Black & White Award January 2024
Regardless of genre, we wanted to celebrate the beauty and wealth of black & white photography. Be it in street, fashion, portrait, landscape, documentary, or any other form of photography: we want to be moved and inspired.
Make sure to sign up for the newsletter and join us over on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter where weโll be sharing all our favorite images from the competition. Congratulations to all the talented photographers who made it to the final!
Finalists
Jury's Feedback
1ST PRIZE: Mindaugas Gabrenas
โI selected โIf Dark Falls Apartโ for the First Place Award for its dynamic emotional pull. The โdouble negative exposureโ is evocative in its juxtaposition of subject matter. The falling birds are from a bad dream and seem as flowers flung by an element from their now bare stems. By comparison, the portrait is pensive and withdrawn to the inner life. I enjoyed spending time with this image.โ โ Monica Denevan
2ND PRIZE: Kuba Sฬwietlik
โThe expressive โGregoโ is my Second Place Award selection. A gorgeous portrait, with lovely tonality, and strong lines, it has a sculptural quality. I hear music that resonates and imagine a moment between the energy of movement. There are opposites at work, poised, self-aware, yet ready for flight. Stunning.โ โ Monica Denevan
3RD PRIZE: Jc Calingo
โJC Calingoโs portrayal of a New York City street scene during a winter storm is imbued with cinematic intensity. The solitary figure, starkly silhouetted against the snow-covered streets on which he strides purposefully, creates a striking contrast. Meanwhile, in the background, the neon lights and street lamps, filtered through the heavy blizzard and rendered in a monochrome palette, form an ethereal glow that accentuates the dramatic ambiance. It is a captivating composition โ reminiscent of film-noir โ which effortlessly immerses viewers in its atmospheric setting and highlights the enduring power of black & white photography.โ โ The Independent Photographer Editors
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ยฉ Monica Denevan
Judge: Monica Denevan
Monica Denevan is an American Fine Art photographer based in San Francisco, renowned for her stunning black-and-white depictions of Myanmar and other parts of East Asia.
Her focus on documenting people in remote, untouched locations sheds light on traditional cultures. She photographs almost exclusively with a medium-format, Bronica film camera, which adds a distinctive quality to her work.
Denevanโs images have received widespread publication and international acclaim through exhibitions worldwide. Through her lens, she immortalizes captivating moments in time, that convey distinct narratives of cultures often overlooked in our rapidly evolving world.
