So many people enjoy photography and that is evident from all the awards that take place every year. This time we would like to introduce you to the International Wedding Photographer Of The Year competition which was established in 2017 in Australia.
It’s an award meant to highlight the talents of wedding photographers from all around the world and the competition is rapidly evolving and growing with the aim of becoming an exemplar in the photography industry.
In this list you will find the photos that were hand-picked by a judging panel consisting of other wedding photographers, including last year's winner James Simmons, so you can be sure that these images are photography elite. And you will also get to know better the winner of the contest as we had a little chat with him.
More info: IWPOTY | Instagram | Facebook
#1 Solo Portrait: Serafeim Serafeimidis
Image credits: Serafeim Serafeimidis
This year 415 photographers from 58 countries were competing in 9 categories: Black & White, Bridal Party, Couple Portrait, Dance Floor, Epic Location, From Above, Single Capture, Solo Portrait and Engagement or Pre/Post Non-Wedding Day.
There were 1,500 images submitted and the one that stood out to the judges was by Fabio Mirulla, a wedding photographer from Italy. He originally entered the Black & White Category with that photo. He also submitted photos for Couple Portrait and From Above categories that you will find in this list as they were also among judges' favorites.
In the winning image, you can see a play of perspective as the bride is captured getting ready for her day. She still hasn't put on a dress, but the lamp put in place of the dress creates an illusion as if she’s wearing it because the shape is so reminiscent of one.
#2 Grand Winner: Fabio Mirulla
Image credits: Fabio Mirulla
#3 Solo Portrait: Rodolfo Aguirre
Image credits: Rodolfo Aguirre
Last year’s winner, James Simmons, commented on the victorious photo in a statement to Bored Panda: “Such a unique image that works on so many levels. The photographer has taken the “earring moment” in your average setting and elevated it with the use of composition, timing, and humour to be a masterful piece of visual communication. The design, content and story are on point, which allows the viewer to extract an interesting narrative from the scene.”
Fabio will receive a collection of prizes that have a total value of $10,000. They include $1500 cash, Canon EOS R5 camera valued at $5,800, Canon imagePROGRAF PRO-300 printer, Atkins Lab $700 products, RAW Digital $1500 Lab dollars, Holdfast bridle leather M/Maker, Pixellu annual ‘All-Apps Bundle’, and a Narrative Select annual license.
#4 Runner Up: Andrew & Bec – Willow + Wolf
Image credits: Andrew & Bec – Willow + Wolf
#5 Single Capture: Catherine Ekkelboom-White
Image credits: Catherine Ekkelboom-White
#6 Solo Portrait: Camila Urrea
Image credits: Camila Urrea
Fabio told the organizers of the competition that he had an amazing time shooting the wedding for the bride who is captured in the photo. “Both the bride and the groom were wonderful and when I feel the connection with them and they trust me, my work gets really easy to do.”
What fascinates Fabio about weddings and attracts him to them is that they are events in which “years and years of moments and emotions are condensed in one day, maybe just a few hours, that could fade away if not impressed in photos.” He also adds, “I’m a storyteller of the wedding day, a privileged witness of a couple’s joy.”
Bored Panda also got in touch with this year's winner. We found out that it was the first time that he participated in this particular competition but it's not his first time at the rodeo. And it's not the first time he got to taste the sweetness of victory. He told us, "I like joining these kinds of competitions because through them I can test and improve myself comparing my work with that of other photographers around the world."
#7 Single Capture: Maruša Puhek
Image credits: Maruša Puhek
#8 From Above: Ky Luu
Image credits: Ky Luu
As you can imagine, wedding photographers take a lot of photos, so what's the method of choosing the one? Fabio says he doesn't have a secret formula and just follows his intuition, "There are some photos that I 'feel' more then others. Every year I collect my best photos in a folder on my computer and from it I choose the shots to send to contests. Sometimes, however, the choice is guided by the type of contest I'm about to send them to: there are competitions with a more reportagistic view and others that aim more at aesthetic beauty."
After sending in the photo the last thing to do is jus wait. Fabio told us that every time he enters a competition, he hopes that his photo will be the one to capture the judges' eyes, however, he definitely didn't expect it, "It was a great surprise! Among other things, I was lucky enough to have other two photos chosen in two different categories."
#9 Solo Portrait: Steven Stemmler
Image credits: Steven Stemmler
#10 Single Capture: Chris Jallard
Image credits: Chris Jallard
#11 Bridal Party: Sergey Lapkovsky
Image credits: Sergey Lapkovsky
So what's waiting for the winner in the future? He doesn't want to predict what this win could bring him but he would like to leave to the admirers of his work this message, "My photos are small stories within bigger stories, simple representations of a day that everyone can experience in his or her life and I would like my photography to be known for itself also outside the field of wedding photographers."
