Five Canadian Photographers Shortlisted for World’s Biggest Photography Competition – the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards
- Two photographers shortlisted in Professional competition, one in the Open and two in the Youth Competition.
- One photographer shortlisted in three categories.
- 30 per cent increase in Canadian entries on 2015.
- Selected from record number of total entries – 230,103 images, 33 per cent increase on 2015.
- Overall winners revealed April 21st.
- Images available for publication at press.worldphoto.org.
TORONTO – February 23, 2016 – Five Canadian photographers are today named on the shortlist of the world’s biggest photography competition, the Sony World Photography Awards. They are now competing to win their category and the over all Professional, Open and Youth photographer of the Year titles plus a share of the $30,000 (USD) prize, the winners will be announced at a Gala Ceremony in London April 21st.
Entries to the awards from Canada were up over 30 per cent on 2015 and the photographers were selected from a record-breaking 230,103 entries from 186 countries, the highest number of entries in the awards’ nine year history and a 33 per cent increase on 2015. The total number of entries received by the Sony World Photography Awards since its launch in 2007 has now surpassed one million images, reinforcing the awards’ position as one of the most respected and influential photography competitions in the world.
Selected by an expert panel of judges (full list here) the shortlisted photographers are:
- Kevin Frayer (based in China), Professional Contemporary Issues, Environment and People categories
- Dina Goldstein, Professional Staged category
- Claude Roy, Open Panoramic category
- Julia Golubov, Youth Culture category
- Jason LIu, Youth Culture category
The shortlisted photographers will have their work shown in London as part of the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in April and May and be published in the 2016 edition of the Sony World Photography Awards book. All category winners also receive Sony digital imaging equipment.
Kevin Frayer: 'China's Coal Dependence A Challenge For Climate,’ 'Eagle Hunters of Western China,’ and 'Nomadic Life Threatened on the Tibetan Plateau' (left image)
Frayer, an award-winning photojournalist based in Beijing, China, is shortlisted in three categories; Contemporary Issues, Environment and People. Frayer is a former national photographer at the Canadian Press and a chief photographer for the Associated Press and has previously been based in the Gaza Strip, Jerusalem, and New Delhi.
In his shortlisted series; 'China's Coal Dependence A Challenge For Climate' (Contemporary issues), 'Eagle Hunters of Western China' (Environment) and 'Nomadic Life Threatened on the Tibetan Plateau' (People), Frayer gives us a intriguing insight to modern day China, and the challenges the country and its population faces in keeping old traditions alive while rapidly adapting to a modern way of life. (left)
Dina Goldstein; 'Gods of Suburbia' (right image)
Goldstein, whose career began as a photojournalist, editorial and commercial photographer, toady works with large-scale tableaus and aims to explore elements of the human condition through the lens of Pop Surrealism. Dina regularly participates in festivals and exhibits internationality in commercial and public galleries as well as museums. Goldstein's shortlisted series, 'Gods of Suburbia,’ is a colourful and thought provoking series looking at religious faith within the modern context of technology, science and secularism.
Claude Roy; 'Misty morning'
Roy bought his first camera in 1981, while on a trip to Hawaii, and has been in love with the medium of photography ever since. A trip to Tanzania in 2011 reinforced his passion for the camera and since then Roy has spent more and more time practicing his photography. Roy prefers shooting landscape and nature scenes and is shortlisted with his stunning image 'Misty morning,’ shot an early morning in the forest close to his home.
Julia Golubov, Youth Culture category
Based in Waterloo, Ontario, Julia is a grade ten French Immersion who enjoy drawing, painting and photography. Julia's shortlisted image, 'Shadows Beneath the Eiffel Tower' is a stunning image captured from the Eiffel Tower as the sun was setting, casting long shadows of the many people relaxing on the grass below.
Jason LIu; 'New Americana'
Based in Vancouver, Jason is a secondary school student interested in political science and philosophy, who also enjoys working with film and photography. Jason, who is considering a career in photojournalism, looks to find poetic meaning in everyday life through his photographic work. In his shortlisted image, 'New Americana,’ Jason has captured an American teenager reaching up for a new pair of sneakers - the ultimate manifestation of today's youth popular culture in the United States.
The Sony World Photography Awards rewards and recognizes the world’s best contemporary photography from the last year. Attracting photographers of all abilities, the awards incorporate four competitions: Professional; Open; Youth and Student. More information about the awards can be found at www.worldphoto.org.
Speaking about all the photographers who have been shortlisted this year Scott Gray, CEO of the World Photography Organisation and organizer of the awards said: "We are extremely pleased with our jurors’ choices this year. Despite the increase in the number of photographers, and the amount of imagery that required judging, this year above all others we have witnessed a wealth of powerful imagery in both the traditionally strong social documentary categories as well as the art and conceptual work. It is wonderful for the medium that it can offer such rich diversity."
- Images from the shortlist are available to download at press.worldphoto.org
- If using on social media please follow and use #SWPA and tag @WorldPhotoOrg
NOTES TO EDITORS
- 230,103 images were entered in total to the 2016 Sony World Photography Awards:
127,098 Professional entries; 95,541 Open entries and 7,464 Youth entries images
- 173,444 images were entered to the 2015 awards
- Total number of entries since launch: 1,097,012
Sony World Photography Awards forthcoming announcements
- March 29th – Open and Youth category winners announced
- April 21st – Professional/Open/Student/Youth Photographers of the Year announced plus Professional category winners
For all press enquiries please contact:
Ved Khan
Public Relations Specialist
Sony of Canada Ltd.
ved_khan@sony.ca
416-495-3703
Kristen Schaffrath (on behalf of Sony of Canada Ltd.)
NATIONAL Public Relations
kschaffrath@national.ca
416-848-1704
About World Photography Organisation (WPO)
WPO is a home where photography is celebrated and the art of the photographer is recognised. Working with professional, enthusiast and student photographers alike, the World Photography Organisation 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 art form. 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 Programme, 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. For more information please visit www.worldphoto.org
About Sony of Canada Ltd.
Sony of Canada is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of Tokyo, Japan, one of the most comprehensive entertainment company in the world, with a portfolio that encompasses music, motion pictures, mobile, gaming and financial services. Through headquarters in both Toronto, Ontario, Sony of Canada is a leader in electronics for the consumer and professional markets.
By focusing on engineering and a passion to inspire, Sony is creating world-leading products that innovate and inspire generations, such as the iconic PlayStation, the award-winning Alpha Interchangeable Lens Cameras and revolutionary high-resolution audio products. Sony is also a leading manufacturer of end-to-end solutions from 4K professional broadcast and A/V equipment to market leading 4K Ultra HD TVs.
For more information, visit www.sony.ca.
Tags:
