{"id":199328,"date":"2025-10-09T04:58:12","date_gmt":"2025-10-09T04:58:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/199328\/"},"modified":"2025-10-09T04:58:12","modified_gmt":"2025-10-09T04:58:12","slug":"15-finalists-of-photo-contest-that-celebrates-all-talent-levels","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ca\/199328\/","title":{"rendered":"15 Finalists of Photo Contest That Celebrates All Talent Levels"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"2025<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Red String\u201d by Eli\u0161ka Sky
\u201cThe Red String is series inspired by love and connection regardless of cultural upbringing, different religions, appearance or physical ability. In the world often filled with a division, I wanted to find the message of love and connection in the melting pot which is London for me.
Inspired by the Japanese legend of the Red String of Fate, I capture couples, families, siblings and friends from diverse backgrounds & nationalities. According to this legend, an invisible red thread connects those who are destined to meet, regardless of time, place, or circumstance. This string may stretch or tangle, but it will never break, symbolizing the ties that bind us to one another.\u201d<\/p>\n

If the finalists of the 2025 AOP Open Awards<\/a> are any indication, the future of photography is looking bright. This photo contest, organized by the Association of Photographers (AOP) and sponsored by Fujifilm UK, is unique in that it asks professional and amateur photographers to compete side by side. Since there is no particular theme, the images are a wonderful collection of creativity that spans all genres.<\/p>\n

The 15 finalists, selected by expert judges, represent an interesting cross-section of views and perspectives. Twelve-year-old Delong Chen\u2019s inclusion demonstrates that creative vision and talent can come at any age.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis year\u2019s Open Award has attracted a wide and diverse range of entries from all ages, which is heartening to see,\u201d says Isabelle Doran, CEO of the Association of Photographers. \u201cWhile several finalists\u2019 entries pay close attention to the compositional aesthetic of the abstract, the role that faith, rituals, and belief play in cohesive societies as key themes comes through strongly amongst many of our finalists’ submissions, reflecting a shared interest in communicating a visual narration of the human spirit.\u201d<\/p>\n

From a cheese rolling contest in the UK to a look at motherhood in the world of sport, each image has a unique story to tell. And thanks to their place on the finalists list, each will get even wider exposure when they are displayed alongside the 40th AOP Photography Award Finalists at the official AOP Awards Showcase in London and included in the annual AOP Awards Book. Scroll down to see more of the finalists and head to the AOP Awards website to see more images from the finalists.\n<\/p>\n

The 2025 AOP Open Awards have announced the 15 finalists of its nineteenth annual contest.
\n\"Toy<\/p>\n

\u201cVintage Modern\u201d by Delong Chen.
\u201cVintage Modern was taken by 12-year-old Delong during a short break in tennis training on a scorching afternoon. The sky was bare, the court blazing red. From his pocket\u2014where a toy car always travels with him\u2014he pulled out a green one and noticed how its color cut sharply against the clay. With one hand he tossed dust into the air; with the other, he waited for light and shadow to align.
Delong is twice exceptional\u2014living with ADHD and autism\u2014and sees the world through contrast, texture, and timing. In places that feel rigid or unfamiliar, he quietly finds cracks to slip his curiosity into, planting something of his own.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Escaramuza<\/p>\n

\u201cEscaramuza Girls of Jurupa Valley\u201d by Owen Harvey
\u201cEscaramuza is translated to \u2018skirmish\u2019 in English. Soldadas (female soldiers), would ride with the men acting as decoys on the battlefield, performing intricate skills on horseback. In 1953, women were officially allowed to compete in Charreria (Mexican Rodeos), which was also the year that women gained the right to vote in Mexico. The roots between the charreada and rodeo run deep; equally deep are the symbolic roots that tie modern-day escaramuza charra to the soldiers of the Mexican Revolution, those women who assisted in the revolt against oppressive Mexican government forces.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Cooper's<\/p>\n

