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Slideshow: A bewildered roadrunner at the US—Mexico border took hom the grand prize in this year’s Bird Photographer of the Year competition

02 Sep

Bird Photographer of the Year 2021 winners

Winners of the 2021 Bird Photographer of the Year awards were announced today. Over 22,000 images were submitted from around the globe. Mexican photographer Alejandro Prieto took home the £5,000 grand prize for his image of a roadrunner standing next to the 3,000km-long US–Mexico border.

‘The border wall crosses deserts, mountains, and even mangroves. It is not just desert, and is in fact very biodiverse with more than 1,500 animal and plants species threatened by the wall,’ says Prieto. ‘I have watched many different animals reach the wall before turning around and heading back.’

The Bird Photographer of the Year awards also gives back. The organization donated £8,000 to Birds on the Brink. They fund grass-roots bird conservation projects around the world. All 2021 winners can be viewed on the competition’s main website.

Gold Award Winner and Bird Photographer of the Year: ‘Blocked’ by Alejandro Prieto (Mexico)

About this Image: The 3,000km-long US–Mexico border traverses and straddles some of the continent’s most biologically diverse regions. It is home to uniquely adapted mammals, reptiles, birds and plants, some of which are found nowhere else on the planet. Numerous species will be affected if the US government decides to build a wall along the border with Mexico. Border infrastructure not only physically blocks the movement of wildlife but it also destroys and fragments habitats.

Many desert animals are, to a degree, nomadic wanderers and a wall would sever habitat connectivity and prevent them moving freely from one place to another. In this photograph, a Greater Roadrunner approaches the border wall at Naco, Arizona, with what almost looks like a sense of bewilderment.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. Focal length 112mm, 1/320 second, f/14, ISO 200.

Gold Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Underwater Portrait’ by Felipe Foncueva (Spain)

About this Image: This underwater image of a Brown Pelican was taken off the Pacific coast of Costa Rica, near the mouth of the T.rcoles River, where there are small fishing villages. Groups of pelicans await the return of fishermen and take advantage of the scraps they throw into the sea.

Looking at this image, I am struck by the similarity between the way the pouch beneath the pelican’s bill functions and the throat of a feeding baleen whale. At first glance you could be forgiven for thinking you are looking at a marine mammal rather than a bird!

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark IV with Canon 8–15mm f/4 Focal length 15mm; 1/10th, f/9, ISO 200.

Silver Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Sing Heartily’ by Maofeng Shen (China)

About this Image: June marks the start of the breeding season for Demoiselle Cranes on the vast grasslands of Keshiketeng in Inner Mongolia. It is a blessing to witness the arrival of these beautiful birds, and a privilege to have documented their nesting behaviour. In order to capture wonderful, intimate moments of breeding behaviour without causing disturbance, I did a lot of homework.

I drove more than 800km to the vast prairie of Keshiketeng two days before I planned to photograph and did my groundwork. I got up at 3am on 29 June 2018 and rushed to the location of the breeding cranes. In order not to disturb their peaceful life, I had previously set up my equipment in the long grass and lay down, disguised on the ground.

In the morning light, the figures of the Demoiselle Crane family of four gradually appeared out of the gloom. Just as they were leisurely foraging for food, suddenly the distant sound of shepherds herding sheep could be heard. It seemed as if the sound was enough to inspire the pair of adults to call, as they stood back to back. This evocative sound cut through the silent sky for a brief moment, then everything quietened down again. I enjoyed the company of the crane family for the next four hours.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon 600mm f/4 lens, 1/640 second, f/6.3, ISO 400.

Bronze Award Winner, Best Portrait: ‘Night Hunter’ by Jonas Classon (Sweden)

About this Image: Poised for attack and staring intently, this Great Grey Owl has fixed its penetrating gaze on a vole in a Swedish forest. On the night of a full moon, I photographed the owl as it raised its deadly taloned foot, with my car headlights adding a little more illumination to the scene. When I looked at the photo afterwards it gave me goosebumps.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon 200–400mm f/4 lens. Focal length 300mm, 1/160 second, f/4, ISO 3200.

Silver Award Winner, Birds in the Environment: ‘Claiming the Forest Floor’ by Joshua Galicki (United States)

About this Image: This image shows a male Ovenbird singing on top of a fallen log. The bird is staking its claim to a breeding territory shortly after arriving from a lengthy migration to the northeast United States from wintering grounds in Central America. Ovenbirds are quite small – 15cm or so in length – and unlike most other New World warblers, prefer to forage on the forest floor among the leaf litter. I have observed and studied North American songbirds for years and care deeply for all of my subjects.

This shot was taken with a non- intrusive remote set-up to capture the expanse of the Ovenbird’s environment. The camera and lens were camouflaged next to the bird’s favourite singing log and the shutter was remotely triggered. No bait or tape lure were used for this shot, nor was any stress placed on the bird. As a result, this is an image of an Ovenbird behaving naturally.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark III with Canon 24–70mm f/4 lens. Focal length 24mm, 1/500 second, f/8, ISO 6,400.

Bronze Award Winner, Birds in the Environment: ‘Yellow-billed Oxpecker with Cape Buffalo’ by Barbara Fleming (United States)

About this Image: Yellow-billed Oxpeckers chatter constantly as they fly in and out of a Cape Buffalo herd, landing wherever they can to rest and feed. They spend almost their entire lives around large mammals, to the point where even courtship and mating take place in their company. Oxpeckers feed on ticks and other insects, although they also have a predilection for the mammal blood.

In this image both oxpecker and buffalo were in motion, moving in different directions and at different distances from the lens. This added to the challenge of capturing this symbiotic pair, but enhanced the satisfaction at achieving my goal. The image was darkened in post-processing.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D4S with Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 700mm, 1/1,600 second, f/8, ISO 1,600.

Gold Award Winner, Attention to Detail: ‘Disappearing’ by Rafael Armada (Spain)

About this Image: Reflections are one of the details I like most in nature because light undergoes incredible transformations when it interacts with water. In a way, it is nature playing with us, with our forms and with the forms that we see. In this photograph, the same water that creates the reflection strikes with force to destroy it, in a sense to overthrow the King. The King is still standing; he knows his reign is not over… not yet. But it will end the day that water no longer creates reflections in the sand.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS-1D X Mark II with Canon EF 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 II lens. Focal length 100mm, 1/30 second, f/14, ISO 100.

