PRIZE

• A trip to the Tatra Mountains with Mountain Paradise
• Adobe CS4 Web collection and Lightroom
• Apple MacBook Pro 13"
• Plastic Sandwich leather portfolio book
• ILFORD Lightjet 40" x 30" silver gelatin print
• 16GB Lexar CompactFlash & card reader
• Wacom Intuos4 S

JUDGES' VERDICT

Amongst the 20 shortlisted entrants, Akash was unanimously voted the outstanding entrant in the 2009 awards by the judging panel. His two portfolios demonstrate an ability to work with movement and a range of different light. They are vibrant and engaging whilst still managing to tell stories about the people and places in his images.

BIOGRAPHY

Akash’s passion for photography began in 1996. He attended the World Press Photo seminar in Dhaka for 3 years and graduated with a BA in Photojournalism . He has received more than 40 international awards from all around the world and his work has been featured in over 50 major international publications including: Time, Sunday Times, Newsweek, Geo, Stern, Der Spiegel, Brand Ein, The Guardian, Marie Claire, Colors, The Economist, The New Internationalist, Kontinente, Amnesty Journal, Courier International, PDN, Die Zeit, Days Japan, Hello,Lonely planet, and Sunday Telegraph of London.

In 2002 he became the first Bangladeshi to be selected for the World Press Photo Joop Swart Masterclass in the Netherlands. In 2004 he received the Young Reporters Award from the Scope Photo Festival in Paris, again being the first Bangladeshi to receive the honour. In 2005 he was awarded Best of Show at the Center for Fine Art Photography’s international competition in Colorado, USA. In 2006 he was awarded World Press Photo award and released his first book “First Light”.

In 2007 again he became the first Bangladeshi to be selected for the 30 Emerging Photographers (PDN 30) by Photo District News Magazine, USA. He won the 7th Vevey international photography grant from Switzerland in 2009

Akash is represented by Panos Pictures, London.

PRIZE

• Photo Iconic private tuition or critique
• Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom
• Wacom Bamboo Fun pen tablet
• 8GB Lexar CompactFlash & card reader

JUDGES' VERDICT

Unusually this year's young winner's award has been given to an entry which mixes black & white with colour imagery. The judges particularly liked Courtney's interesting use of viewpoint. In the two images of people she has captured both a thoughtfulness and the pure joy of a moment, using these well in conjunction with the other two images to show both the places she loves and an emotional response.

BIOGRAPHY

15 year old Courtney Krawec  first became interested in photography after visiting Peter Lik's photo gallery, in Noosa, Australia, four years ago, when she was just 11 years old. The colour and impact of Lik's photographs inspired her to pick up her own camera and begin capturing that elusive image that speaks to the viewer. She enjoys a wide variety of photographic styles and has recently become interested in fashion photography.

Young Travel Photographer of the Year is the fourth International award Courtney has received, giving her very real encouragement to pursue a career in Photography.

OTHER PRIZES

• 4GB Lexar Professional CompactFlash card & card reader
• Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements
• Earthbound - a Rough Guide to the World in Pictures

PRIZE

• Intrepid Travel trip to Morocco
• Wacom Cintiq 12WX Interactive Pen Display
• 8GB Lexar CompactFlash & card reader

JUDGES' VERDICT

The judges felt that his portfolio gave a real sense of the lives of these Cape Verde fishermen in a beautifully constructed and told story. The images have an engaging atmosphere which adds to the realism and harshness of their lives.

BIOGRAPHY

Martin started photographing with his grandfather's camera as a kid, and got caught up in
the world of pictures. He did his first assignment ever for a travel magazine, where his passion for travelling was combined with the will to write and photograph.

Today he's focusing on documentary features and has worked with organisations such as the Red Cross and MSF as well as with several Swedish magazines and newspapers. Documentary projects about HIV/AIDS have taken him through large parts of Africa, giving pictures which have been exhibited at the Newseum in Washington D.C. In summer 2009 he started up the documentary project Carpe Diem by following environmental and eco-tourism projects in the Amazon.

