All About Photo Awards – The Mind’s Eye is an international photography contest that’s in its 8th year now. For a chance at the coveted title of “Photographer of the Year,” a total of 39 photographers were shortlisted, who came from 18 different countries. Five of these were selected to win cash prizes totaling USD 10,000. All 39 will be featured in the winner’s gallery online and in the printed issue of AAP Magazine Special Edition All About Photo Awards 2023. We take a look at some of the winners and what gear they used to get their winning entries.
A Note from the Editor in Chief
Before we go on, we’d like to note a few things. First off, there are four major components to a photograph: moment, subject, gear, and the photographer. Winning images, like those from the All About Photo Awards, typically happen when there’s a full harmony of all of them. Some photographers like to say that gear doesn’t matter simply because they don’t want people to get hung up on it and instead to bring the conversation back to themselves. But the truth is that gear does matter. None of these images could’ve necessarily been caught with a large format tintype camera unless you had thousands of extra dollars in lighting. In fact, none of the winners of the All About Photo Awards have used analog methods from what we understand.
However, the photographer’s ability to be in the moment and understand what’s happening is also paramount. The human element is something that photographers still understand, and that is not necessarily understood by AI just yet. And unlike the Sony World Photo Awards, none of the winners of the All About Photo Awards have used AI that we’ve been able to gather at least. With that said, it’s a fascinating question to ponder whether or not these moments could be recreated with an AI image generation platform. They say that a picture is worth 1,000 words. And considering that the staff and I here regularly write well over 1,000 words a day, we wonder how many people would really want to do the same thing.
On top of all this is the subject matter that’s in front of you. It typically is exactly as how it is. If you’re photographing a portrait subject, you probably have put a lot of work into coordinating wardrobes, lighting, etc. If you haven’t, then the other elements that make a great photograph might need to work harder. The winners of the All About Photo Awards seem to understand this. The subject matter is incredibly diverse, and the perspectives presented are all uniquely human.
Finally, there’s the importance of the moment. Lots of photographers these days try to shoot at 20 frames a second all the time in hope that they’re just going to capture the moment. But they’re not usually in tune with what’s happening. Being one with the moment isn’t necessarily a skill — but it’s an idea that we need to open ourselves up to. We’re usually all pulled away and distracted by our phones and other things happening. However, being present is something that photographers have to have at all times to get photos like what these talented humans have produced. The winners of the All About Photo Awards truly seem to understand this.
More importantly, I wish that this was taught more within the photography world and that modern photographers put more emphasis on this than gear. Gear can become monotonous, but moments are genuinely always fresh.
The Top Five 2023 All About Photo Awards Winners
Without further adieu, here’s the list!
Photographer of the Year 2023, Priyo WidiyantO (Indonesia)
The Winning Shoot
On September 9th, 2022, the Indonesian National Wheelchair Basketball Team had been practicing for the paralympic basketball competition at Solo, Central Java, Indonesia. Their spirit echoed through the arena, creating a wild atmosphere among the fans. They competed impressively, like The Avengers.
Despite their physical limitations, they fought way better than some healthy people.
Social Media: IG @priyowiddi_9_official
As someone who’s done professional sports photography for many years, this image strikes a personal chord with me. The tension of the moment itself is what would have won this photograph the top prize at 2023 All About Photo Awards. There’s drama, excitement, and a huge question mark about what happened next. Priyo really nailed it with this photograph which won him USD 5000 and the title of All About Photo Photographer of the Year 2023.
Gear Used: Canon EOS R, Canon EF 17-40mm f/4L lens
2nd Place Winner, Haikun Liang (China)
Destroy Together
The Spring Festival is a major traditional festival among Chinese people, among which the lion is known as a mascot for celebrating good luck and driving away demons and evil spirits during the festival. In Deqing County, Zhaoqing City, China, it is said that there was already a folk custom of “frying lions” during the Spring Festival in the Song Dynasty. On the 15th day of the first lunar month, everyone took turns lighting firecrackers and throwing “lions” until the lions were blown to pieces, symbolizing the drive away evil and praying for peace in all seasons and a bountiful harvest.
Never having burst a firecracker at arm’s length, this image looks ever so slightly terrifying to me. But the beauty of it is that this amazingly captured still photograph makes me feel like I am right in the scene. And just looking at the photo fills my mind’s ears with loud bursts of sounds. Haikun also takes home USD 2000 for winning 2nd place.
Gear Used: Canon EOS 6D, Canon EF 16-35mm f/2.8L II lens
3rd Place Winner, Raul Cacho Oses (Spain)
Tbourida, the final run.
