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Slideshow: Winners of the 1st annual Paris Aerial Photography Awards

21 Oct

Winners of the 1st annual Paris Aerial Photography Awards

Several thousand photos from 65 countries were submitted to the 1st annual Paris Aerial Photography Awards – a competition open to artists using drones, kites, balloons, helicopters, and planes to capture imagery. The jury, including From Where I Drone’s Dirk Dallas, Costas Spathis, Women Who Drone’s Elena Buenrostro, the Abstract Aerial Art team, and Florian Ledoux awarded 106 photos in 22 categories and 11 photographers in 6 master categories.

‘When I submitted my images to the Aerial Photography Awards I knew the competition was going to be fierce. The number of aerial photographers has grown exponentially in the past few years. The advent of high quality, inexpensive and easy to fly drones is the obvious cause. But it takes more than just good gear. The incredible images submitted to the competition shows the dedicated and talented artists that the Aerial Photography Awards attracts,’ Jamie Malcolm-Brown, who received a nod in the Special Mentions section, tells DPReview.

A few of the Master category winners include these photos, from left to right, in the Abandoned, Travel, and Cityscapes categories.

Sebastian Nagy was awarded overall Aerial Photographer of the Year. He got his start in aerial photography on city rooftops. Six of the images he submitted were category winners. Make sure you check out the Awarded Photographers, Aerial Photos of the Year, and Special Mentions.

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Daily Life: ‘The Lady of the Sea’ by Duy Sinh (Vietnam)

Artist Statement: A fishing boat is dropping a net and accidentally the waves pull the edges of the net into a lady on the blue sea. An accident of creation.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 2nd Place, Daily Life: ‘Anchovy Catching’ by Thien Nguyen (Vietnam)

Artist Statement: Soft light of new day illuminating the long smoke from fishing boat engine & the shape of green nets moving underneath the water surface when local fishermen pulling their nets.

Many local fisherman families along the coastline of Phu Yen province will follow the near-shore currents to catch the anchovy during peak season. Salted anchovy is the most important raw material to create traditional sh sauce – the spirit of Vietnamese cuisine.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Patterns: ‘Umbrella Crossing’ by Daniel Bonte (Japan)

Artist Statement: Crossing of umbrellas bring colors on a gray rainy canvas.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 2nd Place, Editorial: ‘Eid Congregation’ by Azim Khan Ronnie (Bangladesh)

Artist Statement: South Asia’s largest Eid-ul-Fitr Congregation held in Gor-e-Shahid Boro Math, Dinajpur, Bangladesh. According to the organizers’ claim, over 600,000 devotees participated in this Eid congregation. The prayers began at 8:30 am with devotees coming from different parts of the region. Eid-ul-Fitr is a Muslim festival of happiness celebrated all over the world.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Single Category Winner, Digitally Enhanced: ‘Airplanes’ by Cassio Vasconcellos (Brazil)

Artist Statement: These aerial images are all constructed after many different photos that I did flying by helicopter. All images presented here are done after 2015 but is impossible to determine just a one-day shooting since I use sometimes hundreds of photos.

Aerial Photography Technique: Helicopter

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Documentary: ‘Fire Attack’ by Marc LeCornu (Jersey)

Artist Statement: Firefighters from the Jersey Airport Rescue & Firefighting Service work as a team to attack a simulated aircraft response. These live response scenarios are designed to ensure the crews are fully skilled and ready should a real incident occur.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Waterscapes: ‘Arctic Paradise’ by Kyle Vollaers (United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: This image was taken o the coast of Qeqertarsuaq in -25° celsius. One of the most beautiful yet abstract places I’ve ever seen.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Landscapes: ‘Skyggnisvatn’ by Sebastian Müller (Switzerland)

Artist Statement: The Highlands of Iceland.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Trees & Forests: ‘Forest Path’ by Mehmet Aslan (Turkey)

Artist Statement: Herd of sheep uses forest road to return home.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Abstract: ‘Tatacoa Desert’ by Johan Van Den Hecke (Belgium)

Artist Statement: A topdown view of the rock formations of the Tatacoa desert at sunset.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Aerial Photographer of the Year 2020, 1st Place, Accommodations: ‘Colors of Dubai’ by Kevin Krautgartner (Germany)

Artist Statement: Real estate shooting for accommodations in the Burj Khalifa.

Aerial Photography Technique: High point of view.

Special Mention: ‘Love Island’ by Jamie Malcolm-Brown (United States)

Artist Statement: The fog dissipated as the sun rose behind some storm clouds over this heart-shaped island.

Aerial Photography Technique: Drone

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners and finalists of the Academy’s annual BigPicture competition

11 May

Winners and finalists of the Academy’s annual BigPicture competition

San Francisco’s California Academy of Sciences recently announced the winners and finalists of its 7th annual BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition. Over 6,400 images were submitted by photographers from 65 countries across categories including Terrestrial Wildlife, Winged Life, Landscapes, Waterscapes & Flora, Aquatic Life, Art of Nature, and Human/Nature.

