The Moscow International Foto Awards committee gets hundreds of outstanding images each year, making the selection process more difficult than ever. Our favorite MIFA Honorable Mentions from 2021 offer us fresh viewpoints in all of the categories, despite the fact that they weren't picked as category winners.
The Future - Gajan Balan
The Future is a photograph taken in a distant hamlet in India, many hours north of Chennai. It aims to tap into the potential that every child possesses, regardless of where they come from.
Gajan Balan is a multi-award-winning photographer and artist who has established a career on the concept of shared creativity. His mission is to inspire people to create and find joy in doing so. His company's material receives over 1 million views and 500,000 minutes of viewing every month, has been published in Vogue, GQ, and Rolling Stone India editions, and has been awarded gallery slots in London, Paris, and Milan for 2021. Simply put, he wants to explore the world and share fascinating stories.
Cliffs of West Sweden. - Christian Lindsten
This little lighthouse may be found on the Swedish west coast, just outside the city of Lysekil, right on the sandcolored cliffs adjacent to the sea. The atmosphere of walking around this region and watching the waves crash onto the rocks is very primal.
Silence - Patrick Hofmann
Prague's Charles Bridge. Summer 2020.
Patrick Hofmann is 34 years old and works as a real estate agent in Dresden, Germany. He does not make a living from photography. Nonetheless, it seems inappropriate for him to refer to photography as "simply a pastime." It's much more than that for him.
Kutho - Andrea Alkalay
KUTHO is influenced by a Burmese sense of merit. Covering Buddhist relics with gold, which is only done by male worshippers, is a typical Buddhist rite for gaining virtue and improved karma. Women are banned to approach under the pretense of impure status. The series explores the link between religion and power, as well as the visible/invisible, cult/occult, and parallel universes. The photographer utilizes the same leaf to encase her memories in gold light, which she is unable to access, and to pose a question about human nature's duality. (gold 24k manual intervention)
Night Walker - Carlo Traini
Carlo Traini enjoys nighttime travel as much as he enjoys walking in the dark. Our intuitions are born in the dark, and we expand their roots by walking. As the sun rises, they will bloom in our lives like fireworks. When he shuts his eyes in the middle of the night while walking through the city streets, his spirit is hit by the stillness of the neighborhoods, and his eyes crash into the startling brightness of the street lamps. The darkness of the night grips him at that time, he hears the voices of the people he cares about, and his thoughts turn to the dawn.
Tamayura - Takako Ugachi
A faint sound of MAGATAMA touching each other is TAMAYURA (MAGATAMA is a type of ancient Japanese jewelry). It also implies "for a brief moment," "moment" (moment), or "faint." On August 9th, the photographer photographed this piece at an old Japanese traditional house in Kamakura, Kanagawa, a Japanese ancient city. He created this piece to reflect Japanese beauty and the delicate beauty of girls, similar to the sound of TAMAYURA. The delicate beauty is enhanced by the usage of Japanese KIMONO and an antique home.
Karo Boy - Circles of Life - Sarah Jenkins
The Karo people dwell in Ethiopia's lower Omo Valley. As they sat on the riverbanks, the photographer observed this little child having his face painted by a buddy. Karo are masters of body and face painting, utilizing natural white chalk and earth-colored clays to create simple line and dot drawings that resemble guinea fowl feathers and other animal themes on their faces and bodies. Bead strings are also hung around the neck.
Purple and Gold - Carlos Gamez De Francisco
By redefining the historical function of pictures in society, Carlos Gamez De Francisco is enquiring into the problematic and subjective idea of power. Portraiture has been utilized by the bourgeoisie for generations to display their riches and success via the employment of lavish embellishments and clothes. His goal with this series is to analyze how power and opulence are portrayed. This series explores the ambiguity of what true power is and who wields it. It raises important topics that are often overlooked. It's all about repurposing the meaning of power and building hope.