Silver Award Winner, Attention to Detail: ‘Growing Up’ by Raymond Hennessy (United States)

About this Image: Great Northern Divers (known as Common Loons in North America) and their chicks take to the water soon after the chicks hatch. The size difference between adult and youngster is evident in this image and shows just how much growing is left for this tiny chick: it is dwarfed by the large bill of the adult next to it. I took this photo as the pair floated incredibly close to my kayak in the soft afternoon light.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D4S with Nikkor 500mm f/4 lens. Focal length 500mm, 1/640 second, f/4, ISO 400.

Gold Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘Floral Bathtub’ by Mousam Ray (India)

About this Image: This image was taken at North Bengal Agricultural University in Cooch Behar, West Bengal. To set the scene, here in India autumn days (when the photo was taken) are typically hot and humid – sporadic rains interspersed with sweltering heat – while the nights are cold. I was keen to capture images of Crimson Sunbirds drinking nectar from banana flowers. Typically, these flowers point towards the ground, but in some ornamental species they point skywards and some of their outer petals open up like cups, holding water from rain or dew.

Late one evening, a female Crimson Sunbird suddenly arrived and started sipping nectar. Her thirst quenched, she then started bathing in the water stored in this banana flower petal. It’s quite common to find birds refreshing themselves in the evening, visiting puddles and pools, dipping their heads and wetting their wings and body. However, it was a unique experience to see this sunbird immersing herself upside down in water contained in an ornamental flower petal, like a lady in a bathtub. Her relaxed and indulgent manner, lit by the glow of sunset, was truly a sight to behold.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 300mm f/4 and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 420mm, 1/4,000 second, f/7.1, ISO 1,600.

Silver Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘The Face of Death’ by Massimiliano Apollo (Italy)

About this Image: After many years of frequenting these rice fields in northern Italy, I finally managed to capture what is for me the perfect shot! In late summer, prior to migrating south, the region’s Purple Herons try to feed as much as possible and take advantage of the abundance of prey present in the rice fields.

I had long dreamt of a shot like this, one that would allow me to see the expressions of the two subjects – predator and prey. I can also say with some satisfaction that this shot is completely wild and no form of baiting was employed – just a lot of patience, perseverance and, why not, a little luck!

Gear and Specs: Sony A9 II with Canon 600mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter. Focal length 840mm, 1/2,000 second, f/6.3, ISO 3200.

Bronze Award Winner, Bird Behavior: ‘Entangled’ by Julie Halliday (Falkland Islands)

About this Image: In the past, the Imperial Shag went by the name of King Cormorant. This subantarctic and Antarctic species breeds in dense colonies, and on the Falkland Islands it favours gentle cliff-top slopes, often mixing with Southern Rockhopper Penguins and Black-browed Albatrosses.

Imperial Shags use various displays to reinforce pair-bonds, ranging from head-wagging, gargling and kinking their necks, to making throat-clicking noises and nibbling or biting the tips of the bill. This pair allowed a close approach, and as one came in to land, they went through a ritual courtship greeting.

Gear and Specs: Canon EOS 5D Mark III with Canon 70–200mm f/2.8 II lens and 2x teleconverter. Focal length 400mm; 1/1,600 second; f/5.6; ISO 250.

Gold Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘Thirsty’ by Tzahi Finkelstein (Israel)

About this Image: Common Swifts live their lives on the wing and are a challenge to capture in flight. With a diet of flying insects, they need to drink from time to time, and even that behavior is performed on the wing. I had had this image – of a swift skimming over water – in my mind for a long time.

I finally found a suitable place to attempt it, and to get the photo I had to sit in water wearing a wetsuit, shrouded by a portable hide, every day for three weeks. Eventually, I got this photo on the final day – the day after the birds had all gone.

Gear and Specs: Nikon D500 with Nikkor 300mm f/4 PF lens. Focal length 300mm, 1/4,000 second, f/7.1, ISO 1,800.

Silver Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘The Art of Motion’ by Nicolas Reusens (Spain)

About this Image: This image is one of my favorite shots from my last trip to Ecuador. Using a complicated set-up, I was able to trigger two sets of flashes during a single exposure, using a shutter speed of 1/25 second. I then tried to introduce a sense of movement into the image by adding continuous lighting to the scene. After three days of photographic attempts to get a single picture with an intense atmosphere, this is what I achieved. I hope it was worth it!

Gear and Specs: Canon R6 with Laowa 100mm f/2.8 Macro lens. Focal length 100mm, 1/25 second, f/13, ISO 200.

Bronze Award Winner, Birds in Flight: ‘First Come, First Served’ by Hannes Lochner (South Africa)

About this Image: This image captures the moment when two Southern Yellow-billed Hornbills chase after the same insect in a mid-air competition. In hornbill society, there appears to be no such thing as a fair fight, and the slower of the two birds played dirty by grabbing the tail feathers of the other. In spite of this cheating, the attempt failed, so maybe there is some justice after all in the world of hornbills!

Gear and Specs: Nikon D850 with Nikkor 70–200mm f/2.8 lens. Focal length 120mm, 1/5,000 second, f/4, ISO 200.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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£10K Landscape Photographer of the Year prize goes to woodland view

06 Nov

Overall LPOTY Winner: Chris Frost, ‘Woolland Woods’, Dorset

Overall LPOTY Winner: Chris Frost, ‘Woolland Woods’, Dorset

Wild garlic, a misty morning and a low-down woodland view have combined to come out top in this year’s UK Landscape Photographer of the Year competition. Photographer Chris Frost picked up the title and a £10,000 cheque for his dawn picture that beat a field of ‘tens of thousands’ of entries in one of the biggest photography competitions in the UK.

In its thirteenth year, the contest is run by photographer Charlie Waite and aims to celebrate the wide range of landscapes in the UK, but can be entered by anyone from outside the country. Categories for adults and young photographers allow images of the countryside, as well as city views and special prizes, are awarded for pictures incorporating the UK rail network, for black and white photos as well as awards for pictures to do with history, the environment and nocturnal scenes.

Chris Frost won the overall Landscape Photographer of the Year title and prize, but there were five other category winners along with four special prizes.