\u201cCooper\u2019s Hill Cheese Rolling\u201d by Tom Farmer.
\u201c\u2018It\u2019s the waiting that\u2019s the worst part\u2026\u2019 That was the verdict from many nervously huddled at the top of Cooper\u2019s Hill in Gloucestershire, a 40% gradient drop of natural chaos and the infamous setting for the annual Cheese Rolling event. This year, with live BBC coverage and competitors flying in from Australia, New Zealand, and the US, it\u2019s clear the madness has gone global.
As a first-time photographer at the event, I can say it\u2019s one of the hardest things I\u2019ve ever tried to shoot, steep terrain, heaving crowds, and sheer unpredictability.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Procession<\/p>\n

\u201cEaster Sunday, Ibiza\u201d by Brendan Duffy.
\u201cA series of images depicting the Procession de Santa Semana on Easter Sunday in the town of Santa Eulalia in Ibiza. Local women wear lace head dresses and accompany the statues of Jesus and Mary to the local church, a tradition dating back centuries.\u201d<\/p>\n

In this unique contest, amateur and professional photographers compete alongside each other.
\n\"Boy<\/p>\n

\u201cGreen As Grass\u201d by Charlotte Hartley
\u201cGreen as Grass is a project that explores the UK\u2019s Western Riding culture. Fascinated by how and why it made its way to the UK, Charlotte Hartley has been documenting a community of riders and Western enthusiasts over several visits to training days, Western shows, and a cattle farm that utilizes Western techniques to manage their herd.
Honing in on the traditional Western attire, camaraderie at shows and the relationships between riders and their horse \u2013 this body of work sheds light on the practice of western riding itself and ultimately celebrates a community that many people may not have known existed in the UK.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Desert<\/p>\n

\u201cHoly Joshua\u201d by Markku L\u00e4hdesm\u00e4ki
\u201cOverlooking the high desert town of Yucca Valley, Desert Christ Park features more than forty white sculptures portraying scenes from Christ\u2019s life. Built in 1951 by Reverend Eddie Garver, it remains a quiet place of reflection and faith. For a recent photo project, I was inspired to pair these spiritual figures with another desert icon\u2014the Joshua tree. A symbol of resilience and survival, the Joshua tree felt like a natural companion to the sculptures. Together, they tell a story of endurance, faith, and the sacred beauty of the desert.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Three<\/p>\n

\u201cMuscle and Milk\u201d by Anita Clarke & Paul Wenham-Clarke
\u201cThree young mothers in their rugby kit stand just after the final whistle has blown, each breastfeeding her baby. It\u2019s a tableau of strength and nurture, muscle and milk, competition and care. The match is over, but the work never ends. Longing for a level playing field, they demand parity. Longing for visibility, respect, and equality. For the right to feed without shame. For the sporting world where motherhood isn\u2019t an interruption but part of the playbook. This is not a staged protest, it\u2019s just life, unapologetically lived and it\u2019s time we caught up.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Black<\/p>\n

\u201cManolo: Embodied Devotion 2025\u201d by Christopher Jeney
\u201cManolo: Embodied Devotion is a visual meditation on presence, ritual, and the sacred art of healing. Through five monochromatic portraits, the series reveals Manolo \u2014 not merely as subject, but as vessel: a healer, a spiritual guide, and a bearer of ancestral memory. His body becomes the site of invocation, where gesture, fabric, and gaze move in quiet ceremony.
Each image echoes the subtle yet potent energy of his practice \u2014 one grounded in stillness, listening, and devotion. Whether lifting cloth in preparation or holding a gaze that pierces and soothes, Manolo embodies the liminal space between worlds: the seen and unseen, the personal and the archetypal.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Flower<\/p>\n

\u201cThe view from the garden\u201d by Megan Dickson.
\u201cThe images from this series have all been taken within my garden. I wanted to bring the studio feel to the outdoors without having to dig up or interfere with the ecosystems that surround these plants. This has enabled me to capture the rawness of what natural perfections really is: being covered by insects, dirt, and cobwebs.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Artistic<\/p>\n

\u201cHere Comes the Aeroplane\u201d by Rikki Ward
\u201cA nostalgic and humorous take on the drastic measures sometimes needed to feed toddlers.\u201d<\/p>\n

Association of Photographers: Website<\/a> | Instagram<\/a> | Facebook<\/a>
\nMy Modern Met granted permission to feature photos by the AOP.
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