The winners of the 2023 Analog Sparks International Film Photography Awards have been announced—these images will blow your minds!
Join us in applauding the diverse world of visual storytelling and the remarkable talents behind these captivating analog images. Here is the finest selection of analog photography from the 2023 Analog Sparks International Film Photography Awards.
#1 Parallel Worlds (2nd Place In Nature)
"The Parallel Worlds Series offers a unique perspective on the relationship between humans and the environment, inspiring viewers to contemplate their own impact on the world. Using analogue photography, Nibera shows what the world would be like if humans respected nature."
Bernarda Nibera Conič, Slovenia
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82points
2023 is the inaugural year of the Analog Sparks contest. The creation of the awards was inspired by the Analog Sparks Instagram community created by Reka Koti, a platform where thousands of emerging and established analog photographers from all around the globe have a chance to showcase their work and interact.
#2 Manō (2nd Place In Nature )
"I took these photos of sandbar and Galapagos sharks on a glassy morning off the north shore of Oahu, Hawaii. They we’re taken with a Nikonos V camera and Kodak Tri-X 400 film."
Maddie Alohilani, United States
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49points
#3 Three (2nd Place In Life Style)
"Photo taken with the Ikonta camera (6x9) in on one of the main streets of the city of Pozna in Poland"
Krzysztof Ludwig, Poland
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43points
In its first year, Analog Sparks received more than a thousand outstanding submissions from around the globe in eight Categories - Architecture, Fine Art, Human, Lifestyle, Nature, Photojournalism, Technique, Zines and Photobooks.
We asked each judge to use the same criteria when reviewing the photographs: originality, creativity, excellence of execution, and overall impact. The identity of the photographers is not shown during the voting process to ensure fairness and the integrity of the competition.
#4 Back In Time (Human Best New Talent)
"There is something very precious about the atmosphere shown on film. The people captured on it take me back to my childhood years. People are exactly the way I remember them from the past. An atmosphere that is precious to me."
Vladimir Karamazov, Bulgaria
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39points
#5 Mars On Earth (Photojournalism Photographer Of The Year)
"With prototype space suits and diets consisting only of freeze-dried food, science fiction has become reality for people who choose to simulate living on another planet. Space simulations and analogs are the scientifically funded frontier to test the psychological ramifications of space exploration directly on humans and our robot counterparts."
Cassandra Klos, United States
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36points
We love the diversity of the winning entries. As we don't apply a time limit regarding when the images were taken, you can find winning series even from the seventies that are still relevant today (for example "Three" by Krzysztof Ludwig, Poland, 2nd Place in Life Style). It's great to highlight images from archives and showcase the work of photographers who are underrepresented.
#6 Young Land (Nature Best New Talent)
"Young Land" is a series on the natural and social landscape of Iceland."
Gleb Simonov, United States
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32points
#7 From Africa With Love (2nd Place In Fine Art)
"This series is made with images that overlap and mix like those of dreams, like those of memories. The real and the imaginary merge, memories fade and change shapes. These overlays are imaginary postcards of a West Africa that I started photographing over 20 years ago."
Jean-Claude Moschetti, France
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31points
The contest aims to celebrate the renaissance of analog photography and provide an opportunity to showcase the winning images not just on social media but in art galleries for a wider audience.
We love how timeless film photography is and how it connects different generations and talents from all parts of the world.
#8 Cold Square (2nd Place In Architecture)
"I spent some time in Longyearbyen. Because of the polar bears, space of movement was a bit limited. I didn't feel like carrying a gun, which would have given me more freedom. But on the other hand, it gave me a different freedom. To concentrate on a defined area. I shoot too much film anyway. So I walked around in a cold but colourful square. Shot on expired Portra with Hasselblad 500c."
Dominik Gottwald, Germany
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29points
#9 Testament '22 (2nd Place In Photojournalism)
"Testament '22" is a personal study of war's human cost. Using medium format analog photography, the project aims to create a sense of history and timelessness while documenting the stories of those affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and show how they're rebuilding their lives. The project intends to contribute to the body of work from colleagues documenting ongoing crimes in the region. The title references Taras Shevchenko's poem "Testament" to pay a tribute to the victims and the courage of the survivors."
