The winner of the seventh International Landscape Photographer of the Year (based on a folio submission of four photographs) is Kelvin Yuen from Hong Kong.
Kelvin, just 24 -years old, said the Landscape Photography awards have been ‘my only focus for the past four years,’ and he studied the works of past winners to understand what the judges were looking for. His winning portfolio follows:
Winner of the Landscape Photograph of the Year – for a single landscape photograph – was Kai Hornung, Germany:
There were 3800 entries in this years awards, which were organised from Australia and sponsored by Momento Pro and Created for Life.
Great photographs … very dramatic and glossy. It just seems like something I’ve seen so many times before. Is it my Instagram feed?
Not to discredit the photographer – just that judges may want to broaden their perspective of what makes a great landscape photograph. In my definition, if it is just something that makes a wow impression it’s not enough. Can I imagine these photographs printed and on a wall of a collector, of a great interior space designed by a great designer or architect?
If the answer is “no” then really its too much introspection … photography for photographers.
TBH only the last one of the four does fit that bill. MAYBE the second one too.
The other three are a bit too much “look what my camera is capable of” type of photography … and sure it’s cool vantage points , angles and so on… but just not enough to be considered. Great to look at. Amazing skill. Nothing with a long lasting impression though.
I only care as much because that sort of approach of “trying to understand what judges look for” is the whole problem. That’s great to start off with for sure. But if everything is pigeon holed into this sort of glossy stuff, it starts to bore the hell out of me.