The winning images as well as a selection of commended and shortlisted pictures will form an exhibition that will be held in London Bridge station from 16th November, while a book of the best pictures is already on sale. For more information, and to see all the shortlisted pictures, visit the Landscape Photographer of the Year website.

Historic Britain Winner: Graham Mackay, ‘Wallace Monument from the banks of the Forth’, Stirlingshire

Historic Britain Winner: Graham Mackay, ‘Wallace Monument from the banks of the Forth’, Stirlingshire

Lines in the Landscape Winner: Brian Nunn, ‘Ribblehead’, North Yorkshire

Lines in the Landscape Winner: Brian Nunn, ‘Ribblehead’, North Yorkshire

Changing Landscapes Winner: Graham Eaton, ‘When the Fog Parted’, North Wales Coast

Changing Landscapes Winner: Graham Eaton, ‘When the Fog Parted’, North Wales Coast

Classic View Winner: Leigh Dorey, ‘Roman Road’, Dorset

Classic View Winner: Leigh Dorey, ‘Roman Road’, Dorset

Black and White Winner: Neil Burnell, ‘Fantasy’, Dartmoor

Black and White Winner: Neil Burnell, ‘Fantasy’, Dartmoor

Your View Winner: Aleks Gjika, ‘Drama at the Lighthouse’, Wales

Your View Winner: Aleks Gjika, ‘Drama at the Lighthouse’, Wales

Urban Life Winner: George Robertson, ‘Got You’, Glasgow

Urban Life Winner: George Robertson, ‘Got You’, Glasgow

Landscapes at Night Winner: Alyn Wallace, ‘Protector’, Anglesey

Landscapes at Night Winner: Alyn Wallace, ‘Protector’, Anglesey

Overall Youth LPOTY Winner: Joshua Elphick, ‘Counting Sheep’, Sussex

Overall Youth LPOTY Winner: Joshua Elphick, ‘Counting Sheep’, Sussex

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021

02 Nov

The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.

Tamron 28-200mm Grand Prix prize

Tamron’s 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD superzoom has been awarded the Grand Gold Prize in the Interchangeable Lens/Mirrorless category at the Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021. Tamron has also taken a Gold Prize for its 70-180mm f/2.8 Di III VXD telephoto zoom in the Third Party/Mirrorless category.

Grand Prix prize 70-180mm lens

The Digital Camera Grand-Prix honors the best cameras and lenses of the year; all gear debuted during the 2020 fiscal period is eligible, and winners are selected by photographic authorities.

In past years, awardees have included the Sony a7R IV (for Camera of the Year, 2020), the Nikkor Z 58mm f/0.95 S Noct (given Editors Award, 2020), and the Sony FE 24mm f/1.4 GM (for Lens of the Year, 2019).

But while Tamron has frequently received prestigious Digital Camera Grand-Prix prizes – in fact, the company has been awarded in each of the last six years – the new 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 perhaps stands alone, thanks to its breathtaking combination of focal length range, compactness, and image quality.

In fact, the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is the ultimate superzoom. It’s built for Sony full-frame cameras, and Tamron has ensured that it can stand up to the rigors of Sony’s mirrorless lineup; the 28-200mm is effortlessly sharp on high-resolution bodies such as the a7R IV, from 28mm to 200mm, at all apertures.

In other words:

You can capture stunningly sharp landscapes at 28mm, before zooming in for some nice sharp portraits in the 50mm to 150mm range, before capturing a sharp telephoto street shot or two at 200mm.

This is unprecedented for superzooms, which are equally well-known for their overall usefulness and frequent image quality issues. You can either have flexibility or sharpness, but not both, or so lens manufacturers seem to think – yet Tamron has proved that it’s possible to keep it all: sharpness, focal length flexibility, plus solid build quality, autofocus speed, and more.

I haven’t even mentioned the 28-200mm’s maximum aperture, which varies from f/2.8 to f/5.6 across the focal length range. The f/2.8 maximum aperture at the wide end of the range further increases the lens’s versatility. For night shooters – especially astrophotographers, who require clean images at relatively fast shutter speeds – an f/2.8 aperture is a must, and the 28-200mm can provide it.

The 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 is offered for a very reasonable price:

$ 729 USD, which is cheaper than many native Sony lenses, and brings an incredible bang for your buck when you consider what you’re getting.

So if you’re interested in a lens that can do pretty much anything, from landscapes to street photography to portrait photography and more, check out the Tamron 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6 Di III RXD.

(Also, take a look at our review of the incredible Tamron 70-180mm f/2.8 lens for Sony.)

Now over to you:

What do you think about the 28-200mm f/2.8-5.6? Are you impressed by Tamron’s innovation? Are there any competitors that you like better? Share your thoughts in the comments!

The post Tamron 28-200mm Wins Grand Gold Prize at Digital Camera Grand-Prix 2021 appeared first on Digital Photography School. It was authored by Jaymes Dempsey.


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Slideshow: These are the shortlisted images for the Palm* Photo Prize 2020 contest

20 May

Shortlisted images for the Palm* Photo Prize 2020 contest

Palm* Studios recently announced the shortlisted images for its 3rd annual Palm* Photo Prize competition. Over 7,000 images were submitted from all over the world. 108 were selected for the shortlist and are now in the running for the annual prize. All of these photos are for sale as prints with 100% of the profits going directly to the artists.

The judging panel consists of Alastair McKimm, editor-in-chief of i-D, Karen McQuaid, senior curator at The Photographers’ Gallery, Sarah Allen, assistant curator at Tate Modern, David Campany, Jessica Lopez, photo editor at Polaroid Originals, and Lola Paprocka, founder of Palm* Studios.

Brooklyn, New York-based photographer Dino Kuznik is in the running for the annual prize.

20 overall award winners for the Judge’s Panel prizes, Peoples Choice Award, and Peoples Choice Instagram Award will be announced on May 30th. DPReview reached out to a handful of these shortlisted photographers and got the story behind their nominated images plus the information on the gear they used. Don’t forget to check out all the nominees and support their work.

Shortlist, 2020: Dimitri Djuric (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: The image is a type of pylon for a high tension overhead power line. It’s part of an ongoing series of buildings and structures photographed at night.

