Last Updated on 05/30/2020 by Mark Beckenbach
Today, we’re announcing the winner of our Street Photography Contest with Fujifilm.
For the past month or so, we’ve hosted a contest with Fujifilm. This was a Photo Contest centered around Street Photography. What’s more, there was a lot to pick from. With over 2,500 entries from participants worldwide, we can see that lots of folks take street photography very seriously. The entry method used Facebook and Instagram, two popular platforms amongst many a street photographer. Facebook Groups, Instagram pods, and other places help to keep this culture continually evolving. Even better, we’re mostly impressed by how ethical folks are. Maybe three submissions overall included images of the poor and disadvantaged. And all three were done rather tastefully to show an actual problem. A few of you went out to shoot during COVID 19 and to document the human condition. We hope that you all did so safely. So without further adieu, we’re going to showcase the winner below.
The winner is Instagram users @NinaKLing with this image. Nina is an NYC based photographer with a rather stunning portfolio of images on her Instagram and her website. And for anyone that’s been stuck inside during all of this, we’re sure that you can relate to our choosing this photo. Nina’s image harkens back to a happier time and that’s clearly shown in this image. The photo is in public–a big pillar of street photography. And of course, it’s documenting human life. There’s something about the way that the light hits the balloons that makes this image so quintessentially NYC. You can’t tell who is holding the balloons, and the important thing is that it doesn’t matter. One doesn’t buy balloons for somber reasons: they’re used to celebrate the good times.
It’s not uncommon in the summer to see people strolling along the avenues with balloons in tow. Perhaps they’re celebrating a birth, having a BBQ, a marriage, or a milestone in a child’s life. If you’ve ever been to NYC or lived here as long as I have, you can almost hear the sound of Mr. Softee down the block. The scene makes my skin almost remember the feel of the warm, humid air of Manhattan. (Barcelona is the only other city that I’ve been to that feels anywhere similar.) And of course, who can forget the smell of hot garbage on the concrete during a weekend. Luckily, it’s summer here in NYC, and one can sit back and enjoy a nice, cold drink. And from your window, balcony or fire escape, you can probably see folks like this stroll down your streets.
Congratulations, Nina. Your win is very well deserved. Though I have to say, folks around the world put up quite a challenge. There are many fantastic images from other big cities like Kuala Lumpur, Paris, Austin, various Chinatowns, etc. Being a native of Queens, NY, I also saw lots of entries from my hometown. When one goes through Nina’s portfolio, they can tell that she sincerely loves street photography. And I hope that your new Fujifilm X100V will help you to create and capture moments that advance your career.
Please contact us at admins[at]thephoblographer.com and we’ll get you all set up.
Congratulations, Nina. And congratulations to all the rest of you for one of the most challenging contests we’ve done in a while. But stay tuned, because there’s more to come!