Explore the remarkable talent showcased in this article, curated by the acclaimed winners of the 2023 Prix de la Photographie, Paris (PX3). This exclusive collection highlights the brilliance of fine art photography, featuring awe-inspiring works from professional and amateur photographers worldwide.
Submit your best work to our photo competition for a chance to win up to $11,500 in cash prizes, be selected by our curators for the PX3 exhibition in Paris and inclusion in the Annual PX3 book.
#1 "Look In The Mirror And Say I Love You" By Jana Šantavá
Silver in Fine Art/Digitally Enhanced
It is a call to self-love and self-acceptance.
In order for all of us to be able to have healthy relationships with others, we must first learn to respect ourselves. So let's step in and look in the mirror to tell ourselves what we deserve to hear - that we are worthy of love, acceptance and healing.
Let's try to maintain healthy self-love and learn to distinguish between it and egocentrism. We have the potential to be strong, independent and confident, but also open and empathetic towards others. And that is something worth cultivating for our personal growth and healthy relationships.
In order for all of us to be able to have healthy relationships with others, we must first learn to respect ourselves. So let's step in and look in the mirror to tell ourselves what we deserve to hear - that we are worthy of love, acceptance and healing.
Let's try to maintain healthy self-love and learn to distinguish between it and egocentrism. We have the potential to be strong, independent and confident, but also open and empathetic towards others. And that is something worth cultivating for our personal growth and healthy relationships.
Report
18points
Bored Panda reached out to Chris Sorensen, the author of the ‘Wife During Quarantine’ series. We wanted to gain more insights into his work and we asked him to describe the initial motivation behind starting to shoot portraits of his wife during quarantine. Here’s what we learned: “Covid ended all of my assignments and while I’ve always been a big believer in personal projects, I couldn’t even be around other people to make my own work. Remote portraiture had little appeal since personal interaction with my subject is a big part of portraiture for me. So for weeks I doomscrolled and didn’t shoot. Then one day I had an idea for a portrait of my wife and we made it, and then another a couple of days later. And I realized I had all the different people I needed in my quarantine partner, my wife Maggie Gregg, and together we started creating in our little NYC apartment.”
#2 "The Rocketgirl Chronicles" By Andrew Rovenko
Gold in Fine Art/People, Silver in Portraiture/Children
While Melbourne was earning the title of the world's most locked down city with over 260 days under stay at home orders, closed playgrounds and limited outdoor time, one 4 year old astronaut was putting on her home made space suit and used her imagination to discover many small worlds that existed around us.
These photographs are the memories from our expeditions to these worlds and the stories we've made there. The lockdown has ended. We’ll outgrow the space suit. But the time spent together exploring and imagining is one special gift to keep.
Ukraine born and raised, Andrew Rovenko has been calling Australia home for over 18 years.
Having practised his skills as a freelance magazine photographer, Andrew always preferred the freedom of not having to work towards a commercial brief.
This eventually led to doing just personal projects, primarily on film, where the joy of craftsmanship can be experienced the most.
Andrew has been named 2021 Australian Photographer of the Year and his work received international recognition with a number of awards and publications including Vogue and Marie Claire and has been exhibited across the world.
Having practised his skills as a freelance magazine photographer, Andrew always preferred the freedom of not having to work towards a commercial brief.
This eventually led to doing just personal projects, primarily on film, where the joy of craftsmanship can be experienced the most.
Andrew has been named 2021 Australian Photographer of the Year and his work received international recognition with a number of awards and publications including Vogue and Marie Claire and has been exhibited across the world.
Report
14points
#3 "Wife During Quarantine" By Chris Sorensen
Bronze in Fine Art/People
When covid hit, I had little desire to shoot for weeks, having lost what I enjoy most, making portraits of different people. Then I realized I hadn't lost anything. I had all the people I needed in my quarantine partner, my wife. And together we started creating in our little New York apartment. Initially it wasn’t Wife During Quarantine or a defined project, it was just doing something, anything, other than thinking about the pandemic. But it quickly became a collaboration working together to see what we could create alone in our apartment with what we had at home.
Chris Sorensen is a New York-based photographer shooting celebrity and editorial portraiture, travel, and documentary work who was lucky to escape the corporate world and find photography where he gets to make pictures of interesting faces and beautiful places. Clients have included American Way, Hemispheres, ESPN the Magazine, MONEY, Wine Spectator, Popular Mechanics, The Wall Street Journal, The Financial Times, Washington Post Magazine, and InStyle.
