Black & White Minimalism Magazine is proud to announce the winners of the prestigious 2024 Black and White Minimalist Photography Prize. Despite the focused theme — minimalist black and white photographs — this year’s competition attracted a strong showing of 1,300 submissions, showcasing the enduring appeal of minimalism in black and white photography.

Grand prize and recognition

Yvonne C. Krystovsky emerged as the 2024 Grand Prize winner for their captivating photograph titled “In Great-Grandpa’s hands.” She will receive a well-deserved cash prize of $1,000 and international recognition.

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Second and Third Place

Following close behind are Daniel Zaleski with “Minimalist Concrete Staircase” and Alexandre Caetano with “On top of Serra da Capelada.” Both photographers have demonstrated exceptional talent in the minimalist black and white style.

Honoring finalists

The competition also recognizes a select group of talented photographers with a showcase of their work as Finalists. These individuals pushed the boundaries of minimalist black and white photography and deserve recognition for their artistic vision. You can see these images on their website.

Celebrating excellence

The winning photographs and finalists will be prominently featured in the annual Black & White Minimalist Photography Prize book and exhibition, reaching a global audience. This prestigious platform provides well-deserved recognition to these talented artists and offers a visual feast for enthusiasts of minimalist black and white photography. In addition, the winning works will be showcased on our high-traffic social media galleries, garnering thousands of views and potentially elevating the artists’ careers to even greater heights.

2024 Jury Members

• Alexandre Manuel: Professional Photographer
• Tim Nevell: Landscape Photographer
• Milad Safabakhsh: Chief Editor of BNW Minimalism Magazine

For more information, please visit their website.

PUTNEY — When Kate Cleghorn first visited Puebla, Mexico in 1984, she found the country “a revelation.”

In a recent interview, she launched into a discussion of Mexico’s origin story, noting that its leader Montezuma believed that gods from the East would come to rule.

When the Spanish explorer Cortez came from the East, Montezuma asked only for Cortez’s helmet. Cortez agreed — but asked for it to be returned filled with gold. When it was, Cortez’s conquest gained urgency.

In that early exchange lie paradoxes at the root of Mexico today. Faith in a spiritual world led to temporal destruction. What the Western world saw as weakness belies an inner strength and celebration of mystery.

That belief in prophecy, of a spirit world that governs life — that sense intrigued Cleghorn. In her many travels throughout rural Mexico, the Southern Vermont photographer came to see that “there is magic in this acceptance of a spiritual world residing in nature.”

Her new book, “Mexico: Spirit of Place,” contains 48 full-page black-and-white photographs.

“Puppet Priest” fuses the Spanish influence of Catholicism with the indigenous beliefs, in this case the love of giants, as embodied by the man in the foreground wearing a costume. Part of this fusion of Catholic and indigenous beliefs, Cleghorn notes, is that many current cathedrals are built on ancient religious sites.

For “Goat Herder,” Cleghorn “did not intend to create a centaur,” yet the blurring of goat herder and dog hints at a closeness, and their images, too, are close to the tree that dominates this dry landscape.

“Bare Feet” is influenced by Nell Dorr, who traveled to Mexico and wrote a book with that name. “I happened upon this woman on the beach,” said Cleghorn. She did not want to be photographed, but agreed to step into the frame and have her feet photographed. “Photographing ordinary people, ordinary things” ties into themes of another photographer she admires, Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

“Incense” underscores Mexicans’ use of incense in ceremonies. A priest stands in the background. The shapes are in harmony here, the sweep of scarf, the arch above, the woman in the center of this impromptu image. (And just what is the man in white shirt doing? Photoshop could remove him — but this is a film image.)

“Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro buried by lava by the volcano Paricutin” shows the effects some 80 years after the volcanic eruption. Cleghorn likes this image in part because of her efforts to get it: “It was so hard to get to: I had to ride a horse for a couple of hours and walk across lava.” The lack of vegetation all these years later “shows what the lava can do,” she said.

“Fish, Puerto Escondido” was taken on the Oaxacan coast of the Pacific Ocean. “I loved the textures involved … and the play of the light and dark … I like organic subjects — fish, dogs, plants,” said Cleghorn. She has returned to this image repeatedly using gravure, platinum print, and salted paper to vary textures and shadings.

Part of her motivation for publishing the book was to show Mexico, a place she loves, in a positive light. She always felt safe there, whether traveling alone and with others, at times helping a professor from Rice University leading tours. She has been away for nine years, but doubts that things in rural areas would have changed. “I never had any problems ever … People are hospitable, they bring you into their homes.”

“Mexico: Spirit of Place” is available at Vermont Center for Photography, vcpbookshop.org, of Brattleboro.

