In a world full of edited images, the NTD International Photography Competition is a breath of fresh air. It promotes traditional aesthetics, free from manipulation.
Staying true to traditional photography, the competition organizers invited entrants of its fifth competition to submit luminous images featuring beauty and naturalism.
The competition received over 2,000 entries from more than 1,000 photographers in over 100 countries.
The works of 110 photographers from 24 countries were recently featured in the finalist exhibition at the Salmagundi Club in New York City. Award winners were announced at a ceremony at the venue on Jan. 29.
At the award ceremony, finalists told NTDTV (New Tang Dynasty Television) how the competition inspires them.
Finalist Bill Tse, an award-winning New York wedding photographer, said the quality of photography on show was incredibly high. “I was amazed by so many of the photos.”
Entering such a principled competition holds a higher purpose for competition finalist Gina Pottenger, a documentary photographer. “Every photographer that entered this contest is participating in God’s work in the world by also creating and capturing through our photos what God created,” she said.
Top Award Winners
The competition jurors presented two gold awards: one for each main category.
"Evening View of Bagan" by Kyaw Kyaw Winn of Burma (Myanmar). Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Gold Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. (Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition)
Burmese photographer Kyaw Kyaw Winn’s image, “Evening View of Bagan,” of the ancient capital of Burma, won the Nature & Landscapes Gold Award. In the photograph, Winn captured a timeless scene of cattle herders working at the “golden hour,” windows of time around sunset and sunrise, that photographers love for its warm, reddish tones. The atmospheric lighting, the Buddhist stupas, temples, monasteries and distant mountains all shrouded in mist create an ethereal scene fit for the renowned pilgrim site and World UNESCO Heritage Site.
"The World Needs ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance’" by Adrian Yu of Hong Kong. Recipient of the Society & Humanity Gold Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
Hongkonger Adrian Yu won the Society & Humanity Gold Award for his photograph: “The World Needs ‘Truthfulness, Compassion, and Forbearance.’” “[Winning gold] was a big surprise, I really didn’t expect that,” he said.
Yu’s winning image records an historic moment during the Hong Kong Protests. On July 1, 2019, 550,000 Hong Kong residents took to the streets in the annual pro-democracy march, marking Hong Kong’s 1997 handover to China.
Falun Gong practitioners peacefully participated in the parade. The large turquoise banner in the center of the photograph says, in Mandarin, “The World Needs Truthfulness, Compassion and Forbearance,” the three principles of the practice. The practitioners had no political agenda, Yu told The Epoch Times.
“[Falun Gong] are ordinary members of society who … also hoped that after learning the truth, more people would help Falun Gong and stop the Chinese Communist Party government’s unreasonable persecution of a group of good people.”
A Silver Winner
"Downpour" by Gina Pottenger of the United States. Recipient of the Society & Humanity Silver Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
Pottenger was also among the top award winners. The American won a Society & Humanity Silver Award for “Downpour,” an image of an awestruck boy on the Ivory Coast catching rare raindrops in his outstretched palm. In front of him are all manner of empty bowls catching the precious life-giving water.
Pottenger says the organization she works for emphasizes dignity. “[A photograph] can reduce the dignity of the person, or it can elevate the dignity of the person,” she said. Therefore, she always asks herself: “Would they be proud to see the photograph that I took of them? Would they feel good about how I was portraying them?”
Ultimately, the competition highlights the best of humanity, shot by shot. Competition jury chair Larry Dai says: “Through this competition we hope to guide photography back to its true purpose, so people can better understand what photography should express, what it should celebrate, and how to capture those beautiful, meaningful moments.”
Other Winners
"Los Cuernos (The Horns)" by Ronaldo Andrade of Brazil. Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Silver Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Dead Trees on Dry Land" by Ming-Lun Tsai of Taiwan. Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Silver Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Returning Home" by Chin-Lung Chen of Taiwan. Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Crimson Cravings" by Mathew Zohn of the United States. Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Green Path" by Iván Macías of Mexico. Recipient of the Nature & Landscapes Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Eternal Captain" by Nico Sato of Chile. Recipient of the Society & Humanity Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"A Deep Sibling Bond" by Lai Ping of Taiwan. Recipient of the Society & Humanity Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Riders" by Ming-Hsuan Chang of Taiwan. Recipient of the Society & Humanity Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
"Happy Moment" by Aung Chan Thar of Burma (Myanmar). Recipient of the Society & Humanity Bronze Award at the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition. Courtesy of the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition
To see the Fifth NTD International Photography Competition award winners and finalists, visit Photo.NTDTV.com
Hosted by The Epoch Times’ sister outlet, NTDTV, the contest is one in a series of international art and cultural competitions that celebrate time-honored traditions.
Reporting by NTD’s Flora Hua.
What arts and culture topics would you like us to cover? Please email ideas or feedback to [email protected]