Report
13points
We were wondering which specific moment or photo from this series holds particular significance for Sorensen. The photographer shared with us: “Our Handmaid image is probably my most significant image from the project. It was made in response to and in the immediate aftermath of the January 6th insurrection. Artistically, it’s an elevation of my work and a result of a mindset in the project of trying to make my work more graphic, more abstract, more deliberately art. At the same time, it’s the first image I made with an overt political message and I discovered I want to make art that comments on socio-political topics.”
#4 "Offline" By Panos Chatzistefanou
Silver in Fine Art/People
In today’s pictorial society, concentration is scarce due to the inflation of information and choices, on the one hand. On the other hand, the subjects aim at self-realization, diligently their image and experiences on social media.
But what happens after “Logout”? When does the show for a digital audience end?The project focuses on everyday moments, seemingly trivial, but which hide a reflective mood, making them more personal but at the same time through their own reality allow the viewer to identify with the protagonist. Images as endless possibilities of self and personal otherness.
Panos Chatzistefanou (b. 1984) is primarily a self taught photographer who lives and works in Athens, Greece.
Report
12points
#5 "Cycles" By Diana Rubi
Bronze in Fine Art/Other
"Cycles" is a series of self-portraits that alludes to the four cycles of human life through floral cycles as a visual metaphor.
The series illustrates flowers' circular shapes mirroring life's cycles. Each stage represented in photos invites viewers to reflect on personal growth and blooming.
It is a testament to the beauty and transience of life, exploring identity, consciousness, and femininity. It challenges the viewer to look inward and find their own reason for being, their own apex of cycles, and their own internal strength that motivates them to make sense of their own existence.
Diana Rubi is a fine art photographer and visual artist born in Cuba and currently living in the USA. She uses photo manipulation to create surreal scenarios that talk about emotions and dreams, as well as real and fictional stories, using mostly her body as a container of characters that embody these stories.
Her work presents visual poetry, which seeks to shape the thought, human fragility and its nature through surreal representations that are often an open question that makes you look more than once.
Report
11points
Chris told us a bit more about the dynamic of working with his wife: “I was incredibly lucky to have a partner on this who was not only willing but passionate about the project, and who also had incredible hair, makeup and styling skills. And as someone from the corporate world, not anything related to photography or the industry. Her enthusiasm and skill meant that we really weren’t constrained as much by our isolation and pandemic limitations. If I had an idea, she could make it work. Or more accurately, come up with something even better than I had imagined. Her conceptual and technical skills were crucial to the project and added so much.”
#6 "The Box" By Wesley Channell
Silver in Fine Art/Nudes
The Box is a series that studies silhouettes and the beauty that can be found in the simplest of shapes.
Report
11points
#7 "Wild Lens" By Sven Pfrommer
Gold in Fine Art/Abstract
WILD LENS – HORSES – During the covid restrictions it was difficult to create photography with humans involved. Instead, I shifted my focus on animals during lockdown times. As a result, I have created a new collection called “WILD LENS”, which puts a spotlight on different animals in my characteristic “Blur Style”. The first series from the collection puts horses in the focus and out of focus.
I’m a Berlin based contemporary photographer and visual artist working worldwide. I’m holding years of experience in the art and design industry. I do offer original works, limited editions, installation art, wall coverings and concepts for interior & corporate art projects. Please explore my works which have been exhibited in art museums & art galleries, published in the media and found collectors across many countries.
Report
9points
Lastly, we wanted to know if looking back, Sorensen feels this project has contributed to his overall body of work and personal growth as a photographer. Chris said: “Initially the project was just a way to do something, anything, other than sit around and think about the pandemic. But it very quickly became an avenue for expanding my skillset and growing as an artist. And I discovered a passion for making socio-political art that I continued within the project and after.”
#8 "I Am A Dreamer" By Carmelita Iezzi
Bronze in Fine Art/Digitally Enhanced
“I am a Dreamer” is a project started in 2018 and still in progress, it is a conceptual series of surreal portraits interpreted in an ironic key and inspired by adolescence.
Adolescence is a crucial time when the identities are being challenged where young people spend time with their reflection and accept their appearance. As society impose to grow with the brain in box, or forces us to wear masks,express fear. We often grow up and educate our children according to the preconceptions that are imposed on us by mass media and society, while the most important thing is to teach them to be free.
Carmelita Iezzi is an award winning photographer, visual artist and professional graphic designer based in Italy. After graduating in Art School, Carmelita got her BA in Graphic Design and Fine Art Photography.
Most of her artworks are recognized and appreciated by collectors worldwide from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, Castle Rock, London, Mykonos, Bruxelles, London Carmelita's artworks are owned by expert art lovers working for Sotheby's.
She has achieved international recognitions, Her works were exhibited in New York, Tokyo, Someserset House London, Paris, Cannes, Marsille.
