2024 IPA Winners: Unveiling The Future Of Photography In 20 Pictures

The International Photography Awards is delighted to announce the category winners and finalists in its 2024 Photography Competition for the professional and non-professional/student categories.

A stellar international jury of renowned photography experts judged nearly 14,000 entries from 100 countries around the world to finally select these outstanding category winners, each of whom is in the running to receive the IPA’s top two prizes—Photographer of the Year for the professional categories, and Discovery of the Year for the non-professional / student categories. The finalists for these two awards will be presented with the IPA trophy—and the winner announced—at the IPA 2024 Awards Ceremony and Foto Fiesta on November 21-23 in Athens, Greece. 

Thank you to everyone who participated, we truly appreciate your work and the unique perspective that you brought to this event.

More info: photoawards.com | Facebook | Instagram

20 PHOTOS

#1 "Samurai In Autumn Night" By Yukihito Ono

Special Photographer Of the Year

This photo was taken in Nagano, Japan. A lightning rod (lightsaber) is swung during the exposure to create the light trail of the sword.

#2 "Sardines" By Benjamin Yavar

Nature Photographer Of the Year

Photo shooting with the sardines is such an amazing experience, they can create incredible unique forms. I love how in this photo, the sardines are welcoming the freediver or swallowing it (depends on how you see it)

#3 "City Residential Portrait" By Shawn Lee

2nd Place / Architecture/Buildings

Living in Beijing for a long time, I am often drawn to vintage residential buildings, especially when sunlight shines on them against a blue sky. I pause to observe their features: mottled walls, balconies with security nets, clothes hanging to dry, potted plants. These are traces of human life, still unfolding. Inspired, I began a photography project in September 2022, always shooting from a centered position and using Photoshop to eliminate distractions, leaving only the sky and the subject. My aim: to focus viewers' attention on every detail, undisturbed.

#4 "Underwater Portraits" By Shunsaku Kamide

1st Place / Nature/Macro

In the waters of Japan, various fish inhabit the shallow areas. If you look closely, you can see the expressions of fish that are less than a centimeter in size. Their seemingly carefree expressions always heal me, and the colors overflowing underwater always brighten my heart. The underwater world viewed through a macro lens is filled with new discoveries.

#5 "North Korea: The People’s Paradise" By Tariq Zaidi

1st Place / Book/Documentary

In January 2020, North Korea closed its borders. Even before this, documenting the country was difficult due to strict photography controls. Despite these challenges, a collection of over 100 images offers a distinctive view of North Korean society. This book, born from three years of research and photography, encourages readers to look deeper, questioning assumptions and glimpsing the fusion of tradition and modernity within the nation. It challenges stereotypes, highlighting the complex dynamics of a nation navigating its course amidst global scrutiny.

#6 "In The Shadows Of Silent Women" By Maryam Firuzi

People Photographer Of the Year

I started a journey to find my roots as an Iranian woman in this project, I drove more than 50 thousand kilometers in different parts of Iran to find women who live in intertwined communities. A journey into the history of Iranian women's life, which is a combination of tradition and patriarchy, and at the same time, linguistic and cultural diversity. Women who, despite the limitations, with solidarity and interweaving in women's groups strive for the education of their children, and at the same time, they want to preserve their ancestral identity. Some of these women are the last generation.

#7 "Sunflower Trails" By Bikram Ghosh

2nd Place / Nature/Astrophotography

An expansive Sunflower field lit up under the stunningly beautiful southern sky.

#8 "The Iron Quest" By João Coelho

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Photo Essay / Feature Story

This series tells the story of a group of young people working in a ship graveyard in Angola. They have to dive hundreds of times when the tide is low. They grope the bottom with their hands as the dark waters with sediments and oil don't allow them to see anything underwater. After removing pieces weighing hundreds of pounds using only their hands and the strength of their arms, they have to carry them to the beach, struggling with the waves and the currents. Every day they risk their lives to earn a measly 120 dollars for a ton of iron. They and their families depend on it to survive

#9 "Once Were Farmers" By Camilla Rutherford

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Contemporary issues

Mountains of waste replace fields of rice. Tribes of villagers that once produced food and crafts now deal with other people's trash. Once were farmers is a story of recognition and awareness. Recognizing our waste problem. Recognizing the unsung heroes that deal with our chuck-away culture. Awareness that we all need to change. Once they were farmers, they now harvest a different bounty but it's making them sick. Can we change the story?

#10 "The Procession Of Sant’efisio, Cagliari, Sardinia" By Frank Lynch

2nd Place / People /Children

Sardinian child at the procession of Sant’Efisio in Cagliari. The procession is the longest in Europe. It lasts for 4 days at a distance of 65 km from the Cagliari church of Stampace, to that of Nora, where the saint was martyred, and returns to Cagliari. It is one of the oldest processions of Sardinia and has taken place every year since 1656.

