Photography

Glorious shapes, patterns and textures in the 2019 Minimalist Photography Awards

Glorious shapes, patterns and textures in the 2019 Minimalist Photography Awards
Honorable mention, Landscape. The Whale’s Mouth Cloud, the cloud that appears when the first gust front of a storm is passing over, photo captured while on a storm chasing trip in South Dakota, US
Honorable mention, Landscape. The Whale’s Mouth Cloud, the cloud that appears when the first gust front of a storm is passing over, photo captured while on a storm chasing trip in South Dakota, US
View 68 Images
Honorable mention, Landscape. The Whale’s Mouth Cloud, the cloud that appears when the first gust front of a storm is passing over, photo captured while on a storm chasing trip in South Dakota, US
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Honorable mention, Landscape. The Whale’s Mouth Cloud, the cloud that appears when the first gust front of a storm is passing over, photo captured while on a storm chasing trip in South Dakota, US
First place, Architecture. The Mirror Of Myself, a look at contemporary Portuguese architecture
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First place, Architecture. The Mirror Of Myself, a look at contemporary Portuguese architecture
First place, Architecture. The Mirror Of Myself, a look at contemporary Portuguese architecture
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First place, Architecture. The Mirror Of Myself, a look at contemporary Portuguese architecture
First place, Long-Exposure. Shipwrecks, a project examining shipwrecks in Greece
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First place, Long-Exposure. Shipwrecks, a project examining shipwrecks in Greece
First place, Long-Exposure. Shipwrecks, a project examining shipwrecks in Greece
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First place, Long-Exposure. Shipwrecks, a project examining shipwrecks in Greece
First place, Street Photography. Post Industrial Confusion, looking at loneliness and isolation on the streets of Chicago
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First place, Street Photography. Post Industrial Confusion, looking at loneliness and isolation on the streets of Chicago
First place, Street Photography. Post Industrial Confusion, looking at loneliness and isolation on the streets of Chicago
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First place, Street Photography. Post Industrial Confusion, looking at loneliness and isolation on the streets of Chicago
First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
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First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
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First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
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First place, Abstract. Other Worlds, a microscopic trip into the psychedelic patterns generated by mixing different liquids
First place, Aerial Photography. Signs, inspired by the artistic work of Kandinsky
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First place, Aerial Photography. Signs, inspired by the artistic work of Kandinsky
First place, Aerial Photography. Signs, inspired by the artistic work of Kandinsky
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First place, Aerial Photography. Signs, inspired by the artistic work of Kandinsky
Honorable Mention, Aerial Photography. Painting-like, a look at salt farming inspired by the artistic work of Rothko
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Honorable Mention, Aerial Photography. Painting-like, a look at salt farming inspired by the artistic work of Rothko
Honorable Mention, Aerial Photography. Snow Labyrinth, an aerial view of a hedge maze in winter
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Honorable Mention, Aerial Photography. Snow Labyrinth, an aerial view of a hedge maze in winter
Third place, Architecture. My Home is my Castle, walls and shapes
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Third place, Architecture. My Home is my Castle, walls and shapes
Third place, Architecture. My Home is my Castle, walls and shapes
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Third place, Architecture. My Home is my Castle, walls and shapes
Honorable Mention, Architecture. Located 90 kilometers northeast of Gonbad-e-Kavoush city and over the dominant castle of Hazara Valley, there is the Ata Chloe tomb
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Honorable Mention, Architecture. Located 90 kilometers northeast of Gonbad-e-Kavoush city and over the dominant castle of Hazara Valley, there is the Ata Chloe tomb
Honorable Mention, Conceptual. Hidden Way, Bandar Abbas, Iran
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Honorable Mention, Conceptual. Hidden Way, Bandar Abbas, Iran
Honorable Mention, Conceptual. Nature in 3D
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Honorable Mention, Conceptual. Nature in 3D
Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Lonely, Happy Dancing Tree
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Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Lonely, Happy Dancing Tree
Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Fog Bath
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Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Fog Bath
Honorable Mention, Fine Art. House in White, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, part of the Netherlands
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Honorable Mention, Fine Art. House in White, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, part of the Netherlands
First place, Landscape. Elven Rocks, looking at different rock formations in Iceland
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First place, Landscape. Elven Rocks, looking at different rock formations in Iceland
First place, Landscape. Elven Rocks, looking at different rock formations in Iceland
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First place, Landscape. Elven Rocks, looking at different rock formations in Iceland
Honorable Mention, Landscape. Spring Pool, Lolland in southern Denmark, during the springtime
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Honorable Mention, Landscape. Spring Pool, Lolland in southern Denmark, during the springtime
Honorable Mention, Landscape. Toward to the Light
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Honorable Mention, Landscape. Toward to the Light
Second place, Long Exposure. Moon Trails, capturing the Moon traveling across the sky in exposures lasting over one hour
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Second place, Long Exposure. Moon Trails, capturing the Moon traveling across the sky in exposures lasting over one hour
Second place, Long Exposure. Moon Trails, capturing the Moon traveling across the sky in exposures lasting over one hour
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Second place, Long Exposure. Moon Trails, capturing the Moon traveling across the sky in exposures lasting over one hour
Honorable Mention, Long Exposure. Dear Zaha, abstract long-exposure examinations of Zaha Hadid architecture
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Honorable Mention, Long Exposure. Dear Zaha, abstract long-exposure examinations of Zaha Hadid architecture
Honorable Mention, Long Exposure. Dear Zaha, abstract long-exposure examinations of Zaha Hadid architecture
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Honorable Mention, Long Exposure. Dear Zaha, abstract long-exposure examinations of Zaha Hadid architecture 
Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion
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Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion
Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion
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Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion
Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
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Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
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Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
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Honorable Mention, Open. The magnificent Lut desert
Honorable Mention, Photo-manipulation. Destroy
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Honorable Mention, Photo-manipulation. Destroy
Honorable Mention, Photo-manipulation. Protest and Freedom
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Honorable Mention, Photo-manipulation. Protest and Freedom
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Green
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Green
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. In Red
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. In Red
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. A Walk in the Clouds
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. A Walk in the Clouds
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Ribbed
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Ribbed
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Shadows, a wall in the German Town of Oberhausen.
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Shadows, a wall in the German Town of Oberhausen.
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Iran's Deserts
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Iran's Deserts
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Iran's Deserts
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Iran's Deserts
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Transcendence, a tulip field in the Netherlands
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Transcendence, a tulip field in the Netherlands
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Parking lot
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Parking lot
Honorable Mention, Abstract. Afternoon Rail Waves
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Honorable Mention, Abstract. Afternoon Rail Waves
Honorable Mention, Architecture. Minimalist Architecture
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Honorable Mention, Architecture. Minimalist Architecture
Honorable Mention, Architecture. Minimalist Architecture
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Honorable Mention, Architecture. Minimalist Architecture
Honorable Mention, Architecture. Through the Wall, in the city of London
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Honorable Mention, Architecture. Through the Wall, in the city of London
Honorable Mention, Architecture. Colors, Turkey
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Honorable Mention, Architecture. Colors, Turkey
Honorable Mention, Conceptual. War and Peace
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Honorable Mention, Conceptual. War and Peace
Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Snake Skeleton
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Honorable Mention, Fine Art. Snake Skeleton
Honorable Mention, Landscape. The passage of time, a megalithic tomb built in the Neolithic period
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Honorable Mention, Landscape. The passage of time, a megalithic tomb built in the Neolithic period 
Honorable Mention, Night. Lake Geneva
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Honorable Mention, Night. Lake Geneva 
Honorable Mention, Night. Stairway to heaven
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Honorable Mention, Night. Stairway to heaven 
Honorable Mention, Night. Lost Highway, UK
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Honorable Mention, Night. Lost Highway, UK
Honorable Mention, Night. Desert Halo, a helicopter at night
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Honorable Mention, Night. Desert Halo, a helicopter at night
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Street
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Street
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Street
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Street
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Untitled
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Untitled
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Paris
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Paris
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Amsterdam
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Amsterdam
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Mainz
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Minimalist Streets, Mainz
Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Directions
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Honorable Mention, Street Photography. Directions
Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
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Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
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Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
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Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
View gallery - 68 images