Competition entries were selected by a panel of judges including wildlife photographer Suzi Eszterhas along with award-winning nature and conservation photographers Shin Arunrugstichai, Roie Galitz, Daisy Gilardini, Margot Raggett, and Tony Wu. The Grand Prize entry was awarded to Andy Parkinson of Crich, United Kingdom, for his image ‘Hare Ball.’ He spent 3 years familiarizing himself with the territory and behavior of his subject before capturing it braving a winter storm.

‘Only a highly-skilled photographer can present a common subject in an extraordinary way,’ says Suzi Eszterhas, BigPicture’s Jury Chair. ‘In this photo we see a hare as we’ve never seen it, curled up in a ball and looking rather like a sculpture as it’s bathed in sub-arctic light. Andy has created an image that has it all: technical perfection, artistic skill, and behavior. To me this is an image of beauty and resilience that speaks to weathering a storm. An image that I believe the world needs now more than ever.’

All 49 winning and finalist images will be featured at the annual BigPicture photography exhibit. It’s set to take place later in the summer at the California Academy of Sciences. BigPicture is currently accepting applications for its Emerging Photographer Grant, which will provide a cash grant and mentorship to 2 aspiring photographers between ages 18-25, through May 31st.

Aquatic Life Finalist: ‘Hold on Tight’ by Mathieu Foulquie?

© Mathieu Foulquie?. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Lez River, France

Artist Statement: Beneath the turbulence of a small waterfall in France’s Lez River, a male common toad (Bufo bufo) holds on for dear life. Not his own life, though—the male is helping to ensure his species’ survival by fertilizing his female companion’s eggs as she lays them. Known as amplexus—Latin for ‘embrace’—this mating behavior is common among amphibians and other animals whose eggs must be fertilized externally.

Males temporarily develop glands on their toes, known as nuptial pads, to help them grip the swollen abdomens of the females. Then, as the female releases thousands of eggs in pearly, gelatinous strands, the male coats them with sperm. ??Scores of toads seeking partners for this ancient dance of procreation are killed each spring by motor vehicles. Fortunately, some European communities have built canals and even enlisted toad-shuttling volunteers to help them cross roads and reach their mates.

Photo Story Winner (one of six images): ‘Guardians of the Giraffes’ by Ami Vitale

© Ami Vitale. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Reteti Elephant Sanctuary, Kenya

Artist Statement: Too often, says Ami Vitale, nature photography excludes the humans whose lives are intertwined with the natural world. Her decade-long project documenting the bonds between Samburu people and wildlife in northern Kenya reverses this oversight, telling the story of how Samburu people became advocates for wild animals and their habitat.

For as long as Samburu people have grazed livestock, their livelihood has been seemingly at odds with the elephants, rhinos, giraffes, and other large mammals with whom they share their homeland. But as poachers decimated elephant (Mammalia proboscidea) populations in recent decades, Samburu herders realized their cattle were also suffering.

Elephants promote grass growth by clearing brush and small trees, so as their numbers shrink, there’s less grass for cows to graze on. In response, the Samburu launched a sanctuary to rehabilitate orphaned elephants, along with other conservation programs that benefit threatened species like the reticulated giraffe (Giraffa camelopardalis reticulata), shown here.

These efforts are changing long-standing Samburu attitudes toward wildlife, and show how the health of human and animal communities are connected. ‘Indigenous communities hold the key to saving Africa’s great animals,’ says Vitale. ‘Where these communities are intact, poaching has dramatically decreased.’

Grand Prize Winner: ‘Shelter in Place’ by Andy Parkinson

© Andy Parkinson. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Tomatin, Scotland

Artist Statement: To get this intimate shot of a mountain hare (Lepus timidus) curled up against a Scottish winter storm, Andy Parkinson endured weeks of ferocious cold and wind that drove shards of ice into his face. Britain’s only native rabbit species, on the other hand, is utterly at home in these inhospitable conditions.

Groups of twenty or more hares gather each winter to nibble heather on leeward slopes, where the snow tends to be shallower. Before resting, they jump away from their tracks to confuse predators. And while some ride out storms in burrows or depressions, this female created her own shelter, tucking herself into a ball to conserve heat and minimize exposure to the elements.

It’s a nifty strategy for surviving the kind of weather that drives most creatures indoors or underground. Despite their fortitude, mountain hares are Britain’s fastest-declining mammal, due to unregulated hunting and habitat loss. Parkinson hopes that calling attention to these remarkable rabbits will convince legislators to protect them.

Landscapes, Waterscapes, & Flora Finalist: ‘Mushroom Magic’ by Agorastos Papatsanis

© Agorastos Papatsanis. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Deskati, Greece

Artist Statement: Despite the ethereal appearance of this photo, these edible mushrooms (Macrolepiota procera) won’t induce any hallucinations. But that doesn’t mean they aren’t magical. Indeed, the more we learn about mushrooms, the more magic they seem to harbor. From helping trees communicate to producing cancer-fighting metabolites, scientists have only begun to uncover the fantastic features of fungi. ??

At the root of many of these capabilities is the unique role that mushrooms play in the environment. As primary decomposers, mushrooms break down the organic matter of dead plants and animals. In return, the fungi become flush with essential nutrients and minerals, a number of which can confer antioxidant, antimicrobial, and anticancer benefits to humans. This same ability also makes mushrooms exceptional environmental remediators, ingesting the toxins and heavy metals that various industrial practices have leached into the soil.