#11 "Give Wings" By Kohei Kawashima

1st Place / Event/Competitive Event

I took a panning shot of the bicycle racers competing for first place. I set the shutter speed to 1/4 and swung the lens out the moment the shutter curtain came down. The trajectory of the camera was like that of a wing.

#12 "Dunes, A Study Of Light, Texture And Shadows" By Glen Serbin

2nd Place / Fine Art/Landscape

These images were shot at Death Valley, White Sands, and Oceano Dunes in California. Normally I hike for hours at a time to find the right angle and light to capture the detail I am looking for. I shoot in the morning to capture the shadows, textures, and curves of the dunes. There is just simple beauty in how the wind and shadows create art within the sand. I am always trying to make the shadows and shapes the hero of these images. By positioning myself behind the sun while using a polarizing filter, I was able to achieve a dark sky.

#13 "The Second" By Tom Franks

Advertising Photographer Of the Year

The Second Amendment was partially written to ensure that civilian America was sufficiently armed that they could deal with the British invasion should it ever happen, and yet here I was, door-knocking with a British accent asking to enter people's homes to see their guns, have a chat - and take their photo. Over two weeks in January 2024, I headed to Prescott, Arizona with one goal - to talk my way into the living rooms of seemingly ordinary citizens & learn about the normalization of gun ownership in the USA.

#14 "Thereza" By Daniela Balestrin

2nd Place / Analog / Film/Other

Thereza, a series of cyanotypes initiated in 2023, emerges from the search for one of my ancestors, known for decades as my grandfather's dead mother. Paper, chemicals, sunlight, and water are elements of this invented encounter, a way to overcome the absence of images and create narratives that speak of her beyond her maternal role. Thereza appears watery, like a river that reveals itself differently with each glance. May her name foster imagination.

#15 "Let's Fly" By Davide Bastianelli

1st Place / Editorial / Press/Sports

This photograph was taken during the Italian top-flight basketball match between VL Pesaro and Dolomiti Energia Trento. The photograph was selected as the best of the month by Lega Basket Serie A, and presents Kamar Baldwin (Trento) during a dunk on the counterattack, a moment of the highest sport

#16 "Beautyofdiversity" By Andrea Paolini Merlo

Advertising Photographer Of the Year

The beauty of diversity through the art of dance. A series of photos was created for the Hungarian Dance University to celebrate the vibrant diversity of dance by showcasing different dancers in various styles, each highlighted in a distinct color shade. This visual “mosaic” not only emphasizes the richness of different dance forms but also embraces the unity and inclusivity of all cultures and races. Diversity enriches our lives, strengthens our communities, and propels us toward a more united and harmonious world. APMerlo

#17 "People To Whom I Have Invited Myself” By Martina Holmberg

3rd Place / Analog / Film/Portrait

Voukko has suffered from severe rheumatism for several years. The photo is from my ongoing project ”People to whom I have invited myself”. In the work, I examine how humans try to create meaning and belonging during our limited time in life. I have met all the people involved in this project through random meetings. Their appearance and charisma have piqued my interest, whereupon I have quite cheekily invited myself into their homes. During these meetings and conversations with unknown people, interesting encounters have arisen.

#18 "Natan" By Jeffrey Vanhoutte

1st Place / Advertising/Fashion

These enchanting photos were commissioned by the haute couture brand NATAN. The result of the creative synergy of four talented artists: Natan, led by clothing designer Edouard Vermeulen and his team, creative director Christophe Coppens for the concept and the design of the jewelry, Annick Vandecapelle for the beautiful sculptures and myself as photographer and retoucher. A harmonious fusion of different art forms, resulting in a captivating and aesthetically elevated series of images for NATAN.”

#19 "Fine Art Of Resilience" By Paul Szimák

Fine Art Photographer Of the Year

The focus of the Fine Art Of Resilience project is Mother Earth in the form of the Greek goddess of nature Gaia, who we encounter in every picture in a new form. Gaia always appears timelessly youthful and beautiful to us, but in reality, she is not well. All images are classic Photoshop compositions that were created by hand over weeks of very complex detailed retouching (WITHOUT any use of artificial intelligence). In Photoshop I retouch using the painting techniques of the Old Masters such as sfumato, trebenism, and chiaroscuro to merge my photographs with paintings.

#20 "Roe V. Wade Fully Human" By Charles Niell Jr. Chaz

Event Photographer Of the Year

With the overturning of Roe v. Wade, the nation finds itself thrust into the heart of one of our time's most contentious and emotionally charged debates. For fifty years, Roe v. Wade had stood as a landmark decision affirming a woman's right to choose, but now, the tide has turned, and emotions run high on both sides of the issue. On one side of the divide the passionate advocates for women's reproductive rights. And equally as sincere in their convictions, conservative Christians, many of them driven by deeply held religious beliefs.