Leopard Kaboso and Her Cub - Hong Chen
Leopard Kaboso carried her four-and-a-half-month-old cub out of the woods near Ole dikdik stream in Masai Mara, Kenya, in October of last year. The cub was first shy, hugging her monther's neck and refusing to let go. Kaboso eagerly awaited the cub's adaptation to the new surroundings. The cub got more energetic with time and began to leap about her. Finally, the cub completed the challenge of jumping the river, following Kaboso. That was, we suppose, her first time diving into the river.
Alien Guest - Svitlana Moiseienko
This is a jellyfish mini-series that was filmed in 2021. The extraordinary shape of these denizens of the seas and oceans drew the photographer in, as if they were not jellyfish, but aliens from other worlds.
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Advertising is the process of bringing items, services, opinions, or causes to the public's attention in order to persuade them to respond in a specific way to what is being promoted. Photos/images play a crucial role in advertising and selling different products. In this list, you can see a selection of 2021 MIFA Advertising Category winner's awarded photos.
Bag Feature For The Mall At Short Hills - Brian Klutch
The Mall at Short Hills is one of the most opulent and high-end retail malls in the United States, situated in Short Hills, New Jersey. I'm hired on a regular basis to film fashion and accessory articles highlighting shop items. This specific tale was about handbags.
Green Eye - Jan Šmíd, Master Qep
After a long time, the photographer, Jan Šmíd finally finished post-processing one Aurora Borealis panorama from the previous fall excursion to Lofoten. 11 frames were used to create this panorama (11 frames in two rows). Photographer based in Prague who has won awards for landscape photography. Workshops, photo trips, and private photo lessons are all available. Certificate of mastery in QEP. Ambassador for Carl Zeiss.
Bawar Sisters - Caesar Lima
Sheila Bawar portrait from the series The Unusual Beauty. As a self-described "non-conformist," the photographer thrives on doing the "wrong thing," which has led to a long list of top-tier commercial clients, including Disney, Sony, T-Mobile, and others. In So Paulo, Brazil, he developed an interest in technology, street photography, soccer, and urban toys. Lima is proficient in Portuguese, Spanish, and English, and frequently shoots on the road.
Il Velo - Stefano Gerardi
It was vital to reach the altar without gazing in the eyes, unless after professing eternal love, during a time when partnerships were formed by the will of families. The bridal veil, thus, obscured the true characteristics of the newlyweds until the exchange of their words for the vow of marriage in ancient times. The veil is attempting to cover the bride's attractiveness by taking on the form of the girl's face.
Want Me Too - Natasha Pszenicki
All of the photographs in this gallery were photographed for ES Magazine as part of The Most Wanted. Establish a story based on the accessory's name or aesthetic appearance in collaboration with stylist Jessica Skeete-Cross and Natasha Pszenicki. The goal is to create extremely imaginative imagery that catches the eye of the customer and lifts the product to a higher level of desire.
It Is A Yes From God! - Jeff Liang
In Taiwan, a fashion shot was created that featured an old Chinese Taoism practice in which individuals seek God for advice in a temple using two red wooden nuggets. One side of each wooden nugget is rounded, while the other is flat. The seeker asks the same question again, then tosses the two nuggets on the ground. If one of the nuggets looks to be spherical on one side and flat on the other, it's a YES from God. If both sides are rounded side up or flat side up, God has said no. Jeff Liang keeps tradition alive by inventing a fun new technique to pique people's interest in it.
My Colors, In Between - Pen-Yuan Hsu
“Statement: There is always some kind of rhythm to things. Some are interrupted. Some are separated. Sometimes I want to get close to it. But it is too close. Sometimes I want to be brilliant. I want to come out of my shell. Description: I try to express my emotions by abstract images with visual interest. It might be just stylish still life photography. For me, it is more than that. Just like the title, it is not only black and white. There is still something inside it, perhaps inside my mind.”
Farmer and The Cow - Minghang Lai
For two years, these works were shot in Xiapu, Fujian, China, with the topic of farmer and cow. Before, keep a record of life in the countryside. Chinese people utilized the Zodiac to determine their age in ancient times. This is the Year of the Ox, and the zodiac signs are 1, 13, 25, 37, and 49. Rat, Ox, Tiger, Rabbit, Dragon, Snake, Horse, Sheep, Monkey, Rooster, Dog, Pig are the zodiac signs. He may have the characteristics of a bull, such as being diligent, ambitious, loyal and honest, pragmatic, with a strong sense of duty, and endurance. Fighting is a sign of a bad temper.
