PHOTOS DE FEMMES PROUDLY ANNOUNCES THE WINNERS FOR seeingWOMEN 2020
Thank you!
Photos de Femmes wants to thank all of the photographers for their outstanding submissions. Congratulations to all our Winners and Honorable Mentions!
We received amazing entries from every continent, representing every gender and genre of photography. We were overwhelmed with the quality of the work and most importantly the commitment to revolutionizing the way images of women and girls are created, presented and viewed. Our motto is “Women can’t be heard if we can’t be seen.” Each and every one of you that submitted moved that crucial goal forward and we are incredibly thankful. We are looking forward to continuing to engage with all of you on this very vital subject for many years to come. We welcome your suggestions about how to make the seeingWOMEN awards even more vital and welcoming in the following years.
We also want to let you know we have new dates for our châteaux exhibits. We will be exhibiting at Château de LaLande with Stephanie Jarvis the weekend of October 3 and then with Ashley Adams and Johnny Darko at Château de Lomenie the weekend of October 17th.
CLICK THE IMAGES BELOW TO SEE THE WINNERS AND HONORABLE MENTIONS IN EACH CATEGORY OR CONTINUE BELOW TO READ A NOTE FROM THE JUROR!
A note from Juror Renée Jacobs
I was delighted to be able to select such layered, nuanced empowering images of women for this 2020 edition of the seeingWOMEN awards and exhibits. There is such obvious intent, authenticity, emotional intelligence and agency in the winning images.
In fact, I was so moved that I decided to award TWO CO-GRAND PRIZE WINNERS! In this time of great difficulty for so many, it is thrilling to share images that are witty, inspiring and visually rewarding. These two Grand Prize Winners present images of hope and connection between their subjects and the natural world--powerful statements to ground us in these uncertain times. By pure coincidence, these entries both elevate the hope of what young women can become. Françoise Holtzmacher’s series “At Twelve” beautifully pairs images of her daughter with mystic slices of nature, resulting in powerfully poignant diptychs. Tom Chambers’ series “Tales of Heroines” is, also, simply a delight. Examining girls on the wonderland cusp of adulthood in ethereal fairy tale imagery, Tom’s images are a perfect blend of humor and vision.
A note on some of the technicalities of what I was looking for—First, I wanted to showcase positive images of women and girls-images where the message of empowerment shone brightly and the authenticity of women was celebrated. Second, I looked for well composed, well executed photographs. When I look at a photograph, I am always conscious of what my mind, my eye and my heart are naturally telling me to do. Is the photographer using the frame with intention, guiding my eye through a photograph intentionally? If the photographer is using metaphor, is it too overt or does it allow the viewer to have an “aha-moment”. Did the photographer awkwardly cut the body? Third, in some cases, we moved images to categories that we felt would be a better fit. Rest assured, we ONLY did this if it enhanced the chances of an image or series being seen. Fourth, some series entries had images that made the series weaker, not stronger. Where entrants allowed us, we removed those images to elevate the message while not showing the entire series.
Special Offer
A Special Offer for seeingWOMEN 2020 contestants--Juror Renée Jacobs will conduct a discounted 45 minute portfolio review, including a Skype session to discuss your work for €75. Please contact us at info@photosdefemmes.org if you would like to schedule a session.