Gear: Fujifilm XH1 camera and a big flash.

Shortlist, 2020: Ashley Bourne (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: My work centers around storytelling within society, drawing on ideas from personal experience to form the basis of my projects.

Gear and Film: Pentax 67 medium format camera, a 90mm lens, and Kodak Portra 400 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Mark Mahaney (San Francisco, California, United States)

Artist Statement: This is an image from my first book, Polar Night. The project is a passage through a rapidly changing landscape in Alaska’s northernmost town of Utqiagvik. It’s an exploration of prolonged darkness, told through the strange beauty of a snowscape cast in a two month shadow.

The unnatural lights that flare in the sun’s absence and the shapes that emerge from the landscape are unexpectedly beautiful in their softness and harshness. It’s hard to see past the heavy gaze of climate change in an arctic town, though Polar Night is a visual poem about endurance, isolation and survival.

Gear: Pentax 645z camera with manual focus 75mm lens.

Shortlist, 2020: Joseph Balestra (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States)

Artist Statement: At the end of 2019, I spent a month out west in California as a way to wrap up the year and reflect. During this time I created a few portraits of local artist and personalities. This portrait was created on Venice beach of Artist Floyd Zion, a musician and model based out of LA. The shoot was approached in what is still to this day one of my favorite ways to work with a subject. No planning, just chasing light and enjoying a day of collaboration.

Gear and Film: Mamiya AFD II camera, Kodak film, self-scanned.

Shortlist, 2020: Alexander Beer (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Too many people stigmatize women who wear the hijab. There is nowhere in the the Holy Quran that tells them not to kick ass as human beings. These amazing girls and women are all taekwondo black belts.

Gear and Film: Asahi Pentax 67 6×7 camera, with 120 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Caitlin Chescoe (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: My Father has been a life long KISS fan, we’ve grown up with bands like KISS playing throughout the house and it is very much a part of who we are as a family. On this occasion myself, Mum, Dad and Sister all dressed up as the band to watch a gig in Munich for KISS’ last ever world tour. We had front row seats and my Dad nearly cried he was so happy. This image represents an incredible memory that we all share together.

Gear: Hasselblad 500c/m camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Jan Kühr (Oslo, Norway)

Artist Statement: Ripe fruits and vegetables constitute a wild boar feast in the mountains in Alpilles, South of France.

Gear and Film: Mamiya 7 II camera with an 80mm lens, Kodak Porta 160 ISO film.

Shortlist, 2020: Rinchen Ato (Cambridge, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Rinchen Ato’s photographs are an exploration of her heritage and the fast-evolving culture of the Khampa people. Over multiple trips, spanning the past two decades, she has documented family, friends and the struggles and celebrations of the wider community of Tibetan people living in Kham.

It is an incredible place. The region is mountainous, consisting of high altitude grasslands, a remote and rugged land with a society where little had changed for centuries until recently. ‘My father often jokes that he was born in the Bronze Age and even in the 20 years I have been photographing there I have seen how quickly Kham has evolved.’ The inhabitants were mostly nomadic but, with rapid modernization, mass migration to the town of Jyekundo ????????????? and huge earthquake in 2010 which obliterated the area, many villages are now abandoned or only have a few families remaining.

Deeply aware of the visual tropes used by foreign photographers, depicting Tibetans as ‘other,’ Ato’s work employs a sensibility which comes from her connection to the community, a community which is familiar to her.

The project has been described as a mix of nostalgia and realism. ‘To photograph is the act of capturing a moment and this is my attempt to record and hold on to something precious, like a love letter, an homage, to the people I hold most dear and the country that I adore.’

The project started in a naïve way. Twins are an obvious subject for photographers as the very notion suggests the mirror-like rhetoric that photography has with the world. It’s also interesting because when you shoot subjects so similar, under scrutiny, it highlights the differences between them and how we’re all individuals. But as the project now stretches over such a long period it has evolved into something more, an uninterrupted sequence, a body of work in it’s own right marking the passage of time. As they have grown and changed, so too has the environment around them, yet the resemblance between the girls remains constant.

In this image they were 15. We’d finished lunch and were sitting around chatting but this year was different. They dashed off to their room to get ready and were gone about half an hour. They came out wearing these incredible gingham dresses and matching watches. It felt like a real transition, they’d become conscious of their appearance. We stood on the balcony overlooking the town. The rabbits were a birthday gift and they wanted to hold them, and there it was, the shot.

Gear: Hasselblad 503CXI camera with film.

Shortlist, 2020: Lotte Van Raalte (Amsterdam, The Netherlands)

Artist Statement: This January (2020) I published my very first book, BODY. Over the course of 16 months I photographed 46 women in their most natural form including my mom. This picture was taken on the 16th of October 2018 at the beach in The Hague, the city where I grew up. My mom – who is terminally ill – had just told me some bad news. Minutes after, we were driving to the beach, during which I was still processing what she had just said.

As soon as we started shooting she was running, dancing and playing. One of her oldest friends was at the beach too, so I photographed them together. My mom absolutely loves the beach and although she’s ill, looking at the images afterwards, she looks so full of life and joy. It’s one of my favorite images of the book and I still am fascinated by the fact that her body actually created mine. The title of this image is ‘Judy and Lily.’

Gear: Sony a7RIII camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Jon Ervin (Brooklyn, New York, United States)

Artist Statement: This project aptly titled ‘Boys Will Be,’ which references the common phrase ‘Boys Will Be Boys,’ is an ongoing photographic journey exploring the various ways in which men perform and construct their identity. In this project I use the camera as an active agent to witness these gestures of masculine performance through documentation, portraiture, and staged scenarios.

By turning the camera on these men, I am encouraging them to perform for the ‘other.’ That performance, framed between the lines of the viewfinder, is a subjective choice to display their constructed identity to the camera, myself, and the viewer. The use of staged adolescent experiences creates scenarios where innocent horseplay can become something of consequence and for impalpable power dynamics that are threaded throughout our society to become tangible.

It is in those moments where boys learn their own power and how it can be used to influence others. Despite the relation to “Boys Will Be Boys,” this project does not adhere to the belief of so-called excusable male behavior that is at times aggressive, violent, and toxic; instead it has importantly left off the last word — ‘Boys.’ That distinction allows the men of this project to simply be.

