Chromatic Chronicles: 25 Winning Photos From The 35th AAP Magazine Photography Awards

In the 35th edition of AAP Magazine, our mission was to celebrate the vivid and diverse spectrum of colors that enrich our visual experiences. After an exhaustive and passionate selection process, we proudly present to you this esteemed group of twenty-five photographers, a majority of whom are wonderfully talented women. These remarkable artists hail from nine distinct countries spanning three different continents, bringing with them a wealth of cultural diversity and artistic perspectives.

Their choice of colors is nothing short of astonishing, spanning the entire gamut of the color wheel, from audacious and lively hues that practically leap off the page, to the subtle and delicate pastels that gently embrace the viewer, and even monochromatic tones that invoke a sense of timelessness. What unites each of these selections is the deliberate and masterful aesthetic decision behind their choices, enhancing the visual allure of each photograph and invoking a sensory delight that resonates deeply with the viewer.

In this breathtaking collection, you will find a vibrant tapestry of colors that not only showcases the artistry of these talented photographers but also invites you to explore the profound emotions, moods, and stories that each color can evoke. So, let us embark on this visual journey through the vibrant world of Colors, brought to life by the discerning eyes and skillful lenses of these 25 exceptional artists.

Bored Panda reached out to the second-place winner, Natalie Strohmaier, to learn more about her work.

Natalie’s series "Unattainable Beauty" explores the artificial creation of beauty using flowers and plant parts. We wanted to know what inspired her to choose these natural elements as symbols for her project, and what message she is trying to convey through this choice.“Flowers and plants have a long tradition in the history of art. Among other things, flowers symbolize feminine beauty but also transience. In my 'Unattainable Beauty' series, I have created artificial 'super flowers' from several flowers and plants, which allude to the (artificial) perfect model images that you still see every day in the media. The series also includes some pictures that I took 'the day after', which show the withered plants. Regarding the fast transience of flowers, the series also raises questions about the fast-paced nature of the advertising industry,” explained Natalie.

The models in Natalie’s series are made up of photographically staged flowers and plant parts. We asked the artist to share some insights into the creative process and techniques that she used to compose these models and photograph them in the studio.

“All flower models are handmade by me. Some of the plants and flowers were sewn together or pinned together with pins, which were later retouched. I make sketches for each image and plan the photograph carefully before I shoot it in my studio. Sometimes it takes long research to find the right flowers and plants.

As my images are often mistakenly categorized as AI-generated due to their unnaturalness, I have posted 'making of' videos on my website and Instagram account.

The photographs are retouched and edited in terms of light and color, but they are not computer-generated compositions. This is another interesting aspect of the series: the apparent 'unnaturalness' is often seen as the result of computer-aided work, while the 'unnaturalness' of many advertising photos is seen as reality,” shared Natalie.

Natalie’s work addresses the unrealistic ideal of physical beauty portrayed in popular media. We were wondering if Natalie believes that her images challenge or subvert these ideals, and what kind of impact she hopes to have on the viewers of her photographs. Natalie wrote: “I believe that people are equally fascinated and irritated when they look at my pictures. On the one hand, the subject matter, but also the process of creating the images, plays with the viewer's experiences of 'artificiality' and 'naturalness'. I leave it to the viewers to make their own interpretations.”

Natalie also told us about the challenges she faced while hand-assembling the models with cut flowers and potted plants.

“Assembling the flower models is very time-consuming and requires a lot of patience and manual labor. Sometimes the model would fall apart just before I could take a photo, and sometimes they just didn't look the way I had imagined (there's a video on my Instagram account with all the 'outtakes' I didn't use).

The human-like poses of the models are often millimeter work and I sometimes take up to 100 pictures until I find the right position. But other times the models make me really smile myself, as with the 'Party Chics',” shared Natalie.

And lastly, Natalie added: “With a background in architecture and set design, I love to stage my images. My series deal with socio-critical themes from everyday culture such as the abundance of sugar and plastic or the changes in everyday life over the centuries. I choose the style of my photographs depending on the theme of the series. The style varies from the historical look of a painting to boldly colored picture compositions, always playing with the viewer’s associations and experiences by showing the familiar in a new way.”