The European Photography Awards Jury is exceptional in the depth of expertise it draws on from its extensive judging community, composed of highly respected and experienced professionals who have distinguished themselves in their field.
The jury panel comprised of experienced professionals in their field and industry, including creative and art directors from international agencies, established photographers, photo editors, art collectors, educators or business owners from around the world, bringing industry knowledge and category-specific skill sets to evaluate every entry.
It is with great gratitude and honor that we celebrate the Jury Panel for dedicating their time, knowledge as well as hard work to maintain the awards at the highest standards. Without this prestigious group of industry experts' commitment and enthusiasm, the awards program would not be possible.
United States
Fine Art Photographer, Gigi Chung Photography
Gigi Chung is a gifted fine art photographer that specializes in abstract architecture.
Through her artistry, she possesses the unique ability to distill complex and intricate scenes into captivating sculptural compositions, where lines, shapes, and contrast take center stage. This meticulous approach includes the conscious inclusion of elements that not only enhance visual appeal but also create an aesthetic harmony within her work. This distinct perspective has garnered her international acclaim, allowing her photography to grace the walls of renowned galleries and compete in some of the most distinguished photography contests across the globe. Her contributions to well-regarded photography publications serve as a testament to her standing as a distinguished artist within the field.
Her remarkable skills as a photographer have propelled her to international recognition, allowing her work to be showcased in prestigious galleries and elite photography competitions around the world, a testament to her talent behind the lens.
India
Director, Viral Padiya Photography
Being a self-taught photographer, Viral Padiya has a deep passion for capturing the beauty of nature and landscapes. For him, it's a delightful chance to venture into the wilderness, establish a connection with nature, experience diverse surroundings, all of which contribute to making his photographs exceptionally captivating and truly distinctive. Padiya's love for photography knows no bounds, as he constantly seeks to capture the mesmerizing beauty of nature and landscapes. His passion drives him to immerse himself in the wilderness, where he forms a profound connection with the natural world. Through his lens, he skillfully translates his deep appreciation for the unique and captivating aspects of these environments into stunning photographs. Padiya's dedication to photography is unwavering, as he tirelessly pursues the perfect shot in the great outdoors. He goes to great lengths to explore diverse natural settings, from serene forests to rugged mountains, to capture the essence of each location.
United Arab Emirates
Co-founder, Design Director and Photographer, Deerect Agency
Donell Gumiran is the co-founder, design director and photographer of Deerect, a design agency based in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. With two decades of profound expertise in design, photography, and branding domains, he is primarily focused on brand identity initiatives and continuously stays informed about the most current trends and methodologies in global design to adapt to any cultural or regional context with a creative approach. This results in the creation of unique and unforgettable work, which is approached from various perspectives to deliver versatile results. Gumiran’s favorite subjects center on encapsulating the human experience in everyday scenarios. He possesses a unique ability to draw viewers into the profound humanity of the individuals in his work. His talent has earned them numerous international award is frequently invited to speak as a source of inspiration at a variety of global photography conferences, where his exhibitions are also prominently featured.
India
Independent Photographer and Analyst ,
Jai Thakur is an Independent Photographer from India. His practice investigates the conflicts that exist within society and within himself, as well as the connection between the two. He works as a Research Analyst during the day, and in his spare time, he practices photography. He has been a member of Diversify Photo since 2022. Additionally, he has successfully completed Reuters Digital Journalism Foundation Course in 2023.
For his efforts in raising awareness about river conservation, he was awarded 'Water Hero' by Govt. of India and appeared in the MX Player web series "Express Yourself". He received a grant from Sahapedia for his work on the Potters Community of Delhi and PoY Asia for Acid Attack work. He has been on the jury panel of several national and international photographic competitions.
France
Artist Photographer, Marine Foissey Photography
Marine Foissey is a talented French photographer whose works have been showcased in exhibitions across France, Luxembourg, Poland, and Spain.
Foissey developed an early affinity for culture and art, deeply influenced by her upbringing. Her parents used each holiday as a chance to immerse themselves and Marine in the world of Culture and Art. The exploration of museums, exhibitions, and historical sites during travels became a rite of passage that honed Marine's appreciation for the richness of Art. Foissey is on an ongoing quest for poetic expression, seeking it in both her creative work and personal life. She challenges the notion that an image can stand alone, choosing instead to title her photographs and augment them with narrative text.
Her collections, meticulously curated into series, embody this philosophy, with each photograph conveying significance, sentiment, beauty, and her unique artistic fingerprint, whether viewed individually or as part of a collective.
