We chose twenty-five photographers for their different approach to the idea of Shapes. They come from twelve different countries and four continents. Their work is diverse: architecture, mixed-media, still life, abstractions... and use different techniques & perspectives but each one showcases a unique point of view.

The Winner of AAP Magazine 34 Shapes is Fabien Dendiéval (France) with the project La Muralla Roja

The Second Place Winner is Shinji Ichikawa (Japan) with the project Symbols for Rhythm

The Third Place Winner is Mieke Dalle (Belgium) with the project Egg-serie

The other winners featured in the Merit Award's Gallery are:

Gjert Rognli (Norway), Fern Nesson (United States), Stuart Neil (Australia), Gavin Libotte (Australia), Derrick Whaley (United States), Walter Colley (United States), Vladimir Antaki (France/Lebanon/Canada), Liliane Schwab (Canada), Junichi Wajda (Japan), Giuliano Ottaviani (Italy), Thomas Hofmann (Germany), Kevin Kinner (United States), Michel Daumergue (France), Jo Fields (United States), Emmanuelle Becker (France/United States), Lisa Thomas (United States), Marcel van Balken (Netherlands), Nadide Goksun (Turkey/United States), Don Jacobson (United States), Sander Vos (United Kingdom), Klaus Lenzen (Germany) and Matt Coughlin (United States)

Through our monthly photo competition and magazine, we are committed to giving emerging and established artists the space and freedom to unleash their creativity and offer photographers the opportunity to share their work with an international audience.

Choosing the winner of AAP Magazine #34 Shapes was not an easy task especially since there were so many incredible images with very different approaches to the theme. Judging a competition is equal measures of delight and difficulty, especially when, as in this case, most of the submitted images were skillful. We had absolutely no preconceived idea about the selection we would put together. But it became clear in the end, that what stood out in the photographs we selected, was that all of the elements of making a unique and compelling image - both the art of seeing and the craft of making - came together at once.

The interplay of shapes in a photograph is a fundamental element of visual composition that greatly contributes to the overall aesthetics and narrative impact of an image. Shapes can be both explicit, such as the subjects within the frame, and implicit, created by the arrangement of elements, light, and shadows. Shapes help define the subjects, can create balance and symmetry and can convey depth and dimension. There are many ways to use shapes in an image, it is a versatile and essential aspect of visual storytelling and therefore not easy!

What stood out in these chosen images is the fact that each one drew our attention with their strong visual language. They all master composition and even more so, the subtleties of shape, but whatever the challenges they had to face, they were able to transcend technique to achieve a unique creative vision. The common theme would be the mastering of composition in each project.

AAP Magazine 35 Colors is about to close, and we can’t wait to discover new powerful images! Next one (36) will be Street, it is usually also a very good theme to wander around the world and discover new cities. The level is very high and the projects have a lot of impact.