The winning images in this year's edition of the monochrome contest are delightfully dramatic
(Image credit: Haikun Liang)
In a world where political discourse seems to be eroding, and wars are breaking out left, right, and centre, you'd expect a dramatic image of chaos and conflict to stand a good chance of winning a major photo competition.
So when I first glimpsed Destroy together by Haikun Liang, the Absolute Winner of the Black and White Photo Awards 2024, I assumed this was another grim document of the discord and mayhem breaking out around the globe right now. On closer inspection, though, it turned out I couldn't have been more wrong.
In fact, the masked and hooded figure here is neither a victim nor perpetrator of war, but actually just a kid having fun with firecrackers during the Spring Festival in China. The dramatic scene actually depicts the cultural tradition of "frying lions" to ward off evil spirits and pray for peace and prosperity.
It's a stirring and breathtaking image nonetheless, and stands testament to both the skill of the photographer, and the impact that black and white photography can make in a world where we're increasingly surrounded by vibrant, neon, Gen Z-driven colours.
And there are plenty more evocative photographs to enjoy, as the contest committed to monochrome announces its 2024 winners.
Special Prize winner
Spiral to the tower by László Tóth, won Special Prize for Creativity (Image credit: László Tóth)
The Special Prize for Creativity, sponsored by SanDisk Professional was awarded to László Tóth for Spiral to the tower. He constructed this conceptual image by combining multiple superimposed frames of a flock of birds, forming a spiral.
More than €5,500 in prizes were given out in total for these two winners, along with those awarded first prize, second prize and honorable mentions (golden, silver and bronze) across five categories: Architecture, Street, Portrait, Landscape, and Fauna and Flora.
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They were selected from over 5,000 entries by a jury of photographers, including Joel Tjintelaar, Julia Anna Gospodarou, Charles Paul Azzopardi, Kazutoshi Kawakami and Néstor Rodan.
Check out the first and second-prize winners in each category below, while you can see all the 2024 winners in full in this website gallery. The next edition will open on 1 January 2025.
Tom May is a freelance writer and editor specializing in art, photography, design and travel. He has been editor of Professional Photography magazine, associate editor at Creative Bloq, and deputy editor at net magazine. He has also worked for a wide range of mainstream titles including The Sun, Radio Times, NME, T3, Heat, Company and Bella.