Winged Life Winner: ‘Pond Skim’ by Piotr Naskrecki

© Piotr Naskrecki. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Gorongosa National Park, Mozambique

Artist Statement: In Gorongosa National Park, at the southern tip of Africa’s Great Rift Valley, water breathes with the seasons. Lakes and rivers that overflow during the winter months are reduced to puddles and trickles come summer. For many species — including the Mozambique long-fingered bat (Miniopterus mossambicus) — the dry season means longer journeys for a much-needed sip of water.

As our planet warms and droughts increase in both frequency and intensity, the seasonal oases that bats depend on are drying up. Without adequate water, healthy bats begin to weaken, making them more susceptible to diseases that are already devastating populations around the world.

Those that survive are sometimes forced to drink from human-made bodies of water — a boon for bats, but a potential risk for people who drink from those same water sources, since bats carry a host of zoonotic diseases. It’s often at these interspecies interfaces that killers like Ebola and the novel coronavirus emerge.

Terrestrial Wildlife Winner: ‘Speed and Strategy’ by Yi Liu

© Yi Liu. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Maasai Mara National Reserve, Kenya

Artist Statement: Although they’re the fastest land animals in the world, catching prey is no easy feat for a cheetah (Acinonyx jubatus). The mostly treeless terrain of the African savanna gives antelopes, impalas, and other ungulates ample time to spot approaching predators, and even a slight head start can be the difference between life and death. To avoid alerting their prey, cheetahs start out hunting low to the ground, where their spotted coat helps them blend into the terrain.

When they get within 60 meters (200 feet) of their target, cheetahs accelerate at a blistering pace, reaching 95 kilometers (60 miles) per hour in a matter of seconds. But the feline predators still have to account for the speed of their prey — in this case an impala (Aepyceros melampus), which can zig-zag at upwards of 80 kilometers (50 miles) per hour. To close the gap, this cheetah tripped its quarry as it attempted to escape, proving that sometimes, strategy is just as important as speed.

Landscapes, Waterscapes, & Flora Winner: ‘A Sticky Situation’ by Edwin Giesbers

© Edwin Giesbers. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Hatertse Vennen Nature Reserve, Netherlands

Artist Statement: Innocently poised on the thin red spines of an oblong-leaved sundew (Drosera intermedia), beads of nectar beckon insects like sweet garnishes on a lethal cocktail. When an insect lands to sip the nectar, the carnivorous sundew slowly curls its leaves around it, releasing digestive enzymes that liquify its unsuspecting prey into a digestible meal. If a sundew ensnares something inedible, it promptly releases the non-nutritious offender from its grasp.

Nitrogen and phosphorus from eating insects allows sundews to thrive in places where most plants can’t survive, like the acidic, nutrient-poor soil of swamps and bogs. These adaptations fascinated Charles Darwin, who wrote in 1860 that he cared ‘more about Drosera than the origin of all the species.’ Nonetheless, Darwin would wait 15 years before publishing his controversial suspicions that, indeed, some plants eat animals.

Terrestrial Wildlife Finalist: ‘Hippo Huddle’ by Talib Almarri

© Talib Almarri. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Okavango Delta, Botswana

Artist Statement: Each winter, as the waters of Botswana’s Okavango River spread across its vast delta, an array of African wildlife congregates to eat, drink, splash, and soak. This seasonal wetland was especially important in 2019, when severe drought left human and animal populations alike desperate for water. Cattle, elephants, crocodiles, and other creatures were left to vie for any water they could find in the delta’s shrinking pools.

??Among those seeking refuge were herds of hippopotamuses (Hippopotamus amphibious). These semi-aquatic herbivores are well-equipped for spending hours each day in the water—their nostrils and eyes located so high on their head that they can breathe and see while mostly submerged.

They’re also graceful swimmers, and can hold their breath for up to five minutes. But even their aquatic abilities and impressive heft were no match for last year’s muddy, drought-stricken delta. At least 200 hippos became trapped in the mud, and managed to survive only because Botswana wildlife officials pumped in water to help them escape. As the climate warms, such droughts may become more frequent across much of Africa.

Art of Nature Winner: ‘A River Gone Awry’ by Juan Jesús González Ahumada

© Juan Jesús González Ahumada. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Río Tinto, Spain

Artist Statement: Along the Río Tinto in western Spain, layers of multicolored sediment combine with blood red water to produce an otherworldly effect. But the strange coloration—shown here in a photo of cracked mud at the river’s edge—has familiar origins: Runoff from millennia of mining in the surrounding Sierra Morena has caused rampant acidification and toxic levels of dissolved metals.

The pollution is so extreme that NASA has used the river and the resilient microbes that call it home as a proxy for the conditions for life on Mars. ??Unsurprisingly, the water is unusable for the communities that live near it—at least for now.

In 2016, a collaboration between a team of Spanish researchers looking into the mineralogy of the river and a group of French researchers seeking to decontaminate it made an important discovery. When the water was purified, the leftover solids contained a high concentration of microscopic aluminum particles, a valuable commodity which can be sold to offset the cost of decontamination.

