In its 11th year, the Urban International Photo Awards continues its dedicated focus on modern life, from the grand architectural spaces of big cities, to more rural small-town experiences. New Atlas features a hand-picked selection of incredible finalists from the 2020 competition.
The general theme of this novel photography competition is Urban Life, and entries are spread across four main categories: Streets, People, Spaces and Creative. Not limited to a traditional definition of “urban” spaces, this photo contest spans everything from odd, isolated human structures in nature to everyday people going about their lives.
“At the heart of the contest is the City, the urban environment and the humanity living there: the everyday life of big cities and small towns, the contrasts and the contradictions between the city and the countryside, the aesthetic views, the architectural geometries, fragments of color breaking up the grayness of the city,” the competition states in its rules.
A huge jury - encompassing photographers, historians, publishers, architects, academics and artists - has been assembled to dig through the impressive array of entries. The winners will be revealed in late September and share in more than €16,000 (US$18,800) in prizes.
Many of the finalist images illustrate incredible moments of synchronicity, such as a shadow of a figure drinking from a bottle next to a soda advertisement depicting the exact same action. Other highlights look at the marvelous symmetry in our urban environments, or weird compositions that suddenly appear when looking at something from a certain perspective.
Take a look through our gallery at some spectacular finalists from this year’s competition.
Source: Urban 2020