Jordi Cohen (Spain) Title if the image: Lag Baomer. Tittle of the series: Believers. Ladies separated from men by a fence, celebrating Lag Baomer in the Orthodox Mea Shearim neighborhood of Jerusalem. Lag Baomer is a festival which is celebrated by all manner of Jewish communities around the world. The festival itself commemorates two historical events according to Jewish tradition: the passing of revered Second Century sage Rabbi Shimon Bar Yochai, who ordained that the anniversary of his death be a time of rejoicing at his life; and the end of a plague which killed some 24,000 students of another great rabbi, Akiva Ben Yosef (who lived around the same time as Bar Yochai).
Antoine Buttafoghi (France) Image: Alone in the world Series: Kalaallit Nunaat Greenland is a land of contrasts, a land of extremes where the harshness of the climate is perpetually combined with the sublime. Its landscapes touch us, challenge us, and fascinate us with their beauty and strength. Here, a stunning silence reigns supreme and exposes a certain, quiet vulnerability. In this intangible immensity where everything seems limitless, the greatness of which borders on the divine, nature performs a spectacular cycle, with ever-renewed energy. Here, the power of these raw landscapes speaks to us, intimidates us and reminds us of the extraordinary story of the world's creation. This series of photographs was taken during an artist residency: "Artists in Arctic "(A collaborative artistic creation in the heart of the Arctic), aboard a boat « Le Manguier » caught in the ice of the Far North, in Kaasarfik Bay, near the small city of Aasiaat in GREENLAND (68 ° 42'37.2''N - 52 ° 45'50.9''W) in April 2017.
Matty Karp (Israel) Title of the image-Waiting For Christmas Mass Title of the series-Lalibela Christmas During the first days of January, thousands of Ethiopian Orthodox Christian pilgrims go to the city of Lalibela to visit the ''New Jerusalem''. This holy city is composed of 11 interconnected churches carved by hand that are connected through a series of labyrinths and tunnels..The first days of January mark the celebration of Genna , which is the Christmas version of the Ethiopian calendar. The site was built in the 12th century by King Lalibela.
Debbie Smyth (United Kingdom) Image title: Never free Series title: Life’s a rush The fascinating city of Tokyo is home to around 14 million people and the overriding feeling that grabs me when I arrive is that I must join the evermoving crowds. The hurrying hordes, the neon signs and bright lights, the dense traffic, all make it feel impossible to pause for just one moment. It is this constant hustle and bustle that I have captured in my Life’s a Rush project. In Never free this seemingly lone man looks to have escaped the pressures of the urban daily rush, but on closer inspection his dark shadow is seen to be engulfed by crowds of people in the neon signs reflected at his feet. We are left questioning the line between vision and reality.
Trevor Messersmith (United States) Image Title: "Legendary" Series Title:: "Legends of the Desert" "Legends of the Desert" is a series of high-contrast black and white photographs taken in Las Vegas. Vegas is the most American of city concepts — it is a distillation of other places, repackaged for easier consumption. Performers impersonate other performers. Architecture approximates other architecture. Money ravages money. I have to admit I’m intoxicated by the experience — as easy as it is to see its seams, the spectacle of Las Vegas is still something to behold. The drama of the desert heat and the allure of glittering surfaces are as exciting as they are dangerous.
France Leclerc (United States) Title of the Image: Proud Wodaabe Boy Title of the series: The Wodaabe, nomads of the Sahel The Wodaabes are nomadic cattle herders, and as such, they depend entirely upon their herds of cattle for their existence. Young boys cannot wait to help herd the cattle, which they typically can start doing at age seven. This young boy conveys his pride in reaching that stage by standing in front of the clan's beloved big-horned Zebu cattle.
Robi Chakraborty (India/United States) Title of the image - Vaishnavs Title of series- Krishna This set of photographs were taken in Vrindavan and Mathura the birthplace of Lord Krishna. I focused on the devotees who descended on the famous Krishna temple to pay homage and prayers. In this image, a priest stands amongst a group of Vaishnavs. Vaishnavs are a sect of Krishna followers in Hinduism.
Ted and Nune (United States) Image: Promise of Storm Series: Feeling Winter The project, Feeling Winter, is about the waning human presence against a backdrop of extreme weather. Muted winter light and minimalistic scenes can be charged with trepidation, solace and melancholy; how we view these landscapes often reflects our emotional state. This photograph was taken as we were approaching a storm during our 2019 winter road tour through Armenia. The sole cloud announcing the coming blizzard toys with our imagination.
Julien Coomans (Belgium) Image: Fishing Hut Series: Fishing Huts, Fouras, France I traveled to Fouras on the west coast of France to photograph some unusual but picturesque fishing huts that are dotted along the coast line. Central to my vision was to take a series of long exposures in order to set a tranquil scene and emphasise the elegant wooden structures. The first day was miserable - windy and a lot of rain - yet despite this I was amazed by the beauty of the huts. Undeterred, I used my time to study the scene and find my compositions, ready to pounce when conditions were just right. The hardest part about finding the right compositions was avoiding stretches of land on the horizon as the bay curves quite dramatically. I had to find the perfect balance between fishing hut, weather conditions and the horizon line beyond. After finding my compositions my next challenge was to watch out for the tide times. I had to shoot as the tide was going out not only to physically be able to take the shot but to be sure I was safe. On the second day the conditions improved and I had my window between outgoing and incoming tides. The wind had died down making the water much calmer which was better as I could keep the exposure down to a few minutes to try and improve my chance of avoiding any tripod wobble. After shooting my pre-scouted compositions and checking the LCD screen for sharpness I packed up and went for a well earned beer!
