Photo: Eric Bennett, Photographer of the Year, Winner.
Nowadays, even though we look at a photo of a beautiful landscape, we often assume that there must be quite a bit of Photoshop involved in the final product. But a new photography competition proves that many photographers don’t need a lot of post-production help to generate spectacular images. The Natural Landscape Photography Awards were created to showcase landscape photography by artists who “value realism and authenticity in their work”.
All photographs entered in the competition were subject to strict rules. No composition, deletion or distortion of elements, or combination of images was allowed. In fact, all photographers who passed the first round had to submit the RAW version of their photos to make sure they weren’t breaking the rules. This means that, when you look at the winning photos, you see what the photographers can do directly behind closed doors.
Eric Bennett and Steve Altermann, who won Photographer of the Year and Photographer of the Year respectively, are wonderful examples of photographers who have captured landscapes in an authentic way. Altermann’s creative photo of an iceberg resting on a black sand beach in Iceland is visually captivating. The image, which earned him Photograph of the Year, proves that being able to observe the good times can pay off.
For Bennett, whose landscape portfolio won him the Photographer of the Year award, the award was a nice reward for the kind of subtle images he enjoys taking. “As a photographer who strives to show people the value of the wilderness, I have always enjoyed seeing and creating more subtle and personal photographs that represent nature realistically. As these types of images tend to have a quieter impact, they often end up being largely ignored in most photography competitions, ”he explained. “To receive this award from such a prestigious and respected group of photographers that I have always admired is a great honor for me. I hope the Natural Landscape Photography Awards can continue for many years to come, stay true to their values, and inspire other photography competitions to recognize photographers based on similar artistic principles.
With over 13,000 photographs submitted by over 1,300 photographers, it seems many want to be judged for their work behind closed doors rather than for their post-production prowess. Scroll down to see more winning photographs and enjoy what is sure to be a new highlight in the world of photography competitions.
The Natural Landscape Photography Awards showcase images that have minimal post-production.
Photo: Steve Alterman, Photographer of the Year, Winner
Photo: Ben Horne, photographer of the year, finalist
Photo: Michael Frye, Grand Landscape, Winner
As such, these images are truly “what you see is what you get” without over-composition or retouching.
Photo: Paul Hammett, Nightscape, Winner
Photo: Eric Bennett, Photographer of the Year, Winner.
Photo: Carl Smorenburg, project, finalist
Photo: Carl Smorenburg, project, finalist
Over 13,000 photos were submitted in the first year of the competition.
Photo: Matt Palmer, Project, Winner
Photo: Matt Palmer, Project, Winner
Photo: Paul Hoelen, Aerial, Winner
Photo: Jai Shet, Young, Winner
Photo: Ben Horne, photographer of the year, finalist
Photo: Franka Gabler, Intimate and abstract, winner
Photo: Lance Wilson, Youth, finalist
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