AAP Magazine has announced the winners of its #49th edition on the theme of black & white, celebrating the timeless impact of monochrome photography. The selected images span a wide creative spectrum – from documentary moments and fine art to experimental visual narratives.
This edition features photographers from 11 countries across three continents. Some focus on shape, light, and shadow; others explore personal stories, social themes, and human connection. Whether captured on film or digitally, each photograph stands out for its depth, composition, and emotional resonance.
The top prize goes to the compelling image 'Balance', which leads a trio of standout works that reflect on nature, everyday life, and the complexities of modern existence. Winners are published in AAP Magazine and featured across All About Photo's global platforms, offering exposure to an international audience of photography professionals and enthusiasts. Discover all 25 award-winning images on the AAP Magazine website.
1st Place
Balance by Astrid Verhoef (Netherlands)
"For all my artwork I'm exploring my relationship and connection to the natural world, usually portraying a figure that always seems to linger somewhere between the natural and an artificial element preventing her from truly connecting. Like a trace from the world she can’t leave behind.
"I am used to working solo to experience my personal connection to the landscape in the most profound way without any distractions. Even though I treasure that connection and it works very well for me this way, at rare occasions I do want to work with an extra model. This particular posture is the result of movement, dancing together. It did change the experience: a dance of balance showing a connection with each other as well as with the landscape. We are one and opposites at the same time. Contrast and connection, trust and dependance. Feeling a force of nature within and around ourselves, strength and balance in the volcanic landscape where barren meets beauty.
"All work is lens-based and do not contain any AI generated components. Photography takes place in landscapes on location. Basic Photoshop tools were used, such as color /contrast adjustments, and collage techniques (if needed for the desired final image)."
2nd Place
Series Harder Lives by Antonio Denti (Italy)
"Souvenir makers at work on the edge of the Sahara Desert, as in the small town near-by their families live on. 'Harder Lives' is part of a wider project called 'Everything and Nothing' that tries to capture the moving essence of the little lives - our little lives - in the backdrop of the global economy and of a massive new industrial revolution in very different settings.
"In this case a small village in Morocco that used to live off very little (dates, palms, small herding, minor caravans) and now shifted to global tourism as all kinds of people travel there from all places in the world to see the magic marvels of the Sahara."
3rd Place
Stacy and Miss Kitty by Lynne Breitfeller (USA)
"This image, 'Stacy and Miss Kitty', is from 'People I Know', a collection of portraits, created in the early to mid-nineties of friends, family, and acquaintances. Some are candid, and others are performative.
"These photos bring me back to earlier times and help me visualize my early adult years and how people come in and out of our lives, and how some stay. Each holds a place in the catalog of my memory."
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For more inspiration, browse the best photography awards and contests. If you want to know more about winning techniques and visual languages, take a look at our 'Why Shots Work' series. Here we analyze outstanding images and discuss what it takes to create award-winning imagery.
