Emerging Talent Award Editors’ Picks of March 2022

“I think good dreaming is what leads to good photographs.” – Wayne Miller

Following last month’s Emerging Talent competition results, judged by The Guardian’s picture editor Caroline Hunter, our editors are delighted to share a selection of their favorite entries: Images that didn’t make it to the final round but showed remarkable creativity and skill.

We would like to extend a special thanks to all those who participated in this award. We received an incredible variety of images from across the globe; encompassing all styles and genres and are delighted to shed light on this group of talented, innovative artists who we believe are well worthy of exposure.

Thanks again for taking part in the competition and sharing your beautiful work with us!

“Hide and Seek” - Bwindi forest, Uganda
This is Rwamutwe, the new leader of the Nkuringo Family of the Bwindi forest in Uganda. Those majestic apes are so similar to humans that I wanted to capture them the closest possible. © Brice Tribollet
“Nature Speaks” - Antigua, Guatemala
Evening eruption of Volcán Fuego near Antigua, Guatemala, shot from 2.5 km away at 13,000 ft base camp on neighboring Volcán Acatenango. © Jeff Bullied
“L’espressione del sogno” - Puglia, Italy
This photo was made in my room with natural lights, my body and two lemons. I’ve used the remote control of my camera. © Francesco Montemurri
“Preserving heritage” - Bangladesh
This is the last remaining boat of Bengal. Traditionally it is called Malar. Its design date back to 3000 years old. Due to rapid urbanization, this kind of heritage is disappearing. It is very difficult to preserve this kind of big wooden hull in Bangladesh. This Malar boat is 93 feet (28m) under bamboo scaffolding- to turn a Bengali wooden boat, bamboo scaffolding is the only method available. The rope is passed under the boat through the hole, and onto the pulleys. To overhaul this kind of traditional boat it is required more than 100 people. There are limitless steps and processes to preserve this kind of Malar boat. This is why this kind of boat is extinct nowadays. © Md Arifuzzaman
“Tarn Hows” - Lake District, UK
The work is documentation of the Lake District, UK while interweaving my recent personal experience into the imagery. I had spent the last year ill with Covid, all of a sudden isolated and detached, I wanted to focus my camera’s attention on the solitary landscapes finding commonalities with my environment. The work acted as a meditative and physical challenge. © Jacob Black
“Ewelina” - Berlin, Germany
Studio portrait work of Ewelina. © Olga Urbanek
“Morning Flight” - Lake Gwelup, Perth, Australia
Before the onset on the big winter rains, in mid-May 2020, I spent about a week at sunrise and sunset visiting beautiful little Lake Gwelup, Perth. With the lake less than half full, the shapes and textures of the lake and the cracked mud were captivating, especially seen from above. This image is taken in the north-eastern corner of the lake, and two swans can be seen taking a morning paddle whilst a small flock of cockatoos flies over. © Graham Earnshaw
“Manito" - Sierra Nevada de Santa Marta, Colombia
Floating and letting go in the river water. Manito is also part of a reforestation project and, together with his family, takes care of the waters that represent a sacred space that keeps them alive. © Camila Berrio
“Vermillion Cliffs” - California, USA
Description: - This is a petrified sand dune sculpted by wind, water and time. Photographed in black and white on large format film. © Kodiak Greenwood
“Leopard on Boulder” - Serengeti, Tanzania
This leopard sprawled out a perfectly round granite boulder on top of a ridge in the northern Serengeti. © Sheridan Wright
“Leucospermum fulgens”
Part of a family of flowers over 300 million years old. 180 million years before the first bees. From a series of work called “Fossil” looking at the human mind’s inability to perceive the vastness of time and humanity’s fragility. These prehistoric plants evolved before the advent of bees. Bees are familiar to most and have used them as a unit of measure. These living fossils give a sense of their physicality to the viewer and immediacy to their reality. A species normally lasts around 10-20 million years, these living fossils show the duality of the hope of life and also its frailty. © Kyle Hofffmann
“A 0 calory donut” - Switzerland
As my freediving body was ascending from her dive, she started to blow bubbles and played with them. The way she is crossing the bubble with her fingers makes it looking like a donut. © Lucie Pollet
“Aerial view of mine” - Southern Brazil
View of mine from higher altitude. Minas Gerais, southeastern Brazil. © Michael Naify
"Untitled” - Faroe Islands
Visual identity - Photo taken in the Faroe Islands © Lydia Hansen
“Untitled” - 2022
From my “Flowers” collection, 2022 © Tülay Ilhan

Published April 19, 2022 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Brice Tribollet, Jeff Bullied, Francesco Montemurri, Md Arifuzzaman, Jacob Black, Olga Urbanek, Graham Earnshaw, Camila Berrio, Kodiak Greenwood, Sheridan Wright, Kyle Hofffmann, Lucie Pollet, Michael Naify, Lydia Hansen, Tülay Ilhan,

2026 Street Photography AWARD

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The streets are calling, and it’s time to show the world what you see through your lens! From the raw energy of a packed corner to the stark geometry of a dead-end street—we want to see your best street scenes. Whether you’re a seasoned pro or just starting: show us your world!