Black & White Award Editors’ Picks of January 2024

Following the results of the last Black & White photography award, judged by American Fine Art photographer Monica Denevan the editorial team wants to share some of the competition entries that didn’t make it to the final selection but presented a great variety of skills, creativity, and impressed us in their overall quality.

Congratulations to our 2024 laureates for their truly inspiring work. Spanning a myriad of styles, genres, and narratives, each image serves as a testament to the remarkable talent and creativity of the photographers, as well as to the breathtaking diversity of our planet’s topography.⁠

“Mordor” - Iceland
When fantasy meets reality. This landscape straight out of Tolkien’s universe presents itself to me alone. A chilling atmosphere but at the same time hypnotizing thanks to the ambient mist. © François Mille
“Disturbia”
© Alex Othwnos
“Velvet” - Bushy Park, London, UK
The velvet sheds from a red deer stag on the run-up to the autumn mating season known as the rut. The apparent rotting and falling off of the velvet at the time of shedding attracts flies. in this case, one for each spike of the antler. © Will Jones-Warner
“El Pichiti” - Cadiz, Spain
This portrait is part of a series of portraits that I took in Cadiz, Spain, with very rooted and authentic people that I meet at taverns. I took my background and a coupe light and shot right there in the bars. © Jose Girl
“Maha kumbh mela” - Haridwar, india
Maha Kumbh Mela in Haridwar, a sacred Hindu pilgrimage, is a massive gathering that occurs every 12 years, attracting millions. Devotees converge on the banks of the Ganges River, seeking spiritual purification through ritualistic bathing. The event holds profound religious significance, symbolizing the cosmic alignment of planets. The air is filled with chants, hymns, and the aroma of incense as sadhus, saints, and pilgrims partake in various ceremonies. The vibrant colors, diverse traditions, and the sheer scale of the gathering make it a spectacle of cultural and spiritual richness. © Gokul das K S
“Nostalgie de la mer”
Carried by the water, everything seems to remain suspended. It is a brief moment of harmony and silence caught in the safe feeling of the suggestion of something yet invisible to come. © Axel Schneegass
“Hypnosis” - Niger
Encounter with a group of female shepherds in Niger. As we looked at each other, time seemed to have stopped. © Mauro Garcia
“Song of the Chinstraps” - Useful Island, Antarctica
A male chinstrap penguin impresses an eligible bachelorette with his shrill trumpeting. Once mated, chinstrap penguins will stay together for life. © Diana Barthauer
Michael No.5”
Portrait of artist Michael Alexi, Maryville, Tennessee. This portrait utilized a hybrid camera system with a rehoused 1860 French Petzval lens attached to a 1949 Linhof Technika III and a Fujifilm GFX 100 II body. A Profoto strobe system with a 24” beauty dish key light and bare bulb backlight provided illumination. © James Phillips
“Pearls”
Fine art studio portrait work. © Olivia Mazzola
“Clouds are ours” - Nancy, France
What I love about my friend Leo is that when we share moments, things always get intense. We were in Nancy (France), this April 2023, 3 years after our last session. Things have not changed; our brains are still full of strange ideas. At this specific instant, the sky was cloudy, our lives were cloudy. We decided to create our own clouds to fight the painful ones. © Lauriane Bieber
“Eva and Amanda” - USA
A hot summer day with Eva and Amanda, Part of , My Mothers Daughter series. Shot with FujiFilm GFX 50s © Ian McFarlane

Published February 15, 2024 - Congratulations to all selected artists: François Mille, Alex Othwnos, Will Jones-Warner, Jose Girl, Gokul das K S, Axel Schneegass, Mauro Garcia, Diana Barthauer, James Phillips, Olivia Mazzola, Lauriane Bieber, Ian McFarlane,

fashion fine art studio portrait of woman by Ivana Sunjic

2025 Portrait AWARD

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Can you tell a story with a single glance? – in May, we invite all photographers to share portraits that narrate compelling tales, whether captured in the controlled environment of a studio, the vibrant chaos of the street, or the rich landscapes of travel.

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