Most of her artworks are recognized and appreciated by collectors worldwide from New York, Los Angeles, Miami, Washington, Castle Rock, London, Mykonos, Bruxelles, London Carmelita's artworks are owned by expert art lovers working for Sotheby's.
She has achieved international recognitions, Her works were exhibited in New York, Tokyo, Someserset House London, Paris, Cannes, Marsille.
Report
8points
#9 "Certain These Clouds Go Somewhere" By Marisa S White
Bronze in Fine Art/Collage
I believe the artist's job is to create work that speaks to one another, that forges a connection and reminds us what it means to be human; that we are a soul having a human experience. Our humanity is what unites us together, bringing purpose to our existence.
The repeated use of clouds and the infinite landscape serve as metaphors for the unknown. I manipulate perspectives and scale to blur reality and touch upon concepts beyond this three-dimensional world.
The goal is to make the view stop and think. About life. Their place in the universe and their connection to everything.
Report
8points
#10 "Transcending Familiarity" By Julia Wimmerlin
Gold in Fine Art/Nudes
This series challenges conventional perceptions by presenting the human body as an unfamiliar art object. Each photograph showcases the body in an unexpected way, transcending the familiar. With creative compositions and intriguing angles, the images transform the body into a captivating work of art. This series prompts viewers to question preconceived notions and biases surrounding nudity. It encourages a shift in perspective, encouraging individuals to see beyond societal taboos and embrace the beauty and vulnerability of the human form.
Ukrainian-born, Swiss-based photographer, Julia Wimmerlin weathered seismic shifts in her artistic journey from travel to contemporary mixed-media. The 2021 travel ban amid COVID-19 and the 2022 war in Ukraine profoundly impacted her, leading to a metamorphosis in her photographic approach. Delving into contemporary fine art photography, she's embarked on an exploration of longer-term research projects, seeking to comprehend the unfolding events around her and her evolving role within them.
Report
8points
#11 "Trigger Spray Pumps." By Daria Martinoni
Gold in Fine Art/Still Life
Trigger spray pumps are used for a wide variety of liquid applications. The most popular would have to be cleaning products.
The spray heads need to be largely resistant to chemicals. Most of their components exposed to liquids are made of Polypropylene, some of them of Polyethylene. The dip tube is made of HDPE (High Density Polyethylene) or LDPE (Low Density Polyethylene), and unfortunately often also of PVC (Polyvinyl Chloride), a material difficult to recycle and harmful to the environment and health.
Initially an Urban Photographer driven by her background in Geography and her interest in our perception of space (and time), Daria Martinoni's conceptual photo series now address the impact of human behaviour and consumerism on the environment. Daria’s style is characterised by her ability to turn ordinary, often overlooked subjects into striking images that spark conversations about pertinent issues. She plays with the design elements of perspective, colour and repetition to create images characterised by a rich attention to detail, composition, and contextual information.
Report
7points
#12 "Living Dolls 2" By Corinna Holthusen
Gold in Fine Art/Digitally Enhanced
The conceptual photographer Corinna Holthusen is known for her suspenseful portraits that mirror today's ideals of beauty and the artificiality associated with them. Fields of tension between fascination and shudder arise. In a first step, Holthusen photographs her models in the studio, but creates new, idealized photoprint portraits from scratch by digitally superimposing different physiognomies. Living Dolls is the study of combining humans with dolls.
Report
7points
#13 "A Perfect Life" By Elena Paraskeva
Gold in Fine Art/People, 2nd Place winner in Fine Art
A cinematic, 1960’s styled series that tells the story of this beautiful, seemingly perfect couple who are living a lie because the husband is in love with another man. This was a time when `normality' was the condition most honored and prized in society, and to be just like everyone else was not merely the greatest goal to which one could aspire, but it came to define the very value one had as a human being. The characters lead a life of quiet desperation, trapped in their stifling setting, but fully aware of each other's pain.
Report
7points
#14 "Home Sweet Home" By Oleg Kem
Bronze in Fine Art/People
Two friends have a good time at home.
Hi there!
My name is Oleg Kem, grew up in Russia, later moved to Germany - current place of residence is Munich.
For me photography is a journey of discovery to the places where poetry and reality meet, I see my pictures mostly as little stories based on true events - simple, and incorruptible.
My name is Oleg Kem, grew up in Russia, later moved to Germany - current place of residence is Munich.
For me photography is a journey of discovery to the places where poetry and reality meet, I see my pictures mostly as little stories based on true events - simple, and incorruptible.
Report
6points
#15 "The Garden Of Maggie Victoria" By Rachel Nixon
Silver in Fine Art/Collage
This series explores memory and female representation through the story of my great-grandmother, forgotten within my family after her early death in 1943. It integrates photos by my great-grandfather, archival letters and my nature-oriented images to craft collages reviving her legacy. Maggie Victoria’s life as a mother, wife, and nurturer of people and plants was ordinary, and extraordinary. We may speculate why my relatives never mentioned her, erasing her story. Anchored in a personal meditation, the series invites us to ponder issues of heritage, grief and passing time that affect us all.
