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Winners of 2020 Creative Photo of the Year by Siena Awards

The Creative Awards is part of the larger international competition put on by the Siena International Photography Awards. The aim is to encourage photographers to experiment with the subject matter they capture as well as their post-processing techniques. There isn’t any limit to how much an image can be digitally manipulated.

11 jurors selected winning and runner up images from 12 different categories including Fine Art, Abstract, Nature & Landscape, Open Theme and Architecture. The Overall Winner, and recipient of the ‘Pangea Prize,’ along with € 50,000 in photography gear, is Hardijanto Budiman for his image of ping pong players competing in Indonesia.

Typically, winners and runners up attend the annual Siena Awards and their works are displayed in the ‘I Wonder if You Can’ outdoor exhibition. For now, they can be viewed in this online gallery.

Overall Winner and Pangea Prize Recipient: ‘Ping Pong Training’ by Hardijanto Budiman

Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

Artist statement: Ping pong or table tennis is my favorite sport. When I was young I used to be a ping pong player in my home town club. So when the idea came up, I straight away started the project. This picture is about daily activities of ping pong players in a club. I made the concept look different and unique, representing my signature style.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Fashion: ‘Borderland’ by Gerard Harrison

Location: Houston, Texas, United States

Artist Statement: A photograph of a fashion model in a couture bohemian design is merged with a a fine art painting to create a walk through a garden in an alternate reality.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Abstract: ‘Delta Abstraction’ by Manuel Enrique González Carmona

Location: Huelva, Spain

Artist Statement: Minerals, water and water currents are the ingredients with which nature creates these ephemeral landscapes. This canvas is actually a raft of toxic waste from a copper mine, located in the province of Huelva, Spain, having been captured by aerial shots. These ephemeral formations will disappear with the next intense rains.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Nature & Landscape: ‘Silky Hat’ by Takashi Nakazawa

Location: Lake Yamanaka, Yamanashi prefecture, Japan

Artist Statement: When the clouds cleared, there was Mt Fuji with a silky hat. To make it even more impressive, I used a long exposure and then made it black and white monotone.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Architecture: ‘Achieve Dream’ by Min Ying

Location: Zhoushan, China

Artist Statement: The image was shot at the Zhoushan Sea Bridge, which is a great construction area in China.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Animals/Pets: ‘Black Friday’ by Pedro Jarque Krebs

Location: Spain

Artist Statement: Flamingos have eyes that are bigger than their brains. But this doesn’t make them animals without a conscience. They have great vision, and although their ability to interpret what they see is limited, their way of associating in groups allows them to develop a collective consciousness to cope with their environment. Climate change is increasingly affecting their habitats.

Winner, Portraiture: ‘The Same Sky’ by Carloman Macidiano Céspedes Riojas

Location: Argentina

Artist Statement: This goodbye does not mask a see you later. This never does not hide a hope. These ashes do not play with fire. This blind man does not look back. To this noise so fatherless I will not let you drill. A rotten heart of beating. This fish does not die through your mouth. This crazy man goes with another crazy. These eyes do not cry anymore for you.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Experimental: ‘Chicago Station’ by Carmine Chiriacò

Location: Chicago, Illinois, USA

Artist Statement: This is the classic example of how I like to interpret what I capture with my camera. Through photography I try to communicate the emotions that I am feeling in that moment to the observer. My aim is to tell a story each viewer can experience, and allow him to see the world through my eyes.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Open Theme: ‘Celebration of Sitti Mariam’ by Hisham Karouri

Location: Sudan

Artist Statement: The annual celebration of ‘Sitti Mariam’ the nobel sufi lady of Khatmiyyah sect in Sinkat town in east Sudan; a three days feast ending by the first Thursday of Rajab (month of Hijri calender). During Sitti Mariam lifetime, (1870-1952), the celebration was an annual meeting to assist the followers of the sect, and especially the needy, whom she cared mostly about.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Beauty: ‘Inner’ by Renat Renee-Ell

Location: Saint Petersburg, Russia

Artist Statement: From the series ‘The Room Of Sound Distraction.’ The feelings of the heroine are rolled up like bud petals. At the heart of the fragrance is the soul. Sly hands stretch to take it away.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Product: ‘Speed Freak’ by John Grusd

Location: Long Beach, California, USA

Artist Statement: This image is one of a series of compositions about automobile racing and the driver’s relationship to the distractions and danger inherent in motorsports. The driver remains focused and calm while the world hurtles by at tremendous speeds. In this image, the world around the driver becomes streaking color at streaking speeds.

Creative Runner Up Winner, Food & Beverage: ‘The Broccoli Forest’ by Yuliy Vasilev

Location: Bulgaria

Artist Statement: This is the pilot image of my ongoing project ‘Miniature World.’ The image was taken in my home studio in Bulgaria in August 2019.

Articles: Digital Photography Review (dpreview.com)