"Awarding the prestigious title of Photographer of the Year to a distinguished group of artists who use the camera as their creative medium," reads the main page of the 1839 Awards, the organization behind the annual contest.
The 2024 edition of the competition attracted entries from 77 countries, making it the most diverse and expansive group of participants to date. This year's reFocus Awards celebrate creativity, technical skill, and the captivating art of visual storytelling. Each winner exemplifies the unique spirit of photography, inviting viewers to appreciate their mastery of the medium.
To learn more about the winning images and photographers, Bored Panda reached out to two of them—Tania Barrenetxea and Gabriel Holguín. Be sure to scroll down to read our full interview!
#21 Photographer Of The Year - Still Life: Delicate By Hilda Champion
Texture, form, and intricate details play together in this subtle image.
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12points
#22 Discovery Of The Year - Underwater: Blending In By Gillian Shark
A beautiful female Caribbean reef shark passed by a big school of fish which resulted in this interesting photo composition. Although the shark was swimming on a different level than the school of fish, the colours and its movement somehow gave the illusion of it blending in.
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12points
#23 Photographer Of The Year - Minimalism: Deliverance By Thomas De Franzoni
Classic Tuscany Landscape. I took this shot in mid-June during the harvest. I tried to take a minimalistic scene, a lonely tree on the rolling hills and a cloud more or less over the tree.
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11points
#24 Photographer Of The Year - Underwater: Husnah Kukundakwe By Marijn Fidder
Husnah Kukundakwe (15) during an early swim training in Kampala, Uganda. Husnah currently is the country's only classified paralympic swimmer. Her first appearance at the World Championships in London was mentioned among the International Paralympic Committee’s (IPC’s) Top 10 Moments of 2019.
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11points
#25 Discovery Of The Year - Domestic Animals: East Los Angeles By Kristine Vann Discovery Of The Year - Architecture
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11points
#26 Discovery Of The Year - Photojournalism: The Wrong Side Of Freedom By João Coelho
They are considered outcasts, having fled their parents' homes and the institutions where they have always been abused. They help each other escape the onslaught of police and malaria in the ruins of the city. They have all chosen to live on the wrong side of freedom.
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10points
#27 Photographer Of The Year - Advertising & Commercial: Financier Tree By Masahiro Okumura
The financiers fell down to form a tree shape. Christmas with financiers in light and shadow.
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9points
#28 Photographer Of The Year - Travel: One Morning In Varanasi By Ngar Shun Victor Wong
Two men were doing their workouts at the bank of the Ganges River early in the morning at Varanasi.
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9points
#29 Photographer Of The Year - Conceptual: What's Love Got To Do With It? By Elisa Miller
Leaving is never simple. The cycle of returning, hoping, and breaking down feels impossible to escape. This series reflects on the cycle of domestic abuse: the hidden patterns that pull us back, even when we know they hurt. Sometimes, the hardest part isn’t leaving—it’s to stay gone.
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8points
#30 Photographer Of The Year - Street: Children Of The Wall By Alonso Oliveros
Before releasing the bulls into the streets, on the last days of the ceremony, the children climb the walls of the church to protect themselves.
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8points
#32 Discovery Of The Year - Architecture: Touch Me If You Can By Dorota Yamadag
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7points
#34 Discovery Of The Year - Event: Life Coach Enlightens People By Josip Miskovic
I participated in many of the "motivational and awakening" meetings where crafty instructors, so-called "coaches," make a lot of money for sharing hours and hours of motivational sentences. It looks more like a purgatory exit than a conference hall.
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6points
#36 Photographer Of The Year - Fashion & Beauty: Three Color By Piotr Werner
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5points
#38 Discovery Of The Year - Potrait: Untitled, 2024. By Ben Hubert
A collective experience of both traditional masculine values and progressive
views form the foundation of this project’s exploration. The male form exists in the photograph alongside abstracted sculptures of space, allusive to the changing landscape of masculinity.
views form the foundation of this project’s exploration. The male form exists in the photograph alongside abstracted sculptures of space, allusive to the changing landscape of masculinity.
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5points
#39 Discovery Of The Year - Still Life: Weaknesses Of The Oceans By Antonio Coelho By
This series refers to the current problem experienced in the oceans and seas. They represent 50% of oxygen production in the world and today they are also affected by the increase in global temperature, pollution, among others. The series was created in a sustainable way using recycled elements.
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5points
#40 Discovery Of The Year - Fashion & Beauty: Exp. By Anjie Zhong
My work draws inspiration from the "best before" date of food, exploring whether people and their relationships also have an expiration. Using fruits as symbols, I illustrate the evolution of two female characters from strangers to intimacy, then to separation.
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4points