Tbourida, also known as Fantasia, is a traditional equestrian performance that originated in Morocco. It is a spectacular and colorful display of horsemanship that is often performed during festivals and special occasions. Historically, Tbourida was a display of the military prowess of the Berber cavalry. It was performed before battles to intimidate and demoralize the enemy. The riders would charge towards the enemy lines while firing their rifles and screaming war cries. Over time, Tbourida evolved from a military display to a cultural performance. Today, it is performed during festivals, weddings, and other special occasions as a way to celebrate Moroccan culture and tradition. Tbourida is still closely associated with the Berber people, who continue to maintain and preserve their equestrian traditions. However, it has also become a popular cultural tradition throughout Morocco, with performances being held in cities and towns across the country. The picture belongs to the final of the annual competition and was taken in the Fantasia festival in El Jadida, Morocco.
Almost painterly in some ways, the 3rd place-winning image of the All About Photo Awards depicts the vivid Moroccan Tbourida equestrian performance. In this age where many cultural traditions seem to be dying out, it’s nice to see some countries still practicing such arts. Raul captures this tradition at its very best and nabbed himself USD 1500 for his photo.
Gear Used: Fujifilm X-T2, FUJIFILM XF 55-200mm f/3.5-4.8 R LM OIS Lens
4th Place Winner, Andrea Bettancini (Italy)
Stone Town (Zanzibar, Tanzania) and Port of Trieste (Italy)
Year: 2019
The phenomenon of sea migration from the North African coasts to Europe unites
a multitude of desperate people fleeing from wars and hunger. This historical
event is destined to mark our era and is one of the main reasons for debate and
conflict among European states.
To escape from the “pietistic” narrative that surrounds the daily news of shipwrecks
and deaths at sea, I decided to propose my own more “ironic” reading of the facts,
which is not meant to be a underestimation or “diminishment” of these tragedies,
but a different way of emphasizing them.
The image I present is a composition of two of my photographs from 2019, in which
I relate a cruise ship departing from the port of Trieste to African children playing
and diving into the sea from the port of Stone Town (Zanzibar). What appears is the
attempt of the children to reach this luxurious ship by sailing towards a hope for a
better life, which for most of them will not turn out to be true.
You might not be able to tell it at first glance, but this is a composite of two separate images taken by Andrea in two different countries. The image portraying an attempt at a better life wins him USD 1000.
Gear Used: No camera or lens info
5th Place Winner, Pedro Luis Ajuriaguerra Saiz (Spain)
The Czech diver, Navratil, makes a wonderful jump in Bilbao’s sky with the Guggenheim Museum showcased in the background, during the Red Bull Cliff Diving World Series.
The beauty of the execution of the jump contrasts with the whimsical forms of the Museum. It seems to be suspended in the sky.
Taken with a Nikon D90 DSLR that was launched nearly 15 years ago, Pedro proves that you can take an award-winning image even if you don’t have the latest, greatest camera in your possession. With just 4.5 fps to work with, he’s got his timing perfect in this photo.
Gear Used: Nikon D90, Nikkor 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G lens
Merit Winners of The 2023 All About Photo Awards
Here’s a list of some incredible photographers on the Merit list of the All About Photo Awards.
Tony Law (Australia)
Gear Used: Sony a7r III, No Lens Information
Maria Bratan (Rep. of Moldova)
The purpose of this shooting is to show the past and present of my people who live in Moldova – ATU Gagauzia. After all, “Without the past, there is no present.”
The shooting was carried out in the fall of 2022. In the photo, young girls in the national costumes of the people of Gagauzia, which were worn in the past by our grandmothers, mothers and girls of that time. And the horse-drawn wagon was in the picture quite by accident. During filming, a couple drove by on a cart; they were going to another town. In many rural areas, people use the horse and cart for transportation and farming.
After all, each nation has its own national costumes, which can characterize the status and marital status of its mistress. Therefore, preserving the ancient national costumes, we keep the memory and honor the traditions of the people. And by dressing modern youth in ancient Gagauz clothes, we preserve our history.
Gear Used: Sony a7 III, Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens
Deba Prasad Roy (Bangladesh)
Gear Used: Canon EOS 77D, Canon EF-S 18-135mm f/3.5-5.6 IS USM lens
Mitchell Anolik (USA)
Gear Used: Olympus EM-5, Olympus M.Zuiko Digital ED 12-50mm F3.5-6.3 EZ Lens
Laurie Freitag (USA)
Series Title: The Lost Years
This is Charley. He lives in the hills beneath the Griffith Observatory in Los Angeles. His playmates are a 5-year-old boy and a 10-year-old girl. During Covid the family were all lucky enough to have moved to a new house with lots of room outside to play. The boy likes to hang from a swing (that hangs from a tree) and Charley chases the boy back and forth…wishing he too could dangle from a swing!
This is part of my series, ‘The Lost Years’ which addresses the years that most adults cannot remember before the age of 7-years-old.