Gear and Film: Pentax 67II camera with a 300mm f/4 lens and 1.4x teleconverter, Portra 400 film.

Shortlist, 2020: Dylan Lewis (Richmond, Virginia, United States)

Artist Statement: This image is from my larger body of work, a photo book titled ‘Dusker.’ The images in Dusker act as physical expressions of interior states. Situated between exhalation and incantation, they construct a space where the ontological unease of ‘documentary’ photography, the aestheticizing eye of fiction, and the emotional texture of dreams within an always-already fractured reality intertwine.

Shortlist, 2020: Pat Martin (Los Angeles, California, United States)

Artist Statement: It was Easter afternoon and we heard Jeff was feeling lonely. She had thought that her whole family had forgotten about her, but to her surprise, we all showed up with a pack of American Spirits, wine, and a pair up bunny ears. Jeff may be 98, but she’s still a party-girl and loves some good company.

Gear and Film: MF Pentax 67II camera, and printed in a color darkroom. All Kodak film, chemicals, and chromogenic darkroom paper.

Shortlist, 2020: Hua Jin (Montreal, Canada)

Artist Statement: This photo is part of my long-term and ongoing project ‘My Big Family.’ A project I document my extended families in China.

I call the woman in the picture ‘Aunt,’ she is a distant relative who lives nearby. When I took this photo she was trying to dig some coppers and wires from the demolition sites where the old farmer houses had been destroyed. She could make a small amount of money in the market by selling these materials.

While local people were trying to make small amounts of money from the ruins that used to be their homes, the government along with big companies were trying to redesign and reuse the land by building residential and commercial high rises, meanwhile, to change the traditional life-styles in the rural area.

Gear: Plaubel Makina W67 camera

Shortlist, 2020: Kamila Lozinska (Bristol, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: This is a candid shot of my dear friend Jasmine basking in the sun.

Gear: Mamiya RZ67 camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Laura Pannack (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: At the age of 16, Baruch chose to leave his Orthodox Jewish community and to study. The dramatic and challenging decision forced him to question his identity and future. Einstein says: ‘The important thing is to not stop questioning. Curiosity has its own reason for existing.’ The project explores how we choose our paths in life and questions how much control we have to change who we will become. The project was commissioned by 1854 Media and supported by Panasonic.

Gear: Panasonic SR1

Shortlist, 2020: Imogen Forte (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Last Summer, I moved out of my house, put my stuff into storage, and spent three months traveling the coast of England documenting the people and places I encountered. I wanted to explore more of the country I’d always called home and familiarize myself with new people and new places.

I met this girl in Cornwall, where she was stood in the street with her family. I approached and asked if she wanted a portrait and she agreed. I spotted this amazing backdrop in the cafe beside us and so we popped inside to have a drink and a chat and take some portraits.

Gear: Mamiya RZ67 camera.

Shortlist, 2020: Tais Sirote (London, United Kingdom)

Artist Statement: Tais Sirote, also known as Taisido, is a London-based photographer specializing in still-life and product photography. She has a background in graphic design and loves anything related to self-publishing books. Her style has always shown attention to lighting, showing her strengths on taking bold images, and having an eye for detail. Her pictures are sometimes mistaken for 3D renders and attempt to trick the eye of the viewer to make you wonder how it was taken.

Gear: Canon 5DS

Shortlist, 2020: Valeria Moreno (Richmond, Virginia, United States)

Artist Statement: This image is from a photo series meant to serve as an image as film sequence portraying young womanhood.

Gear: Panasonic Lumix G7 camera.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2019 Pulitzer Prize photography award winners announced for Breaking News, Feature Photography

17 Apr

Editor’s note: Some of the photographs in the winning selections are graphic in nature. We have taken the liberty to censor a few of the more graphic images and provide uncensored links in the gallery description, but even some of the uncensored images are tough to look at. Please keep this in mind when proceeding through the award-winning images.

The 2019 Pulitzer Prize winners have been announced, including two in their respective photography categories: the photography staff of Reuters for Breaking News Photography and Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post for Feature Photography. Both winners have been awarded $ 15,000 each.

The photography staff of Reuters was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for their ‘vivid and startling visual narrative of the urgency, desperation and sadness of migrants as they journeyed to the U.S. from Central and South America,’ it was announced. The photography staff of Reuters was awarded the Feature Photography Pulitzer Prize in 2018, as well. Below is a gallery of the winning photographs in the Breaking News Photography category:

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Reuters congratulated the winners on Monday. The publication’s Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said in a statement:

While it’s gratifying to be recognized for the work, public attention should be focused more on the people about whom we report than on us: in this case, the Rohingya and the Central American migrants.

In addition, Lorenzo Tugnoli of The Washington Post was awarded a Pulitzer Prize for his ‘brilliant photo storytelling of the tragic famine in Yemen, shown through images in which beauty and composure are intertwined with devastation.’ The work was moved from the Breaking News Photography to the Feature Photography category by the Pulitzer jury. Below is a gallery of the winning photographs in the Feature Photography category:

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Tugnoli was joined by Craig F. Walker of The Boston Globe and Maggie Steber and Lynn Johnson of National Geographic, who were nominated as finalists. In the Breaking News Photography category, the photography staff of Associated Press and Noah Berger, John Locher and Ringo H. W. Chiu of Associated Press were nominated as finalists.

Photo credit: Photos by their respective photographers/organizations, used with permission from the Pulitzer Prize organization

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Zeiss opens its 2019 photography award with €15K top prize

27 Nov

Zeiss has announced its 2019 photography contest is open for entries, and that the top prize will include €12,000/$ 13,615USD of its lenses along with a €3000/$ 3403USD grant to pay for a photographic project.

The contest, run alongside the Sony World Photography Awards, is aimed at photographers shooting stories with multiple images rather than single frames. The theme, as always, is ‘Seeing Beyond – The Unexpected.’ The judges will be looking for collections of 5-10 photographs and descriptions on a theme with a ‘strong and clear narrative’. The brief is purposely pretty open and can be interrupted in a wide range of ways.

15 photographers will be shortlisted and will exhibit at the Sony World Photography Awards show, and the winner announced on April 9th at the awards ceremony in London.