PUTNEY — When Kate Cleghorn first visited Puebla, Mexico in 1984, she found the country “a revelation.”

In a recent interview, she launched into a discussion of Mexico’s origin story, noting that its leader Montezuma believed that gods from the East would come to rule.

When the Spanish explorer Cortez came from the East, Montezuma asked only for Cortez’s helmet. Cortez agreed — but asked for it to be returned filled with gold. When it was, Cortez’s conquest gained urgency.

In that early exchange lie paradoxes at the root of Mexico today. Faith in a spiritual world led to temporal destruction. What the Western world saw as weakness belies an inner strength and celebration of mystery.

That belief in prophecy, of a spirit world that governs life — that sense intrigued Cleghorn. In her many travels throughout rural Mexico, the Southern Vermont photographer came to see that “there is magic in this acceptance of a spiritual world residing in nature.”

Her new book, “Mexico: Spirit of Place,” contains 48 full-page black-and-white photographs.

“Puppet Priest” fuses the Spanish influence of Catholicism with the indigenous beliefs, in this case the love of giants, as embodied by the man in the foreground wearing a costume. Part of this fusion of Catholic and indigenous beliefs, Cleghorn notes, is that many current cathedrals are built on ancient religious sites.

For “Goat Herder,” Cleghorn “did not intend to create a centaur,” yet the blurring of goat herder and dog hints at a closeness, and their images, too, are close to the tree that dominates this dry landscape.

“Bare Feet” is influenced by Nell Dorr, who traveled to Mexico and wrote a book with that name. “I happened upon this woman on the beach,” said Cleghorn. She did not want to be photographed, but agreed to step into the frame and have her feet photographed. “Photographing ordinary people, ordinary things” ties into themes of another photographer she admires, Manuel Álvarez Bravo.

“Incense” underscores Mexicans’ use of incense in ceremonies. A priest stands in the background. The shapes are in harmony here, the sweep of scarf, the arch above, the woman in the center of this impromptu image. (And just what is the man in white shirt doing? Photoshop could remove him — but this is a film image.)

“Church of San Juan Parangaricutiro buried by lava by the volcano Paricutin” shows the effects some 80 years after the volcanic eruption. Cleghorn likes this image in part because of her efforts to get it: “It was so hard to get to: I had to ride a horse for a couple of hours and walk across lava.” The lack of vegetation all these years later “shows what the lava can do,” she said.

“Fish, Puerto Escondido” was taken on the Oaxacan coast of the Pacific Ocean. “I loved the textures involved … and the play of the light and dark … I like organic subjects — fish, dogs, plants,” said Cleghorn. She has returned to this image repeatedly using gravure, platinum print, and salted paper to vary textures and shadings.

Part of her motivation for publishing the book was to show Mexico, a place she loves, in a positive light. She always felt safe there, whether traveling alone and with others, at times helping a professor from Rice University leading tours. She has been away for nine years, but doubts that things in rural areas would have changed. “I never had any problems ever … People are hospitable, they bring you into their homes.”

“Mexico: Spirit of Place” is available at Vermont Center for Photography, vcpbookshop.org, of Brattleboro.

A black and white photograph of two boys flying kites on the steps of the Teopanzolco Cultural Center in Mexico has been named Concrete in Life Photo of the Year taking home $10,000.

Saeed Rezvanian took home the top prize after his photo impressed judges for its “dramatic effect”. This year’s competition saw the first people’s vote competition that awarded $5,000 to Muhammad Nurudin for his photo photos of a farmer beneath Mandara Toll Road in Bali, Indonesia.

There were four other category winners who each received a prize of $2,500.

Concrete Beauty and Design

Concrete in Daily Life

Concrete Infrastructure

Urban Concrete

The Concrete in Life Photo of the Year competition is organized by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA). The contest is currently on exhibit at the Brunswick Art Gallery in London.

For information about next year’s competition and to see all the shortlisted entrants head to the website.

Are you a local business, real estate agent, or homeowner looking for Pittsburgh drone services for photography and videography? We are here to help!

Jeremy received his FAA license for small unmanned aerial flights via the Part 107 certificate in early 2024. By holding this license, we can offer commercial drone photography and videography services while operating in accordance with all FAA airspace rules and requirements.

We presently fly with a DJI Mini 4 and are able to produce photography and videos within the greater Pittsburgh area to meet your aerial needs. 

Before inquiring, please read more about our FAA license and rules and restrictions regarding our services. While our packages are fully customizable to meet your needs, there are a few laws and flying best practices we must abide by at all times.

The photography sector has undergone a massive transformation in recent years, thanks to all the advancements of the last decade. One of the technologies that helped bring numerous improvements is blockchain. While originally the blockchain was created for cryptocurrencies and to help people understand how to buy Bitcoin at the best price possible, now this technology has found applications in various industries, including photography.