Human/Nature Winner: ‘The Cost of Cats’ by Jak Wonderly

© Jak Wonderly. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: WildCare Wildlife Hospital, San Rafael, United States

Artist Statement: Every year, the staff at WildCare, a California animal rescue organization, is tasked with rehabilitating hundreds of birds and other wild animals mauled by outdoor house cats. The 200 pictured here did not survive. ‘I wanted to create an image to show some of the impacts our pets have on the wildlife around our homes,’ says Jak Wonderly. ??

One of those impacts is a world with less birdsong. In the United States alone, more than 2 billion birds are killed by cats annually. Other nations, including Australia and New Zealand, have tried to protect native wildlife by imposing restrictions on cat owners, such as ‘cat curfews’ that require cats to be indoors after dark.

But because such measures are unlikely to gain traction in North America, Wonderly took this devastating photo. By illustrating the suffering that free-roaming house cats cause, he hopes to spark discussion about alternative solutions for reducing the death toll caused by our pets.

Human/Nature Finalist: ‘Snack Attack’ by Gunther De Bruyne

© Gunther De Bruyne. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Kasungu National Park, Malawi

Artist Statement: After an unsuccessful attempt at grabbing a snack, this African savanna elephant (Loxodonta africana) took out its frustrations on the roof of an open-air kitchen in Malawi’s Kasungu National Park. Photographer and biologist Gunther De Bruyne says such destruction was common during his stay at a research station there. But, De Bruyne adds, there’s a reason why Kasungu’s elephants are unusually dangerous: He and other scientists have found that elephants from heavily poached regions tend to be more aggressive.

In 1977, more than 1,000 elephants roamed Kasungu. By 2015, poaching had reduced the population to just 50. While recent ivory bans might be turning the tide—there are now over 80 elephants in the park—recovery takes time, especially among animals as intelligent and long-lived as elephants. Maybe on De Bruyne’s next visit, the kitchen roof will remain standing.

Aquatic Life Winner: ‘Berg Buffet’ by Greg Lecoeur

© Greg Lecoeur. All rights reserved. These images originally appeared on bioGraphic, an online magazine about science and sustainability and the official media sponsor for the California Academy of Sciences’ BigPicture: Natural World Photography Competition.

Photo Location: Antarctic Peninsula

Artist Statement: French photographer Greg Lecouer braved frigid waters to catch this rare glimpse of life below Antarctic ice, where he encountered a crew of crabeater seals (Lobodon carcinophaga). Clumsy and laborious on land, crabeater seals are elegant and agile swimmers that spend their entire lives in the pack ice zone surrounding the frozen continent.

Buoyed by polar currents, icebergs calve off mainland glaciers, carrying minerals and nutrients from land into the ocean. Once sea bound, the icebergs slowly melt, releasing critical nutrients in their wake and providing seals with both food and shelter. The fertilized waters prompt a bloom of phytoplankton that attracts krill—which, despite the crabeaters’ name, is a favorite meal of the seals.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe’s 12th Annual 99U Creative Conference will be free and virtual this year

07 May

Adobe has announced its 12th Annual 99U Creative Conference, which is usually a paid, in-person event, will be hosted on Adobe Live for free as a virtual event this year amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

Tickets for the annual event normally cost around $ 1,000, so being able to take in the event for free, in the comfort of your own home, is quite the discount. This year’s event will take place on Wednesday June 17 and will feature a mix of keynotes, creative workshops and masterclasses throughout the day. The presentations will be available stream via Adobe Live or available on-demand shortly after completion of each event.

A few of the individuals who will be presenting at this year’s virtual conference.

You can find out more information and register to ‘attend’ the event for free on Adobe’s Behance website.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: Winners and finalists of Smithsonian Magazine’s 17th Annual Photo Contest

02 May

Winners and finalists of Smithsonian Magazine’s 17th Annual Photo Contest

Smithsonian Magazine recently announced the winners and finalists of their 17th Annual Photo Contest. Over 36,000 images were submitted by more than 10,000 photographers from 145 countries. A judging panel consisting of the magazine’s photo editors selected 60 images across 6 categories: Natural World, The American Experience, Travel, People, Altered Images, and Mobile.

London-based photographer Jon Enoch’s ‘Hanoi Fish Man,’ captured in Vietnam’s capital city, depicting a biker lugging around massive loads of live fish contained in plastic bags, is the Grand Prize winner. If this image looks familiar, it was shortlisted earlier this year by Sony’s annual World Photography Awards.

All 60 finalist images can be viewed here. Smithsonian Magazine is currently accepting entries for their 18th Annual Photo Contest. For more inspiration, you can follow along on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.

Reader’s Choice, American Experience: ‘Home Survives Direct Hit From Tornado’ by Matt Gillespie (United States)

© Matt Gillespie. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Ellerslie, Georgia, United States

Artist Statement: This home was in the direct line of a tornado that hit Ellerslie, Georgia. Most of the trees on the property had fallen, but the house stood with minimal damage.