Submitted photographs will be judged by three international panelists: Simon Frederick, Dagmar Seeland and Shoair Mavlian. According to Zeiss, ‘The jury will evaluate both the photographic quality as well as the creativity of the works. The jury is particularly looking for a powerful story that is clearly recognizable in the images.’

The contest closes on February 8th, 2019. For more information visit the Zeiss Photography Award pages on the SWPA website.

Press release:

ZEISS Photography Award 2019 “Seeing Beyond – The Unexpected “
Pushing the limits of creativity

The ZEISS Photography Award is now in its fourth year – and is calling on ambitious photographers from across the globe to present their work around the theme “Seeing Beyond – The Unexpected” to the international jury of experts. The ZEISS Photography Award is jointly organized by ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation. Last year, 12,000 photographers from 140 countries submitted nearly 90,000 photos.

The 2019 brief
Photographers are asked for a creative response to the brief “The Unexpected” that is driven by a strong and clear narrative. To be understood in its broadest sense, “The Unexpected” challenges photographers to submit a series of 5-10 images that look past the everyday and address something unforeseen or surprising – whether this is through the landscape and the physical environment, through human expression, emotion and interaction, through political or social causes or something more conceptual. The ‘unexpected’ element could be of global or very personal concern and may either showcase the familiar in a new way or shed light on something entirely different. All types of photography are welcomed by judges

Participants are required to submit a series of five to ten photographs, including a description of the images, online. Submissions open 22 November, 2018 and close 8 February, 2019.

Prizes
A shortlist with up to 15 photo series will be released on 26 March 2019. The winner will be announced on 9 April 2019. The winning and selected shortlisted works will be exhibited at Somerset House.

The winner will receive:

  • ZEISS camera lenses of their choice worth a total of 12,000 euros, and 3,000 euros to cover travels costs for a photo project.
  • Flights and accommodation to attend the exhibition’s opening at Somerset House London in April 2019.
  • ZEISS will also invite the winner to their headquarters in Germany to see behind the scenes and test out ZEISS lenses for themselves.

The winner will also have the chance to collaborate directly with ZEISS and the World Photography Organisation.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Finalists in Taylor Wessing portrait prize announced

09 Sep

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London’s National Portrait Gallery has released the shortlist for its annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize, ahead of the winner being announced in October. The competition is open to professionals as well as amateur photographers, and carries a top prize of £15,000 (approx. $ 19k). The winner and shortlisted images, along with selected others, make up an exhibition that runs at the NPG for four months and an accompanying catalogue.

The print-only competition is sometimes controversial in its choices, and gave birth to the Portrait Salon – an independent group that only exhibits images rejected by the Taylor Wessing competition.

For more information see the National Portrait Gallery website.

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Struggling owl takes home top prize in 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards

19 Dec

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After showing off 40 chuckle-inducing finalists early last week, the 2017 Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards have revealed their overall winners in each category. The results were unveiled last Thursday, but a Monday evening seems like the best possible time to share some photos that’ll make you smile.

The overall winner is a photo of an owl struggling to stay on a branch, part of a sequence of four shots by photographer Tibor Kercz that he aptly titled “Help.” Meanwhile, the category prizes—On the Land, In the Air, and Under the Sea—went to Andrea Zampatti, John Threlfall, and Troy Mayne, respectively. You can see all 7 winning photos in the gallery above.

Of course, these 7 are far from the only images worth a laugh. So in addition to naming its winners, the CWPAs also named 10 Highly Commended images, which we’ve included in the gallery below. You’re welcome…

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In addition to making us smile once a year, The Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards also works with The Born Free Foundation, which “works locally, nationally and internationally to end wild animal cruelty and suffering, and protect threatened wildlife.” To that end, they’ve put together a photo book of comical photos submitted to the CWPAs over the years, which helps to raise funds for the Foundation.

If you like what you see above, consider purchasing the book and supporting the Foundation. And if you want to learn more about the Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards head over to the CWPA website where you’ll find all of the finalists and winners from the past three years—a little inspiration for your entry to next year’s competition, perhaps?

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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Portrait of a robot takes 3rd place in prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize

23 Nov

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Winners Announced

A portrait of an android woman has beaten over 5,700 pictures of humans to take third place in this year’s prestigious Taylor Wessing Portrait Prize. The portrait of Erica secured Finnish photographer Maija Tammi the £2,000 third place in the competition, as well as the £5,000 John Kobal award for a photographer under the age of 35.

First place in the contest was awarded to Spanish journalist and documentary photographer Cesar Dezfuli, who received £15,000 for his striking portrait of a 16-year-old Malian migrant, Amadou Sumaila, rescued from the Mediterranean Sea off the coast of Libya. The picture was taken as part of a project covering the activities of a search and rescue vessel working in the central Mediterranean looking for migrants in trouble.

A similar theme runs through the second placed picture, taken by Abbie Trayler-Smith. She was working for Oxfam outside Mosul as the population was fleeing the crisis in the city caused by the so-called Islamic State. Her image was shot as part of a series documenting the effect of war on women, called Women in War: Life After ISIS.

Tammi’s 3rd placed portrait of the android Erica was taken in a research laboratory in Osaka University. Erica is a highly advanced robot with artificial intelligence that is said to extend to the expression of a range of emotions. The picture is part of a series called One Of Them Is Human, which compares robots to humans and explores what it means to be alive. The judges were not told that Erica is a robot until after the winners were chosen.

As part of her John Kobal award, Tammi also gets to shoot a commission for the National Portrait Gallery.

This year’s competition attracted entries from 2,423 photographers across 66 countries and 5,717 images in total—59 of those, including the winning pictures, will be shown in an exhibition at the National Portrait Gallery in London until the 8th of February. Full priced tickets cost £6, while gallery members get in for free.

For more information see the National Portrait Gallery website.

Press Release

CÉSAR DEZFULI WINS TENTH ANNIVERSARY TAYLOR WESSING PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT PRIZE 2017 FOR HIS PORTRAIT OF A RESCUED MIGRANT

César Dezfuli has won the Tenth Anniversary Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 for his portrait of a migrant rescued in the Mediterranean Sea off the Libyan coast, the National Portrait Gallery has announced. The £15,000 award was presented to the Spanish photographer at an awards ceremony on Tuesday 14 November 2017.