Blockchain is a distributed and decentralized ledger that records transactions with the help of nodes across several computers. It provides transparency, immutability, and security to digital assets. These characteristics also made blockchain ideal for the photography sector, where some issues have been identified over the years, including counterfeit products and infringement. 

Let’s learn more about blockchain technology and how it can benefit the photography industry. 

Image source: https://www.freepik.com/free-photo/happy-female-photographer-checking-images-digital-camera-while-working-night-studio_25744789.htm?query=creative%20photography#from_view=detail_alsolike#position=6&query=creative+photography#uuid 

What is blockchain?

Blockchain works on complex mechanisms, but the general concept is quite easy to grasp. This technology can be described as a decentralized data storage that prevents data from being manipulated, owned or controlled by a single central player. Because blockchain is based on transparency and trust, the information on the ledger is available to the general public. This reduces the chances of manipulation and fraud. 

For the photography industry, the blockchain can democratize the market and offer more opportunities to people from all around the world. 

How can the photography industry transform through blockchain?

• Authenticating digital assets. One of the biggest issues photographers face is the unauthorized distribution and use of their work. But with blockchain, some of their problems could improve, as photographers will finally be able to authenticate their digital assets, thus ensuring that their rights are respected and their works remain protected. By using blockchain, each photo can be registered on the blockchain, thus having an immutable record of the usage and ownership history. In this way, artists can control their creative work more. 
• Royalty management. With blockchain, photographers can also streamline their royalty management process. Blockchain enables the use of smart contracts, which represent self-executing contracts with the agreement’s terms written in code. Because of this fact, they can automatically distribute and track royalties to photographers when their work is sold or licensed. This has plenty of advantages as it eliminates the need for intermediaries and minimizes the changes of disputes and payment delays.
• Copyright protection: Photographers face numerous challenges today, including copyright infringement, which happens when their pictures are shared or copied without consent. However, by using blockchain, artists could sign their work digitally, and only after that they would upload their image into the blockchain. This will create a tamper-proof and timestamped record, which will prove to be useful in proving the authenticity and originality of their work in case of disputes.
• Ensuring transparency in licensing. Another quite complex process is licensing, which makes it challenging for artists to understand whether they receive fair compensation or how their work is being used. However, by using blockchain technology, the licensing transactions will be recorded on a transparent and open ledger that will allow artists to benefit from real-time visibility on how their work is used and licensed, thus ensuring they receive fair compensation and proper attribution. 

What are the advantages of blockchain in the photography industry?

Blockchain allows a better distribution of work for photographers. This technology can be an efficient and cheap infrastructure for all the artists to deliver their photography better. Creators could use blockchain to distribute work to new channels, monetize their creations and sell to buyers directly.

Here are all the advantages that blockchain could bring to the photography sector.

• Enhanced security. Blockchain will offer improved security to artists by storing and encrypting their digital assets across numerous nodes. This makes it very difficult for hackers to steal or tamper with the photographs, thus maintaining the confidentiality and integrity of the photographer’s work. 
• Authenticity and trust. Blockchain provides a trustless environment where artists can share their work without worrying about plagiarism or unauthorized use. With the decentralized nature of blockchain, there is no single point of failure. Moreover, the technology is tamper-proof, and the authenticity of the photographs’ work can be proven beyond doubt.
• Better accessibility and global reach. Blockchain offers the possibility for photographers to expose their work to a worldwide audience without traditional gatekeepers or intermediaries in the way. Thus, creators can connect with collectors, buyers and art lovers from all over the world, offering new opportunities for monetization and exposure.
• Transparent and immutable recordkeeping. Blockchain provides a transparent and immutable record of transactions, thus allowing photographers to keep track of the licensing history and the usage of their work. This helps with the enforcement of copyrights and also offers valuable insights into buyer preferences and market trends.
• Streamlined payments. Blockchain uses smart contracts, which can automate the payment processes, thus ensuring photographers receive rightful earnings. Furthermore, blockchain can facilitate revenue sharing across numerous stakeholders involved in the photography sector, such as agents, models and publishers. 

The bottom line

Blockchain technology can revolutionize the photography industry by streamlining the processes in the photo value chain, protecting rights and providing the artist with better control over their work. Blockchain is characterized by transparency, security and immutability, and these attributes can be precious in the photography industry, as this sector deals with some issues currently, including unauthorized use and copyright infringement.

As an artist, it is crucial to stay updated with the latest technological advancements because, in this way, you can explore the advantages you can add to your creative pursuit. By embracing blockchain technology in photography, you will not only protect your work better but also benefit from opening doors to revenue generation, collaboration and global recognition.

So, what is your opinion on implementing blockchain technology in the photography industry?