France
Photographer and Cameraman, Rémi Masson Plongeur Photographe
Even before embarking on his journey as a photographer, Rémi Masson has been drawn to the untamed and enigmatic aspects of nature, especially the allure of the unseen world beneath the surface. His exceptional skill in freediving has been a crucial factor in allowing him to seamlessly integrate photography into his underwater adventures, effectively capturing and sharing the nuanced emotions he encounters while immersing himself in the distinct and captivating fresh water environments. Masson's expertise lies in his unique ability to blend the art of photography with the skill of freediving, capturing the elusive beauty of underwater worlds. His deep understanding of the aquatic environment allows him to frame each shot with a perspective that speaks to the mysteries beneath the surface. His numerous international accolades stand as a testament to his mastery in creating images that are not only visually stunning but also rich in storytelling and emotional depth.
Dominica
Freelance Photographer, Cameraman and Videographer, Art Photography Services
Derek Galon is a well-known freelance photographer, camera operator, and videographer with more than four decades of experience in the field of photography in Europe, Canada, and the Caribbean.
Over the past forty years, Galon has established himself as a globally acclaimed photographer in the realms of architecture and commercial photography, all the while crafting his unique art pieces. His creations have found homes with clients across numerous countries worldwide. Presently, he is under the representation of Nature Picture Library in the UK and partners with various stock agencies, in addition to providing photography workshops and working as a juror.
Throughout his career, his relentless pursuit of excellence, numerous awards, influential publications, and art curation at the Royal Holographic Art Gallery have left an enduring mark. For his innovative spirit that pushes the boundaries of visual storytelling he received honorary Fellowships of international photography organizations, and also gained FRPS, a Fellowship of Royal Photographic Society in UK.. This dedication and passion have inspired countless aspiring artists and creators to boldly pursue their own visions.
Czech Republic
Qualified European Photographer, Tomáš Neuwirth Photography
Tomáš Neuwirth, an internationally acclaimed photographer, excels in drone photography.. The emergence of drones later opened new vistas for his photography, allowing him to capture stunning aerial shots with commercial drones. Today, he is deeply involved in both professional drone and traditional photography, elevating the art form by choosing unique locations and enhancing images through post-production. His work transcends from mere landscape to the realm of fine art. Notably, he is the first Czech photographer to be a finalist in multiple awards and his work has been showcased in numerous countries. His work has been frequently chosen by the Paris online gallery Singulart. Notably, he was nominated for the Personality of Czech Photography in 2019 and was part of the Czech team for the 2022 World Photographic Cup (WPC). He holds the Qualified European Photographer (QEP) title in the Drone category.
Hong Kong SAR
Photographer, Short Film Director and Multimedia Producer., Hong Kong Mobile Photography Club
Benny Lau is a well-known photographer, short film director, and multimedia producer. Lau's groundbreaking achievement in 2018 as Hong Kong's inaugural full-time mobile phone photographer marked a pivotal moment in the evolution of photography in the region. His creative prowess has not only garnered him eight prestigious gold awards and first prizes in various local and global competitions but has also led to the inclusion of his films in the programs of numerous renowned international film festivals, solidifying his position as a respected artist on the global stage. He has built a remarkable expertise in the realm of mobile photography, a testament to his unwavering commitment to mastering this art form. With over a decade of experience, he has honed his skills in multimedia video creation, demonstrating a profound dedication to his craft.
Poland
Advertising Photographer and Digital Artist,
Dawid Galinski is a highly acclaimed advertising photographer and digital artist who has garnered numerous awards during his impressive 17-year career.
He was the head of a photographic studio for five years at one of Poland's largest e-commerce enterprises, overseeing advertising campaigns and managing various aspects of commercial photography. This encompassed everything from conceptualizing and planning shoots to executing them with precision. Galinski collaborated with renowned companies like Hasselblad, Fujifilm, Sigma, and Profoto during their career. His multifaceted experience and noteworthy collaborations have undoubtedly contributed to his standing as a respected professional.
His credibility as a photographer with a discerning eye is unquestionable, having achieved remarkable success in the field. He has secured victory in more than 85 international photography competitions, amassing a total of 111 prestigious awards throughout his career. This remarkable track record underscores his exceptional talent and keen artistic vision in the world of photography.
Cyprus
International Conceptual Photographer and Art Director, Elena Paraskeva Studio
Elena Paraskeva is an international conceptual photographer, art director and an official Adobe instructor.
Prior to becoming a photographer, she served as a marketing executive at Nestle Water. During this phase of her career, she collaborated with Ogilvy & Mather on the production of advertising campaigns for prestigious brands. Her achievements in this role were even highlighted in The New York Times.
Paraskeva has a passion for crafting surreal conceptual art characterized by vibrant color palettes and bold graphic elements. Her stylized realm is brimming with fashion compositions and conceptual portraits, all infused with a heightened sense of aesthetics, beauty, and sophistication. Her work consistently treads the line between the unconventional and the otherworldly, leaving a lasting impression on viewers. Her art has graced the walls of galleries in cities like New York, London, and Paris, and her creations have been featured in numerous publications, adorning both pages and covers.
