The White House News Photographers Association (WHNPA) has revealed the winners of its 2024 Eyes of History® photo competition with Doug Mills of The New York Times being named WHNPA 2024 Photographer of the Year

Win McNamee of Getty Images has won Political Photo of the Year for his gripping image that looks straight out of a movie showing Rep. Jim Jordan being swamped by reporters.

Mills’ winning portfolio beatuifully illustrates the major news stories that have been happening in the last 12 months.

“I’m extremely grateful to the judges and all the hard-working WHNPA staff and volunteers. The caliber of entries this year was extremely strong and I’m so thrilled to be selected photographer of the year,” says Mills.

Over 4,500 images were entered into the compeittion. The categories included: Portrait, Pictorial, Presidential, Feature, Sports, Domestic News, International News, On Capitol Hill, and more. Below is a selection of the winners.

The winners of the still, video, digital, and student contests will be honored at the Eyes of History® black-tie event on June 1 in Washington.

To see the full list of winners, head to the WHNPA website.

On February 29th, the fourth annual OnePlus Photography Awards (OPA) will open for entries. OPA is in partnership with the International Photography Awards and is dedicated to highlighting impressive mobile phone photography.

Disclosure: This story brought to you by OnePlus.

The theme of OPA 2024 is “Make the Moment.” OnePlus explains that this vision extends beyond capturing fleeting slices of time: they aspire to amplify photographers’ distinctive tone and unique emotion, elevating moments into unforgettable masterpieces. The theme was inspired by the first human moon landing photo, which was taken by a Hasselblad camera, highlighting the partnership between Hasselblad and OnePlus. While the contest is organized by OnePlus, a smartphone manufacturer, it is open to all mobile photography, with the goal of making photography more accessible and encouraging everyone with a phone camera to become a photographer who is capable of capturing special moments.

IPA and OnePlus Collaboration

OnePlus states that its mission is to “Never Settle,” and it aims to support photography by pushing the boundaries of what is possible with smartphone imaging technology. To further its mission, the company entered into a three-year partnership with the International Photography Awards (IPA), beginning in 2021. It continues to build on that partnership of exploring the future of professional mobile phone photography in 2024.

As part of the relationship between the two groups, the OnePlus 12 phone was named the Official Smartphone of the IPA 2024. IPA also offers support for the OnePlus Photography Awards in the form of an official endorsement and professional juries.

2024 OnePlus Photography Awards Details

Over the past three years, OPA has garnered significant influence in the global photography community, with over 50,000 photos submitted from 110+ countries and regions worldwide. This year, within the year’s “Make the Moment” theme, there are three different categories that participants can compete in.

The first category is Light and Shadow: Optical Game. “​​Capture the unique magic of light and shadow, manipulating light to blur the boundary between reality and fantasy. This subtle interplay sets the stage for a compelling visual story,” explains the category description.

The second category is Colors: Magic Palette. The OnePlus 12 camera is well known for its colors, so it makes sense that the company would include a color-based category in its contest. OnePlus further describes this category as “Elicit true to life colors everywhere, from urban neon landscapes, rustic twilight locations, vibrant apparel, and everything in between. Showcase the rhythmic beauty and pure essence of color.”

Finally, Faces: Emotional Mirrors, the third category, is all about portraits. OnePlus explains that this category is for showcasing emotions on the faces of people, pets, and animals.

Entities open on February 29 and run through June 30, 2024. There is a group category for OnePlus users, but there is also a Public Group that is open to any smartphone whatsoever, so participants don’t need a OnePus phone. To enter, head to the OPA 2024 website and enter the title of the entry along with a 50-word story about the image.

The OPA 2024 features a more diverse jury team which includes Hasselblad Ambassadors, Hasselblad Masters, IPA jury members, and OnePlus imaging product experts. The contest this year also features a more open format, allowing more people to participate.

Contest Awards and Prizes

It wouldn’t be a contest if there weren’t some awards and prizes, and indeed, there are plenty with OPA 2024. There are two groups of entries, providing separate winners who took photos with OnePlus phones and those who used other devices. Within each group and category, there is a Gold, Silver, and Bronze prize, which pays $5,000, $2,000, and $1,000, respectively. All winners will receive a 2024 OnePlus product, the title of “OnePlus Photography Expert,” and have the opportunity to work with OnePlus in the future.

