Water Balloons + Majestic Mountains: Photography Winners & New Entries

Whether it’s taking pictures of everyday objects or capturing landscapes and nature shots, these two established photographers have a well-trained eye for finding beauty in the world around them.

 Vincent Junier is a French photographer who began practicing his craft when he was only 17 years old before finding his love for turning everyday objects into compelling still life ​​compositions. Known for his stunning high-quality photos, Junier’s work balances the line between fine art and commercial, with images fit for advertising while still containing the artistic freedom and creativity that still life photography allows. Junier’s Platinum-winning photo series “Water Balloons” (above) is another example of his expertise, using imaginative arrangements and lighting to explore the limits of constriction and malleability. Each photo in the series features water balloons with vibrant colors, dynamic patterns, and unique shapes that are enhanced by their setting and aid in making the photo series both eye-catching and playful.   

Next up is a beautiful landscape photograph by the renowned American photographer Jim Brennan, whose desire to see the world has brought him to many exciting locations and has allowed him to capture majestic international nature and landscape shots. In his 2023 competition submission, “Norway” (above), Brennan sought to create an image that would be suitable for print but also useful for travel or tourism, so decided to capture the gorgeous scenery of one of the country’s many stretches of fjord mountains. He wanted to showcase their natural beauty while also evoking a sense of wonderment in the viewer, and that required him to continuously revisit the location until the sunlight and weather cooperated, allowing him to capture the sun as it rose in the distance. The early morning sun against the snowy mountain peak offers a pleasant contrast between the warm light and the purples, blues, and greens of the houses in the valley. The resulting image is successful in giving people who have never visited the area a scenic view of life in the mountains, stirring all types of questions such as “How do they live?”, “Is this accessible by car?”, and “How can I get there?”

To see more award-winning photography in the Photography Annual 2020, click here. And don’t forget to submit your work to our Photography Annual 2023 competition!