Matthew Dols Sentimentalist

The society we live in focuses on superficial beauty, and as a photographer I am a participant in this as much as anyone else. But I wanted to make photographs that transcend the societal focus on physical beauty and engage with the nature of who a person is at their essence. What they represent and who they are. Not just what they look like.

My impressions of people in my life are an amalgamation of every experience that I have shared with them. No person is perfect, and no memories are all one sided. These images represent the overall idea of a person. The good and the bad, an entire lifetime of knowing someone in a fraction of a second.

This imagery takes the myriad of experiences and expectations and blends all of them together. A single image is created by layering hundreds of images of a single person in order to create a ‘sense’ of that person, and how I see them. Some of the images end up being representational, while others become more ethereal, which is illustrative of the variety of people in my life.

— Matthew Dols

Discover more of Matthew’s work at www.matthewdols.com

THEME: TRAVEL Deadline: 31 August 2019

Competition Judge: STEVE MCCURRY

When traveling, the only way to discover the rhythm of life of a place is to experience it.

Each place we visit has its own particular look, ambiance, and atmosphere. Understanding its people, customs and traditions is vital and there’s always something unique to capture.

This summer we want to see images that communicate the life of a place in all its splendor, and trigger our memories. Whatever the subject may be: Street, Portrait, Landscape, Documentary... We want to share your journey, visually and intellectually - Let’s travel together!

1st Prize: $1000 · 2nd Prize: $600 · 3rd Prize: $400