Gear Used: iPhone 11 Pro Max, iPhone 11 Pro Max back triple camera 1.54mm f2.4 lens
Supratim Bhattacharjee (India)
Gear Used: Canon 5D Mark III, Canon EF 24-105mm f/4L IS USM lens
Muhammad Amdad Hossain (Bangladesh)
Many homeless people’s in Dhaka, Bangladesh have lost their homes and properties due to frequent floods, river erosion, and other natural calamities. They were forced to migrate to the city in search of a better future. These people have no place to take shelter in big cities. Their day starts in boats and ends in roads to nowhere. The boat’s is a flower bed for these refugees who practically do not have any identity. They live by working as street hawkers, boatsman etc.
Gear Used: Dji Mavic Air 2, Dji 24.0 mm f/2.8 lens
Susanne Middelberg (Netherlands)
Title of the series: Daylight
When I meet people who touch and inspire me me in one way I want to show the things they touch in me. I specially become enthousiast when I see more layers of their personality at the same time. I found it very exciting to try to capture this in my portraits.
In my portraits I am looking for honesty and vulnerability. I believe that vulnerability makes us nicer human beings and that this makes the world a little more friendly and more understanding. People who show themselves vulnerable give the other the confidence that they themselves may be who they are.
My portraits are distinguished by having, on the one hand, the stylizedness of a studio portrait; on the other, they have the roughness and authenticity of a social documentary portrait.
Gear Used: Fujifilm GFX100s, FUJIFILM GF 50mm f/3.5 R LM WR Lens
Tariq Zaidi (United Kingdom)
The Hamar Weyne fish market in Mogadishu is a bustling hub for the sale and distribution of fish in the city. Located just a few meters from the old port, the market is a key destination for both local and international buyers. Fishermen and porters bring their daily catch to the market, where traders and buyers negotiate prices for different types of fish.
Gear Used: Sony a7 III, Sony FE 24-105mm F4 G OSS lens
Alejandro Martinez Velez (Spain)
Title of the series: Desolation
In this photo taken on March 21, 2022, a man with his bicycle walks over the rubble of the Retroville shopping center, destroyed after a Russian artillery attack, on March 20, 2022, northwest of Kyiv, Ukraine. At least six people died as a result of the attack. The Russian Defense Ministry alleged that the mall was being used to hide Ukrainian ammunition and armored cars.
The escalating tension between Russia and Ukraine finally blew up in the early morning of February 24, 2022, after almost eight years of war in the Donbas region, with the entry of the Russian Army into the Ukrainian territory. This new conflict phase has caused millions of lives to be cut short and the devastation of several parts of the country. The shellings and the frontline advance have cost more than 6,800 deaths and 10,900 verified wounded (United Nations. December 27, 2022). Currently, the number of military casualties participating on both sides can not be accurately estimated. According to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), at least 6.5 million people have fled Ukraine and the number of internally displaced persons rises to 8 million.
Gear Used: Canon EOS R6, 35mm lens
Pedro Jarque Krebs (Peru)
This photo shows a gorilla cub born in January 2022 in the breeding group at Madrid Zoo, which is part of the European Endangered Species Programme. These western gorillas are critically endangered and every birth is a ray of hope for the survival of the species. Conservation programmes are more necessary than ever. It is called Kibo, after the highest peak on Kilimanjaro.
This photo has a very special meaning for me, because I have been with this baby gorilla almost from birth and have been able to witness its gradual growth and awakening to the world and to consciousness. In this photo, as soon as I pointed the camera at the mother, she turned her back to me, but soon Kibo couldn’t stand the curiosity and stuck his head out. It just goes to show how similar we are to this species so close to us. Watching them interact is fascinating and thought provoking.
Gear Used: Sony a7r IV, Sony FE 100-400mm F4.5–5.6 GM OSS lens
Natalya Saprunova (Russia/France)
Gear Used: Sony a7r IV, Sony FE 24-105mm f/4 G OSS Lens
Azim Khan Ronnie (Bangladesh)
Rows of brightly colored fabrics shimmer in reflections as they are hung to dry above a field in Narayanganj, Bangladesh on 24 September 2022. Workers hang the vivid clothing on wooden frames as the colorful dyes set in the sun. The clothes will be used for t-shirts, Under-vest, trousers etc. making.
Gear Used: Canon EOS R5, Canon EF 16-35mm f/4L IS USM lens
Rico.X. (Grenada/United Arab Emirates)
This image is from me wandering the neighbourhood streets near the pyramids in Giza, Cairo, Egypt . I came across this family whose young children were playing having fun, not a games console insight.
I spoke with some of the family members who had little english, but also with the help of “Google Translate” we spoke for a little while.
I noticed their father, the young children’s grandfather sitting there so composed, so content, so happy, he appeared happy with his lot. I asked for a photo and they obliged.