Winner, Natural World: ‘Adélie Penguin on an Iceberg’ by Conor Ryan (United Kingdom)

© Conor Ryan. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Antarctica

Artist Statement: Ice-dependent animals are in perilous danger of losing their habitat. This photo shows an Adélie penguin standing on an iceberg off Devil Island, Antarctica. I like how the half-lit, sea-eroded iceberg gives the scene a sense of dichotomy. Perhaps the penguin’s indecision on which way to go, or perhaps ours.

Finalist, Natural World: ‘Tender Eyes’ by Tamara Maria Blazquez Haik (Mexico)

© Tamara Maria Blazquez Haik. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Monfragüe National Park, Spain

Artist Statement: A gorgeous griffon vulture is seen soaring the skies in Monfragüe National Park in Spain. How can anyone say vultures bring bad omens while looking at such tenderness in this griffon vulture’s eyes? Vultures are important members of the environment, as they take care of recycling dead matter. When looking at them flying, we should feel humbled and admire them.

Winner, The American Experience: ‘Shields Strikes Back’ by Terrell Groggins (United States)

© ?Terrell Groggins. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Detroit, Michigan, United States

Artist Statement: Olympic champion Claressa Shields (right) meets Hanna Gabriels in a boxing match at the Masonic Temple in Detroit, Michigan on June 22, 2018. Shields suffered a first-round knock-down by Gabriels—the first time that had happened in Shields’ career—but went on to win the match by unanimous decision. Shields is the first American woman to win an Olympic gold medal in boxing, and the first (male or female) to win a gold back-to-back in successive Olympic Games.

Finalist, The American Experience: ‘Playground Landscape’ by Juan Osorio (United States)

© Juan Osorio. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Verona, New Jersey, United States

Artist Statement: This series documents the interaction of the shapes, colors and functionality of playgrounds and the people who use them with an emphasis in the color contrast between the outfits and the environment.

Winner, Travel: ‘Iceberg Tower’ by Natnattcha Chaturapitamorn (Thailand)

© Natnattcha Chaturapitamorn. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Ilulissat, Greenland

Artist Statement: Sunset over an iceberg tower in Disko Bay.

Finalist, Travel: ‘Blooming’ by Thien Nguyen (Vietnam)

© Thien Nguyen. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Phu Yen, Vietnam

Artist Statement: A fishing net moving underneath the water’s surface. Many local fisherman families along the coastline of Phú Yên province in Vietnam will follow the near-shore currents to catch the anchovy during peak season.

Only a small proportion of the entire catch is sold fresh, with most of it being dried or salted. Salted anchovy is the most important raw material to create traditional fish sauce; the humble anchovy becomes the spirit of Vietnamese cuisine.

Finalist, Travel: ‘Larung Gar Buddhist Academy’ by Attila Balogh (Hungary)

© Attila Balogh. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: China

Artist Statement: The world’s biggest Tibetan Buddhist institute.

Winner, People: ‘Dungan Wedding’ by Yam G-Jun (Malaysia)

© Yam G-Jun. All rights reserved

Photo Location: Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Artist Statement: Madina, 20, an ethnic Dungan, is covered by a red veil before she leaves for the groom’s house during wedding ceremony in Milyanfan, Kyrgyzstan. Dungans wear traditional Chinese-influenced wedding gowns, follow traditional Hui Chinese wedding ceremonies from the 19th century and practice endogamy, but due to shrinking population size, they have stopped the practice and allowed Dungans to marry other ethnicities.

Finalist, People: ‘Portrait of Endurance Athlete Anders Hofman’ by Jesper Gronnemark (Denmark)

© Jesper Gronnemark. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Copenhagen, Denmark

Artist Statement: Portrait of endurance athlete Anders Hofman before his attempt to complete a triathlon at Antarctica.

Finalist, People: ‘The Young Dreamers’ by Sujan Sarkar (India)

© Sujan Sarkar. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: India

Artist Statement: Childhood, youth, old age. Among the three, the childhood is the most beautiful part of our life…It must be enjoyed to the fullest.

Finalist, Altered Images: ‘Follow the Herd’ by Tuan Nguyen Tan (Vietnam)

© Tuan Nguyen Tan. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Vietnam

Artist Statement: The buffalo follow each other to new food sources at Dau Tieng Lake, Vietnam.

Winner, Mobile: ‘At Sunset’ by Victoria Gorelchenko (Russia)

© Victoria Gorelchenko. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Moscow, Russia

Artist Statement: I was waiting for my husband in the parking lot and noticed this beautiful light.

Finalist, Mobile: ‘Loneliness in Capital’ by Farnaz Damnabi (Iran)

© Farnaz Damnabi. All rights reserved.

Photo Location: Tehran, Iran

Artist Statement: When I was going back home from work, this scene—women taking naps on public transportation— attracted my attention.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Slideshow: 6th annual Fine Art Photography Awards winners and finalists

20 Apr

6th annual Fine Art Photography Awards winners and finalists

Last week, winners and finalists of the 6th annual Fine Art Photography Awards (FAPA) were announced. Dutch portrait artist Ewa Cwikla won $ 3,000 in prize money and the title of Professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year for her photo ‘Candy Smoke.’ Greek photographer Ioanna Natsikou was declared Amateur Fine Art Photographer of the Year. She received $ 2,000 in prize money for her series ‘Interlude in the Blue.’

