mysteriously vibrant car found on street in rain or the dreamy watery texture of car glass. I found magic everywhere and later bagged a story to share with you.

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About Jayeeta Ghosh

I’m Jayeeta Ghosh from Kolkata, India, by profession I own a business & by passion, I’m a concept photographer rather I’m immensely passionate about the fine art form of photography. Academically, I studied honors in Botany n later Bioinformatics.

I will not be able to tell, exactly when I realized that my passion is photography, initially it was I felt good doing photography and capturing moments, but later I realized that I need to know it closely, which actually indulged me to take admission into the National Academy of Photography Kolkata, and then after in London Institute of Photography in London.

My images are regularly being published at the magazine of London Institute of Photography, I take images for iStock by Getty images and my images have been published on IG pages of different popular national or international photography communities.

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Copyrights:
All the pictures in this post are copyrighted Jayeeta Ghosh. Their reproduction, even in part, is forbidden without the explicit approval of the rightful owners.

Photography is almost 200 years old and Photography: Real and Imagined at the National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) can be interpreted as an attempt to make sense of its history.

A huge and dazzling exhibition containing 311 photographs, the basic thesis of this exhibition is that some photographs record an actuality, others are purely a product of the photographer’s imagination, while many are a mixture of the two.

The parameters of the exhibition are determined, in part, by the holdings of the NGV collection and, in part, by the perspective adopted by the curator, the erudite and long-serving senior curator of photography at the NGV, Susan Van Wyk.

Mercifully, the curator has not opted for a linear chronological approach from daguerreotypes to digital, although both are included in the exhibition, but has devised 21 diverse thematic categories, for example light, environment, death, conflict, work, play and consumption.

Australian artists, international context

The categories have porous boundaries. Even with the assistance of the 420-page book catalogue, it is difficult to determine why Michael Riley’s profoundly moving photograph of a dead galah shown against the cracked earth belongs to the environment theme instead of death; why Rosemary Laing’s Welcome to Australia image of a detention camp belongs to movement, instead of being in community, conflict or narrative.

I felt that there was a perceived need to somehow organise the material, and the broad thematic structure allows the viewer to develop some sort of mega-narrative for the show.

There is also evident a desire to create an international context within which to display the work of Australian photographers.

It is indeed a very rich cross-section of Australian photographers assembled in this exhibition. This is not an Anglo-American construct of the history of photography; Australian photographers are presented together with New Zealanders and their Asian contemporaries.

Although the NGV boasts of having the first curatorial department of photography in any gallery in Australia, in the department’s 55-year history there remain serious lacunae in the collection.

For example, Russian constructivist photographers, including Aleksandr Rodchenko, who, as far as I am aware, in the NGV collection is represented by a single small booklet, but looms large in any account of the history of photography as presented by the British, European and American museums. Eastern European photographers are also generally underrepresented.

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Friday essay: 10 photography exhibitions that defined Australia

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Key moments, and surprises

This exhibition combines the iconic with the new and the unexpected.

The expected key moments in the history of photography are generally all present with the roll-call of names including Dora Maar, Man Ray, André Kertész, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Dorothea Lange, Eadweard Muybridge, Bill Brandt, Lee Miller and László Moholy-Nagy.

They are all included in the exhibition and are represented through their iconic pieces.

Henri Cartier Bresson’s Juvisy (1938), colloquially known as Sunday on the banks of the Marne, is an intentionally subversive image by this left-wing radical photographer.

This image, made at the height of the Great Depression, shows a victory by France’s popular left-wing government that legislated in 1936 the entitlement for French workers to have two weeks of paid vacation. Here the working class is enjoying a picnic at Juvisy, just to the south of Paris.

At about the same time, Dorothea Lange’s Towards Los Angeles, California (1936) contrasts the anguish of the unemployed trekking in search of work and a billboard advertising the comforts of train travel. An aphorism ascribed to her sums us much of her work:

Bad as it is, the world is potentially full of good photographs. But to be good, photographs have to be full of the world.

Man Ray’s Kiki with African mask (1926) is one of the most famous photographs in the world, also known as Noire et blanche (Black and White). The surrealist artist juxtaposes the elongated face of his Muse and mistress, Kiki (Alice Prin), with her eyes closed with that of a black African ceremonial mask.

The photograph was controversial when it was first published and continues to be controversial to the present day.

There are also numerous modern classics in the exhibition, including Pat Brassington’s Rosa (2014), Polly Borlan’s Untitled (2018), from MORPH series 2018 and Robyn Stacey’s Nothing to see here (2019), that can all be viewed as edging into the realm of the uncanny. Beyond the façade of the familiar, we are invited to enter an unexpected world.

Reinterpreting our world

Photography’s reputation of creating a trustworthy facsimile of the real had long been eroded, even before the creation of digital software. There is an old adage, “paintings sometimes deceive, but photographs always lie” – precisely because there was a perception that they could not lie.

