“Unsupervised” by Alexandrena Parker. Overall Professional Winner and Professional Winner, Conceptual, People, Storytelling.
“The sight of children engaged in unsupervised play, left to their own devices in the streets, has become increasingly rare. Set in outback Australia, the scenes weave together the past and present, symbolizing the relationship between the landscape and the timeless essence of childhood.”
Named for the year that photography was first made widely available to the public, the 1839 Awards holds a series of photo contests to highlight the medium. Photographers from 55 different countries entered the Color Photography Contest, which is open to both professional and non-professional photographers. The results, which were just announced, are extraordinary.
In the end, two different conceptual series won the overall prize. For the professionals, Alexandrena Parker was named the overall winner for her images of unsupervised children playing outside, a rare sight these days. Astrid Reischwitz‘s fascinating look at her heritage, which combines photography and embroidery, won her the top prize in the non-professional competition.
There are many hidden gems among the category winners. From a playful plate of pasta to a striking look at the war in Ukraine, the competition highlights the impact that color photography can have on our view of the world.
The winner’s announcement, however, was not without controversy. In an effort to keep up with technology and its impact on the medium, the contest has a category to award the best AI imagery. What the contest organizers didn’t expect, however, was for a photographer to not only enter a regular photo into that category but to win the People’s Vote Award. Though the photographer was subsequently disqualified when he revealed that the image was not AI, the news brought a lot of eyes to the contest.
This event, together with the high quality of the winners, should assure any photographer that technology, while wonderful, is still no match for the creativity and artistry that comes with a human touch.
Scroll down to see some of our favorite winners and check out the full gallery on the 1839 Awards official website.
The 2024 Color Photography Contest celebrates the power of photography.
“How to train your dragon” by Leo Kwok. Winner, Professional, Event, People.
“Showered by molten, firework-like sparks, people in Meizhou, China perform a fire dragon dance to celebrate the Lantern Festival on the first full moon of the Lunar Calendar. This celebration was performed over 200 years ago and was listed as an Intangible Cultural Heritage in China in 2008.”
“Dark Beauty” by Robyn Finlayson. Winner, Professional, Landscapes.
“In late 2020, a wildfire broke out on World Heritage-listed K’gari, the world’s largest sand island. It swept through more than 87,000 hectares, or almost half the island. It burned for more than 2 months. During this time I discovered an unexpected and alluring beauty amongst the devastation.”
“Tiger” by Sofia Lopez Mañan. Professional Runner-up and Professional Winner, Animals, Conceptual, Storytelling.
“Tiger standing on a bed in Buenos Aires, Argentina. This image is part of the project ” The Book of Nature” that explores the concept of ‘Nature’ as a manmade construction.”
Run by the 1839 Awards, the photo contest is divided into professional and non-professional categories.
“Spaghetti Stylist” by Yuliy Vasilev. Winner, Professional, Still Life.
“Gitano” by Arianna Angelini. Winner, Professional, People.
“I met him once, trying to find my way. The solitude of the highlands was what I sought. Unbidden, he sat beside me on a log one day As I was caught up with some restless thought.”
“Nations of the Atlantic” by Kim Lang. Winner, Professional, Travel.
“Nations of the Atlantic explores the ocean as a vessel to connect cultures and focuses on the universal experience of places that rely on the sea for their everyday lives. It shifts the attention to small island nations, often overlooked in the greater discussion of climate change.”
“Spin Club Tapestry” by Astrid Reischwitz. Overall Non-Professional Winner and Winner, Non-Professional, Conceptual, Other.
“By following the stitches in fabric from my village in Germany, I follow a path through the lives of my ancestors – their layout of a perfect pattern and the mistakes they made. The patterns I have stitched myself into the paper represent fragments of memory.”
“Baseball in Bhutan” by Matthew Desantis. Non-Professional Runner-up.
“With Buddha (symbol of inspiration) in the backdrop, Bhutanese teenagers engage in a spirited game of baseball in the capital of Thimphu. Clad in the nation’s traditional noble attire, they embody the harmonious blend of tradition and modernity that defines Bhutan.”
“The Price of Freedom” by Lenka Klicperová. Winner, Professional, Photojournalism.
“Ukraine has been defending itself against Russian aggression for two years. Thousands of soldiers and civilians are paying a terrible price for their freedom. But they are still fighting.”
“The Circle” by Mauro Caviezel. Winner, Non-Professional, Architecture, Minimalism.
“Early morning long exposure shot of the ‘The Circle,’ a public swimming pool at Lake Zürich.”
“Total Solar Eclipse” by Edward Panjaitan. Winner, Non-Professional, Nature.
“The sequence of a total solar eclipse from the 2nd contact (diamond ring just before totality), totality, and just after totality (diamond ring just after totality).”
“Passion” by Sandra Paul. Winner, Professional, Animals.
Photographers from 55 countries entered the contest, which also included a category for AI photography.
“Untitled” by Robyn Finlayson. Winner, Professional, AI.
“Lipton Hill” by Anton Mischenko. Winner, Non-Professional, Photojournalism.
“Sri Lanka”
“Playfield” by Bragi Thor Josefsson. Winner, Professional, Architecture.
“M” by Scarlett Coten. Winner, Professional, Storytelling.
“M brings together three series that explore from the Mediterranean basin to Trump’s America and France, contemporary masculinities, and the determination to express who one really is. The challenge is of introducing into the collective imagination these singular yet shared experiences.”
“Sky Blue” by Robyn Finlayson. Winner, Professional, Nature.
“Morning on the River” by Proshin Vladimir. Winner, Non-Professional, Travel.
“Arctic Expedition” by Kari Peltola. Winner, Non-Professional, Minimalism.
“Arctic expedition in Svalbard.”