Long Road - Chengfang Changchien
There is no right or wrong in life; everything happens for a reason. Do what's in front of you quietly, adhere to your initial decision, and trust in the beauty of looking back unexpectedly. Believe that leaving will lead to a better encounter, and that the lengthy journey will be filled with strength.
Creative Colorful Malao - Chin-Fa Tzeng
In the traditional Taiwanese New Year event, Malao is a sweet sacrifice to Tian Gong (the God of Heaven). Worshiping Ma Lao has a long-term connotation. The classic Malao is wrapped in one of three flavors: rice, peanut, or sesame. The current Taiwanese food sector has pushed the boundaries of confectionary inventiveness. Aside from the typical three tastes, marshmallows, chocolate beans, pumpkin seeds, seaweed, almond slices, purple rice, peanuts, curry... are all made with Chinese and Western components. A wide range of vibrant colors and delectable flavors.
The 2021 MIFA book features amazing winning images in the professional and non-professional categories of the 2021 MIFA competition.
You can download a free PDF copy here.
The first exhibition of 2021 was very well received in the Moscow photography community, with hundreds of visitors and a lively opening ceremony, where winners and participants like Mikhail Krasnov, Head of PhotoPro; Valery Nikiforov, Director of the Photocenter on Gogolevsky, home to previous MIFA exhibitions; Nina Kiseleva, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Professionals of the Photo Industry were also present. Due to the circumstances of Covid-19, the openig ceremony had to be delayed, but the exhibition remains open until the 7th of November 2021 at the Record Cultural Center. (Address: Alekseevskaya street, 7, Nizhny Novgorod.)
Первая выставка 2021 года была очень хорошо принята в московском фото сообществе, с сотнями посетителей и оживленной церемонией открытия, на которой также присутствовали победители и организаторы мероприятия , такие как Михаил Краснов, директор ФотоПро; Валерий Никифоров, директор Фотоцентра на Гоголевском, где проходили предыдущие выставки MIFA; Нина Киселева, Председатель Совета Национальной ассоциации профессионалов фотоиндустрии.
Предстоящая выставка будет официально открыта с 18:00 28 октября по 7 ноября 2021 года в Культурном центре “Рекорд”. (Адрес: улица Алексеевская, 7, Нижний Новгород.)
Победителями MIFA 2021 года, чьи работы будут выставлены, являются:
Георгий Майер, Уэсли Домбрехт, Матильда Перро, Макс Фабер, Евгений Доманов, Пол Брунс, Ойвинд Йельмен, Джозеф-Филипп Бевиллард, Рикардо Гарсия Виланова, Питер Кейтон, Алессия Сантамброджио, Руи Кария, Лилиан Шваб, Роксолана Хилевич, Боян Ортсе, Арсений Несходимов, Джордж Кампер, Джампьеро Маркоччи, Кристи Ли Роджерс, Юй-хенг Че, Микеле Дольчи, Гюнтер Рейсснер, Чун Йе, Сусана Кабанеро, Йонас Дальстрем, Джордан Стерн, Антонио Бернардино Коэльо, Альфред Юркалис, Владимир Карамазов, Жан-Поль Суджоль, Ахмад Каддура, Мэтью Бэгли, Ольга Пост, Энн Зиоло, Сальваторе Монтеманьо, Кристиан Басетти, Наталья Жукова, Александр Шилов.
The first exhibition of 2021 was very well received in the Moscow photography community, with hundreds of visitors and a lively opening ceremony, where winners and participants like Mikhail Krasnov, Head of PhotoPro; Valery Nikiforov, Director of the Photocenter on Gogolevsky, home to previous MIFA exhibitions; Nina Kiseleva, Chairman of the Board of the National Association of Professionals of the Photo Industry were also present.
