Poems, still life and immense feelings – the components of the most stunning fine art photography at IPA 2020. The photographers take us on a journey of self-discovery and emotions, conveying their message through the lens for the whole world to see.
JULIA FULLERTON-BATTEN, LOOKING OUT FROM WITHIN, 2020
It is no surprise that the global pandemic of COVID-19 manifested itself in the works of many photographers. Fine Art Photographer of the Year, Julia Fullerton-Batten grasped the deep-rooted sense of isolation that the Earth’s population had to go through this year. Jury member Catherine Edelman said the following about the photo series: “I think this is the best COVID related work I have seen thus far. The lighting, and the way she composed the people are terrific.”
JACKIE RANKEN, SHINJUKU
Shinjuku is a major commercial and administrative centre with lots of people. Shot looking down from the movie theatre area, it was a very busy scene, made even busier by multiple exposing the image five times. The photographer achieved this busy feeling by changing the camera angle between each frame as she went.
XUE YUTAO, DISTANCE OF TIME
“I stood up and down Kangrinboqe and looked at Gurla Mandhata at an altitude of 7694 meters, 130 kilometers away from me. The light of the stars in the sky was hundrerds, millions, billions of years ago. The mountain in front of me is a masterpiece of tens of millions of years of Creator. That ray of red is a distance of 30 seconds for humans.”
KI PIU TSE, CITY OF MUSICAL SCORES
A wonderfully cheerful project: the photographer wanted to compose musical scores with images while attempting to capture the time and movement of soccer playground audiences. The stand is a five-line staff and the people are musical notes. Whatever the people in the stand is resting, chatting, eating, or watching soccer game, they are inadvertently composed a city musical.
DARAGH MULDOWNEY, BEACONS
This minimalistic photo series depicts Lake Baikal, the largest source of fresh water on the planet, accounting for 23% of all Earths fresh water. It freezes in the winter creating a winter wonderland but also provides an important road system that connects communities. The small trees and branches are ‘planted’ in the ice by locals acting as Beacons that grant travellers safe passage across the lake. They are an important part in connecting communities from one side of the lake to the other.
PAUL GIGGLE, 12 NATURAL WONDERS – AFRICA
Our jury member Elizabeth Poje, said the following about this creative series: “I loved this series. I thought it was interesting and drew me in to see more. Well done.” The photographer wanted to show the fragility of ecosystems. Africa houses some of the worlds most incredible animals, but unfortunately, due to high demands, elephants, rhino, forests, and other animals are slaughtered each day. This series demonstrates the beauty and fragility of Africa.
EKATERINA BELINSKAYA, SYMBIOSIS – ECO PARTS
A project that unveils the truth of our modern times, and what would be the ideal way to live, untethered from our phones and laptops. We live in symbiosis with our technology and not nature, just imagine what the world would be like the other way round.
WESLEY DOMBRECHT, REMINISCE
In the period of self isolation, the photographer was looking back at an old photo album, which made him reminisce about simple childhood food memories that made my happy as a little kid. The nostalgic photos were done with objects found in the photographer’s Grandmother’s barn.
MARY BETH KOETH, MISSED MILESTONES
High school seniors around Texas will celebrate hard-earned milestones and anticipated rites of passage—including graduation, prom, and honor society and Eagle Scout ceremonies—either at a distance, virtually, or both. Many students are experiencing disappointment, grief, and confusion as they try to grapple with this difficult moment in time, as well as what the future might look like.
NICKY HAMILTON, THE UPSIDE DOWN
Another depiction of the isolation caused by COVID-19: The Upside Down is a surreal look into the mental state of the photographer’s son during lockdown in the Covid-19 pandemic. Just a few weeks in and he found it difficult to sleep alone, worrying that the world was going to end. Three months without his daily routine of school, friends, laughter and fun is three months too long for an eight year old boy.