Black & White Award January 2026

1st Prize Shannon Culpepper

1st Prize Shannon Culpepper
“Stoic” - Yellowstone National Park, Montana USA
This image was taken in Lamar Valley in Yellowstone National Park during a snowstorm. This parent bison is trudging along ahead while her two juvenile bison (out of the frame) are playing tag in the snow and not following along behind her. © Shannon Culpepper
2nd Prize Lou Fischer

2nd Prize Lou Fischer
“Winding Road” - Door County Wisconsin, USA © Lou Fischer
3rd Prize Sanghamitra Sarkar

3rd Prize Sanghamitra Sarkar
“Eyes of the Sea – A Bajao Child’s World” - Southeast Asia
This black-and-white photograph portrays a child from the Bajao (Bajau) tribe, the legendary sea nomads. Wearing improvised diving goggles, the child emerges from the water with a calm, curious gaze, symbolizing a life shaped by the ocean. In the background, a small wooden boat carries other villagers across the rippling sea, while stilt houses rise along the horizon, grounding the scene in a floating maritime culture. The image reflects the deep bond between the Bajao people and the sea, where childhood, survival, and tradition are inseparably intertwined. © Sanghamitra Sarkar
Finalist Leonard Drorian

Finalist Leonard Drorian
“Anika” - Berlin, Germany, 2020
Fashion portrait work shot in Berlin, Germany. © Leonard Drorian
Finalist Guillaume St-Amand

Finalist Guillaume St-Amand
“Lost in the dunes” - Morocco
The nomad of the desert © Guillaume St-Amand
Finalist Dimple Agarwal

Finalist Dimple Agarwal
“Sunrise” - Bagan, Myanmar, 2026
A country that was once the richest part of the British Empire now languishes under military rule, crushed further by Western sanctions. At sunrise, in dusty, beautiful Bagan, a town dotted with about 3000 stupas and temples, this family sat down to have their morning meal. © Dimple Agarwal
Finalist Ingetje Tadros

Finalist Ingetje Tadros
“The boatman” - Niger
A boatman gazes over the Niger River, a quiet moment amidst the flow of life. Niger 2024 © Ingetje Tadros
Finalist Mike Szpot

Finalist Mike Szpot
“The World Is Yours” - New York, USA, 2022
Mist Garden at Flushing-Meadows Corona Park, Queens, 2022. © Mike Szpot
Finalist Lux Corvo

Finalist Lux Corvo
“Stupa Stupa” - Kathmandu, Nepal, 2024
A solitary figure moves through the foreground of a stupa, briefly intersecting with the architectural structure and suspended prayer flags. The image contrasts movement and stillness, placing human presence against a monumental and geometric backdrop. © Lux Corvo
Finalist Bela Doka

Finalist Bela Doka
“Jineteras” - Havana, Cuba, 1997
The Special Period in Time of Peace (“Período especial”) in Cuba was a euphemism for an extended period of economic crisis that began in 1989, mostly due to the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The period radically transformed the Cuban society and its economy, as it decreased the use of cars, and overhauled industry, health, and diet countrywide. A time during which most people were forced to live without the many goods they had become used to. © Bela Doka

Theme: Black & White / Competition Judge: Jason M. Peterson

Our mission was to celebrate the enduring beauty and depth of black-and-white photography across every genre. From street scenes to landscapes, we sought out imagery that moved us and sparked a deeper inspiration.

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Finalists

Jury's Feedback

1ST PRIZE: Shannon Culpepper

“The winter scene is simple and graphic, with a scale that goes beyond the size of the image. Single tree, single buffalo.”— Jason M. Peterson

2ND PRIZE: Lou Fischer

“This is a very photographic image. The pattern and composition in black and white. Amazing angle and depth.”— Jason M. Peterson

3RD PRIZE: Sanghamitra Sarkar

“Perfectly framed and timed, this photograph pulls the viewer directly into the heart of the Bajau world. By stripping away color, the photographer invokes a sense of profound timelessness, casting aside the modern world to focus on the enduring traditions of these legendary sea nomads”– The Independent Photographer Editors

© Jason M. Peterson

Judge: Jason M. Peterson

American artist Jason M. Peterson is one of the most recognisable voices in contemporary monochrome photography. The Chicago-based photographer has become renowned for his bold, graphic black-and-white imagery and his distinctive use of light, contrast, and architectural form. Peterson has exhibited his work internationally and built a global audience of over one million followers on Instagram. Drawing influence from music and street culture as much as photography, his work explores emotion, scale, and atmosphere through a highly refined monochrome language, bridging digital platforms and fine art contexts.

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