Competition Winners

This collection celebrates the work of all winning photographers capturing life in its most vivid forms. These unique and international artists constitute the best of the photographic scene and we are very proud to share their work.

Winning Photographer Sandra Morante

Winning Photographer Sandra Morante
“Kushti wrestlers at sunset” - Guru Jasram Ji Akhara, New Delhi, India
The ancient art of Indian wrestling, known as ‘kushti’, still thrives in wrestling gyms, or ‘akhara’. Akharas are one of the few places in India where Hindu men who come from different castes are considered equals. Most akharas are associated with a guru, called a Palawan. This venerated teacher is a holy man who trains the wrestlers with the assistance of older wrestlers. Guru Jasram Ji Akhara in New Delhi is one of the most reputed Akharas in India. Here we see young wrestlers training in the sandpit at sunset time. © Sandra Morante
Second Prize Sujon Adhikary

Second Prize Sujon Adhikary
“Colors of Life” - Bangladesh
Bangla Rail is the state-owned rail transport agency of Bangladesh. It operates and maintains all railways in the country with a total length of 3,600 kilometers. In 2014, Bangladesh Railway carried 65 million passengers. © Sujon Adhikary
Third Prize Donell Gumiran

Third Prize Donell Gumiran
“Haldi Festival”- India
Every year for four days, the village of Pattan Kodoli, in Maharashtra’s Kolhapur district turns yellow with clouds of turmeric. Such is the festival of Vittal Birdev Yatra, which marks the birth anniversary of the community’s deity, Vittal Birdev Maharaj. © Donell Gumiran
Finalist Alex Zyuzikov

Finalist Alex Zyuzikov
“Journey of the Monks” - Mandalay, Myanmar
Two young monks on their daily walk to collect food in Mandalay, Myanmar.⁠ © Alex Zyuzikov
Finalist F.Dilek Uyar

Finalist F.Dilek Uyar
"Herder at Lake Tuz” - Lake Tuz, Turkey
Lake Tuz has turned pink for a while. A kind of algae called Dunaliella salina gives the lake this color. This really makes a surreal impression. On the edge of the lake, there is an old fountain where the shepherds occasionally bring their herds during the day. Then they go back to grazing again. I was lucky to get a photo of this shepherd bringing his herd here. © F.Dilek Uyar
Finalist Daniele Esposito

Finalist Daniele Esposito
“Folk Song” - Kyoto, Japan
Folk Song” - A sudden eye-crossing amid the energy of a folk parade, celebrating the cherry blossom season in Kyoto, Japan. © Daniele Esposito
Finalist Frank Lassak

Finalist Frank Lassak
“Being Wes Anderson” - Saltburn Pier, United Kingdom
Saltburn Pier is a pier located in Saltburn-by-the-Sea, Redcar and Cleveland and the ceremonial county of North Yorkshire, England. It is the last pier remaining in Yorkshire. © Frank Lassak
Finalist Djamil Kemal

Finalist Djamil Kemal
"Street vendor" - Comoros Portrait of a street peanut vendor, by the road between Moroni and Iconi - Comoros © Djamil Kemal
Finalist Alexander Smiley

Finalist Alexander Smiley
“Golden offshores” - Sydney, Australia
Sunrise, double overhead, and glorious offshores - Surfers awaiting the next wave in Bronte Beach in Sydney, Australia. © Alexander Smiley
Finalist Trevor Cole

Finalist Trevor Cole
"Mundari camaraderie” - Khartoum, Sudan
Two Mundari herders walk hand in hand into the dusk and dust in the blue hour - Khartoum Cattle Camp in South Sudan © Trevor Cole

– Theme: Travel Photography / Competition Judge: Matthieu Paley

This summer we wanted to see images that communicate the life of a place in all its splendor, and trigger our memories. Whatever the subject may have been: Street, Portrait, Landscape, Documentary: We wanted to share your journey, visually and intellectually!

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: Sandra Morante

” I really like the painterly feeling of that image, and how those men are all doing their little dance, it reminds me of old Indian miniature painting… That pensive man on the left reinforces a feeling of quietness. The texture of the wall, subdued light, warm tones of the sand, good composition, this all add up to a strong shot.” – Matthieu Paley, National Geographic Photographer & Explorer

2ND PRIZE: Sujon Adhikary

“I am fond of train journeys… and this image if just really playful, well balanced and full of little details, like the woman on the newspaper, or larger ones, like that rainbow umbrella! Certainly, it makes me feel like hopping on that train and find out more about these people’s life.” – Matthieu Paley, National Geographic Photographer & Explorer

3RD PRIZE: Donell Gumiran

“Gumiran’s compelling, sepia-washed rendering, possesses a poetic, dream-like quality and resonates with a palpable vivacity that perfectly conveys the effervescent atmosphere of the scene, and thus evokes the unique joy and enchantment of travel.” – The Independent Photographer Editors

Open to All Photography

Be part of a vibrant community: The competition award is a unique opportunity to gain exposure and provides a platform to celebrate the very best of contemporary photography.