One of Nelson Mouëllic's winning photos.
Thank you to everyone who submitted to the 2008 World Nomads Travel Photography Scholarship. We received over 290 applications, and the standard was awe-inspiring.
Congratulations to our winner, runners up and shortlisted applicants, who all submitted exceptional work.
The winner
Nelson Mouëllic from Canada.
Judge's comments: Nelson very successfully documented his ‘place’ London, but also interlaced a second theme, Spectators. Every image was strong compositionally, exposed beautifully, and told a story; all worked well as a portfolio, there were no weak links. He searched for depth in his images and managed to create diversity in a small number of frames.
Congratulations Nelson, see you Down Under!
See Nelson's photo submissions.
Second Place
Raditya Ardianto Taepur from Indonesia.
Judge's comments: Raditya’s portfolio leapt out at me immediately. It was simple but clever, highlighting the fact that ‘a place’ does not have to be exotic or wondrous. His composition was excellent and the concept very original. His image of the bridge shadow was one of my favourites.
See Raditya's photo submissions.
Third Place
Laura Buckman from U.S.A
Judge's comments: I felt Laura’s composition was excellent as was her exposure. The story carried itself strongly and Laura allowed herself to come through in the imagery. The emptiness of the fair was disconcerting and she did well to highlight this.
See Laura's photo submissions
The Shortlist (in alphabetical order)
Marina Alamo-Bryan Judge's comments: It was great to see imagery from a larger format camera and Marina’s exposure was spot on for illustrating her chosen subject appropriately. There was solid depth to the portfolio and an obvious awareness of the reality of the situation.
Mark Bailey Judge's comments: It was evident Mark had immersed himself in his story and that he had taken the time to think through, and cover the different elements. His portfolio worked well as a story supported by his strong captioning.
David Cartier Judge's comments: David’s composition was excellent and his subtle use of light added to the strength of his images. His portfolio was opinionated and worked well as a sequence
Allison Fahmie Judge's comments: There was excellent depth to Allison’s coverage and her obvious passion for her subject shone through. Her exposure was good under difficult climactic conditions.
Mira Kellerman Judge's comments: I loved Mira’s concept, it was original and very strong. Her work was opinionated and her commitment was evident. In addition, the facts she contributed in her written component were very appropriate.
Ana Carolina Kruschewsky Judge's comments: In many ways composing for a square format is more difficult than for standard 35mm. Ana very successfully composed her subjects in a way that strengthened the format and in turn the imagery. Her exposure was great and the story flowed smoothly.
Leonoardo Mercon Judge's Comments: Leonardo’s images were opinionated and there was good depth to the coverage. He substantiated his imagery with text that indicated he had taken the time to get to know his subjects.
Karen Tanaka Judge's comments: Karen made strong use of the harsh tropical sun that bothers many photographers. There was depth to her coverage, which also came across in her written component.
Mikko Takkunen Judge's comments: Mikko’s exposure was excellent in a difficult situation, light earth and dark skinned people. His imagery told the story of the diamond miners very well.
The judging panel
Our shortlist was created by Tina Seeto, Marketing Manager, National Geographic Channel & Simon Monk, Director, World Nomads.
Our winner and runners up were selected by Jason Edwards, National Geographic on-assignment photographer.
The judging process
Jason has been generous enough to share with us the 10 key elements that formed the fabric of his selection proces;
1.Composition: Every element should have it's place in an image, even shadows and highlights.
2.Exposure: The exposure should match the tone and mood of the image, without manipulating the integrity of the subject matter.
3.Originality: There are more images being taken in the world today, but there are fewer photographers. See it differently.
4.Story: Every individual frame should tell a story, if an image doesn't do this then remove it.
5.Opinionated: Is your story opinionated? It does not have to be a moral or ethical viewpoint just your emotion coming through.
6.Depth: Have you explored your story or scraped the surface?
7.Captioning: Do not rely on an editor seeing everything you see in an image. Provide at least some background to what is happening in the frame.
8.Reason for why you should win: Always a personal viewpoint, entrants were ranked based on what people hoped to gain from the experience and what they hoped to contribute back to the greater community.
9. Willingness to learn: Very, very important! It is a scholarship, and the successful applicant had to be willing to learn, and in some cases re-learn elements of their photographic technique and how they behave as photographers.
10. Contribution to Photography: Did the images and story as a whole contribute something to the art of photography?
We are already working on our 2009 Scholarship Program - so make sure you
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