1ST PRIZE: Jeremy Skirrow

“This photo made me think of one of Luigi Ghirri’s well-known Ile Rousse, 1976 images, the one of a woman from behind seen through two mirrors. Here we see a man through several glassless windows. Ghirri’s image was almost monochrome apart from the woman, but this picture is bursting with pink, blue, and green. It’s an intriguing image. The building/structure appears abandoned, but the pleasing color scheme almost suggests something else. The picture is very dynamic with the layering provided by the windows that the color separations emphasize. The diagonal shadow on the front adds certain complexity, especially as the same shadow (or a similar one) appears as a line in the ‘room’ immediately next to it. And the basketball hoop-like circle and its shadow on the top of the right of the picture provide a nice counterpoint to all the rectangular shapes and straight lines that dominate the rest of the picture. It’s difficult to see much of the man at the back, other than that he is wearing glasses and has a mustache. He also appears to be shirtless, just like the woman in Ghirri’s photograph. The two photographs, separated by half the world (as I realized looking at the location given for this image) and half a century, create an ongoing moment, worthy of a Geoff Dyer essay.” — Mikko Takkunen

2ND PRIZE: Francesco Gioia

“This image made me think of Saul Leiter and Ernst Haas with its use of layering devices of reflection and torn posters. The image is almost monochromatic, but the color that remains has a certain vintage tonality, which, along with the woman’s footwear and perhaps even the skirt or dress, gives the picture the overall impression of being from a bygone era. The only thing that breaks that spell is that we see a hint of a woman’s hand, which is holding an iPhone. The photograph is of New York, which, of course, was Leiter’s and Haas’s old stomping grounds as well. This picture feels like a wonderful modern take on the kind of fractured way of seeing the two legends introduced us to, especially when it comes to the Big Apple.” — Mikko Takkunen

3RD PRIZE: Eduardo Ortiz

“A wonderful image that captures the warmth and conviviality of the scene. The photographer’s clever use of a close-up, low angle invites us into the moment from a child’s perspective, enhancing the sense of wonder and delight. The dynamic composition—pigeons mid-flight, expressive faces, and richly textured clothing—conveys a sense of energy, cultural expression, and shared experience. It is a compelling image depicting a joyful moment of everyday life, rooted in the humanist tradition of street photography.” – The Independent Photographer Editors