Italy
Professional Photographer, Visual Artist, Printmaking Expert, alessandraminottigraphic.com
Alessandra Minotti is a renowned photographer, visual artist, and expert in printing and development. After completing her studies in art and photography, she began her professional career in 1994 by founding a photography lab in Rome.
Minotti has excelled in a variety of photography genres, including weddings, still-life, interiors, and fashion, all while honing her skills in analog development and printing. Her work often involves multiple exposures and sophisticated photo manipulation, creating surreal and thought-provoking imagery.
Minotti’s art explores deep and complex themes such as identity, violence against women, psychophysical well-being, healthy eating, and environmental concerns, frequently drawing on her own life experiences. Her work has been featured in solo and group exhibitions across Italy, Spain, and internationally. She has authored both a monograph and an eBook, and her artwork has been recognized in prestigious art publications and showcased on the Saatchi Gallery London screen for six consecutive years.
Bangladesh
Visual Artist and Photographer,
Pinu Rahman is a self-taught freelance photographer hailing from Dhaka, with roots in Pirojpur, a quaint rural town in Bangladesh. Multiple International award winner Pinu shoot what interests him & thats versatile. He classify himself as an amateur photographer whose passion for photography is linked to travelling. He earned his graduation from the University of Dhaka, Bangladesh and discovered his passion for photography more than a decade ago. Professionally as a Senior Principal Officer, he is working in a state owned Rupali Bank PLC. His passion and profession never converged, but he has been able to exist in both parallel worlds. He could always absorb the distinction between petrichor and Starbucks, and knew where to draw the margin as to keep each special with their individual humane plea. Hence when the corporate sharpened his lenses, he already knew he had a purpose – it was to project beauty – hiding in the most trivial of urban passages and the rural mundanity – only until an artist recognized the unmistakable uniqueness in all of it. It was for him to find the extraordinary in every ‘ordinary.' Notably, one of his remarkable achievements includes a distinction that brought pride to Bangladesh, his home country's reputation in the international photography community.
United States
Photographer, Leon Syfrit Artist
Leon Syfrit is a photographer of great talent.
Syfrit appreciates the concept of channeling his life experiences into his art. He finds meaning in the creative process as it helps him understand his identity and role in the world. Utilizing found and gathered objects, he crafts still-life and portrait photographs, while also indulging in documentary photography and alternative photographic techniques. His artwork is showcased on a global scale.
His artwork is featured in permanent collections at institutions like the Philadelphia History Museum, among others. Grants from organizations like The Helene Wurlitzer Foundation have been awarded to him. His photographs are published in magazines like Adore Noir and Monovisions Journal. As a photography instructor at The Delaware College of Art and Design, he fosters a dynamic learning environment, guiding students through hands-on projects and critiques to enhance their skills and elevate their arts and crafts in storytelling.
Japan
ARTIST, PHOTOGRAPHER, RYO UTSUNOMIYA
Ryo Utsunomiya is an artist with a diverse background, having started his career as a musician, worked in school education, and then turned to photographer. His style and diverse background have been highly praised by museums and others, and he also teaches art museum seminar at schools and serves as artistic director of music festivals. As a photographer, he has received high acclaim in recent years at various international photography awards, including winning Photographer of the Year at the MUSE Photography Awards 2024, and is actively exhibiting in museums and art galleries.
Canada
Emeritus Professor Laval University, Yvan Bedard Photo
Yvan Bedard was born and lives in a region of rivers, forests, and farms near Quebec City, Canada. In 2003, he adopted digital photography, and he has been making fine art prints since 2009. Bedard has been represented by art galleries in Canada since 2014. He participated in more than fifty solo and group exhibitions in cities like Quebec, New-York, London, Paris, Barcelona, Athens, and Melbourne to name but a few. His photographs have been published regularly in books and magazines in Canada and internationally. His work is in public and private collections in over twenty countries and has been licensed for many uses.
Following a career as an Emeritus university professor in cartographic database engineering and a scientific author and speaker, Yvan is now spreading his photographic passion through conferences and courses. Similarly to his scientific career, his photographic career has been recognized internationally. In 2024, he had received close to 100 awards from international organisations such as the Minimalist Photography Awards, the Fine Art Photography Awards, the Paris PX3 Photography Awards, and One Eyeland World Top 10 Photography Awards, among others. Bedard has been interviewed by various media in Canada, France, Japan, Russia, and the USA.
His vision emanates from his scientific approaches to describe geographical phenomena with computerized data. He detects details and abstractions, sharpness and ambiguity, as well as the temporality of everything he observes. Accordingly, he photographs intimate landscapes as much as grand vistas, and manifest scenes as well as mysterious ones. Trees and rock inspire him particularly, because he sees them respectively as symbols of one’s lifetime and of eternity. Winter also inspires him for its minimalist, almost black and white scenes when the sky is dramatic and full of grey clouds. Such winter scenes make him feel relaxed and in peace with nature.
