The International Photography Awards (IPA) hosts an annual competition that brings together professional, amateur, and student photographers from around the globe. This prestigious event represents one of the most ambitious photography competitions today, offering diverse categories that celebrate creativity across various mediums. From Analog/Film to Fine Art and Special categories, the IPA allows artists to explore photography’s intersection with other art forms.
In this article, we spotlight four photographs that triumphed in the 2023 IPA awards. Each piece stands out for its unique and unconventional qualities, inviting you to journey through the realms of nostalgia, shadow, and mystery.
Twenty-Seven Flashbacks
Award: 1st Place in Professional Fine Art, Collage
Photographer: Regina Šulskytė
In her work, Regina Šulskytė explores the complex relationship between personal and collective time through photography. Her works blend family history, personal experiences, and observed moments, creating a layered narrative. By juxtaposing images and incorporating pauses, she invites viewers to construct their own interpretations of time’s passage and its impact on individuals. Šulskytė’s work is both personal and universal, allowing space for diverse perspectives while conveying a strong artistic vision.
Šulskytė shares her poetic vision for the series:
“ A series is dedicated to the memory of the deceased mother. 27 is related to specific stages of the mother’s life. The number 27 also signifies a number of photographs in the present series. The impression of the series of images is highlighted through the clothes worn by the mother, the clothes which are particularly main inspirations of the flashbacks. They have become a link between what existed in the past and what is in the present. It is a visual language about losses and memory. Photographs unpublished.”
One jury member, Hiroshi Osaka, reflects on how this series has conjured a memory of his own late mother through the use of clothes:
“This work left a lasting impression on me as a connection between the past and the present through the clothes of my late mother. The colors and tones of the photos are also good.”
This series was captured by the photographer in 2022 using Sony a7III Lens FE 24-105 mm / F4 G OSS; Canon EOS 5D Canon EF 24-105 mm f 4L
Learn more about the photographer and her work here
View the full series of photographs here
Burnout
Award: 2nd Place in the Special/Digitally Enhanced category
Photographer: Giovanna Viola
Giovanna Viola is a Chilean-American artist passionate about creating surreal, thought-provoking images. With roots in crafting and filmmaking, she blends photography, painting, and sculpture to explore the unusual and inspire wonder. Driven by a love of symbolism and surrealism, Viola’s artistic journey led her from Chile to the US, where she continues to push creative boundaries.
“My current work arises out of a necessity for connection and communication, a feeling that was born when I moved to a country away from everything that was known to me – a different language, an unfamiliar culture, no friends, no family, but full of a million ideas.”
-Giovanna Viola
Discover more about Giovanna Viola here
Portrait of My Love Nita Curled Up
Award: 2nd Place in Professional Analog/Film, Fine Art
Photographer: Mo Verlaan
In “Portrait of My Love Nita Curled Up,” Mo Verlaan captures the essence of love through her poignant portrayal of her lover. This photograph is part of her larger series, “Book of Light,” which showcases her exploration of emotions through careful composition and unique techniques.
To compose this photograph, Verlaan used Mamiya M645/Kodak T-Max Film Iso400/Baryta Forte Paper/Scanned/Photogravure/Chine Colle Washi Paper
Verlaan describes her creative process:
“Book of Light comprises a series of (self-) portraits based on a handful of images that are only slightly different. However, they each have a different frequency and express a different piece of the greater narrative. Each portrait has gone through a series of individual manipulations. All were developed in the darkroom, printed on unique old papers, some received additional layers while printing. These were digitized and used for photogravures, then printed on delicate washi papers. The portraits came to express different emotions, different moments, a search within the self and the now.”
Learn more about Mo Verlaan and her artistic journey on her website
Fade to Black
Award: 1st Place in the Analog/Film/Fine Art category
Photographer: Martina Holmberg
Winning 1st place in the Analog / Film/Fine Art category, Fade to Black was captured some time between 2010 and 2012 by photographer Martina Holmberg.
Stockholm-based freelance photographer and writer, Martina Holmber developed a passion for photography as a child, spending time in her father’s darkroom. Her work frequently explores the diverse living conditions of women around the world, often focusing on capturing emotions and inner states. Through extensive travels with aid organizations and freelance assignments, Holberg has produced eight published books and garnered international recognition for her photography.
Holmberg describes her process for creating Fade to Black and the rest of the series in this way:
“With an old Polaroid camera I preserve memories and fleeting contemplations. It freezes snapshots from life. The images are photographed with a Polaroid film called Fade to Black. If left alone the polaroid images degrade and eventually fade entirely to black. I have to stop the degrading by destroying the polaroid, essentially separating the layers of the film and halting the chemical process inside. The expression can be affected but it is never possible to completely control. I am fascinated by the random as a part of the expression. It’s like life, you can not control everything.”
Explore Martina Holmberg’s impactful work on her official website
Conclusion
These four award-winning photographs from the 2023 International Photography Awards not only showcase exceptional artistic talent but also invite us to reflect on our own connections to memory and emotion. Each image stands as a testament to the enduring power of photography to provoke thought and evoke deep feelings, reminding us that art can transcend time, linking past and present in hauntingly beautiful ways.