Beyond the category winners, there will also be a Photo of the Year award. This prestigious award will involve a $10,000 prize. Like the other awards, this winner will also receive a 2024 OnePlus product, the title of “OnePlus Photography Ambassador,” and have the opportunity to work with OnePlus in the future.

Outstanding images beyond winners will be shared across the OPA 2024 official website and other official channels as well.

OnePlus 12 Details

As the Official Smartphone of the IPA 2024, the OnePlus 12, released globally in January of 2024, is an impressive device that features the Fourth Gen Hasselblad Camera System. PetaPixel spent some time with the phone earlier this year, testing out its camera and capabilities.

The three-camera array of the OnePlus 12 includes the industry’s first 50-megapixel primary camera with a Sony LYT-808 Type 1/1.4-inch image sensor, f/1.6 aperture, 23mm equivalent focal length, and optical image stabilization. OnePlus also introduced an ALC Coating IR filter to reduce red glare and artifacts, improving image quality across various lighting conditions.

The OnePlus 12 is the first OnePlus single-screen flagship to feature its 64-megapixel periscope camera with a 3x optical zoom. This camera features a Type 1/2 OV64B image sensor, 70mm equivalent focal length, and optical image stabilization. It can use an in-sensor crop to provide up to 6x zoom or up to 120x digital zoom if users are okay with sacrificing some quality. Rounding out the trio is the 48-megapixel, 114-degree ultrawide camera. It offers a 16mm equivalent focal length and is able to focus as close as 3.5 centimeters (1.38 inches).

Beyond hardware, OnePlus 12 features the latest HDR algorithm, which is a true master at manipulating light, balancing the interplay between the foreground and background, and capturing real-time details in the essence of the moment. It also sees an improved Portrait Mode that simulates bokeh and flare effects from Hasselblad lenses and upgraded image processing algorithms also developed in partnership with Hasselblad. Plus, a new Master Mode provides direct access to tint, sharpness, contrast, vignette, and saturation before pressing the shutter.

OPA 2023 Winners

In this week’s “Tech Byte,” Patrick Moates is joined by Nino Batista and Renee Robyn to discuss the impact artificial intelligence is already having on photography and what may be possible in the future. Sponsored by Rogers Technology Solutions

Senior multimedia journalism student, Asha Taitt, is committed to becoming a renowned camera mastermind that’ll be on every art lover’s radar. 

Since her freshman year, the soon-to-be Aggie alumna has been producing photoshoots that express nuanced Black experiences, but now she’s transitioning into film. 

Although Taitt has established herself as one of A&T’s most compelling photographers, her passion for photography sparked back in her sophomore year of high school when she took her first introductory-level photography class. 

Her love for the camera and what it can do was somewhat of a slow burn because she was initially bored by the beginner-level tasks of Photo 1. 

“That one [Photo 1] was kind of boring to me because we just took pictures of things like flowers, and things outside,” Taitt said. 

It wasn’t until Taitt advanced to Photo 2 in her junior year and was allowed to create her portfolio, that her lukewarm enjoyment of photography became an insatiable yearning to be behind the camera. 

Individuals around Taitt, especially her Photo 2 instructor, Lilian Chun, noticed her raw potential and encouraged her to enter her work in competitions, thus allowing her to get inspired by different aspects of photography. 

While Taitt was receiving good feedback from competition judges, as they often noted that her work was extremely introspective and thought-provoking ,she still hadn’t found a photographic style that spoke to who she was. 

This was generally because the young artist chose to stray away from illustrating Black stories. After all, she didn’t want to do what was expected of her. 

“For the longest time, I tried to stray away from Black stories. That sounds really anti-Black although I consider myself pro-Black, but I don’t like to be predictable,” Taitt shared. 

However, in 2022, following the curation of her photoshoot titled, “Baby Boy,” Taitt had a path-altering change of heart.

The “Baby Boy” shoot was inspired by the tragic murder of Taitt’s older cousin, who like many young Black men, was not afforded the opportunity to grow old. 

The shoot was extremely intimate for Taitt and she realized that her personal experiences brought a different kind of authenticity to her work that others could relate to. 

“That was the first photo shoot on campus that let people know that I’m not an editorial photographer, I’m more of a cinematic storytelling type of photographer, “ Taitt said. 

Junior psychology major and fellow A&T photographer, Destiny Edens, attests to the relatability of Taitt’s work as someone in the same artistic field. 

“Unfortunately, it was something I could relate to. You go from becoming excited, to saddened from the harsh reality the piece exposes,” said Edens in regards to Taitt’s Baby boy shoot. 

