Meet the Winners!
picks
Álvaro Vegazo's makes 'classic' reportage and street photography where composition, gestures of the subjects and the photographer's gaze manage to result in a pleasant and impactful image. The (chance?) or patience of the photographer makes us simultaneously see the men looking one way while the woman in the background looks the other way. Even metaphorically this photograph tells us a lot.
I’m attracted to the clutter and composition of these images — each one is jam-packed, multi-layered, and crowded with life. Aniruddha Guha Sarkar fills each frame with activity, and puts us in the mix, up close. He helps us to see the beauty of everyday humanity in these dense urban spaces shaped by shadows and vivid colors and bathed in rich warm light.
I was pleasantly surprised by the work of photographer Caroline Grimprel, who was a discovery for me. Her series Ones Among the All stood out for its calm and melancholic feel. I also appreciated her use of vertical compositions in street photography—which is not an easy feat. Each photo introduces us to scenes of a small Japanese town, yet the emotions conveyed could resonate anywhere in the world. Caroline's ability to capture stillness and emotion in her work is very impressive. Her unique approach and skillful execution in Ones Among the All showcase her great talent and thoughtful perspective.
Daniel Sackheim's black and white images have a timeless, cinematic quality. I feel like I'm looking at a movie set with the info booth and the express train images in particular. He makes strong compositions and uses light and shadow very effectively. Each scene feels dramatic. Overall the set of pictures hang well together. Daniel's professional background as an Emmy award-winning director and producer, and his early obsession with Film Noir has clearly played into how he sees and makes images.
This series by Gustavo Bravo brings a new layer to street photography. The photographer follows the body language of pedestrians through the streets of Bilbao, from light to shadow, allowing you to see them for a moment. It refers to the work Beltzuria by the writer Ixiar Rozas, whose study of words forever transforms the photographer's view who uses the camera to read the energy emitted by human beings passing through this space: some absent, others sleepwalking. Already in ancient times, the Romans believed in the existence of 'genius loci', spirits that watched over and protected certain spaces, giving them special magic, sometimes of an evil character.
In the attempt to contribute to photography and more specifically the subset genre of street photography, a lot of images become the same—there’s a similarity in tropes, ideas and use of color and shadow, etc... and while tradition needs to be respected and honored, it's crucial that a pursuit to contribute and advance the medium is always present. It is extremely clear to me that the series The Illusion of Meaning by Svilen Nachev does exactly this. The work is surprising, funny, dark and unique all at once. The idea that this work was not just a fluke was reinforced by visiting the artist's website, where many more, if not better images can be found.
Sadie Quarrier is the Deputy Director of Photography for National Geographic where she manages a team of 19 photo editors and oversees the assignment, production, and acquisition of photography across print and digital platforms. She provides journalistic insight and editorial guidance on the development of visual storytelling across platforms.
Previously she was Deputy Director of Mobile Storytelling where she oversaw producers creating engaging, mobile–first stories and videos. From 2002-2019, Sadie was a Sr. Photo Editor at National Geographic magazine where she was responsible for producing, managing, and editing 20+ stories/year. She was twice a finalist for Visual Editor of the Year by Pictures of the Year International (POYi). Sadie has traveled around the world on assignments and teaching National Geographic Photo Camps. Her career started at National Geographic in 1992.
Paul Schiek is the founder of TBW Books, an independent photo book publisher based in Oakland, California. He is also the director of Workshop de Allende, a photographic arts workshop based in San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, where recent workshop sessions have been led by Curran Hatleberg, Juan Brenner, Jim Goldberg, Alessandra Sanguinetti, Mark Steinmetz, and Irina Rozovsky.
Gulnara Lyabib Samoilova is a photographer, author, and founder of Women Street Photographers. With 40 years’ combined experience as a documentary and street photographer, artist, darkroom printer, photojournalist, and photo editor, Samoilova transformed the successful Instagram account @WomenStreetPhotographers into a global platform. She has launched a website, traveling exhibitions, artist residency, inspirational film series, and photography book, Women Street Photographers (Prestel, 2021). A former Associated Press photojournalist, Samoilova received national and international awards for her iconic photographs of September 11, including first prize in the World Press Photo competition. She holds a certificate in creative practices from the International Center of Photography in New York City and a diploma in photography from Moscow Polytech College. Samoilova lives and works in New York City.
Enrico Stefanelli é o fundador e diretor artístico do Photolux Festival, a bienal de fotografia em Lucca, Itália. Ele curou várias exposições, incluindo: Tim Hetherington, Jan Saudek, Horst P. Horst, VII Agency, Nobuyoshy Araki, Boris Mikhailov e David Douglas Duncan. De 2010 a 2017, foi o curador italiano do European Photo Exhibition Award. Enrico é fotógrafo e jornalista e ensina fotografia em workshops. Ele escreveu artigos e contribuições sobre fotografia para vários catálogos, livros e revistas. Participa de revisões de portfólios ao redor do mundo, atua em júris internacionais de fotografia e é membro do comitê de nomeação para a Joop Swart Masterclass no World Press Photo. Ele também é o nomeador para o Leica Oskar Barnack Award e Prix Pictet.
Marina Paulenka é a Diretora Fundadora de Exposições na Fotografiska Berlin, onde é responsável pela estratégia de exposições, visão artística e assuntos do museu, bem como pelo programa. A Fotografiska é o museu contemporâneo de fotografia, artes e cultura com a visão de proporcionar um dos mais belos palcos que Berlim tem a oferecer tanto para artistas estabelecidos quanto para talentos emergentes, assim como para a comunidade internacionalmente aclamada de criativos em Berlim. Paulenka tem 15 anos de experiência em direção artística, curadoria, educação, liderança, gestão e desenvolvimento em instituições e organizações culturais e artísticas, bem como na sua própria prática artística.
Foi Diretora Artística da UNSEEN Foundation e da UNSEEN, uma plataforma baseada em Amsterdão para fotografia contemporânea que apresenta os mais recentes desenvolvimentos na fotografia e amplifica as carreiras de artistas inovadores. Antes do seu papel na Unseen, trabalhou como Diretora Artística e Curadora do Organ Vida International Photography Festival, a principal instituição de fotografia contemporânea na Croácia. Paulenka é membro do Comitê Criativo do Bristol Photo Festival, curadora convidada na FUTURES Photography, e curadora principal do FORMAT21 International Photography Festival. É a vencedora do Lucie Awards 2018 para a melhor curadora/exposição do ano pela exposição “Engaged, Active, Aware: Women Perspectives Now”.
Jim Casper é o editor-chefe da LensCulture, um dos principais destinos online para descobrir nova fotografia contemporânea de todo o mundo. Como membro ativo no mundo da fotografia contemporânea, Casper adora encontrar-se com fotógrafos e falar sobre fotografia. Ele curadoria exposições de arte, publica livros, conduz workshops, serve como jurado internacional, nomeia fotógrafos para prémios importantes e é consultor de organizações de arte e educação.
