Announcing 38 Award-Winning Black & White Photographers!

Luiza Kons’ photographs are full of personality, intimacy, humor, and carefree, tender moments. With a snapshot aesthetic, the work comes across as fresh, casual, and real. Kons combines photos that are not bounded by linear storytelling logic, nor are they limited to a specific style of imagery. In fact, it is this jumble of artistic approaches that makes the work feel very real and un-self-conscious. The group of pictures creates a mood and sensibility that feels intimate, random, impromptu and authentic.

In her statement about the project, Kons writes: “The outcome is a chaotic universe bound by strangeness, mistakes, imperfections. In a journey to invent life on our own terms.” Bravo!

Drew Waters' garden is a cultural stage, a theatre where the vices and whims of the bourgeoisie are staged.

A place that narrates the inhabitants of the house and their imagery, the choice of using flash shifts the narrative to a surreal level that allows the viewer to enter deeply into the world of the photographer.

Astrid Verhoef's 'Human/Nature' series is bold and striking, yet lures you in with a sense of curiosity. An anonymous figure (of the artist herself) faces out into a constructed geometric landscape, drawing us towards her own perspective. This gives a sense of who Astrid is as an artist. Working independently, and at scale, to create meticulous still life setups (this is done without AI generated imagery - only basic montages were used when needed), she has balanced each element serenely to create a surreal sense of beauty.

Sangjin Kim is my Juror's pick for his powerful, intimate portrayal of Korean life in Los Angeles. His work offers a nuanced exploration of the complexities of race relations and the struggles of fitting in, while also revealing the communities' internal politics. Kim captures both the beauty and tension of cultural identity in a way that is deeply personal and universally resonant.

Two men. A hand on a shoulder. A gesture.

I feel the touch. I know what it is like when someone else put their hand on my shoulder. Everything in this image floats together in shapes and textures that fit so well. This is two wrestlers? I am surprised. Puzzled. How can a touch from a wrestler be that gentle? This is how I would touch my loved one.

Tell him that I am taking care of him no matter what. This is the image that touched me the most, this is the image that started as a knot in my stomach and finally made me shiver.

Photographers use AI tools for different purposes: idea generators, hybrid incubators, and simple editors. Norberto Pezzotta studies and questions the tool itself and how it shapes our beliefs and ideals. Augmented Reality puts AI, beauty, and humanness under the microscope, highlighting the importance of working outside the tool to maintain our integrity, authenticity, and diversity. In Pezzota’s laboratory-like settings, an experiment is underway that brings together the ever-sharp AI-generated creations, masking the softer presence of the human form, often dissolving, becoming a distant memory. Who makes up the algorithmic ideals that we prescribe to? This work asks us to step back, see the many possibilities of what we find beautiful, and question why.

Richard Cannon’s work effectively merges the personal memories of D-Day veterans with historical context, creating a powerful and moving piece. By overlaying their present-day portraits with archival images from their past experiences, the work transcends time and conveys a universal message. The contrast between the intensity of war and the peaceful demeanor of the veterans today creates a visually striking impact.

Moreover, the use of black-and-white photography plays an essential role in seamlessly connecting the past and present, highlighting the gravity of history while adding an emotional depth to the piece. The monochrome palette eliminates distractions and focuses the viewer's attention on the subject's story, enhancing the overall experience.