In 1839, photography as “the medium was first made widely available to the public,” hence the name of the 1839 Photography Awards. To honor great photographers who use it as an art form, the 1839 Awards have announced the winners of this year’s competition in various categories.
Both professionals and non-professionals can participate, however, in the list down below, we shared the winners submitted only by the pros. Before an elite group of judges gives their verdict, people can vote for their favorite images as well, earning the photographers the People’s Vote Award.
So, without further ado, we invite you to explore photography through the lens of art that can manifest in breathtaking landscapes, intimate portraits, captivating minimalism, and much more.
More info: Instagram | 1839awards.com
Awards: 2nd Place, Overall Contest Winner and Gold, Animals.
“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.”
Awards: 1st Place, Overall Contest Winner; Gold, Storytelling; Gold, Conceptual; Bronze, People.
“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, symbolising the relationship between the landscape and the timeless essence of childhood.”
Awards: Gold, 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”
Awards: Silver, Animals.
“Thanks to Macrophotography we can discover and appreciate details
that are hidden from us. In the project that I show you “Insects the
little strangers” I have photographed different insects giving them
great prominence and showing their singular beauty.”
Awards: Bronze, Conceptual.
“With a fascination for wild animals, especially big cats, and classic cars, it all came together.
Tiger Motel, is a joyful scene of a tiger on top of a classic car in front of a Californian motel.”
Awards: Silver, Photojournalism and Honorable Mention, Storytelling.
“A boy jumping from the bridge into the canal of El-Max Fishing village, Alexandria, Egypt. Before demolition, every fisherman had his boat and equipment parked in front of his house. Residents used to call this canal the Middle East Venice, as it resembled the beauty and vibes of Italian Venice.”
Awards: Silver, Travel.
“”The Horsemen of Bromo,” epitomize a rich cultural legacy amidst Mount Bromo’s breathtaking landscape. are custodians of tradition, they provide visitors an immersive journey, blending vibrant customs with deep-rooted rituals, offering rides and a profound encounter with the region’s heritage.”
Awards: Gold, Travel.
“Nations of the Atlantic explores the ocean as a vessel to connect cultures, and focusses 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.”
Awards: Gold, Minimalism.
“Leaning over the balcony of my aunt’s Miami Beach apartment I noticed a woman in red going for a swim, so I went back for my camera.”
Awards: Gold, Event and People’s Vote Award, Event.
“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.”
Awards: Gold, Film/Analog.
“This image explores the theme of duality using the window to separate the world as it is and the world that is created.
Made with a Mamiya 7II and Portra 400 film.”
Awards: Bronze, Animals.
“Lake “Magadi” which means “soda” in Swahili bears its name very well, since it contains a unique concentration of caustic soda, produced naturally by the transformation of sediments in contact with runoff water and molten lava under the lake.”
Awards: People’s Vote Award, Animals.
“Creating a color contrast in nature, with the empathy and love play of two enamored horses. On the heights of the SHIRIN mountains in the Barzan region of Kurdistan, during a cold winter, the warm meeting of these two horses brought spring back to nature.”
Awards: Bronze, Landscapes.
“For the first time since the war, I returned to Sarajevo. The fog was disappearing and it was bitter cold. Smoke was rising from the chimneys and the sun was hiding behind the clouds. A stunning view with many layers. The many layers that represent the soul of the city.”
Awards: Bronze, Travel.
““Kukeri” is a portrait of Bulgaria’s ancient pagan rituals performed in the countries remote mountain regions.
The annual arcane rituals intended to dispel the evil spirits which might otherwise bring ill fortune to their community.”
Awards: People’s Vote Award, Conceptual and Honorable Mention, Conceptual.
“In the early 2000s, I sought solace in the Amazon’s depths, capturing its solitude and stark beauty. With an infrared camera, I unveiled hidden hues, a poetic denunciation of deforestation’s toll. These photos, echo nature’s plea for preservation.”
Awards: Gold, 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.”
Awards: Gold, 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.”
Awards: Gold, Other.
“Digital photograms of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). Provides protection from infectious particles but not from varying psycho-emotional states over time. Light shines through PPE, a digital process allows an inverse of colour and luminosity while maintaining a likeness to medical imaging.”
Awards: Gold, Minimalism.
“Glen Canyon Dam, which holds the 2nd largest reservoir in the U.S. Because of climate changes, the water level dropped to less than 40%. A worker operating on a bed of algae. Look how small a human is compared to the scale of the structure, yet observe the immense impact we made on our environment.”
Awards: Silver, Conceptual.
“Constructing self-portraits and documenting her environment, Laycock explores the experience of living in a human body. The artist, who lives with Multiple Sclerosis, uses visual strategies to communicate where the limitations of language fail. Reflecting experiences of transition, loss, and illness.”
Awards: Silver, Event.
