Breathtaking photo of swirling sardines nets $5,000 prize in ViewSonic ColorPro Awards

Photograph of a school of sardines in the Philippines by Benjamin Yavar titled ‘Wormhole’, winner of the 5th ViewSonic ColourPro Awards
‘Wormhole’ by Benjamin Yavar, winner of the 5th ViewSonic ColourPro Awards Photography category (Image credit: © Benjamin Yavar)

Visual solutions and monitor manufacturer ViewSonic has revealed the winners of its latest ColorPro Awards, held at a ceremony in Dusseldorf, Germany.

Now in its fifth season, the competition is open to entrants from around the world and a total of 10,461 works were submitted to meet the theme of ‘Momentum’, across the four categories of Photography, Videography, Digital Art and Generated Art.

The Photography award was won by Benjamin Yavar from Chile, for his image titled ‘Wormhole’. He wins prizes including a ColorPro VP2776T-4K monitor worth $600 and $5,000 in cash.

Second place went to Hüseyin Karahan from Turkey for ‘Swimming Race’, and Mahendra Bakle from India took the third place prize for ‘Riders of the Volcano’.

The Videography category saw Tiger Law from Hong Kong come third and James Varela of the USA take second place – both for cinematic stories titled ‘Momentum’. Serageldin Abouibrahim from Egypt took home the top prize for his film ‘Essence of Colors’.

Digital Art was won by Antonio Montanha, for his artwork ‘The Lovers’ while Generated Art went to Gilang Ramadhan for ‘Big Waves in a Calm Sea’.

(Image credit: Future)

Visitors to the event enjoyed speeches from ViewSonic’s Western Europe Sales & Marketing Director, Thomas Muller, before the awards ceremony, which was hosted by ViewSonic ambassadors including Sasan Amir and Luke Stackpoole.

Following the event in Dusseldorf, the shortlisted and winning images will be displayed at a ColorPro Award show in India, before moving on to Taiwan.

ViewSonic challenged entrants to explore the ‘Momentum’ theme in original and creative ways, “beyond physical motion, delving into emotional and symbolic dimensions”.

The themes of each ColorPro Awards are chosen to build on the previous one – in recent years the progression has been Kindness, Breakthrough, Rise and Momentum.

(Image credit: Future)

The ColorPro judging panel includes professional photographers and videographers, ViewSonic senior management and ViewSonic ambassadors.

"The 5th ColorPro Awards celebrates the essence of creativity – evolution, energy and transformation," said ViewSonic’s Monitor Business Unit general manager, Oscar Lin.

"Each submission masterfully captures the theme of ‘Momentum’, bringing stories of dynamism and discovery to life through visual art.

"With submissions growing fivefold since our inaugural ColorPro Awards, we are honored to showcase the diverse talents of our global community and share their remarkable perspectives with the world."

First-place prize winners in Photography and Videography bag $5,000 cash and a ColorPro monitor, plus Calibrite and Pantone bundles; entrants placing second and third get a ColorPro monitor and Calibrite and Pantone bundles.

Entries for the next ColorPro Awards will open in spring 2025 – for updates, click here to sign up to the competition’s newsletter, or you can follow the awards on Instagram.

In the meantime, view the 5th ColorPro Awards finalists’ gallery – and read on to discover more about the fifth ColorPro Awards winners…

Behind the winning Photography shot: ‘Wormhole’

‘Wormhole’ by Benjamin Yavar, winner of the 5th ViewSonic ColourPro Awards (Image credit: © Benjamin Yavar)

"My girlfriend and I went to shoot together at the Moalboal sardine run in the Philippines. It doesn’t happen all year round so we got really lucky.

"The weather was perfect, with really good conditions and good visibility underwater, and no waves at all.

"We were a little bit far away from the shore for the sardines, and we saw the sardines all running together. Normally you get less fish together than this.

"I was already underwater, shooting at the sardines, then I saw my girlfriend diving towards them.

(Image credit: Future)

"And that's when this unique form was created – I call it a wormhole – so I started shooting and changing the aperture and then realized that this was quite a special moment.

"I use a Sony A7 IV camera and Sony FE 12-24mm F4 G lens inside a Sea Frogs underwater housing. I think I was shooting around f/11, as I wanted everything sharp, and ISO 100. For my underwater photography I only use natural lighting.

"I got to the surface, started looking at the images and knew I had got something good. I'm super-excited to win this competition, and was not expecting to.

"When I saw the images of the other [finalists], I thought it was going to be tough – I'm still in shock!"

