Judging Procedure for the Emerging Talent Award

Judges for Nikon Photo Contest International 2008-2009 included professionals working internationally in various photographic fields. The common impression of the judging process among the judges is that they received entries from many different regions and backgrounds, which displayed an array of inspiring perspectives and emotions. Four judges representing each region also participated in the selection process for the Emerging Talent Award, which were selected from the entries submitted by participants under the age of 30. Every judge selected a winner from the region they were representing.

Europe and Africa Flow of Life Elena Chernyshova (Russia) This photo exhibits characteristics of a fairy tale. It is simple, with warm colors, nice light and with its title "Flow of Life" we get a sense of a scene taking place. When I discovered another photograph from the same photographer which intrigued me, I got the feeling that this photographer was an emerging talent. -By Ms. Claudia Hinterseer

Asia, Oceania and Middle East AMEN2 Aydin Berk Bilgin (Turkey) The lighting in this photo is what caught my attention. The mystic light of the mosque which met with the beautiful background texture of the tiles is dramatic. It is not an easy task to enter a mosque and take photos during praying with such a good light. The contrast of the image is excellent and you can feel the moment of silence through the lights and shadows expressed perfectly in this photo. This photo went up to the last round of selections several times, but was unable to get an award. That’s why I choose the photographer as an emerging talent. -By Mr. Alptekin Baloğlu

North, Central and South America Ganges Bather Danny Ghitis (U.S.A.) I chose this image because it has warmth and intimacy. This scene, bathing in the Ganges, is one that is photographed very often and I was impressed with the photographer’s ability to capture something unique. He made an effort to get close to his subject and captured a beautiful moment in time. -By Ms. Ami Vitale

Japan and Korea Let’s think all. Yuuta Kawai (Japan) While this photograph seems like an ordinary portrait, it is really depicting solitude in society. The biggest problem here is that there is no one else around to be seen. In other words, "what is not seen" is also critical to this picture. Japanese society is regarded as an affluent one, but the reality is that there are many people in this country today who seem to lack compassion and concern for others. Instead of living in an indifferent society that lacks consideration for others, I hope to be in a world where we can all stop and ask "are you okay?" to anyone, before they fall into a situation like shown in this photograph. -By Ms. Sayaka Ikemoto

Ms. Claudia Hinterseer (Judge from Nikon Europe B.V.) It is difficult to determine an "Emerging Talent" from a single image since it can be a lucky shot. Therefore, I look for images that convey a thought or an element of humor. I look for an image where the photographer has tried to do something that is clearly not a lucky shot. I enjoyed selecting from all the entries. The entries overall were diverse and technically sound. I also found many of them to be well thought out with promising tendencies.

Mr. Alptekin Baloğlu (Judge from Nikon Hong Kong) During the jury selections, I felt as I am traveling all around the world in 5 days with the feelings of discovering, surprising, happiness and anger. Each photographer had tried to express their emotions, with their culture, nature, skills and unique personalities. This contest showed me one more time that, photography is an art which there is no important of difference in language, culture and religion in the soul of human being. The most important thing is emotions that we gain in our life. As a nature lover and underwater photographer, I am very pleased with the results of the contest, with the messages that has been given to the world. I was additionally impressed with the entries coming from the Nikon Hong Kong region, which had more entries than any other region. These entries expressed the importance of nature combined with a strong sense of creativity so it was quite challenging to choose among such an impressive collection of entries.

Ms. Ami Vitale (Judge from Nikon Inc.) While there were many powerful images that taught me something about the world we all share, I also felt many photographers were reliant on computer manipulation after the photo was taken. For as many original pieces, there were twice as many heavily orchestrated images. I would encourage photographers to explore and learn about the art of photography through practicing instead of working on images in the computer afterwards. I also noticed that a lot of people are traveling to other countries and not looking at what’s right next to them, in their own backyards. The most compelling images are very close to you because it is when you can get intimate with your subject that you can tell stories more effectively. The photos that stood out for me and that I ultimately ended up choosing were portraits and images that expressed the current human condition. Overall, I was impressed and reminded of the wonder and magic of this world.

Ms. Sayaka Ikemoto (Judge from Nikon Imaging Japan, Inc.) I was delighted to be able to see photos from all over the world – of so many places and landscapes I’ve never seen before. On the other hand, I saw many photos that were somewhat imitating the previous awarded works of this contest, which made me wish for photographers to express their originality more. I’m thankful for the discussions with both the Japanese and international judges. These discussions served as a great opportunity to learn the many ways to view and interpret photos. Regarding judgment process for the Emerging Talent Award, I was both surprised and delighted to see that the works of young photographers were far more original and creative than I’d expected. I saw many promising photos that had strong messages behind them. I sensed a strong message and emotional appeal from the winning photograph. I hope that young photographers hone their vision by seeing and experiencing many things with their own eyes.