To continue on her journey of illustrating relatable, yet overlooked Black narratives, Taitt did a shoot titled “Androgynous,” which was inspired by her experience of often being misunderstood because of her fluid choices of gender-typical presentation. 

Since Taitt has explored her gift for expressing her and her loved ones’ experiences as African Americans through still images, she’s kicking things up and taking her talents to the big screen. 

The young creative says that she’s always been very interested in film but she didn’t consider the possibilities of becoming a filmmaker until judges at the 2019 NAACP ACT-SO competition described her work as cinematic. 

“My photoshoots always have a beginning, middle and end, so if that’s how they feel about my photos, why wouldn’t I do film?” Taitt explained. 

Now, years later, Taitt is producing a psychological thriller for the American Black Film Festival, that tells the story of Garrie; a Black, female, 1970s talk show host who gives women advice on enduring abuse within their romantic relationships. 

The film is loosely based on Taitt’s grandmother and great-aunts who lived in New York in the 1970s, and unfortunately, all suffered from some form of domestic abuse. 

The upcoming film, set to debut in March, really explores the dynamics between Black men and women of the time and begs the question of whether or not many of their relationships were truly filled with love. 

Through this latest venture, Taitt continued to show that she is an artistic force and plans to continue to take the photography and filmmaking industry by storm

The Fstoppers community is brimming with creative vision and talent. Every day, we comb through your work, looking for images to feature as the Photo of the Day or simply to admire your creativity and technical prowess. In 2023, we’re featuring a new photographer every month, whose portfolio represents both stellar photographic achievement and a high level of involvement within the Fstoppers community.

This month’s winner is Herbert A. Franke! His work is notable for its striking compositions and use of geometry. Be sure to check out our favorite shots of his below and give him a follow to see his full portfolio. He’s now in the running for Fstoppers Community Photographer of the Year!

How to Be Chosen

Remember, in 2024, we’ll be featuring a photographer chosen from the community every month. At the end of the year, the Fstoppers Community Photographer of the Year will be chosen from the 12 monthly winners, with the overall winner getting a tutorial of their choice from the Fstoppers store. Be sure to share your photos in the Fstoppers community! 

See Past Photographers of the Month

You can see all Photographers of the Month here.

Another week, another fun photography challenge! Ready to dial your photography skills and creative juices up a notch with another from the folks of SlickPic? For the ninth week of their 52-week Photo Challenge, they want everyone to point their cameras to dramatic Reflections.

In this challenge, the task is to use reflective surfaces to come up with visually captivating and symmetrical compositions. With this technique, you can transform ordinary scenes with water, glass, or mirrors to imbue your photos with depth, drama, and intrigue., Whether it’s something you’ve already learned or a technique you want to perfect, this is surely a great activity for you!

Photography challenge details

• Submissions will be accepted until the end of the day on March 3, 2024. So, if you’re in the mood to flex your creative muscles, there’s still plenty of time to make something nice!
• Submit 3 images by clicking this link
• Please submit images in JPEG format and upload photos that are at least 2500 on the long side for the highest quality

Once you submit your photos, you can review them here: https://52weekchallenge.slickpic.com

To help inspire you, SlickPic suggests checking out Adobe’s beginner’s guide on reflection photography and Shotkit’s 22 Pro Tips for Mesmerising Reflection Photography. In case you’re just joining, we also encourage you to check out the full info on the 52-week Challenge.

As always, you can ask your friends to join the challenge as well by clicking on the Share button for the album and inviting them to join in. Of course, you can also encourage them to Like and Comment on your submissions!

The Programme Transcultura: Integrating Cuba, the Caribbean and the European Union through Culture and Creativity, funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNESCO Regional Office in Havana, has partnered with La Fábrica – a cultural management enterprise that develops projects linked to creativity, design and the arts – to offer up to fifteen (15) young photographers from the Caribbean the opportunity to present their photographic work and connect with outstanding curators, cultural managers and photographers from Spain and the world in this important European festival. 

The young photographers selected will be from some of the seventeen countries covered by the Transcultura Programme: Antigua and Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Belize, Cuba, Dominica, Dominican Republic, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Montserrat, Saint Kitts and Nevis, Saint Lucia, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Suriname and Trinidad and Tobago.

