By Kate Harrold
THE SHORTLISTED winners of Amateur Photographer of the Year 2020 have been revealed.
In ‘Window of Autumn,’ Cypriot photographer, Hasan Bagler, captured a praying mantis as it peeped through a hole in a leaf.
In ‘Between the Curves,’ Dan Portch used a Samsung smart-phone to capture the unique architecture of Dongdaemum Design Plaza, in Seoul, South Korea.
First published in 1884, Amateur Photographer is the world’s oldest consumer weekly photographic magazine. Their annual competition provides amateur photographers from all over the world with the opportunity to have their images reviewed by an expert industry panel.
Angi Wallace’s ‘Hanging Out’ was awarded the first-place prize in the ‘Up Close and Personal’ category. The image featured a Cuban tree frog as it clung onto a tree branch and smiled directly into the camera.
“This shot has bags of character, and that’s what immediately leaps out of the frame,” the expert judging panel deemed.
“The technical skill demonstrated is excellent with spot-on framing, as well as aperture choice. Timed to perfection, it was a clear winner among all the judges.”
Zay Yar Lin’s photograph, ‘The Morning Catch,’ won the crowd-voted first-place prize in the ‘Keep on Moving’ category in addition to a commendation from the judging panel. The image featured fishermen casting their nets in Mandalay, Myanmar.
In the ‘Points of View’ category, Brit photographer, Tony North was awarded a commendation for his image ‘Milky Way over Tryfan,’ taken in Snowdonia National Park.
“I had one hour to get all of the shots I needed as the moon was due to rise. It was challenging to make sure that the photo was sharp as everything was very dark to the naked eye,” Tony said.
“There was also the matter of finding my way up a rocky and wet mountainside. I was pleased that I was able to get the stream, the lake, Mount Tryfan, and the Milky Way.”
Brit photographer, June Fox, was awarded a commendation for ‘Balancing on the Edge.’ The image captured a harvest mouse straddling two ears of wheat in Dorset, UK.
Zip Po’s unique photo ‘Morning Stroll’ featured the reflection of a woman walking her dog in a broken window pane. The photograph won a commendation from the judges in the ‘Points of View’ category.
“I tried to explore the contradiction between the beauty of an ordinary moment on the beach, and the lens of a broken window through which it is viewed,” Zip said.
Nguyen Tan Tuan came within the top 10-percent of crowd voted entries for ‘Lan Ha Bay,’ which captured the floating village located in the east of Cat Ba Island.
To see the full list of winners, visit https://www.photocrowd.com/photo-competitions/photography-awards/apoy-2020/categories/.