So if you would like to follow Fabio and to know more about him, you could follow him on his Instagram where he has over 16k followers, his Facebook, Twitter or his photography page.
#12 Engagement: Willow & Wolf
Image credits: Willow & Wolf
#13 Couple Portrait: Nikolaichik Photo
Image credits: Nikolaichik Photo
The runner up is actually a photographer duo from Canada, Andrew & Bec of Willow & Wolf. They entered the category of Epic Location and the image is really spectacular and quite literally breathtaking as you can help yourself but imagine how scary it had to be to take it.
The press release have a wonderful description of the image giving more context to it, “A true statement to the importance of framing and timing, as well as to the bravery of this thrill-seeking couple who hiked through the dark of night to reach this heavenly mountain top for the sun-rise, before celebrating their marriage lake-side with their nearest and dearest that same afternoon.” The photographers reveal that the couple actually got engaged on that mountain peak and wanted to come back to the same place for their wedding.
#14 Couple Portrait: Fabio Mirulla
Image credits: Fabio Mirulla
#15 Solo Portrait: Jamie Murcutt
Image credits: Jamie Murcutt
#16 Dance Floor: Zahn Trotter
Image credits: Zahn Trotter
Luke Simon, International Wedding Photographer of the Year Awards Curator, tells in the press release statement to us, “The awards are continuing to provide a unique platform for wedding photographers to have their best images reviewed and judged by our team of highly awarded and experienced educators and photographers.”
The curator also touches on how challenging the pandemic was financially and is grateful for the sponsors so that they can further continue their mission. Luke says, “The awards provide a platform to celebrate diversity of all kinds as well as highlight and reward the incredible work being captured globally, in this ever-changing and often challenging wedding landscape.”
#17 Bridal Party: Cyron Sobrevinas
Image credits: Cyron Sobrevinas
#18 Engagement: Mic Panic
Image credits: Mic Panic
#19 Couple Portrait: Taralilly Photography
Image credits: Taralilly Photography
What do you think of these images? What are your favorites? Leave us your reactions in the comments and don't forget to upvote the pictures that left you the strongest impression!
#20 Solo Portrait: Jon Gazzignato
Image credits: Jon Gazzignato
#21 Solo Portrait: Damian Ciesla
Image credits: Damian Ciesla
#22 Single Capture: Darren Wigley
Image credits: Darren Wigley
#23 Single Capture: James Gough
Image credits: James Gough
#24 Dance Floor: Georgia Verrells
Image credits: Georgia Verrells
#25 Engagement: Mic Panic
Image credits: Mic Panic
#26 Solo Portrait: Shari + Mike Vallely
Image credits: Shari + Mike Vallely
#27 Single Capture: Avismita Bhattacharyya
Image credits: Avismita Bhattacharyya
#28 Single Capture: Emily Serrell
Image credits: Emily Serrell
#29 Bridal Party: Cafa Liu
Image credits: CAFA LIU
#30 Bridal Party: Peta Laycock
Image credits: Peta Laycock
#31 Engagement: Mic Panic
Image credits: Mic Panic
#32 Solo Portrait: Camilla Andersen
Image credits: Camilla Andersen
#33 Solo Portrait: Alex Olguin
Image credits: Alex Olguin
#34 Single Capture: Nandini Mishra
Image credits: Nandini Mishra
#35 Single Capture: Adriana Ortiz
Image credits: Adriana Ortiz
#36 Dance Floor: Ken Pak
Image credits: Ken Pak
#37 Dance Floor: Jonathan Ong
Image credits: Jonathan Ong
#38 From Above: Weng Lee
Image credits: Weng Lee
#39 Engagement: Ekaterina Mukhina
Image credits: Ekaterina Mukhina
#40 Engagement: Brittany Diliberto
Image credits: Brittany Diliberto
#41 Couple Portrait: Mic Panic
Image credits: Mic Panic
#42 Single Capture: Adriana Ortiz
Image credits: Adriana Ortiz
#43 Single Capture: Emily Serrell
Image credits: Emily Serrell
#44 From Above: Ekaterina Mukhina