His photographs are eminently subjective because aesthetics, emotion and imagination take precedence over documentary reproduction. He highlights what he perceives or imagines, without metamorphosing nature. This influences each of his steps, even when he transforms the pixels of his photographs in his studio into pigments on carefully chosen fine art papers and canvases.
Malaysia
Judging Committee Chairperson, International Awards Associate (IAA)
Jae Leong is the accomplished chairperson of IAA’s extensive judging committee.
As the chairperson, Leong assumes a leadership role, guiding the organization and spearheading initiatives to uphold quality and creative excellence in critical areas such as design, creative advertising, marketing communications, video production, and business. Additionally, she serves as a key award representative at IAA, consistently demonstrating success in overseeing assessments throughout her career.
She prioritizes the coordination of strategic arrangements among various jury panels, establishing herself as a standout figure in the industry. Demonstrating a keen sense of management, Leong has executed her role with precision, ensuring that each participant receives fair evaluations and unbiased assessments, underscoring the significance of integrity in maintaining the credibility of the judging outcomes. Furthermore, her collaboration with professionals globally has positioned her at the forefront of specialization, enabling the development of exceptional communication and relationship management skills.
Canada
Photographer, Lillian Liu Photography
Lillian Liu, a youthful and imaginative photographer, employs digital methods to craft distinctive visual artworks. Based in Vancouver, Canada, she is associated with Free Spirit in Paris.Liu is a self-taught individual, having earned a Masters degree in classical piano from the Royal College of Music in London, UK. Her clientele and notable features encompass Marie Claire Taiwan, Vogue Taiwan, Penguin Random House, Blanche Macdonald, HarperCollins, among others. Her work has been showcased in exhibitions at venues such as the Surrey Art Gallery, Arch Enemy Arts Gallery, Place Des Artes, and SevensGrant featuring Paris Hilton. She has shared her insights at events like the Canadian Imaging Conference and Expo for the Professional Photographers of Canada, as well as the Tulsa School of Arts and Sciences, and more. Her commitment to her craft is evident in her journey from self-taught beginnings to mastering classical piano at the Royal College of Music.
Canada
Painter, Filmmaker and Photographer, Bédarfoto
Jean-Thomas Bédard is a painter, filmmaker, photographer with over 30 years of experience under his belt as a director of animated films and documentaries. In 1985-86, Bédard took on the role of an animation cinema instructor at the Centro technico e audiovisual in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. He is engaged in a photographic exploration, capturing textures and colors inspired by nature. Through his artistic lens, he endeavors to showcase the dynamic landscape, inviting viewers to appreciate the natural beauty when the tides recedes along the St. Lawrence. At the age of 32, he set out on a year-long journey around the globe, dedicating himself to photography. This experience led to the development of an exhibition showcasing traditional lifestyles in Central America, the Pacific, and Indonesia. The exhibition premiered in Montreal and Toronto, notably at York University where his paintings are also displayed in various exhibition spaces.
India
Partner and Chief Design Strategist, TCT Branding
Deepti Kshirsagar holds the position of partner and chief design strategist at TCT Branding. Kshirsagar leverages her extensive decade-long expertise in design and branding as the Chief Design Strategist at TCT Branding. She plays a central part in the development and execution of strategic design initiatives. Her impact extends to the successful introduction of several prominent global brands into the Indian market, showcasing her ability to drive brand recognition and market presence through thoughtful design strategies. She is involved in crafting innovative and effective approaches to design that elevate brands and create lasting impressions. She holds the belief that design is evolving in tandem with culture, and the traditional view of design solely as aesthetically pleasing art needs to adapt accordingly. There is a fresh surge of enthusiasm for exploring uncharted territories in design and communication, and it is vital to direct this newfound energy effectively.
Singapore
Creative Partner, BEAMY
Ronn Lee is a versatile brand and design expert with two decades of experience in the field, spearheading projects in concept development, branding, graphic design, interactive media, and product innovation across various sectors. As the co-founder and creative lead of BEAMY, a creative and branding agency with its main office in Shanghai and additional locations in Singapore and New York, she has showcased remarkable initiative. Her journey took her from Singapore to Shanghai, where she was inspired by the growing demand for creative and branding services in China, leading to the establishment of BEAMY. Before her time in Shanghai, Ronn served as an Art Director in Tokyo. Her professional path through Singapore, Japan, and China has provided her with a deep understanding of diverse work cultures and design approaches. Ronn's contributions to the field have been recognized with over 100 international awards for design and creativity.
The Jury Panel list will be periodically updated to ensure more opportunities for qualified photographers to participate in this amazing role.
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