Gear Used: Nikon D850, Nikon 24mm f/1.8 lens
Shahriar Farzana (Bangladesh)
Change the thought: In a Islamic environment, it’s not common for a female teacher to take her students at the sea shore as recreation and to take selfies with them but time changes as well as people’s acceptance level. Now following all islamic requirements, some women try to do what they are supposed to do not like what they are told to do. Things are changing at the course of time as well as peoples’ thought processes that have a direct positive impact on society.
Photo taken at Chittagong, Bangladesh on March 18, 2022.
Gear Used: Canon 5D Mark IV, Canon EF 24-70mm f/2.8L II USM lens
Klaus Lenzen (Germany)
They did it voluntarily and with great enthusiasm, the participants at a “Women’s mud run” in Duisburg (Germany) in 2019 . After completing the course, they paused for a short while, frozen into a temporary bronze statue and then returned to everyday life, thoroughly showered.
Gear Used: Panasonic Lumix DMC-G1, Panasonic Lumix G Vario 35-100 f2.8 lens
Wendy Stone (USA)
Image date: 03/26/20
One afternoon early in quarantine due to Covid 19 I heard my son ask his dad if he could take a bath and his dad answered yes. I went in the bathroom a little while later with my camera to maybe capture a candid moment of my son in the tub. I saw that my son had his dog, Marius in the tub with him. Just then Marius tried to jump out the closed window. I was standing at the other end of the room metering the camera and had to quickly organize myself to make some shots.
Gear Used: Nikon D750, Nikkor 24-70mm f/2.8 lens
Stefano Rosselli (Italy)
Sardinia is a region where there aren’t many opportunities and the people have to invent a job for a living. Cristina and Tosino have become breeders of cavalier kings and poodles. They have 54 dogs and live with them in the country house near Sassari.
Gear Used: Sony a7r III, Sony FE 24-70mm F2.8 GM lens
Ingmar Björn Nolting (Germany)
Gear Used: Nikon Z7 II, Nikkor Z 24-70 f4 S lens
Joseph-Philippe Bevillard (Ireland)
Caption: Rocky’s First Holy Communion, Tipperary 2019
Irish Traveller Rocky sits on a plastic-covered couch on his first holy communion. Plastic-covered furnishings are very common in the community due to having many children in the home.
Gear Used: Nikon D7500, Nikon AF-S DX 16-80mm f/2.8-4 lens
Matthiew McClain (USA)
Choppa Community Gun Range
Aliyana Stokes, 10, and her brother, Bryson Stokes, 5, right, take part in a gun safety class for children with replica firearms as people gather at Choppa Community gun range on Sunday July 10, 2022 in Welcome, MD. Choppa Community gun range has become a place for African American gun owners and others to assemble to learn gun safety, self-defense and have a place to target practice. Many are from nearby Washington, DC and Baltimore, MD and have been affected by gun violence. The rates of gun related crimes in large metropolitan cities across the United States has been on the rise. This has caused many people to obtain guns as a means of personal protection.
Gear Used: Nikon D6, Nikon 35mm f1.4 G lens
Patricia McElroy (USA)
Title of the series – Between Then and Now
My Mom’s daily routine is to roll curlers into her hair and then cover them with a scarf as the curls set. When she sleeps at night her hair straightens and the next morning she repeats the task. Despite her dementia, she remembers to do this every day. Her hair and how she presents herself are very important to her. This image is part of a deeply personal and emotional project that delves into the everyday struggles my mother faces as she ages and battles the effects of dementia and declining physical abilities. This project serves as a reflection on the bond I have with my mother, both in the present moment and through the perspective of her past. It captures the challenges she faces, but also celebrates the resilience, strength, and grace she exhibits in the face of adversity. The project is ongoing and a tribute to the remarkable woman she is.
Gear Used: Fujifilm X-T2, Fujifilm 18-55mm f/2.8-4 lens
Mauro De Bettio (Italy)
A man, standing with his hyena, is getting ready before the show, in one of the small villages of the desertic north-eastern Nigeria.
They are the mysterious hyena men of Nigeria.
Predominantly composed of Hausa people (one of the largest ethnic groups in West Africa) they come from rural areas in the North, moving from city to city.
They never spend more than two days in the same place and they arrive wrapped in snakes, trained monkeys and hyenas in chains.
They are traditional storytellers and they perform a street circus with black magic (called “juju”) for the audience that believe that these animals have magical powers.
It is said they use ancient magic to acquire superpowers and become one with the animals.
The spectacle of these traditional storytellers is huge, accompanied by fires and the sounds of drums and all the spectators are also involved.
At the end of the show there are many people who buy amulets or magic potions. There are those who want to settle gambling debts, those who want a baby and those who want to bring rain for the harvest.
Gear Used: Canon EOS R5, Canon RF 24-70mm F2.8L IS USM lens
Copyright for the images belongs to the respective photographer. All images used with the permission of the All About Photo Awards communications team. The lead image is by Whitney Dafoe
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