Canadian Donald Weber named Still Life Photographer of the Year at 2015 Sony World Photography awards, the world’s largest photography competition
- L’Iris d’Or/Professional Photographer of the Year plus other Professional category winners and overall Open, Youth and Student winners also announced – see all at www.worldphoto.org
- Winning images to be shown at Somerset House, London April 24 – May 10
- Images available at press.worldphoto.org or Image.net
TORONTO, Ontario – April 24, 2015: The Honorary Jury of the world’s largest photography competition today names Donald Weber as the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards’ Still Life Photographer of the Year.
Donald Weber, from Toronto who is a member of the acclaimed VII Photo and is represented by Circuit Gallery in Toronto, was selected from over 87,000 entries to the Professional competition for a series titled “Molotov Cocktails.” The winning work details the crude hand-made weapons of the EuroMaiden protestors in Kiev, Ukraine, called Molotov cocktails. The series is a part of his book Barricade: The EuroMaidan Revolt by Schilt Publishers.
Talking about his win Weber comments: “What I like about the Sony World Photography Awards, is that the categories are not dogmatic, it’s not about so-called rules, but finding the best work, regardless of how it was shot. The fact that my series ‘Molotov Cocktail’ won shows the diversity of image and story that are recognized.”
The photographer was presented his award and the latest Sony digital imaging equipment at a gala ceremony held in London attended by industry leaders. The winning series will be shown at the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition at Somerset House, London and will be published in the 2015 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book.
Now in its eighth year, the Sony World Photography Awards annually presents the world’s best contemporary photography across a range of genres and is the world’s largest photography competition. Free to enter and open to photographers of all abilities, it is an authoritative voice in the photographic world and attracts both emerging talent and established artists.
The awards’ international judging juries are comprised of esteemed industry experts and the competition offers incredible exposure, credibility and recognition not only to its winners, but also those on its shortlist. The 2015 awards attracted record breaking entries, with 183,737 images submitted from 171 countries, confirming its position as the world’s biggest photography competition.
Winning series and photographer
Describing the work Donald Weber says: “Molotov Cocktails have been the weapon of choice for the Euromaidan protestors in Kiev. Using fire to their advantage, the protestors were able to defend their barricades, extend their lines and fortify their positions. In order to set fire to tanks, armored vehicles, buses, and tires in opposition to local cops, Kiev’s protestors used thousands and thousands of Molotov Cocktails, inspiring and mobilizing people throughout the city to collect as many bottles as possible."
Prior to photography, Donald Weber originally trained as an architect and worked in the Netherlands. He is the author of four books: Bastard Eden, Our Chernobyl - what is daily life actually like, in a post-atomic world?; Interrogations, about post-Soviet authority in Ukraine and Russia; ‘Barricade’ a collaboration about the smoking language of the Ukrainian Revolt’s siege apparatus, and War Sand.
He is the recipient of numerous awards and fellowships and has been exhibited worldwide.
See a preview of Weber’s book Barricade: The Euromaidan Revolt at http://issuu.com/schiltpublishing/docs/barricade
Find out more about the photographer at http://donaldweber.com
Quick links
- Winning images are available to download at press.worldphoto.org
- Judges biographies: http://bit.ly/1GZEZ0h
- Please find the full list of winners announced on April 23 in the Notes to Editors
- Galleries of all the winners can be seen at www.worldphoto.org
- Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or follow hashtag #SWPA
For further information please contact:
Ved Khan
Public Relations Specialist
Sony of Canada Ltd.
ved_khan@sony.ca
416-495-3703
Jasmine Dhaliwal (on behalf of Sony of Canada Ltd.)
NATIONAL Public Relations
jdhaliwal@national.ca
416-848-1702
NOTES TO EDITORS:
The winners of the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards announced on April 23, 2015 are:
L’Iris d’Or/ Professional Photographer of the Year – John MooreOpen Photographer of the Year – Armin Appel, GermanyYouth Photographer of the Year – Yong Lin Tan, MalaysiaStudent Focus Photographer of the Year – Svetlana Blagodareva, Saint Petersburg State Polytechnic University, RussiaOutstanding Contribution to Photography – Elliott ErwittProfessional competition category winnersArchitecture- Cosmin Bumbuț, RomaniaArts & Culture- Aristide Economopoulos, United StatesCampaign- Sebastian Gil Miranda, France (lives in Argentina)Conceptual- Rahul Talukder, BangladeshContemporary Issues - Scott Typaldos, SwitzerlandCurrent Affairs- John Moore, United StatesLandscape- Simon Norfolk, United KingdomLifestyle – Li Fan, ChinaPeople- Giovanni Troilo, ItalyPortraiture- Ruben Salgado Escudero, Spain (lives in Myanmar)Sport - Riccardo Bononi, ItalyStill Life- Donald Weber, CanadaTravel - Bernhard Lang, Germany The full list of winning photographers and those in 2nd and 3rd place in the Professional Competition can be seen at www.worldphoto.orgInterviews with photographers and judges are available via the World Photography Organization183,737 images were entered in total to the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards: 87,505 Professional entries; 79,264 Open entries, 6,675 Youth entries and 10,293 Mobile Phone entriesFor the Professional competition, photographers were judged on series of work (between 3-10 images)
About World Photography Organization (WPO)
WPO is a home where photography is celebrated and the art of the photographer is recognized. Working with professional, enthusiast and student photographers alike, the World Photography Organization provides a global network across the photographic industry to not only to raise the level of conversation around the subject, but to increase awareness and appreciation of this artform. WPO hosts a year-round portfolio of industry and public events including: Sony World Photography Awards, the world’s largest photography competition and accompanying global exhibition; the World Photography Student Focus Program, inspiring and working with the next generation of photographers, and Photo Shanghai, Asia Pacific’s premier art fair dedicated to photography. In addition, WPO has a thriving online presence via its website, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram and addresses the industry’s latest issues in its monthly online publication, The Magazine. For more information please visit www.worldphoto.org
About Sony of Canada Ltd.
Established in 1955, Sony of Canada Ltd. is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Sony Corporation, of Tokyo, Japan, a world leader in audio, video, communications and information technology products for the consumer and professional markets. Sony’s market-leading connected devices include BRAVIA® 4K Televisions, Sony Mobile Smartphones and Tablets, α Interchangeable Lens Cameras, Action Cam and Handycam® Camcorders along with many other innovative products that deliver a true entertainment experience.
Sony is one of the most comprehensive entertainment companies in the world with a portfolio that includes electronics, music, movies, PlayStation gaming and online businesses; the Sony Entertainment Network (SEN) offers the ultimate destination to watch, listen, play and connect across Sony devices through one convenient account. Sony is an innovator in high-definition and 4K professional broadcast and video equipment, highlighted by the XDCAM® HD and CineAlta™ lines of cameras and camcorders, and SXRD™ and Laser light source LCD digital projectors. Sony also offers a full line of professional products for Audio, Medical, Security and Visual Imaging applications.
With headquarters in Toronto, sales offices in Vancouver and Montreal and a Whitby, Ontario distribution centre, Sony Canada employees support a network of more than 313 dealers and a number of Sony retail locations across Canada.
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