Runner-up, Photography: ‘Swimming Race’

‘Swimming Race’ by Hüseyin Karahan, runner-up in the 5th ViewSonic ColourPro Awards Photography category (Image credit: © Hüseyin Karahan)

Second place in the Photography category went to 'Swimming Race' by Hüseyin Karahan of Turkey, an aerial shot of swimmers carving through churning water.

The ColorPro judges described this image as "powerful", adding that it "juxtaposes individual drive with synchronised rhythm, embodying resilience and the strength of human athleticism".

Behind the 3rd place Photography shot: ‘Riders of the Volcano’

‘Riders of the Volcano’ by Mahendra Bakle, awarded third prize in the 5th ViewSonic ColourPro Awards Photography category (Image credit: © Mahendra Bakle)

“I took this picture in Mount Bromo, an active volcano in Indonesia. The horse was heading home after a day's work, but for some reason it was reluctant to go in the direction the rider wanted and was jumping instead.

"I thought it was a perfect photo opportunity, so I ran towards a small heap of ash, got up on it and clicked away in burst mode, and this shot was the perfect one.

(Image credit: Future)

"I used a Sony A7R IV and FE 70-200mm F2.8 G Master II, and the focusing speed of the A7R IV is amazing. I’m a travel photographer – I like to capture people with their emotions and their natural working styles and I also like to take aerial pictures and photos.

"I actually work in the printing industry, so photography is my hobby. But I make sure that every month or two, I take a week and go to places to enjoy different people and cultures and heritage."

5th ColorPro Awards Videography winners

Essence of colors - YouTube Essence of colors - YouTube
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First place in the Videography category was awarded to Serageldin Abouibrahim from Egypt for his short film titled 'Essence of Colors' (above).

"This reflective piece captures the artistic journey of self-discovery," said the judges. "Through dynamic visuals and evolving compositions, it conveys the profound interplay between introspection and creative liberation."

MOMENTUM | A Cinematic Short Film - YouTube MOMENTUM | A Cinematic Short Film - YouTube
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The runner-up was James Varela (USA), for 'MOMENTUM – A Cinematic Short Film' (above).

Aiming to explore how movement shapes life at every level, Varela's film "presents momentum as an elemental force, from the cosmic rhythm that propels stars and stirs ocean waves to the creative energy that turns craft into art", said the judges.

"Through these depictions, the film affirms that momentum is an innate drive within us all, and, once built up, makes us unstoppable."

In Momentum | ColorPro 5th Awards - YouTube In Momentum | ColorPro 5th Awards - YouTube
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Tiger Law from Hong Kong took the third place prize, for 'In Momentum' (above), which was created entirely within 40 hours of the submission deadline closing.

"Alternating between scenes of a painter and a drummer in their studios, the film illustrates how persistence fuels progress," the judges said, "revealing that true momentum is not just about constant movement but also the wisdom to pause, reflect, and recharge."

5th ColorPro Awards Digital Art winner

‘The Lovers’ by António Montanha, winner of the Digital Art category (Image credit: © António Montanha)

Depicting a radiant dragonfly poised near a hibiscus flower, 'The Lovers' by António Montanha (Portugal) took first place.

"The piece vividly captures motion through masterful use of colour and intricate composition," said the judges.

5th ColorPro Awards Generated Art category winner

Big Waves in a Calm Sea’ by Gilang Ramadhan, winner of the People’s Choice Award in the Generated Art category (Image credit: © Gilang Ramadhan)

Gilang Ramadhan (Indonesia) received the People’s Choice Award in the Generated Art category. "This inspiring portrayal of a surfer maintaining calm focus amidst a towering wave symbolises resilience in the face of nature’s power," the judges noted.

Register for ColorPro Awards updates

The 5th ColorPro Awards: MOMENTUM Teaser - YouTube The 5th ColorPro Awards: MOMENTUM Teaser - YouTube
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Entries for the next ColorPro Awards will open in spring 2025 – to keep up to date about how to enter, and when, click here to sign up to the competition’s newsletter, or you can follow the awards on Instagram.

Niall Hampton
Editor

Niall is the editor of Digital Camera Magazine, and has been shooting on interchangeable lens cameras for over 20 years, and on various point-and-shoot models for years before that. 

Working alongside professional photographers for many years as a jobbing journalist gave Niall the curiosity to also start working on the other side of the lens. These days his favored shooting subjects include wildlife, travel and street photography, and he also enjoys dabbling with studio still life. 

On the site you will see him writing photographer profiles, asking questions for Q&As and interviews, reporting on the latest and most noteworthy photography competitions, and sharing his knowledge on website building.