2018-2019 Nikon Photo Contest Winners
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Nikon has announced the winners of its 2018-2019 international Nikon Photo Contest. The contest, which started in 1969 ‘as an opportunity for photographers to share their unique visions and enrich photographic culture,’ celebrated its 50th anniversary with its highest number of annual submissions since its inception.
Nikon received 97,369 submissions from approximately 33,000 people across 170 countries and regions around the world. The entries were split up into three categories this year: Open, Next Generation and Short Film, the first two of which are split into single photo and photo story subcategories. Below is a brief description from Nikon for each of the categories:
- Open: a single photo or photo story representing the theme of ‘Change’
- Next Generation: a single photo or photo story expressing the idea of ‘Identity’ open to photographers aged 25 or younger
- Short Film: a video submission that tells the story of ‘Hope.’
One additional submission has received the Participants’ Choice Prize, while another has received the Nikon Photo Contest 50th Anniversary Prize, a new prize implemented this year. These will be included in our gallery of the main category winners.
The winning images were selected by a panel of international judges from different disciplines in the world of art. Nikon says the ‘recipients of the gold, silver, and bronze awards from each category were selected based on a variety of aspects, including their suitability to the category’s theme, the strength of the message, and level of creativity.’ Below is a short video Nikon put together about the judges and their outlook on the images and the contest as a whole:
The Grand Prize winner, which is selected from the Gold Prize winners in each of the categories, will be announced at the awards ceremony on August 23, 2019 in Tokyo, Japan.
The accompanying gallery is a collection of the Gold Prize winners for each category. Additional Silver and Bronze prize winners can be found on the Nikon Photo Contest website.
Open Single Photo Winner
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Alma and Alzheimer’s — Open Award Single Photo Gold Prize
Photographer: Jason Parnell-Brookes (United Kingdom)
Story: Donald?90, sits alone in the background consumed in his suffering with Alzheimer’s and unaware of his wife, Alma, 84 having dinner just feet away. He came back from World War II, changed from the kind caring man she had married, suffering with shellshock (PTSD). After a violent 60-year marriage with Alma, Donald was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. In the last few years of his life there was a sudden and rapid change of his demeanor rendering him placid, back to the man she had married.
Open Photo Story Winner
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hope — Open Award Photo Story Gold Prize
Photographer: Thaib Chaidar (Indonesia)
Story: I took a photo of this series while on assignment about free cataract surgery for people who are not able in remote areas in West Papua, Manokwari Regency, and one of his patients was a mother named Sorina Ullo, who was lucky because after decades she could finally returned to see clearly, the cataract that had long suffered will heal soon
Next Generation Single Photo Winner
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Ayimpoka — Next Generation Award Single Photo Gold Prize
Photographer: Sara De Antonio Feu (Spain)
Story: Ayimpoka lives with her family in a little town in Bolgatanga (Ghana). Albinism has been a cause of discrimination and persecution during years, and murders have been committed against albino children because of the popular association with magic and witchcraft. At Ayimpoka’s house, everyone gives her love and protection and a local NGO provides her weekly care. That day?she was recovering from malaria and she had a lot of sunburns because she was in the sun all day.
Next Generation Photo Story Winner
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??(Fanghua – Moments in Our Youthful Days) — Next Generation Award Photo Story Gold Prize
Photographer: ? ?? [Jinghan Tu] (China)
Story: The camera I always have hanging around my neck is like another pair of eyes, and has essentially become a part of my body. Having the camera doesn’t affect how I engage with other people of the same generation. I am a part of the things that take place in each moment I capture. For me, pointing the lens at something is the same as taking screenshots of my own personal life. Every drop of rain, every smile, every quick motion, and every droplet when water is sprayed. The things I capture are nothing more than ordinary, yet they are all an important part of moments in the dazzling youthful lives of people, including myself. I continue to take photos to preserve the memories of those precious days which I have experienced.
Short Film Winner
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Exulansis (link to video) — Short Film Award Gold Prize
Artist: Sara Crochet (United States of America)
Story: Exulansis n. the tendency to give up trying to talk about an experience because people are unable to relate to it. I made this film in one day to display a haunting memory and how I choose to see that as an experience I can share to bring light to women and men around me. Bringing us all together with understanding and love.
Participants’ Choice Prize Winner
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The phoenix — NPC 50th Anniversary Prize
Artist: Helena Pelletier (Canada)
Story: As a young women, Halifax resident Holly Fox survived a terrible house fire?that took her young husband and left her with extensive scars after she ran into the flames to save their infant baby who made it out without injury thanks to the bravery of his mother. The child has grown now an adult man?and her scars a beautiful reminder of her courage and strength. Out of the ashes she will rise, stronger and more beautiful than before. Marked with evidence of such and wearing it with pride.
Nikon Photo Contest 50th Anniversary Prize Winner
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????(Harvesting Season) — Participants’ Choice Prize
Artist: ? ?? Huaming Zhao (China)
Story: Fall is the season of harvesting. The tall green bamboos can be cut into strips for creating various crafts. They are dried, disinfected, then made into chopsticks to become a part of people’s everyday lives and bring joy to them.
Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)