The first place image works best because of the ski mask/face covering. It conveys the lengths people go to in order to go about their lives in extreme cold. The judges did wish the photographer wasn’t visible in the mask, but sometimes that’s unavoidable.
The second photo captured a quiet moment that shows the mother’s determination. She is alone as she waits for news, and you can sense that she wasn’t going to leave until she received the information she came for.
The protest photo captured a lighter moment while highlighting a tactic activists are using to get their messages across in the current political climate. The judges agreed it would be a stronger image with a tighter crop.
Judges Comments
The first place image works best because of the ski mask/face covering. It conveys the lengths people go to in order to go about their lives in extreme cold. The judges did wish the photographer wasn’t visible in the mask, but sometimes that’s unavoidable. The second photo captured a quiet moment that shows the mother’s determination. She is alone as she waits for news, and you can sense that she wasn’t going to leave until she received the information she came for. The protest photo captured a lighter moment while highlighting a tactic activists are using to get their messages across in the current political climate. The judges agreed it would be a stronger image with a tighter crop.