The up-coming exhibition will be officially open from 18:00 on the 28th October to the 7th November 2021 at the Record Cultural Center. (Address: Alekseevskaya street, 7, Nizhny Novgorod.)
The 2021 MIFA winners whose work will be exhibited are:
George Mayer, Wesley Dombrecht, Mathilda Perrot, Max Faber, Evgenii Domanov, Paul Brouns, Oyvind Hjelmen, Joseph-Philippe Bevillard, Ricardo Garcia Vilanova, Peter Caton, Alessia Santambrogio, Rui Caria, Liliane Schwab, Roksolyana Hilevych, Boyan Ortse, Arseniy Neskhodimov, George Kamper, Giampiero Marcocci, Christy Lee Rogers, Yu-heng Chen, Michele Dolci, Guenther Reissner, Jun Yeh, Susana Cabanero, Jonas Dahlström, Jordan Stern, Antonio Bernardino Coelho, Alfred Jurcalis, Vladimir Karamazov, Jean-Paul Soujol, Ahmad Kaddourah, Matthew Bagley, Olga Posth, Anne Ziolo, Salvatore Montemagno, Christian Basetti, Natalya Zhukova, Alexander Shilov.
Salty World – Boyan Ortse
The salty lands of France are often unknown by the general public – so the photographer took it upon himself to explore it for us. He captured the images with a drone.
Tail – Erika Miura
A small tail and a big one – a calf and his mother swimming in Japanese waters. Humpback whales often make the long journey for the winter to raise their calves here.
Fairy Tale – George Garcia
Just like a scene from a fairy tale: a white heron captures breakfast on a foggy morning right before the sun rose in the cypress swamps of southwestern Louisiana.
Where the Light Comes In – Hartmut Rieg
Vivid sunsets that warm our hearts on Lake Constance, Langenargen, Germany – the photographer captured these moments to demonstrate that nature provides us with warmth, life and infinite colour.
Double Turtle – Renata Romeo
A creature of the sea in action: this hawksbill turtle emerged to breathe some fresh air. Her body’s geometry was perfectly reflected and captured in a scene of serenity and ultimate peace.
Pandora – Marcio Esteves Cabral
Another proof that through nature we live in a fairy tale: these fields of the paepalanthus wildflower during the waning moon in Veadeiros Tablelands, Brazil. Combined with the milky way, this scene looks almost like it has been captured on another planet.
Flowers In The Night – Olga Posth
An art-photography series from the 2021 Moscow International Foto Awards: the images were taken during the night involving chromatic spectrums of light. As the photographer describes, she was “guided by not only my knowledge of colour but also by my intuition.” There were no filters or photoshop manipulations.
Lalu Island – Aaron Chuo
Lalu Island is a small island in Sun Moon Lake, Nantou County, Taiwan. The island used to be much bigger, separating the lake into a part shaped like crescent moon and another part shaped like a round sun. “Lalu” means something like “after”, or “later,” with similar meanings from Taiwan to Indonesia. Legend has it that Thao hunters discovered Sun Moon Lake while chasing a white deer through the surrounding mountains.
Drink At Night – Hong Chen
A powerful image late in the night in Kenya: the photographer was lucky enough to catch on camera a very rare species of wild cat, the Caracal, drinking from the pond near the bunker where she was hiding.
Gold Autumn – Chung-Chien Chiang
Autumn in a picture: the photo was taken of the naturally-grown populus euphratica. The effect of wind and sand, the golden leaves, and the sunlight gave the scene a golden, almost halo-like feel.
MIFA was founded with the mission to share the world’s best photographic talent with the creative community in Moscow and beyond—the same community that is now speaking with a strong voice against the conflict in Ukraine.
We believe that photography is one of the strongest and most important mediums of communication, sharing truth in a powerful way, and we remain committed to this purpose. We will continue to share great photography and give a visual platform for all people to share their truth with the world.
We support the people of Ukraine during this time, we strongly condemn the acts of war and aggression being inflicted on them, and will do all in our power to support the photographic community of Ukraine.