The competition received 4,300 entries from 89 countries across 20 categories including abstract, architecture, night photography, and travel. Winners and nominees were selected by a panel of international judges including Marietta Varga, Per Schorn, Simon Åslund, Julien Palast, Ekaterina Busygina, Per Kasch, Dainius Sciuka, Aleksei Boiko, and Salvatore Matarazzo.

FAPA is now accepting entries for their 7th annual competition. In the spirit of discovering emerging talent, per the organization’s press release, it is open to professional and amateur photographers from all countries. This year’s full professional winners gallery and full amateur winners gallery are currently available to view on FAPA’s official site.

Grand Prize, Professional Fine Art Photographer of the Year: ‘Candy Smoke’ by Ewa Cwikla

Artist statement:

Amateur Fine Art Photographer of the Year: ‘Interlude in Blue (Series)’ by Ioanna Natsikou

Artist Statement: ‘Interlude in Blue’ is a body of work that portrays the female figure in personal spaces enclosed in a world of silence and desire, touching upon themes of loneliness, isolation and alienation.

Through the repetitive process of ‘iteration,’ the viewer can see all these phenomenologically identical, yet different unidentified female characters unfold; an attempt to puzzle out, discover and understand the enigma and the complexity of identity; how many different personas can I/we be on the ‘stage’ of everyday life?

This series seeks to engage the viewer in a private world of reverie and self-absorption.

1st Place Winner, Professional Category, Abstract: Micro Images of Teepee Canyon Agate (Series) by Randy Fullbright

Artist Statement: These images are an exploration of the varied and incredible patterns In Tepee Canyon Agate from South Dakota USA using a 10 power microscope objective and focus stacking to gain depth of field. I have always been amazed by the patterns in agate that are not visible to the human eye. When I discovered Micro Photography it opened up an entirely new range of possibilities and discoveries with my photography.

1st Place Winner, Professional Category, Architecture: ‘Building Constructs (Series)’ by Tom Leighton

Artist Statement: In my ‘Building Constructs’ series of work, my intention is to focus in on individual buildings, their architectural form and defining features, accentuating these elements through distortion and manipulation. This allows a freedom from concern for logistics and practicality, but the images are nevertheless a tribute to the minds that go into creating functioning superstructures, a celebration of the boundaries being pushed by the evermore gravity-defying architecture of the world.

1st Place Winner, Professional Category, Wildlife/Animals: ‘Rays of Light’ by Nadia Aly

Artist Statement: Rays of Light showcases the astonishing annual aggregation of mobula rays off the coat of Baja Mexico.

1st Place Winner, Professional Category, Fashion: ‘The Fire Within (Series)’ by Tonya Polskaya

Artist Statement: ‘The fire within’ is a story about emotions penetrating physical structure and setting blood vessels aflame. It is about adaptation to one’s self and the new habitat. The flame is a metaphor of purification and rebirth, and ascendance to one’s true self.

Professional Nominee, Photojournalism: ‘Under High Tension (Series)’ by Alexandra Berger

Artist Statement: The intention behind this series is not to show crime or poverty, this is obvious. The idea behind these photos is to generate empathy and understanding for people in other life situations and to break down prejudices against others.The series shows the daily life of a family living illegally in the electromagnetic field of overhead power lines in Playa del Carmen / Mexico.

Flor and Romero, originally from Chiapas, have arrived 5 years ago, together with their 6 sons to ‘Las Torres’ a squatter settlement under high voltage towers in Playa del Carmen / Mexico. It is an area that has been invaded by 700 families in the right-of-way of the overhead electric power lines and spreads over 10 km. The series shows moments of their lives under this ‘charged’ circumstances.

A life in a legal blackhole which makes it one of the most dangerous parts of the city, neither police nor ambulances dare to enter. Due to the Mexican law, that forbids housing under the electromagnetic field of the high voltage cables, the government doesn’t provide basic requirements, like water, electricity and a sewerage system.

Giving up is not an option.

Professional Nominee, Travel: ‘Way Back’ by Tuan Nguyen Tan

Artist Statement: The Cham girl is returning home with herds of sheep in Ninh Thuan, Vietnam.

2nd Place Winner, Amateur Category, Abstract: ‘Mar De Plástico’ by Agustin Busselo Ortega

Artist Statement: The presence of plastic in the sea represents a serious problem in our habitat. The purpose of this photography is to represent the sea through plastic sheets, but from a creative point of view.

Amateur Nominee, Fine Art: ‘Poetry of Death Valley (Series)’ by Marek Boguszak

Artist Statement: Poetry of rocks and sand in Death Valley.

2nd Place Winner, Amateur Category, Landscape: ‘The Girl on the Icelandic Horse’ by Lars Roed

Artist Statement: The sun had set in the Wadden Sea. Suddenly out of nowhere the girl came on the Icelandic horse and rode out into the sea where there was low tide. Beautiful picture with insight into the infinitely changing moods and expressions of the Wadden Sea in Denmark.

Amateur Nominee, Nature: ‘Tears of the Nature (Series)’ by Anna Kropf

Artist Statement: The magic influence of the Water in the Nature.

