Special Photographer Of the Year

This photo was taken in Nagano, Japan. A lightning rod (lightsaber) is swung during the exposure to create the light trail of the sword.

Nature Photographer Of the Year

Photo shooting with the sardines is such an amazing experience, they can create incredible unique forms. I love how in this photo, the sardines are welcoming the freediver or swallowing it (depends how you see it)

2nd Place / Architecture/Buildings

Living in Beijing for a long time, I am often drawn to the vintage residential buildings, especially when sunlight shines on them against a blue sky. I pause to observe their features: mottled walls, balconies with security nets, clothes hanging to dry, potted plants. These are traces of human life, still unfolding. Inspired, I began a photography project in September 2022, always shooting from a centered position and using Photoshop to eliminate distractions, leaving only the sky and the subject. My aim: to focus viewers' attention on every detail, undisturbed.

1st Place / Nature/Macro

In the waters of Japan, various fish inhabit the shallow areas. If you look closely, you can see the expressions of fish that are less than a centimeter in size. Their seemingly carefree expressions always heal me, and the colors overflowing underwater always brighten my heart. The underwater world viewed through a macro lens is filled with new discoveries.

1st Place / Book/Documentary

In January 2020, North Korea closed its borders. Even before this, documenting the country was difficult due to strict photography controls. Despite these challenges, a collection of over 100 images offers a distinctive view of North Korean society. This book, born from three years of research and photography, encourages readers to look deeper, questioning assumptions and glimpsing the fusion of tradition and modernity within the nation. It challenges stereotypes, highlighting the complex dynamics of a nation navigating its course amidst global scrutiny.

2nd Place / Nature/Astrophotography

An expansive Sunflower field lit up under the stunningly beautiful southern sky.

People Photographer Of the Year

I started a journey to find my roots as an Iranian woman in this project, I drove more than 50 thousand kilometres in different parts of Iran to find women who live in intertwined communities. A journey into the history of Iranian women's life, which is a combination of tradition and patriarchy, and at the same time, linguistic and cultural diversity. Women who, despite the limitations, with solidarity and interweaving in women's groups strive for education of their children and at the same time, they want to preserve their ancestral identity. Some of these women are the last generation.

Advertising Photographer Of the Year

The Second Amendment was partially written to ensure that civilian America was sufficiently armed that they could deal with the British invasion should it ever happen, and yet here I was, door-knocking with a British accent asking to enter people's homes to see their guns, have a chat - and take their photo. Over two weeks in January 2024, I headed to Prescott, Arizona with one goal - to talk my way into the living rooms of seemingly ordinary citizens & learn about the normalization of gun ownership in the USA.

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Photo Essay / Feature Story

This series tells the story of a group of young people working in a ship graveyard in Angola. They have to dive hundreds of times when the tide is low. They grope the bottom with their hands as the dark waters with sediments and oil don't allow them to see anything underwater. After removing pieces weighing hundreds of pounds using only their hands and the strength of their arms, they have to carry them to the beach, struggling with the waves and the currents. Every day they risk their lives to earn a measly 120 dollars for a ton of iron. They and their families depend on it to survive

2nd Place / People /Children

Sardinian child at the procession of Sant’Efisio in Cagliari. The procession is the longest in Europe. It lasts for 4 days at a distance of 65 km from the Cagliari church of Stampace, to that of Nora, where the saint was martyred, and returns to Cagliari. It is one of the oldest processions of Sardinia and has taken place every year since 1656.

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Contemporary issues

Mountains of waste replace fields of rice. Tribes of villagers that once produced food and crafts now deal with other peoples trash. Once were farmers is a story of recognition and awareness. Recognising our waste problem. Recognising the unsung heroes that deal with our chuck away culture. Awareness that we all need to change. Once they were farmers, they now harvest a different bounty but its making them sick. Can we change the story?

1st Place / Advertising/Fashion

These enchanting photos were commissioned by the haute couture brand NATAN. The result of the creative synergy of four talented artists: Natan, led by clothing designer Edouard Vermeulen and his team, creative director Christophe Coppens for the concept and the design of the jewelry, Annick Vandecapelle for the beautiful sculptures and myself as photographer and retoucher. A harmonious fusion of different art forms, resulting in a captivating and aesthetically elevated series of images for NATAN.”

1st Place / Event/Competitive Event

I took a panning shot of the bicycle racers competing for first place. I set the shutter speed to 1/4 and swung the lens out the moment the shutter curtain came down. The trajectory of the camera was like that of a wing.

Event Photographer Of the Year

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade the nation finds itself thrust into the heart of one of the most contentious and emotionally charged debates of our time. For fifty years, Roe v. Wade had stood as a landmark decision affirming a woman's right to choose, but now, the tide has turned, emotions run high on both sides of the issue. On one side of the divide the passionate advocates for women's reproductive rights. And equally as passionate in their convictions, conservative christians, many of them driven by deeply held religious beliefs.

2nd Place / Fine Art/Landscape

These images were shot at Death Valley, White Sands and Oceano Dunes in California. Normally I hike for hours at a time in order to find the right angle and light to capture the detail I am looking for. I shoot in the morning in order to capture the shadows, textures and curves of the sand dunes. There is just simple beauty in how the wind and shadows create art within the sand. I am always trying to make the shadows and shapes the hero of these images. By positioning myself behind the sun while using a polarizing filter, I was able to achieve a dark sky.

Advertising Photographer Of the Year

The beauty of diversity through the art of dance. A series of photos created for the Hungarian Dance University to celebrates the vibrant diversity of dance by showcasing different dancers in various styles, each highlighted in a distinct color shade. This visual “mosaic” not only emphasizes the richness of different dance forms but also embraces the unity and inclusivity of all cultures and races. Diversity enriches our lives, strengthens our communities, and propels us towards a more united and harmonious world. APMerlo

Fine Art Photographer Of the Year

The focus of the Fine Art Of Resilience project is Mother Earth in the form of the Greek goddess of nature Gaia, who we encounter in every picture in a new form. Gaia always appears timelessly youthful and beautiful to us, but in reality she is not well. All images are classic Photoshop compositions that were created by hand over weeks of very complex detailed retouching (WITHOUT any use of artificial intelligence). In Photoshop I retouch using the painting techniques of the Old Masters such as sfumato, trebenism and chiaroscuro to merge my photographs with paintings.

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Sports

This photograph was taken during the Italian top-flight basketball match between VL Pesaro and Dolomiti Energia Trento. The photograph was selected as the best of the month by Lega Basket Serie A, and presents Kamar Baldwin (Trento) during a dunk on the counterattack, a moment of the highest sport

2nd Place / Analog / Film/Other

Thereza, a series of cyanotypes initiated in 2023, emerges from the search for one of my ancestors, known for decades as my grandfather's dead-mother. Paper, chemicals, sunlight, and water are elements of this invented encounter, a way to overcome the absence of images and create narratives that speak of her beyond her maternal role. Thereza appears watery, like a river that reveals itself differently with each glance. May her name foster imaginations.

3rd Place / Analog / Film/Portrait

Voukko has suffered from severe rheumatism for several years. The photo are from my ongoing project ”People to whom I have invited myself”. In the work, I examine how humans try to create meaning and belonging during our limited time in life. I have met all the people involved in thish project through random meetings. Their appearance and charisma have piqued my interest, whereupon I have quite cheekily invited myself into their homes. During these meetings and conversations with unknown people interesting encounters have arisen.