Nicola Ducati (Italy) Image: Red Girl With Turban Series: My Red Pamir They live in the dust of the high altitude deserts but seem to be queens. I met the red women for the first time in the high mountains of Afghanistan. The Kyrgyzy are a minority of 1200 people scattered throughout the vast territory of Pamir. They hosted us for the night, they offered us their bread, they warmed us with their fireplaces, they gave us a moment of their life without knowing how precious it was. A testimony of a slow and inexorable farewell. Every winter many of them are lost forever, the snow blanket leaves large gaps because of too cold or because of too much opium to bear it. Nowadays the West has abandoned the peoples of Afghanistan to their fate. The red of the traditional kyrgyzy clothes now becomes a deeper red, a prediction of incoming many dark days. The gaze of this girl now takes on a very strong meaning, a testimony and a symbol of those who are asking us for help, for herself and for all Afghan women. The arrival of the Talibans is also imminent up here among the plateaus and the peaks of the small Afghan Pamir, someone try to escape but in the mountains winter is already imminent. Her eyes look deeply into the whole West. Peoples and ethnic groups as old as the earth are about to fall into the abyss. These pictures are just a little part of the 'My Red Pamir' series, a work I did in Afghanistan during the last months of freedom.
Sujon Adhikary (Bangladesh) Image: Sailor of Red Chilies Sea A farmer is going home after laying out red chilies on plastic sheets evenly under the bright sunlight . During the harvesting season which lasts for two month Ton's of chilis are laid out to dry creating a patchwork effect on open green fields in Panchagarh, a district in Northern Bangladesh.
Don Jacobson (United States) Image: Pontochoco-dori Shop Display Series: An Intimate View of Japan What struck me about my travels in Japan was how their culture paid so much attention to detail. The shrines, temples and gardens were meticulously crafted with an aesthetic that was beautiful and harmonious. This aesthetic was evident in a display of goods for sale as illustrated in "Pontochoco-dori Shop Display."
Johan Gerrits (Netherlands) Title of the image: Mundari children preparing the cow dung fires Title of the series: Daily life in a Mundari cattle camp The Mundari people, from South Sudan, are cattle herders as well as fierce warriors. They live in symbiosis with their cattle and nothing is more important for them than their cows. In the cattle camps, kids are doing most of the daily work. Kids collect the fresh cow dung and put it into piles which are then set on fire to protect them and the cows against mosquitoes. The Mundari also use the ash created by these fires to rub themselves and their cattle, creating a protection against the mosquitoes.
Barry Guthertz (United States) Title of Image: Painted Desert #1 Series Title: Arizona’s NE Corner The unconventional sandstone landscapes found in Northern Arizona speak to the very core of my being. Within a 100 mile radius there are literally dozens of otherworldly places to visit. Monument Valley, White Pocket, Painted Desert, Canyon De Chelly, The Wave, Antelope Canyon, and South Coyote Buttes to name a few. Under the top layer of sandstone you often find a multi-colored chaos of swirling reds, yellows and oranges that create breathtaking land formations of domes, hoodoos, gullies and slot canyons. When I’m in their midst I feel a sense of wonder that calls on me to sit quietly and contemplate their mysterious beauty. Northern Arizona has become a place for inspiration as well as for introspection.
Hoang Long Ly (Vietnam) Image: Bamboo Basket Seller The most well-known of Tat Vien village, Hung Yen province - the North of Vietnam, was the bamboo basket for fishing, it was a simple tool made by bamboo, rhombus and flexible so that the farmer could lay it under stream to cacth the small fish. This traditional craft had been handed over many generations in Tat Vien village during 200 years, all the members of Mr. Bac’s family would be so skillful to complete any stage of weaving, after a couple weeks of working, all the baskets would be loaded as many as possible on his bicycle then he started moving around the region for selling. The bamboo basket was not only a manual labor tool but also a decorated item for interior design of hotel, restaurant and shop recently.
Larry Snider (United States) The title of the image is" Young Tibetan Woman at Temple Gate" Title of the Series is" Tibet. “I made 5 trips to Tibet over a period of time and was totally fascinated. Most of my trips were in the Qinghai province which is quite rural compared to the area near Lhasa. People told me that if I wanted to see what Tibet was like before China, you should go to Ladakh so I went there many times but returned to the more remote areas of Tibet away from Lhasa.”
Carole Glauber (Israel) Image: Lapland Journey #1 Series Title: Lapland Journey The Arctic Circle cuts across Lapland with a palette of frigid winter light where colors are subtle and make a statement. With seven months of winter, such an environment heightens an awareness of isolation, vulnerability and trust. Yet, it provides an opportunity to inspire and strengthen our inner selves, to self-reflect and observe our passage in time, both in a literal sense, and metaphorically. Our experiences reflect our personal odysseys as we move from a place we know to one that we are just discovering.