His sitter Amadou Sumaila, a sixteen-year-old from Mali, was photographed in the Mediterranean Sea, in international Waters 20 nautical miles off the Libyan coast. He has since been transferred from a rescue vessel to a temporary reception centre for migrants in Italy. The portrait was taken as part of Dezfuli’s work as a freelancer, documenting the search and rescue of migrants on board an NGO vessel in the Central Mediterranean Route.Dezfuli, who was born in Madrid of Persian descent (10.01.1991), works as journalist and documentary photographer, and focuses on issues of migration, identity and human rights.

‘I think Amadou’s portrait stands out because of the emotions it transmits,’ says Dezfuli. ‘He had just been rescued by a European vessel, apparently fulfilling his dream. However, his look and his attitude show fear, mistrust and uncertainty, as well as determination and strength.’

Judges’ comments: ‘Against the balance and precision of Dezfuli’s composition, the directness of Sumaila’s gaze is striking and unsettling. The portrait powerfully conveys his loss, solitude and determination.’

The winner of the £3,000 Second Prize is Abbie Trayler-Smith for her photograph of a girl fleeing ISIS in Mosul, Iraq. Trayler-Smith was there undertaking a commission for Oxfam documenting the camp where the charity was providing aid, talking to women who had lived under ISIS who were prepared to be photographed.

The winner of the £2,000 Third Prize and the John Kobal New Work Award for a photographer under 35, is Maija Tammi from Finland for her portrait of a Japanese android called Erica. This is the first time in the competition’s history that one of the photographers shortlisted for a prize has also won the John Kobal New Work Award which offers a cash prize of £5,000 to include undertaking a commission to photograph a sitter for the Gallery’s Collection.

The winning portraits will be on display at the National Portrait Gallery as part of the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 exhibition from 16 November 2016 to 8 February 2017. While the photographs are judged anonymously from prints this was the first year in which the competition permitted digital entries for the initial sift.
The prize-winning photographs and those selected for inclusion in the exhibition were chosen from 5,717 submissions entered by 2,423 photographers from 66 countries.

£3,000 Second Prize: Abbie Trayler-Smithfor Fleeing Mosul from the series Women in War: Life After ISIS

Abbie Trayler-Smith (20.05.1977) is a documentary and portrait photographer born and raised in South Wales. Travelling extensively her work covers women’s rights, social development and the aftermath of conflict. Her shortlisted photograph was shot outside Hasan Sham IDP camp in Northern Iraq. Trayler-Smith was there undertaking a commission for Oxfam documenting the camp where the charity was providing aid, talking to women who had lived under ISIS who were prepared to be photographed. A convoy of buses arrived from Mosul, bringing people to safety who had escaped the battle just hours before. ‘I just remember seeing her face looking out at the camp,’ says Trayler-Smith,’ and the shock and the bewilderment in her’s and other’s faces and it made me shudder to imagine what living under ISIS had been like. To me the uncertainty in her face echoes the faces of people having to flee their homes around the world and references a global feeling of insecurity.’

Judges’ comments: ‘The colour and texture of the portrait has a painterly quality, created by the mud-streaked glass through which the young woman is framed. Her haunting expression quietly suggests the unimaginable horrors of life under occupation.’

£2,000 Third Prize and £5,000 John Kobal New Work Award: Maija Tammi for One of Them Is a Human #1 (Erica: Erato Ishiguro Symbiotic Human-Robot Interaction Project.)

The winner of the Third Prize and the £5,000 John Kobal New Work Award is Maija Tammi(05.06.1985) a Finnish artist, with a background in photojournalism, whose photographs engage with science and aesthetics. Tammi’s work has been exhibited in Europe, North America and Asia. She regularly works with scientists and is currently finishing her studio-art-based doctoral thesis. Tammi’s sitter is Erica, a highly advanced robot, programmed by her creator, Hiroshi Ishiguro, to understand and respond to a range of questions and is able to express different emotions via dozens of pneumatic actuators embedded beneath her silicone skin. One of Them Is a Human #1 is part of a broader series which presents androids alongside one human and asks questions about what it means to be alive. The photograph was taken at Ishiguro Laboratory, Department of Systems Innovation at Osaka University, in an experiment room where researchers work with Erica. ‘I had half an hour with Erica and a young researcher in which to take the photograph. The researcher told me that Erica had said she finds Pokemon Go scarier than artificial intelligence.’

Judges’ comments: ‘During the judging process, only the title of each portrait is revealed. It was unclear whether the girl was a human or an android, and this ambiguity made the portrait particularly compelling. Tammi’s portrait offers a provocative comment on human evolution.’

The John Kobal New Work Award is given to a photographer under thirty-five whose work has been selected for the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition. The winner receives a cash prize of £5,000 to include undertaking a commission to photograph a sitter connected with the UK film industry for the Gallery’s Collection.

The annual Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize exhibition is one of the most prestigious photography awards in the world and showcases new work that has been submitted by some of the most exciting contemporary photographers. Since the international competition began in 1993, it has remained a hugely important platform for portrait photographers and offers an unparalleled opportunity for celebrated professionals, emerging artists and amateurs alike. The competition is in its tenth year of sponsorship by Taylor Wessing.

The competition judges have no knowledge of the identity of the entrants, and the diversity of styles in the exhibition reflects the international mix of entries as well as photographers’ individual and varied approaches to the genre of portraiture. For the third time, photographers were encouraged to submit works as a series in addition to stand-alone portraits, and there was no minimum size requirement for prints. For the second year running, the rules also allow photographers to submit photographs on different supports to the competition – to encourage the demonstration of a range of different photographic processes.

Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Director, National Portrait Gallery, says: ‘Many congratulations to all the prize-winners and selected photographers for their remarkable portraits. I hope that visitors to this tenth anniversary Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize will enjoy this exhibition of the very best contemporary photography from around the world.’

Tim Eyles, Managing Partner, Taylor Wessing LLP, says: ’Our huge congratulations to everyone shortlisted in this exceptional exhibition, and most especially to the winners. As a law firm we believe strongly in the importance of creativity in bringing solutions to our clients’ business challenges. Encouraging creativity in all of us is at the heart of our philosophy, and what better way than through immersion in the arts. We are privileged to be able to support the Gallery and this remarkably talented community of artists and look forward to doing so for many years to come.’

