Unveiling the Champions: Highlights from the 1839 Photography Awards!

“Hearts Content Road, Gianna” by Logan White.
International Photographer of the Year and Professional Winner, Portrait.
“Hearts Content Road pertains to a collection of surreal and allegorical portraits captured in Upstate New York, delving into the dual essence of fantasy—a realm that offers both retreat and thrill, yet conceals its own layers of doubt.”

“Buried Car, CA” by Matthew Portch.
International Discovery of the Year and Winner, Non-Professional, Landscapes.
“From an ongoing series, Lost America delves into a quiet stillness in a neglected landscape that exists, in a way, ‘on pause’. Locations seem to be trapped in time, their occupants missing or long since gone. Eagerly stagnant in appearance, these areas seek to evoke a melancholic sense of familiarity.”

“Cold Square” by Dominik Gottwald.
Champion, Professional, Film:Analog.
“Due to the polar bears, the space for movement in Longyearbyen became limited. I didn’t wish to carry a weapon, which might have provided me with more freedom. Conversely, it offered me a unique type of liberation. To focus on a specific area. Thus, I wandered in a cold, yet vibrant square.”

“A Dog’s Life” by Alicia Rius.
Champion, Professional, Domestic Animals.
“Similar to humans, dogs develop bonds with their belongings, giving insights into their identity. The items they carry, retain, and even consume influence their everyday existence, showcasing their joy, pride, and fragility. Capturing these valued possessions in a single frame reveals the dog’s essence and existence.”

“Crosswalk” by Yongseok Chun.
Champion, Professional, Aerial.
“The camera portrayed various snapshots of individuals traversing the crosswalk.”

“Circus” by Algis Griskevicius.
Champion, Professional, Conceptual.
“Cirkas, a photographic collection that may initially appear full of nonsensical elements: the hefty forms of the models frozen in positions defying physics, figures of giants substituted by actual individuals supporting the roof of a Lithuanian farmhouse, or the first Lithuanian astronaut piloting his wicker spacecraft.”

“An Office with a View” by Christiaan Van Heijst.
Winner, Professional, Event.
“Long exposure, wide-angle captures taken from the flight deck of the Boeing 747, gliding through the upper atmosphere.”

“The Great North” by Enrico Curti.
Winner, Professional, Landscapes.

“Galactic Bee” by Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz.
Professional, Winner, Macro.
“Bee Close Up.”

“Singing Bird” by Ching Kai Lee.
Professional, Winner, Minimalism.
“The bank is adorned with greenery, yet the bird, singing boisterously upon the rock at the river’s surface, captures attention.”

“Desert Drag” by Katelin Kinney.
Winner, Professional, People-Culture.
“This initiative is a collaboration with local Drag Queens & Kings in Arizona. My goal was to highlight drag as an art form and celebrate its vast reach, including the far corners of the southwestern desert.”

“Cafuné” by Rafael Fabrés.
Recipient, Professional, Photojournalism.
“A group of youngsters enjoying themselves in a soccer field at Complexo da Penha, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, June 07th, 2015.”

“Honey Hunters of Nepal” by Andrew Newey.
Recipient, Professional, Travel.
“High in the Himalayan foothills of Nepal, Gurung honey hunters convene twice yearly, endangering their lives to collect honey from the world’s largest honeybee. For centuries, the expertise needed to engage in this ancient and revered tradition has been handed down through generations.”

“Whale Dreams” by Remuna Beca.
Recipient, Professional, Underwater.
“A young humpback whale elegantly glides at the surface with a graceful upside-down ballet in the South Pacific. A surreal scene, which I hope ignites a deeper appreciation for the marvels of our ocean and the aspiration to explore and safeguard it.”

“Wishes” by Geert Weggen.
Recipient, Professional, Wildlife.
“Red squirrel surrounded by dandelion seeds swirling in the breeze.”

“By the Ocean” by Mykola Myronov.
Winner, Non-Professional, Film:Analog.
“It doesn’t matter how affluent you are, what vehicle you operate and how many companions you have in your life. We are all vulnerable and solitary by the ocean. When visiting the shore, we shed our layers and confront ourselves alone with the ocean. Only in such instances can we pause and recognize who we genuinely are.”

“Jump!” by Yevhen Kostiuk.
Winner, Non-Professional, Travel.

“Tunnel view” by Ross Steensland.
Winner, Non-Professional, Landscapes.
“While planning a journey through the Western United States, I oriented my itinerary and deadlines based on my astrophotography wish list. At the pinnacle of that list was Yosemite. My preparations revealed that the Cygnus region with its vibrant Hydrogen Alpha nebula and the Great Rift would align right above Tunnel view.”

“I.D.” by Evan Murphy.
Winner, Non-Professional, People-Portrait-Storytelling.
“‘I.D.’ focuses on queer youth; portraying tales of contemporary romantic relationships, societal influences, and personal emancipation. Through a collection of subjects, each image narrates the experience of an LGBTQ individual maneuvering through the complex terrain of identity and society.”

“The Essence of Memory” by Astrid Reischwitz.
Recipient, Non-Professional, Still Life.
“The series investigates individual and shared family stories interlaced through still life arrangements, connecting threads of home, culture, and identity. Stitched pieces from old dish towels from my hometown in Germany now convey messages of loss and the slow fading of cultural traditions.”

“Athletics. Hues & Tones” by Yevhen Kostiuk.
Recipient, Non-Professional, Minimalism.

“Reverie” by Michael Potts
Recipient, Non-Professional, Underwater.

“Meal is Presented” by Reed Fowler.
Recipient, Non-Professional, Wildlife.
“This photograph was captured at Brooks Falls in Alaska. The salmon were not leaping much during that day, but I was fortunate to seize the ideal moment when one did. From the color of the salmon to the bear’s leap with its mouth agape, there’s nothing I would alter about this dream shot.”