The art of minimalist photography involves stripping an image back to just a few key compositional elements – be it a color, shape or texture. The images celebrated in this year's Minimalist Photography Awards highlight how beautiful, and compelling, this deceptively simple aesthetic can be, across an impressively broad variety of categories.

The competition spans 12 categories, from conventional targets such as Architecture and Landscape, to the more experimental, including Abstract, Fine Art, and Conceptual. There is no clear definition to explain what constitutes a "minimalistic" photograph in the competition's entry requirements, but looking at this year's winners and honorable mentions it becomes quickly apparent what caught the eye of the expert judging panel.

Honorable Mention, Fine Art. House in White, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, part of the Netherlands
Honorable Mention, Fine Art. House in White, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, part of the Netherlands

Explorations of geometric shapes, simple color contrasts, or abstract images, seem to make up the majority of the highlighted winners this year. The overall Photographer of the Year prize went to Klaus Lenzen, for a series of images entitled Pole Vault. While Lenzen's series is inarguably minimalistic, it perhaps isn't the most compelling set of images to come out of the 2019 competition.

Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault
Photographer of the Year. Pole Vault

Digging deeper into the large trove of celebrated photographs reveals a truly incredible variety of images, from long-exposures of a full moon to extraordinary patterns in Iran's desert sands. Maja Strgar Kurecic's Other Worlds microscopic series envisions an entire universe of psychedelic galactic patterns, Eli Matityahu examines Zaha Hadid architecture with long-exposure abstractions, and Alfonso Calero finds glorious color in Tokyo at night.

Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion
Honorable Mention, Night. Dreamscapes, Tokyo in motion

Take a look through our gallery at more of this year's gorgeous Minimalist Photography Awards winners and honorable mentions.

Source: Minimalist Photography Awards

View gallery - 68 images
2 comments
2 comments
ljaques
Whale's mouth cloud and Happy dancing tree are artistic. The rest? Meh, at best.
Saigvre
Stucco and painted 'crete again beg the other architectural finishes and oxidized deco. finishes to up their game! That was a pretty neat series, thanks.