“In the evening, Hindu devotees pray with especial butter-lamps and foods in the Baba Loknath temple during the fasting and lighting of lamps ceremony known as ‘Rakher Upobash’ in Samibag, Dhaka, Bangladesh. The fasters will break fasting by eating when all the lamps burn out.”
Awards: Silver, Other.
“The stuff dreams are made of, they are the imaginary of the sky with its disfigured, tumultuous and scattered past, , a canvas to see more beyond a limitless horizon, and thus magic makes an eternity out of nothing, becoming the eye of the soul.”
Awards: Bronze, Other.
“What makes us vulnerable? For me, it is showing your true self. We’re told showing vulnerability can be a sign of weakness, but I wanted to showcase that it’s a sign of strength, we constantly hide behind a mask. I shot through the glass to give this illusion, yet the model’s pose is strong.”
Awards: Bronze, People.
“The fishing women are sewing the net when their husband still fishing in the sea. Vinh Hy Bay, Ninh Thuan province, Vietnam.”
Awards: Gold, 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.”
Awards: Bronze, Minimalism and People’s Vote Award, Minimalism.
“It looks like one canoe, but actually two; It looks like only two people, but don’t miss a small dog is also on board. Lastly, there are three birds floating on the water.”
Awards: Bronze, Nature.
“This image is part of the interior of a rock from Indonesia that measures 1.5 inches square. The stunning natural colors and ethereal, wispy mineral formations resemble nebulae in outer space.”
Awards: Bronze, Photojournalism.
“A couple is seen bathing in the waters of the Rio Negro, to cool off, during a very hot afternoon in the Brazilian Amazon near Manaus, Amazonas, Brazil.”
Awards: Bronze, Travel.
“In this image is possible to appreciate this church, Destiny Church located in New Zealand, during midnight. The sky is into Dark Sky Reserve and it’s possible to see the length of the galaxy from a complete extension. The church built in 1935 appears in Heritage New Zealand.”
Awards: Bronze, Event.
“A long time exposure captures the movements of the octopus carnival ride at the Central States Fair in Rapid City, South Dakota.’
Awards: Bronze, Conceptual.
“Ever since I discovered photography, I have been fascinated by surrealism, by the mystery beyond us and beyond the moment, by “nothing is what it seems”. My project is inspired by the artworks of René Magritte.
And the question that grinds me is “If I become like you, how will you ever know me?””
Awards: Silver, Conceptual.
“Childhood dreams of parental letters, filled with tales of distant lands, echoed in my journey to India. Amid serene pathways, my modified camera captured dreamlike scenes, mirroring Bhagavad Gita’s illustrations. Divine encounters unfolded, blending magic with photography.”
Awards: People’s Vote Award, People and Honorable Mention, People.
“This work touches on our desire to explore and see the mysteries of the world. Not knowing where the road may take you but being open to all opportunities it may bring. (shot on media format Kodak film)”
Awards: Silver, Storytelling.
“Three girls dressed in traditional Oaxacan dress in Teotitlán del Valle.”
Awards: Silver, Conceptual.
“Toussaint Louverture named himself after Papa Legba, an important figure in Haitian vodou culture.
Toussaint aspired to enlightenment and paved the way for the Haitian revolution. All the representations of him that exist in the world have been imagined, and this image is one of them.”
Awards: Silver, Minimalism and Silver, Architecture.
“This photo was taken at La Muralla Roja by architect Ricardo Bofill and was shot using natural daylight. Influenced by iconic blues like Picasso’s and Majorelle blue, the colours hold deep significance in the artist’s palette, offering clarity and intense emotional impact.”
Awards: Silver, Film/Analog and People’s Vote Award, Film/Analog.
“‘Every year I have to renew the white paint, at some places I even have to paint twice. I am 82 years old now and have been doing this with my father since I was a child. My children have moved to the big cities and I’m afraid that no one will take care of it after I die’, says Giorgos.”
Awards: Silver, Nature.
“Diamond dust are ice crystals that form in the air when temperatures are extremely low. As global warming advances, we are seeing less of this magical phenomenon. I hope my images can prompt people to be kinder towards the environment so that they will not be a mere record of their once brilliance.”
Awards: People’s Vote Award, Nature and Honorable Mention, Nature.
“Experience the mesmerizing beauty of the Icelandic skies through ‘Icelandic Aurora Color Dance’. This series captures the Aurora Borealis in its full, vibrant glory, weaving a visual symphony of purples, greens, and reds across the Nordic heavens.”
Awards: Silver, Other.
“The photograph is part of the NEOW series of more than 60 photographs exploring loneliness in a large city – quiet, empty, unexplainably radiant, as if it‘s in the neon light that we have any hope of finding understanding.”
Awards: People’s Vote Award, Photojournalism and Honorable Mention, Photojournalism.
“I saw her out on the fields on a cold Easter day. From her broken hands and her poor home, you can tell that Rilka Ann had a harsh, demanding life. She also had the softest cheeks. From my project ‘Big Heart, Strong Hands’, published in 2020 by Dewi Lewis Publishing.”