3rd Place Winner, Amateur Category, Night Photography: ‘Rushing (Series)’ by Dominique Weiss

Artist Statement: Dominique created this series out of her passion for the dramatic landscapes of the Swiss alps. To her understanding, it is crucial to persevere this region that gives
us air to breathe, water to nourish our bodies and beauty to caress our souls.

Rushing portrays the speed with which our competitive society is racing through their lives.
In rush we are barely able to hear our surroundings.
In rush we are barely able to see what is in front of us.
In rush we are barely able to comprehend what our behavior causes.
Rushing not only blurs our sight, but all of our senses.
We are numbly rushing into an unknown future…

For this series Dominique travelled across Switzerland portraying dramatic landscape scenes to encourage people to see beyond their accelerated every day life routines. She suggests it is time to implement more harmony into our lives and respectfully treat them as one of our most important relationships.

1st Place Winner, Amateur Category, Street Photography: ‘The Pursuit of Being and Belonging (Series)’ by Manuel Martins

Artist Statement: Hi, my name is Manuel Martins, I’m a 27 years old Portuguese national living in Lisbon. With my street photography I like to create beautiful, surreal or even puzzling constructs, that have reality, it’s scenarios from our daily lives and light and it’s absence as prime matters. Along with this I also try to distill who I am, my life experiences, my feelings and perceptions of reality into the photograph itself.

By nature I’m an introverted and shy person, and for those same reasons, I’ve never been able to fully understand society and find my place in it. That changed though, on the first time I picked up a camera and found street photography. This series then, ‘The pursuit of being and belonging,’ is my homage to street photography and what it means to me.

Because when I’m out, slowly walking the pavement step by step, I not only pursue photographs, but also a way of belonging in our world, by being there with the camera on my hand, to tell my story and to show the hidden gems of our day-to-day world, those that many manage to disregard and so hopefully, bring some magic back to the viewer’s lives.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Officials warn Yosemite’s lack of water may spoil annual ‘Firefall’ waterfall event

16 Feb

Photographers hoping to attend this year’s ‘Firefall’ waterfall event at Yosemite may be disappointed. The National Park Service has published an advisory warning that Horsetail Fall, the site of the Firefall event, has ‘little to no water.’

The Firefall event takes place in late February every year, giving photographers the opportunity to capture the Horsetail Fall illuminated with sunlight. During this time, the water turns bright orange and resembles fire or molten rock pouring over the edge of El Capitan in Yosemite Valley.

The lack of water, however, threatens to ruin this event; without water, obviously, there will not be a stream of ‘fire’ to photograph. Assuming the Firefall does happen, it will be visible from February 13 to 27 this year. In order to prevent issues from heavy traffic during this event, Horsetail Fall will have daily restrictions from noon to 7 PM during the aforementioned dates.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Canon’s annual results show a rough 2019, but tease ‘advanced’ mirrorless camera, lenses for 2020

31 Jan

Canon has published its 2019 fiscal year financial results and presentation. In the documents, Canon highlights how the company has done, shedding light on what we can expect in the coming year, both fiscally and on the development front.

On the financial front, Canon’s Imaging System division recorded net sales of 807.4B yen and a net operating profit of 48.2B yen a decrease of 16.8 percent and 62 percent, respectively, year-over-year. Canon anticipated a dramatic drop-off in both net sales and operating profit, due to ‘market contraction and the intensely competitive environment,’ but the final results are still slightly worse than expected at 14.6B yen and 2.6B yen lower than Canon’s projections as of last quarter.

Echoing CIPA data, Canon notes the interchangeable-lens camera market shrank 15 percent, with entry-level models being the most impacted due to the increasing capabilities and popularity of smartphones. Canon also recognized its own shortcomings, with a note in the presentation saying:

‘Although we have launched two full-frame mirrorless cameras as well as ten dedicated lenses, our lineup is still insufficient.’

Looking forward, Canon remains realistic, saying it ‘expect[s] camera revenue to decline due to the impact of continuing market contraction,’ but feels confident it will ‘put a stop to the decline in profitability, by further enhancing our mirrorless lineup with an advanced feature full-frame model and lenses, and by accelerating review of our business structure.’

Specifically, Canon makes it very clear that it’s working on more advanced mirrorless cameras, saying:

‘In order to recover from our late entry into the mirrorless camera market, we have plans to launch a model that incorporates a newly developed image sensor and image-processing engine that offer even more advanced features. We will work to raise our presence in the mirrorless camera category, leveraging large trade exhibitions around the world. Even amid increasing competition, we will expand sales of higher-end models driven by new products and aim for top market share even in the mirrorless camera market.’

Canon is projecting its net sales and operating profit for the 2020 fiscal year will be 787B yen and 53.7B yen, respectively, which would equate to a 2.5 percent decrease in net sales and an 11.5 percent increase in operating profit, year-over-year. In addition to offering more ‘advance feature full-frame’ mirrorless cameras and RF lenses, Canon’s projected increase in profitability will also likely be helped with fabrication costs now that it appears to have its mirrorless manufacturing facilities up and running.