Byron Smith, Greece
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27points
#10 Varna (2nd Place In Architecture)
"The main street in the maritime capital of Bulgaria."
Vladimir Karamazov, Bulgaria
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27points
#11 Where Beauty Prevails (Nature Photographer Of The Year)
"Contemplating the beauty and free movement of flowers as a refuge from reality. 'Where beauty prevails' is a photographic series of what human beings embrace to feel good and fight against fear. Wanting to capture ephemeral moments to treasure them forever and live in peace. In short, a life in constant search of beauty."
Andrea Rosemercy, Spain
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26points
#12 Mujeres Medicina - The Soul Healers (2nd Place In Human)
"Mujeres Medicina- the soul healers is an ongoing,long term photographic documentation of Marta's healing journey. It's her homage to all the healers and unconventional methods that have helped her get out of a burn out and depression.From womens circles, to traditional healers - Marta's goal is to publish a book with the wisdoms and portraits of healers from different traditions and backgrounds."
Marta Kowalska, Poland
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24points
#13 Spirit On The Water (2nd Place In Technique)
"Pinhole Photography - Camera: Zero 810 - Positive Paper: Ilford Harman Direct Positive Paper 8x10” - Exposure: 4 minutes and 30 sec. - Bergeggi (SV) Italy 2019 - That day at sea there was a large patch of whitish foam. With the long exposure it created a special ghost effect on the water!"
Aurelio Bormioli, Italy
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24points
#14 Not An Exit (Architecture Photographer Of The Year)
"NOT AN EXIT is a collection of large format analog photographs that proposes a closer examination of the nondescript interiors that we routinely pass through; doorways and hallways, spaces intended for movement but here, somehow appear impenetrable."
Austin Irving, United States
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22points
#15 Coming Through (Best New Talent Of The Year)
"This series inspired by the art of Kehinde Wiley is my transformation in creating work that represents my style. The concept of "coming through" is represented by various double exposures, an allegory to something that was covered and revealed."
Ayanah George, United States
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20points
#16 Last Day Of School (Human Photographer Of The Year)
"Last day of school is a narrative dealing with the issue of depopulation in the Balkans, structured through insight into intimate spaces of young people growing up in this region."
Marko Risovic, Serbia
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18points
#17 In The Search For Venus (2nd Place In Fine Art )
"In the search for Venus depicts an intimate examination of my femininity, my body and its comparison to ancient portray- als of Venus."
Anna Gajewszky, Hungary
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18points
#18 Self-Storage (Technique Photographer Of The Year)
"Self-Storage The spirit of place, when memories flash before your eyes at the sight of a landscape you've never seen before. It's not de-ja-vu. We are aware that we have never been there before, yet the landscape evokes memories in the subconscious that are somehow linked to the notion of home. Self-Storage captures the artist in places where he suddenly feels at home, whether it is a comforting place or a distant concept that never existed."
Krisztina Fazekas, Germany
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17points
#19 Red Tones Have Changed (Photojournalism Best New Talent)
"As soon as I travelled to Romania, I was struck by how the color red predominated throughout the country 32 years after the fall of communism. I found it curious how capricious and contradictory the symbology could be on some occasions. After the 1989 revolution, Romania switched from hammer and sickle red to the much more refreshing Coca-Cola red."
Pedro Diaz Molins, Spain
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17points
#20 Europa Calling (Architecture Best New Talent)
"Questioning the identities of these countries by deconstructing them according to one's imagination while being driven by the spontaneous encountering with these places and their people. This work (still in progress) is an attempt to create a negotiation between the visual memory of their national cultures and the photographer’s vision. The results would build a “European Portrait” far from any social or political preconception. The photos were made in Budapest, Prague and Vilnius."
Lee-Marie Sadek, France
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13points