One of the most intriguing works in the exhibition is by the New Zealand-born photographer Patrick Pound, titled Pictures of people who look dead, but (probably) aren’t (2011–14). It is a sprawling installation of mainly found photographs where the audience is invited to create a life and death narrative.

Photography: Real and Imagined reexamines our thinking about the art of photography and explores photography’s ability to recreate and reinterpret our world.

Photography: Real and Imagined is at the Ian Potter Centre, National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne, until February 4 2024.

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Can a photograph change the world?

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Here are the incredible winning photos of the Wildlife Photographer Of The Year 2023. In a stunning victory, a captivating photograph capturing a golden horseshoe crab emerged triumphant among nearly 50,000 entries in the prestigious Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition hosted by the Natural History Museum. Renowned French underwater photographer and marine biologist, Laurent Ballesta, skillfully captured this mesmerizing moment in the Philippines, showcasing the tri-spine horseshoe crab accompanied by a trio of golden trevallies.

This ancient species, safeguarded by its robust shell, holds a remarkable lineage dating back 100 million years but faces imminent threats due to habitat destruction and overfishing. Ballesta embarked on a journey to the protected waters off Pangatalan Island in the Philippines, meticulously documenting these majestic creatures. His dedication and artistry were duly rewarded with this coveted competition win. Notably, this victory marks Ballesta’s second Photographer of the Year title, a rare feat in the competition’s 59-year history, underscoring his exceptional talent and commitment to capturing the natural world’s beauty.

Entries for next year’s Wildlife Photographer of the Year competition, the 60th edition of the renowned photo contest, will open on October 16, 2023. The competition will feature a new special prize and some important rules changes. The full details are available on the Natural History Museum’s website. Entries close on December 7, 2023.

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#1 Wildlife Photographer of the Year Winner: “The ancient mariner” by Laurent Ballesta

A tri-spine horseshoe crab moves slowly over the mud. Its golden protective carapace hides 12 appendages. Above the horseshoe crab, a trio of juvenile golden trevallies are poised to dart down for edible morsels plowed up by its passage. Laurent Ballesta went looking for horseshoe crabs in the protected waters of Pangatalan Island in the Philippines. Marine biologist and photographer Laurent Ballesta has dedicated his life to exploring the oceans and revealing their wonder through art. He has led a series of major expeditions, all involving scientific mysteries and diving challenges, all resulting in unprecedented images. The tri-spine horseshoe crab has survived for more than 100 million years but now faces habitat destruction and overfishing for food and for its blood, used in the development of vaccines. But, in the protected waters off Pangatalan Island, there is hope for its survival.

#2 Young Wildlife Photographer of the Year Winner: “Owls road house” by Carmel Bechler

Carmel Bechler discovered several barn owls in an abandoned concrete building near a busy road. Returning to where he had spotted a barn owl the previous year, Carmel and his father used the family car as a hide. He made the most of the natural light and used long exposure times to capture the light trails of passing traffic. Israel has the densest barn owl population in the world. A national project has provided nesting boxes near agricultural fields, encouraging owls to nest near farmland. Because the owls hunt rodents that eat seeds and crops, this arrangement has reduced the use of pesticides on farms.

#3 Winner, Behaviour: Mammals – “Whales making waves” by Bertie Gregory

#4 Winner, Photojournalist Story Award – “The unprotected” by Karine Aigner

#5 Winner, Animals in their Environment – “Life on the edge” by Amit Eshel

#6 Winner, Wetlands – “The dead river” by Joan de la Malla

#7 Winner, 10 Years and Under – “The wall of wonder” by Vihaan Talya Vikas

#8 Winner, Rising Star Portfolio Award – “Alpine exposure” by Luca Melcarne

#9 Winner, 11-14 Years – “Out of the blue” by Ekaterina Bee

#10 Winner, Photojournalism – “The tourism bulldozer” by Fernando Constantino Martínez Belmar

#11 Winner, Behaviour: Invertebrates – “Lights fantastic” by Sriram Murali

#12 Winner, Behaviour: Amphibians and Reptiles – “The tadpole banquet” by Juan Jesús Gonzalez Ahumada

#13 Winner, Oceans: The Bigger Picture – “Last gasp” by Lennart Verheuvel

#14 Winner, Underwater – “Hippo nursery” by Mike Korostelev

#15 Winner, Behaviour: Birds – “Silence for the snake show” by Hadrien Lalagüe

#16 Winner, Urban Wildlife – “Birds of the midnight sun” by Knut-Sverre Horn

#17 Winner, Plants and Fungi – “Last breath of autumn” by Agorastos Papatsanis

#18 Winner, Animal Portraits – “Face of the forest” by Vishnu Gopal

#19 Winner, Natural Artistry – “The art of courtship” by Rachel Bigsby

#20 Highly Commended, Animal Portraits – “Snow bison” by Max Waugh

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