Susanne Middelberg | 1st Place | Susanne Middelberg is a German photographer known for her powerful and emotionally rich portraits, which explore themes of vulnerability and human complexity. After initially studying modern dance at the Higher School for Arts in Arnhem, she transitioned into photography, graduating in 1998 from the Academy for Visual Arts. Middelberg has since established a career as a freelance photographer, specializing in portrait and theater-dance photography. Her work often captures the dualities within people—strength and fragility—and she believes that showing vulnerability in her subjects fosters connection and understanding.

Apostolos Kaloudis | 2nd Place | Apostolos Kaloudis sees himself as an adventurer/explorer rather than a photographer. His passion for exploration has been significantly influenced by his studies in Medieval History, which sparked his fascination with the intricate narratives and details of military campaigns. This enthusiasm has motivated him to journey through remote regions, including the Silk Road, the vast steppes and deserts of Central Asia and northern China, as well as former Himalayan kingdoms.

Salvatore Montemagno | 3rd Place | Salvatore Montemagno was born in Gela (CL) and currently lives in Montichiari (BS). At the age of 22 he fell in love with photography and chose to explore it as a self-taught artist. Today he mainly creates portraits that evoke twentieth-century painting. His subjects, with ancient and nostalgic faces, attract the viewer for the emotion they convey, as if they were frames from a film. His artistic references include photographers Gregory Crewdson, Erwin Olaf, Evgenia Milkonskaya and painters Edward Hopper, Johannes Vermeer, Vilhelm Hammershøi and Caravaggio.

Alex Ferro | Honarable Mention | Recognized for the transgressive and explicit nature of her images, this Spanish photographer, awarded the title «Emerging Galician Photographer 2015,» has made the leap onto the international art scene with her project Mama Mía, otras miradas al cáncer de mama (Mama Mía, Other Perspectives on Breast Cancer). In it, she explores challenge, empowerment, and sensuality through an optimistic lens, a body of work that earned her the Gold Medal from the Spanish Confederation of Photography and has been featured in prominent publications.

Ingetje Tadros | Honorable Mention | Ingetje Tadros is a Dutch documentary photographer whose work explores the beauty, complexity, and diversity of the human experience. Her storytelling is rooted in a deep commitment to humanitarian causes, often addressing sensitive topics such as mental health in Bali, leprosy in India, transsexuality in Asia, death rituals in Egypt, and the struggles of Australia’s Indigenous communities. Ingetje’s photography is known for its raw and thought-provoking nature, using intimate and personal perspectives to spark dialogue and understanding between cultures. From her early years documenting life around her in the Netherlands, she has grown into an international voice, using her lens to give visibility to overlooked stories and amplify voices that often go unheard.

ANDREA MORELLI, MARTINA HOLMBERG, MYRIAM AADLI, CHARLES CHAO WANG, LAURENT BOIVEAU, BRUNO GRANZOTTI, DAVID BONI, MIKE EUBANKS, STUART CHAPE, JAN KADLEC, KEVIN MERRILL, ALAIN SCHROEDER, HARDIJANTO BUDIMAN, JON WOLLENHAUPT, MICHAEL KNAPSTEIN, RICHARD GIBSON, CURTIS CALLAWAY, JEFF SCHEWE, TODD ANTONY, SUZANNE ROLAND, RANA (SHELIKA) GAUR, JOHN MARTINEZ, IVAN FERRER, MASSIMILIANO SGARRA, NIKO DERIENZO, DANNY VAN DER ELST, MARINA BLACK, MARK ISARIN, MICHAEL KASTELIC, MICHAEL WASSERMAN, JOSE ALMODOVAR MUÑOZ, ALE RUARO, ALVA MARTÍN, FRANCE LECLERC, ALAIN SCHROEDER, JEAN-MICHEL BECOGNEE, SARAH HASKELL, JOHAN LETELLIER, RODRIGO IZQUIERDO, GAVIN BURNETT, CRISTIAN CONSTANTINESCU, LEX LUCAS, RENE SIEBRING, JILL SUTHERLAND, GARY POTTS, LYNNE GREENAWAY, SUSAN REYMAN, KATHARINA WEILNBOECK, FRANCESCA NATALI, FLORIN FIRIMITA, LAJOS NAGY, BHARAT PATEL, HUUB KEULERS, SARA MARKESE, ANDREA LONDON, RACHELLE CHIN, PAUL KROH, KAY ERICKSON, KAREN SAFER, MARTIN STYBLO, BORIS BENKO, SILVIA VACULIKOVA, LUCIANA TRAPPOLINO, LU ZHANG, ANNEMARIE JUNG, MARTIN MIKLAS, JONATHAN RILEY, LYNNE BREITFELLER, MONIQUE VAN LAAKE, GREG MCDONALD, OLGIERD KAJAK, OLIVER REUTHER, NATHALIE PALACIN, PIERRE FLORENT, RAÚL GUILLAMÓN GARCÍA, ROB LINSALATA, STEFF GRUBER, BRIAN CASSEY, ANDREA VENTURA, UMBERTO ROMAGNOLI, CHARLES BIRNBAUM, JOSIP MISKOVIC, SHAOYI ZHANG, JULIE FOWELLS