Rachel Nixon is a British-Canadian fine art photographer – and former journalist – based in Vancouver.
Inspired by the potential of natural forms to offer unexpected perspectives, she uses strategies such as abstraction, fragmentation and multiple exposure to bring these to the viewer’s attention. She also develops constructed realities exploring themes such as secrecy, isolation, and a desire for connection.
In 2019, Rachel graduated with honours from the VanArts professional photography program. Since then, her work has been exhibited internationally and received a number of accolades.
Report
6points
#16 "All On Camera Series" By Selina Bressan
Silver in Fine Art/Still Life
A selection of a large project where I photographed different flowers with a triple exposure directly on camera. I simply moved the camera up and down or to the left and the right or in a little circle, to create a new way the see flowers. I started the project on 2021 but on 2023 I decided to go on and I looked for the right flowers to be captured.
I'm a commercial agent but photography for me is a great passion. As most of us I've always taken photos but I started seriously 12 years ago.
My favourite photographic subject in the last years is modern architecture and minimalism but I ranges from portrait to travel photography to street photography.
My favourite photographic subject in the last years is modern architecture and minimalism but I ranges from portrait to travel photography to street photography.
Report
6points
#17 "Under An Open Sky" By Nicola Troehler
Gold in Fine Art/Digitally Enhanced, Bronze in Portraiture/Other
In the narrative image series “Under An Open Sky”, I stage a fictional village that is being surprised by fantastic events. In doing so, I illuminate the relationship between people and nature and the relations within society.
The photographs show the figures in the lonely moment of discovery. Lonely because the initial confrontation with the emotions always remains one’s own, no matter how many people surround one. Thus the discovery of the outside world also becomes one of the self – reflected in the images.
Report
6points
#18 "New Wave 01" By Marcella Dalla Valle
Silver in Fine Art/Other, Gold in Portraiture/Self-Portrait
This photograph is part of the 11-21 project (from the New Wave chapter). Sometimes photography moves the unseen, a fracture, a hiatus. Then the light will have to be the art of lucidity and the enormous effort will be to find a new compositional logic. Here, photography drowns its steps in the restlessness of a contrary verb, as in the restlessness of sleep insomnia burns. It is a chapter to remember, not the photographs taken but those missed.
Emme Divi, Marcella Dalla Valle's stage name, is a movement photographer and her works are characterised by a conceptual and abstract approach to human beings and the landscapes around them. She was born in 1971 in Thiene in the province of Vicenza. She graduated in Modern Literature at the State University of Milan.The world of poetry will be the keynote for the start of her photographic activity that will lead her, as a self-taught photographer, to consolidate the technical preparation to tackle her first exhibitions and contests at national and international level.
Report
5points
#19 "In Human Seize" By Majid Hojati
Gold in Fine Art/Landscape
human has always been looking for life, even before he could find a word to name it. It has moved on the path of eternity, without knowing it;
Built a house, Hunted, Sown seeds, And sewn clothes, And over the years and centuries, the only idea and tool in his hand that has changed. He kept asking, Made, Meet the need And he ran after what he wanted. He has left something behind every time he leaves: Abandoned houses, empty chair, Button buttons! In the path of eternity, man has kept the light on. It's as if he wanted to say, "One day, I was alive here!"
Built a house, Hunted, Sown seeds, And sewn clothes, And over the years and centuries, the only idea and tool in his hand that has changed. He kept asking, Made, Meet the need And he ran after what he wanted. He has left something behind every time he leaves: Abandoned houses, empty chair, Button buttons! In the path of eternity, man has kept the light on. It's as if he wanted to say, "One day, I was alive here!"
Beginning of artistic activities since 2000
Freelance photographer based in Tehran
Freelance photographer based in Tehran
Report
5points
#20 "I Am The Colour" By Barbara Zanon
Gold in Fine Art/Collage, Gold in Portraiture/Family
The work is done entirely digitally, although it makes use of original old photographs dating back even to the late 1800s and original documents from 1870 to the present day.
The work stems from my need to discover the origins of my family: on each of the people featured in these 'cards' I put colour, which represents me, my view of the past, my being together with my ancestors. Colour is also our time today, it is life.
My family tree, in visual form, is a work on memory, on origins, on distance, on mourning.
Barbara Zanon is an italian photojournalist based in Venice, Getty Images contributor in the News, award wedding photographer, ISPWP/WPJA/AGWPJAmember.
Report
5points