Although it was a very hard year, or maybe rather because of it, photographers around the world did not lack inspiration. The Budapest International Foto Awards just published their winners, and the photographs are so thought-provoking and unique, they truly speak for themselves.
Photographers at all levels are encouraged to submit their work. Besides a cash prize, the winners gain significant international publicity and exposure. ‘We acknowledge the power of even a single photograph to greatly influence an audience, and how the artistic eye of the photographer behind the camera can interpret a scene in so many creative ways. We know that every image has a story to tell’ say the contest organizers. So scroll through these incredible images and immerse yourself in their stories.
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Mother Bear and her two young cubs are at the ice edge, wondering about their next move. 2018 was a relatively warm year in the high Arctic, and this is the last piece of ice in eastern Svalbard. Without sea ice, the mother bear can't hunt for herself and her cubs."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Cormorant fishing is a dying 1,000-year-old tradition in Guilin, China. Sailing peacefully across Li River in Guilin, men fish without the aid of a rod, hook or bait, instead of using a method that involves birds diving underwater."
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Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"The turquoise lake in the crater of the Kawah Ijen volcano looks serene and inviting. It also happens to be the world's largest acidic lake. But the main highlight was watching the Milky Way rise on the crater summit, probably the most beautiful mornings the photographer has seen on the trip."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"The series shows the personal experience of the photographer: 'Since I was 20, I have been prone to depression. Finding antidepressants unhelpful, I decided to get out of Moscow and find somewhere I could be happier, chronicling my own experiences. But the depression followed me. People imagine that depression is like ordinary unhappiness, only more so. It isn’t. And the things we typically do to cheer ourselves up can’t be relied on as treatments. I tried a change of scene to get away from my troubles but to no avail. I think depression has to be understood and treated as an illness, although I am not sure how.'"
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"The whale shark in the picture is just floating beneath the boats on the surface. This is the largest fish on earth with a size of up to more than 10 meters. It is a peaceful and impressive inhabitant of our planet. Many details had to be taken into account when taking the picture, due to the proper composition."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Beach Club Scene at Bondi Beach escaping the Lockdown."
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Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Photo was taken at 42,000 ft over the Sahara desert, flying at the edge of space. Our beautiful little blue marble, floating through the vast void of infinity."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Beware the impossibly fascinating blue viper... this really is a ‘look but don’t touch’ situation, because as visually beautiful as that blue viper is, it’s not the kind of creature you want to mess with. Sold in specialty pet shops, this one is really not for beginners."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"With his eyes closed, the boy played his tune just in time to meet a ray of light. Urim Hong is a photographer who searches for light in the isolated world. After majoring in the humanities as well as pedagogy, he taught children for a decade and, in that process, found himself called to photography."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"This is what happens when abandoned places are reclaimed by Nature. She is stronger, and whatever happens to Man, She will always be there. When Man leaves, She comes back and She takes back everything. This series asks the fundamental question of the place of Man on Earth and his relationship with Nature. Far from being pessimistic, and at a time when Man’s domination of Nature has never been so extreme, it aims to wake our consciousness."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"It is a highlands at an altitude of 4,000 meters in Sichuan, China. That place became red after heavy rain around sunset. The Larung Gar is the biggest Tibetan Buddhist academy in the world."
Related: See the World From Above: 2020’s Best Aerial Photos
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"According to the classic scripts of Chinese medicine, the 7 emotions— ecstasy, fury, worry, reverie, grief, terror, and shock— are causes of chaos. If left untamed, they can disrupt the heart, intestines, and the Qi of a balanced body."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"The mining town of Toretsk is isolated from the rest of eastern Ukraine. The mines in this coal-rich Donbas region have closed one by one since the 1990s. Since the start of the (ongoing) Donbas conflict in 2014, young people have left the region due to the proximity of the frontline, just 10 km away. Central Mine is the oldest and deepest coal mine (1124 meters) in the region. Its infrastructure is dilapidated and in dire need of repair."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Isolated Portrait is the desire to tell the forced isolation in quarantine time. I had the fortune to have access to many houses, mostly of unknown people, and listening to their personal stories. During those meetings, independently from their situation and their feelings, the portrait has revealed to be a common point: 'I am here.' 'I am here' is the desire to feel part of the world despite forced isolation. The control, both in the shooting phase and in the subsequent development phases, is very little and this is the reason why I chose to use this method, which metaphorically reflects."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Magical sunset at the world-famous Anse Source d'Argent beach on La Digue Island in Seychelles."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"Framed through the window of public transport during the Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic changed our lives in so many ways. This photo was one of the many I took of with people wearing masks, but for me, it's the one that describes the crisis on so many levels, visible and inner frames we are living into this period."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
Beauty editorial shoot for L'Beaute Magazine in Mexico.
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"All shot as part of Evening Standard Magazine's 'The Most Wanted' series, where I am asked to come up with stand-out imagery to promote individual designer pieces. Each shot is created within very tight timeframes and within tight budgets, as such I try to stick to bold palettes and adding a conceptual interest that grabs the attention of the viewer, elevating the product from purely 'fashionable' to an aspirational chic. I am a London based photographer, shooting portraits, and still life across a variety of publications."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"The photo depicts the Mud People Festival in Aliaga, Nueva Ecija, Philippines on June 24, 2018. Devotees wear dried banana leaves and cover themselves with mud then offer prayer and also pay homage to Saint John the Baptist."
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
Image Source: Budapest International Foto Awards
"I divided the pictures into different colors, matched with their special geometric shapes, hoping to give people a visual beauty and use the abstraction of color graphics to express my understanding of fine art photography and a metaphor for human nature".
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