Image credits: Ekaterina Mukhina
#45 From Above: Lucy Spartalis
Image credits: Lucy Spartalis
#46 Engagement: Ruan Redelinghuys
Image credits: Ruan Redelinghuys
#47 Engagement: Michael Chan
Image credits: Michael Chan
#48 Couple Portrait: Isle + Oak Photography
Image credits: Isle + Oak Photography
#49 Couple Portrait: Zoe Yoffe
Image credits: Zoe Yoffe
#50 Solo Portrait: Anna Tarabrina
Image credits: Anna Tarabrina
#51 Solo Portrait: Ky Luu
Image credits: Ky Luu
#52 Single Capture: Jamie Murcutt
Image credits: Jamie Murcutt
#53 From Above: Andrew Pavlidis
Image credits: Andrew Pavlidis
#54 From Above: Fabio Mirulla
Image credits: Fabio Mirulla
#55 Bridal Party: Cat - The Apartment Photography
Image credits: Cat - The Apartment Photography
#56 Engagement: Michael Kouk
Image credits: Michael Kouk
#57 Solo Portrait: Viviana Calaon Moscova
Image credits: Viviana Calaon Moscova
#58 Single Capture: Sonal Dalmia
Image credits: Sonal Dalmia
#59 Dance Floor: Dan O'day
Image credits: Dan O'Day
#60 Dance Floor: Gaelle Meheut
Image credits: Gaelle Meheut
#61 From Above: Glen Nicholls
Image credits: Glen Nicholls
#62 From Above: Matt Porteous
Image credits: Matt Porteous
#63 From Above: Nikki Leadbetter
Image credits: Nikki Leadbetter
#64 Bridal Party: David Le
Image credits: David Le
#65 Engagement: Gaelle Meheut
Image credits: Gaelle Meheut
#66 Couple Portrait: David Le
Image credits: David Le
#67 Couple Portrait: Gagan Dhiman
Image credits: Gagan Dhiman
#68 Couple Portrait: Dylan Kovacevic
Image credits: Dylan Kovacevic
#69 Couple Portrait: Luke Fletcher
Image credits: Luke Fletcher
#70 Couple Portrait: Dennis Tan
Image credits: Dennis Tan
#71 Solo Portrait: Dan O'day
Image credits: Dan O'Day
#72 Single Capture: Shari + Mike Vallely
Image credits: Shari + Mike Vallely
#73 Dance Floor: Dan O'day
Image credits: Dan O'Day
#74 Dance Floor: Dane Tucker
Image credits: Dane Tucker
#75 Dance Floor: Bee Two Sweet
Image credits: Bee Two Sweet
#76 From Above: Zoe Yoffe
Image credits: Zoe Yoffe
#77 From Above: Patrick Lombaert
Image credits: Patrick Lombaert
#78 From Above: Jordan Wheatley
Image credits: Jordan Wheatley
#79 From Above: Steven Stemmler
Image credits: Steven Stemmler
#80 Bridal Party: Lucy Spartalis
Image credits: Lucy Spartalis
#81 Bridal Party: David Le
Image credits: David Le
#82 Engagement: Mic Panic
Image credits: Mic Panic
#83 Couple Portrait: Michael Chan
Image credits: Michael Chan
#84 Solo Portrait: Emily Raftery
Image credits: Emily Raftery
#85 Single Capture: Nathan Walker
Image credits: Nathan Walker
#86 Dance Floor: Rodolfo Aguirre
Image credits: Rodolfo Aguirre
#87 Dance Floor: Shari + Mike Vallely
Image credits: Shari + Mike Vallely
#88 Dance Floor: Kim Burrows
Image credits: Kim Burrows
#89 Dance Floor: Gaelle Meheut
Image credits: Gaelle Meheut
#90 Dance Floor: Isabelle Bazin
Image credits: Isabelle Bazin
#91 Bridal Party: Zoe Yoffe
Image credits: Zoe Yoffe
#92 Bridal Party: Aldo Baskoro
Image credits: Aldo Baskoro
#93 Bridal Party: Olga Bhana
Image credits: Olga Bhana
#94 Bridal Party: Emily Raftery
Image credits: Emily Raftery
#95 Bridal Party: Cyron Sobrevinas
Image credits: Cyron Sobrevinas
#96 Bridal Party: Shari + Mike Vallely
Image credits: Shari + Mike Vallely
#97 Engagement: Yan Timo
Image credits: Yan Timo
#98 Engagement: Cafa Liu
Image credits: Cafa Liu
#99 Engagement: Aldo Baskoro
Image credits: Aldo Baskoro
#100 Couple Portrait: Dane Tucker
Image credits: Dane Tucker
#101 Couple Portrait: Nikki Leadbetter
Image credits: Nikki Leadbetter
#102 From Above: Harsha Maduranga Jayasekara
Image credits: Harsha Maduranga Jayasekara
#103 Bridal Party: Jeff Chang
Image credits: Jeff Chang
#104 From Above: Sergey Lapkovsky
Image credits: Sergey Lapkovsky
#105 Couple Portrait: Dan O'day
Image credits: Dan O'Day
#106 Dance Floor: Stuart Dudleston
Image credits: Stuart Dudleston
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