Through this call and joint action for cultural exchange and cooperation, the UNESCO Transcultura Programme will:

• Cover the costs (a return trip in economy class, airport pick-up and drop-off, including at the city of origin, visa costs ― if necessary ―, accommodation in a 3-star hotel – or similar – in Madrid, Spain, 3 meals a day and daily transportation  ̶ if necessary – for international mobility to Madrid, Spain, from 27 May to 5 June (10 nights) for a maximum of 15 young photographers from the Caribbean, representing at least two of the three linguistic zones covered by the Transcultura Programme (English, French and Spanish). 
• Facilitate the interaction of the Caribbean photographers with a specialised and general public through digital presentations of the artists’ work, professional networking sessions – portfolio viewings with curators and international exponents of photography, tours of European artists’ studios, production spaces and creative laboratories, and meetings with their hosts, as well as training workshops – before (online sessions) and during the event (in-person sessions) – tailor-made for Caribbean photographers. 
• Support the artists’ international visibility by means of press conferences, actions promoting their work, the distribution of a brochure with their profile and professional biography, and personal meetings with their European peers, among other activities designed to familiarise them with the European photography sector. 

This initiative will provide young photographers with new tools and professional connections to develop and expand their careers.

To some, a shell is but a shell; a shoe is just a shoe; a gourd is merely a gourd. But to a still-life photographer, that piece of driftwood heaped upon the dunes is, in fact, a potential set piece destined to rest precariously against a crusty loaf of bread in their next fine art project. For creative duo Luca Nocera and Lara Ferri, anything can be a prop—even 18th-century surgical tools.

“They were beautiful objects, but some people thought they were quite creepy,” Luca shrugs, referring to a recent Facebook Marketplace find. The oddity of the items spoke to them, so naturally, the duo decided to turn them into an obstacle course of geometry for a photograph. They now have accumulated their own cabinet of curiosities (read: shed in the backyard), with oddities ranging from sculptures to seashells. “Our friends and family now know, so every time they come across something funny, they say, ‘Oh, do you want to use this as a prop?’” laughs Lara.

Like most creatives, they’re control freaks. The world of still-life photography cuts out extraneous parties, especially since their title of creative duo encompasses all aspects of production. There’s no model, no stylist, no producer to dilute the purity of their ideas. “We found that still life is the right way for us to express our style, our vision, and who we are,” Lara says.

Ahead, Lara and Luca take us through their backstory, explain their diverse sources of inspiration, and answer rapid-fire personal questions.

Courtesy of Nocera & Ferri

Courtesy of Nocera & Ferri

Courtesy of Nocera & Ferri

Courtesy of Nocera & Ferri

Courtesy of Nocera & Ferri

Rapid Fire Questions:

Remedy continues to rack up the wins with its properties. Though this time, it’s not an accolade. Fresh off of the success of Alan Wake II and its sales,  Remedy has announced that they’ve acquired all publishing, distributing, marketing, and other rights to their sci–fi thriller Control from publisher 505 Games. The deal also includes the rights to Control, the upcoming four-player cooperative multiplayer spin-off Condor, Control 2, and all future Control entries.

Per the agreement, all publishing, distribution, marketing, and other rights licensed to 505 Games for Control 2 and Condor revert to Remedy immediately. 505 Games will continue as the publisher of Control until December 31, 2024.

According to the press release, Remedy states that this transaction with 505 Games “will enable [Remedy] to negotiate better deals for current and future Control games” as either a self-publisher or establishing a new publishing partner.

“We can now weigh up the options between self-publishing and a new publishing partner for Condor and Control 2. At the same time, we are in a better negotiating position than before as Control is an established brand and Alan Wake 2 has been successful. We are confident that these factors combined will enable us to get the right partner, deal structure and risk-reward profile that benefit Remedy and are the best fit for the Control franchise.”

“Ever since we signed up with 505 Games in 2017 to develop and publish Control, we have enjoyed a good partnership in building Control into a successful game that has sold over four million units and generated shareable net revenue of approximately €100 million to Remedy and 505 Games,” states Remedy Entertainment CEO Tero Virtala.

“Having complete ownership over the Control franchise gives us the freedom to decide the best path forward. We will consider our options carefully, knowing that Control is considered an attractive franchise by many partners. Condor and Control 2 have both progressed well in recent months and we expect these projects to reach their next development stages during the first half of 2024. The development of Condor and Control 2 will continue normally when we consider the best publishing, distribution and financing model for these projects.”

Control (read our review here) is available for PC via Steam and the Epic Games Store, PlayStation 4, PlayStation 5, Xbox One, Xbox Series, and the Nintendo Switch.