Canon’s sentiments expressed in the presentation further lend credibility to the ongoing rumors about its forthcoming mirrorless cameras, but certainly fall short of telling the whole story, which we will only find out with time.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Adobe announces record Q4 with annual revenue of $11 billion in 2019

14 Dec

Adobe has announced its fiscal fourth quarter and fiscal 2019 financial results, revealing that they set new quarterly and annual revenue records for the company.

During its fourth quarter, which ended on November 29, Adobe saw quarterly revenue of $ 2.99 billion, a 21% year-over-year increase. With that quarter finalized, Adobe has revealed record annual revenue totaling $ 11.17 billion, a 24% year-over-year increase over its fiscal year 2018.

Adobe President and CEO Shantanu Narayen called the performance ‘phenomenal,’ citing both loyal customers and product innovation as among the reasons for its success.

The company reports growth across multiple business segments, including a 22% year-over-year Digital Media segment quarterly revenue increase to $ 2.08 billion. Adobe’s Creative and Document Cloud segments also grew during Q4 with revenues of $ 1.74 billion and $ 339 million, respectively.

Adobe expects its performance to continue trending upward through its first fiscal quarter of the new year. In Q1 2020, the company is aiming for around $ 3.04 billion in quarterly revenue with continued growth in its Digital Media and Digital Experience segments.

Looking outward at the full fiscal year 2020, Adobe is targeting annual revenue of around $ 13.15 billion with significant growth in its Digital Media and Digital Experience segments, as well as growth in its Digital Experience subscription revenue and bookings.

Via: Adobe

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Photokina 2019 gets postponed, will become an annual event starting May 2020

04 Dec

In 2017, Photokina’s organizers announced the world’s largest trade fair would ‘reposition’ itself an annual event starting in 2018 and subsequently announced that after this year’s Photokina, which took place in September, the event would be moved to the month of May going forward.

Naturally, it was expected the next Photokina event would take place in May 2019, but plans have changed. According to the German Photo Industry Association (PIV), conceptual sponsor of the trade fair, and Koelnmesse, the event’s organizer, the 2019 Photokina event has been postponed a year, meaning the next Photokina event will take place from Wednesday May 27th, 2020 through May 30th, 2020.

‘The decision to postpone the start of the announced annual cycle by one year is intended to give all participants the opportunity to further develop the new concept for Photokina and to tap into new target groups among exhibitors and visitors in order to heighten the status of the trade fair as a global platform for the photography and imaging industry,’ reads the announcement press release.

From left to right: Gerald Böse, President and Chief Executive Officer Koelnmesse GmbH, Rainer Führes, CEO of Canon Deutschland GmbH and Chairman of the Photoindustrie-Verband – The Imaging Association, Jürgen Roters, Mayor of Cologne

PIV CEO Rainer Führes is quoted in the press release saying Photokina 2018 ‘clearly exceeded our already optimistic expectations with groundbreaking innovations and 180,000 visitors from 127 countries.’ He goes on to say that Photokina 2018 ‘set the bar very high for the next event.’

“It is therefore unlikely that, in May 2019 after just over seven months, we will once again be able to create the same enthusiastic atmosphere that characterized Photokina 2018 […] This is why we have decided to start the planned annual cycle in 2020.’

Considering the quick turn-around time from the last Photokina — not to mention its proximity to CP+ in March and NAB in April — it was a big ask of Photokina and its organizers to expect exhibitors, media, and attendees to bounce back with enough updates, products, and cash to fill the floors.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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The New York Times opens up free applications for its 7th annual portfolio review

14 Nov

Tomas Roggero

The New York Times has opened up applications for its 7th annual New York Portfolio Review on March 30 and 31 in New York City, New York.

The applications, which are free to submit, are now open on The New York Times’ website for the review, which is put on by The New York Times Lens column, the Craig Newmark Graduate School of Journalism at the City University of New York and United Photo Industries.

So long as the applicant is over 18 years old, they’re free to apply. The New York Times says “all types of photography will be considered.” The deadline for applications is December 10, 2018 at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time.

“The first session, on Saturday, March 30, will be for photographers 21 and older,” reads The New York Times announcement post. “Each participant will receive six private critiques. The second session, on Sunday, March 31, will be solely for photographers 18 to 27 and will consist of at least four private critiques for each participant, as well as free workshops on how to best present, promote and publish photographs. We will screen all applicants and choose 100 participants for Saturday and 60 for Sunday.”

The New York Times specifically mentions anyone who attended last year’s review is ineligible to apply. Also, if someone has attended more than twice in the seven years the portfolio review has been going on, they too are ineligible.

When a photographer is chosen for a portfolio review, they will be able to requiem their top choices for who is to review their work. The New York Times has provided a partial list of the reviewers on the bottom of its announcement page.

To enter, head over to The New York Times’ application page and fill out the required form. In addition to personal details, such as first name, last name, age, contact information, and a short biography, applicants can upload up to 20 photos from one or two projects. The images must be JPEGs and no more than 1,200 pixels across at 72 DPI.

Applicants who have been selected will be notified by January 12, 2019. The New York Times warns “Be sure to triple-check the email address you submit, because in past years some people were accepted into the review, but couldn’t be contacted with the good news because of a typo in their address. Don’t be that person.”

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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