Over the weekend I found out that my photograph “Reflection” from 2015 has been among the nominees in the category Professionals/Nature for the Black and White Spider Awards . Now, of course, being nominated isn’t winning (and it didn’t win) – but the award is one of the largest and most prestigious competitions for black and white photography, so by being selected among the nominees I do feel very honored. As they say, it might be a small step for mankind, but it’s a big step for me and my work.
Generally I am not very fond of photo competitions. They often reflect more the current fashion in the various photography genres than true personal expression (which, admittedly, also might be difficult to judge). One can e.g. see that quite a few of my colleagues (and jurors) are quite fond of the work of Michael Kenna. Now, Michael Kenna is certainly one of the most important current photographers and I myself admire and love his work. But I still think that diversity in approach is far more valuable; I’d rather hear the personal voices of these photographers even if the result might be more risky. But I don’t judge them – I myself do know the lure of producing something thought to be pleasing instead of questioning over and over again: is this genuinely my view on the world. And “Reflection” plays into the modern landscape minimalist theme, too.
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