The competition was judged from original prints by Dr Nicholas Cullinan, Chair (Director, National Portrait Gallery, London); Dr David Campany (Writer, Curator and Artist); Tim Eyles, Managing Partner, Taylor Wessing LLP; Dr Sabina Jaskot-Gill (Associate Curator, Photographs, National Portrait Gallery, London); Fiona Shields (Head of Photography, The Guardian) and Gillian Wearing (Artist.)

The exhibition also features an In Focus display of previously unseen prints from a new body of work by the photographer, Todd Hido, who is known for juxtaposing mysterious and cinematic ruminations on the American landscape alongside portraits of women, which together speak of a fragmented and personal memory of the past. Hido will be the third In Focus artist, selected by National Portrait Gallery curators, following Cristina de Middel in 2016 and Pieter Hugo in 2015. In Focus is an annual showcase for new work by an internationally renowned photographers.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017

16 November 2017 – 8 February 2018

Tickets with donation Full price £6 / Concessions £4.50; Tickets without donation Full price £5 / Concessions £3.50 (Free for Members and Patrons) Supported by Taylor Wessing #photoprize

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Winners Announced

Photo by César Dezfuli

AMADOU SUMALIA

César Dezfuli
From the series Passengers
Inkjet print, August 2016
First Prize £15,000

On 1 August 2016, more than one hundred people were rescued from the Mediterranean Sea, twenty nautical miles from the Libyan coast. On board the rescue vessel, photojournalist César Dezfuli was documenting the plight of migrants as they tried to escape war, persecution and poverty. The portrait shows Amadou Sumaila, a sixteen-year-old from Mali, who was later transferred to a reception centre in Italy. ‘I think Amadou’s portrait stands out because of the emotions it transmits,’ says Dezfuli. ‘He had just been rescued by a European vessel, apparently fulfilling his dream. However, his look and his attitude show fear, mistrust and uncertainty, as well as determination and strength.’

César Dezfuli (b.1991) graduated in journalism and audio-visual communication from the Universidad Rey Juan Carlos, Madrid, Spain followed by a postgraduate qualification in photojournalism. His work documenting human rights issues has been published in numerous magazines and has been seen in group exhibitions in 2017 including First Prize in the Head On Photo Festival 2017 Portrait Category, and awards at the International Photographer of the Year Awards and the Moscow Foto Awards.

Judges Comments: Against the balance and precision of Dezfuli’s composition, the directness of Sumaila’s gaze is striking and unsettling. The portrait powerfully conveys his loss, solitude and determination.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Winners Announced

Photo by Abbie Trayler-Smith

FLEEING MOSUL

Abbie Trayler-Smith

From the series Women in war: Life after ISIS
Colour coupler print, November 2016
Second Prize: £3,000

This portrait by documentary photographer Abbie Trayler-Smith was made outside the Hasan Sham camp for internally displaced people in northern Iraq during an assignment for Oxfam. A convoy of buses had just arrived, bringing people to safety from the intense fighting in Mosul. She says, ‘I remember seeing the shock and bewilderment in the woman’s face as she looked out at the camp from the window. It made me shudder to imagine what living under ISIS must have been like.’

Abbie Trayler-Smith (b.1977) studied law at King’s College London. In her photographic career she is best known for covering stories concerning women’s rights, social development and the aftermath of conflict for national newspapers, charities and NGOs. Her work has been seen in numerous publications and in group exhibitions. She won First Prize in the Ideastap Magnum Photographic Award 31+ 2014, Second Prize Staged Portraits in the World Press Photo Awards 2014 and won Fourth Prize in the Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2010.

Judges’ comments: The colour and texture of the portrait has a painterly quality, created by the mud-streaked glass through which the young woman is framed. Her haunting expression quietly suggests the unimaginable horrors of life under occupation.

Taylor Wessing Photographic Portrait Prize 2017 Winners Announced

Photo by Maija Tammi

ONE OF THEM IS A HUMAN #1 (ERICA: ERATO ISHIGURO SYMBIOTIC HUMAN-ROBOT INTERACTION PROJECT)

Maija Tammi

Inkjet print, December 2016
Third Prize: £2,000 and £5,000 John Kobal New Work Award

The winner of the £2,000 Third Prize and the John Kobal New Work Award for a photographer under 35, is Maija Tammi from Finlandfor her portrait of a Japanese android called Erica. Erica is a highly advanced robot, programmed by her creator, Hiroshi Ishiguro, to understand and respond to a range of questions and is able to express different emotions via dozens of pneumatic actuators embedded beneath her silicone skin. Tammi wanted the judges to consider the advancements made in artificial intelligence and the rapidly blurring lines between man and machine. ‘I wanted to question what it is to be human and what it is to be alive,’ says Tammi.

Maija Tammi (b.1985) undertook a Master of Social Sciences in visual journalism and is currently studying for a PhD in art photography at Aalto University, School of Arts Design and Architecture, Finland. Her work has been seen in group exhibitions in the US, Germany and the UK and her solo exhibition White Rabbit Fever has toured to Finland, Italy and Japan.

Judges comments: During the judging process, only the title of each portrait is revealed. It was unclear whether the girl was a human or an android, and this ambiguity made the portrait particularly compelling. Tammi’s portrait offers a provocative comment on human evolution.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)

 
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2017 Pulitzer Prize winners for photography announced

11 Apr

The winners of the 2017 Pulitzer Prize for photography have been announced, which illustrate violence in two locations on opposite sides of the world.

The award for breaking news photography went to freelancer Daniel Berehulak, whose work published in The New York Times showed the violence in the Philippines during a government crackdown on drug dealers and users.

The other finalists include the AP Photography Staff and freelancer Jonathan Bachman.

The Chicago Tribune’s E. Jason Wambsgans won the award for feature photography. His photos document the story of a 10-year-old boy and his mother as they try to recover from the child’s shooting in Chicago.

The other contenders in this category were Katie Falkenberg of the LA Times and Jake May of The Flint Journal.

Each prize winner receives a $ 15,000 prize as well as the famous Pulitzer medal.

Via: The Pulitzer Prizes

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