Black & White Award February 2022

1st Prize Soner Abaci

1st Prize Soner Abaci
“Dark Night” - Turkey
© Soner Abaci
2nd Prize Joanna Borowiec

2nd Prize Joanna Borowiec
“Unfinished Dreams” - Poland
"Unfinished Dreams" is a series of images taken after the death of my father who passed away in his sleep. I could not understand what happened or come to terms with the loss. I looked for him everywhere and imagined he was asleep and dreaming. As a result, I have contact with him in the dream world he is with me. My dreams are sometimes like butterflies – whirling, delicate, suddenly arriving in swarms and vanishing abruptly before I manage to inspect them closely. Sometimes dreams teeming in my head resemble moths flying around a light bulb. They multiply as the night approaches and cannot be chased away. These records are born out of imagination and perishable ephemeral memory. They are not meant to be unambiguous; they should leave the door open for free interpretation and free reading to enable everyone to supplement them with their own story." © Joanna Borowiec
3rd Prize Alexandre Caetano

3rd Prize Alexandre Caetano
“On top of Serra da Capelada” - Galicia, Spain
The Galician mountains, 600m above sea level, where the Cantabrian Sea faces the Atlantic Ocean. © Alexandre Caetano
Finalist Bella von Einsiedel

Finalist Bella von Einsiedel
“Yin”
Part of my series YIN & YANG. Which shows the connection between human beings, nature and the balance of the universe. The bright side and the dark side of life, which belong together and therefore cannot be viewed separately. Would we appreciate the light without knowing the darkness? Where there is shadow there is also light, which is why I chose strong black and white contrasts. © Bella von Einsiedel
Finalist Dimpy Bhalotia

Finalist Dimpy Bhalotia
“Untitled” - India
© Dimpy Bhalotia
Finalist Hilda Champion

Finalist Hilda Champion
“Beginning”
Thin rhizomes are leading out of the darkness of the water and anchor the first thin leaves. This is the humble beginning of a water nymph, a beautiful plant with showy flowers that delight every viewer. © Hilda Champion
Finalist Caitie Yevoli

Finalist Caitie Yevoli
“The Black Suit”
Description: "Man in the black suit, following what floats by
Playing cancer's flute, letting the air get him high
He plays songs of june, tapping naked feet
In the waters blue tune, his heart keeps the beat
He inhales with caution, puff puff goodbye
The mind's sea he gets lost in, old memories wash dry
With the rhythm he breathes and in silence dives down
A wet heart on his sleeve, no gravity pulling his sound
His crescendo breaks the surface, wading us along
All blue tunes serve their purpose, all swimmers sing songs"
© Caitie Yevoli
Finalist Emillio Daniel

Finalist Emillio Daniel
“That Which is Wanted”
These hands that bind
Such machiavellianism in kind
Of a drained world beyond
Where my word is my bond
Would these hands lie to you?
© Emillio Daniel
Finalist Alana Cartwright

Finalist Alana Cartwright
“The Chasms That Divided Us”
This image is part of a larger body of work, exploring the evolution of harmony to chaos in a human relationship heavily impacted by the environment. This photo is representing estrangement. The figures are placed separated from each other in a dark, and desolate atmosphere. © Alana Cartwright
Finalist Esteban Amaro

Finalist Esteban Amaro
“Water Portals 023” - Chile
Levitating in the waters of the Chilean coast, the photographer places these sculptures in the form of portals, that represent our origin in the heavens, and that operate as entrances to some unknown places outside this world, but which are connected with our same space and time through this anti-gravity geometry. Portals and teleportation have been a part of the history of man from ancient texts such as the Bible and the Mahabharata, in which beings of light and even humans appear and disappear from this world, and it is precisely in the water where some of these phenomena occur. © Esteban Amaro

Theme: Black & White / Competition Judge: Tatsuo Suzuki

Regardless of genres, 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 we’ll 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: Soner Abaci

“The incorporation of light is outstanding. The photograph itself has a sense of dynamism that keeps the viewers on the edge of their seats. Each of the subjects in the photograph has its own elements that stimulate the viewer’s imagination, and I believe this is the true appeal of black-and-white photography. Well composed. It is a very nice photograph capturing a moment in time.” — Tatsuo Suzuki

2ND PRIZE: Joanna Borowiec

“The image and statement are a perfect synergistic match. The photograph itself is also fantastical, and the slightly blurred image is rather intriguing to the viewers. The power of black-and-white to stimulate the imagination is beautifully demonstrated here as well. Great shot.” — Tatsuo Suzuki

3RD PRIZE: Alexandre Caetano

“A thoroughly captivating and atmospheric image that demonstrates the potential of black & white. Perfectly framed, the striking alabaster lines that fringe the road direct the viewer’s gaze into the nubilous horizon, and contrast dramatically with the textured, charcoal scenery, creating a dream-like composition that intrigues and stirs. It is an immaculately constructed compelling assertion of monochrome’s enduring relevance, for it is hard to imagine it would have the same impact were it rendered in color.” – The Independent Photographer Editors

© Tatsuo Suzuki

Judge: Tatsuo Suzuki

Tatsuo Suzuki is a Japanese photographer, renowned for his visceral, monochrome portraiture and depictions of everyday life in his homeland. Born in Tokyo in 1965, he has received numerous awards and has exhibited internationally on numerous occasions, including at Photo Shanghai in 2015 and in London in 2016. In 2020, he published his debut photobook, Friction / Tokyo Street, with Steidl, which featured an extensive collection of his Tokyo street photography.