With a lifestyle on the road, working with travel & adventure comes naturally. Martin is 21 years old and lives in Sweden. Aside from freelancing as a photographer and writer, he's currently studying journalism in Stockholm.

OTHER PRIZES

• 4GB Lexar Professional CompactFlash card
• £250 worth of Lee Filters
• Earthbound - a Rough Guide to the World in Pictures

PRIZE

• Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom
• £200 to spend at Jacobs Photo & Video
• ILFORD Lightjet 40" x 30" silver gelatin print

PRIZE

• Intrepid Travel trip to Costa Rica
• NEC SpectraView 26" monitor
• 8GB Lexar CompactFlash & card reader

JUDGES' VERDICT

The potential plight of the polar bears and their threatened habitat is currently highly topical. But rather than portrait them as cute and cuddle, this portfolio has a more gritty feel, much more in keeping with the harsh environment and the temperament of these impressive creatures.

BIOGRAPHY

Craig Churchill was brought up in a rural north Oxfordshire village surrounded by large areas of open farmland. This, coupled with an exposure to his father’s interest in wildlife, soon rubbed off and an interest in photography soon followed. An initial interest in photographing birds soon developed to include all aspects of the natural world and British Wildlife in particular. An encounter with a family of foxes in 1988 led to his very first competition entry resulting in a runners up prize in the Junior BBC Wildlife Photographer of the Year.

He has had work published in numerous publications including Birdwatch, Birdwatching and BBC Wildlife magazines; and also has a number of wildlife organisations amongst his client list including English Nature, Greater London Authority and the Black Redstart Organisation.

Craig now strives to capture his subjects in new and interesting ways, introducing a fresh outlook on the natural world as opposed to traditional frame filling images.

OTHER PRIZES

• 4GB Lexar Professional CompactFlash card
• £250 worth of Lee Filters
• Earthbound - a Rough Guide to the World in Pictures

PRIZE

• Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom
• £200 to spend at Jacobs Photo & Video
• ILFORD Lightjet 40" x 30" silver gelatin print

JUDGES' VERDICT

Serene majesty and exquisite detail add wonderful texture to the battle scarred leviathan and its resident crustaceans.

PRIZE

• Intrepid Travel trip to China
• Wacom Intuos4 pen tablet
• 8GB Lexar CompactFlash & card reader

JUDGES' VERDICT

In most people's minds, India is associated with vibrant life and vivid colours. This portfolio is unmistakably India, capturing both in both an intruing and intense set of images.

BIOGRAPHY

Born in a small city of Northern India, Kurukshetra, Poras Chaudhary is a freelance photojournalist and a documentary photographer. Ever since he was a child, Poras has been intrigued by the visually striking moments, whether special for their color, composition or just the moment’s rarity in time.

His passion for photography began in 2005 when he started looking for a good camera and came across the work of Magnum photographers. Poras is a completely self-taught photographer. He is best known for his color work and unique compositions. Having only started 'serious' photography in mid-2005, he has already won a number of internationally recognized awards.

OTHER PRIZES

• 4GB Lexar Professional CompactFlash card
• £250 worth of Lee Filters
• Earthbound - a Rough Guide to the World in Pictures

PRIZE

• Adobe Photoshop CS4 and Lightroom
• £200 to spend at Jacobs Photo & Video
• ILFORD Lightjet 40" x 30" silver gelatin print

JUDGES' VERDICT

Unexpected framing and striking light made this image eye-catching.

PRIZE

• A place on a Photo Iconic course or critique
• Adobe Photoshop Elements & Premiere Elements

JUDGES' VERDICT

The First Shot category is for less experienced photographers who are still learning their craft. The judges chose the Five winners as entrants who images show the potential to develop their photography and who will benefit from the tuition on offer as their prize. Five runner up entries were also chosen.