Australian portrait photographer wins international photography award
Melbourne-based Portrait Photographer Kristian Piccoli has been awarded the title of The Societies’ Photographer of the Year 2020 in the latest edition of their international photo competition.
The Societies of Photogaphers is a group of organisations which, as stated in their mission statement, seek to “encourage high professional standards in photography by providing continued training programmes that will benefit the experienced professional along with the newcomer to the business.”
The joint comment from the judges with regard to Piccoli's winning photograph read: "An absolutely stunning image which evoked great emotion from the judges. The tone of the image and the storytelling aspect work incredibly well together."
The same image also won Piccoli the title of Open Avant-Garde Photographer of the Year 2020.
Piccoli also entered several other images that won him additional first place positions, including Ilustrative Photographer of the Year 2020, Visual Narrative Photographer of the Year 2020, In-Camera Artistry Photographer of the Year 2020.
A number of other Australian photographers were also represented in the winners shortlist in this year’s competition, including Robert Piccoli, Belinda Richards and Mauro Cantelmi.
Robert Piccoli was named the Monochrome Photographer of the Year 2020, with the judges saying, “This image has amazing impact, with superb lighting and composition as well as the well handled monochrome conversion, it all comes together to help the subject's intense character come through.”
Belinda Richards’ image of a white cat has won her the title of Pet Photographer of the Year 2020.
The judges described her photograph as a “perfectly composed and completely unique image which shows one of the main personality traits of cats… curiosity!”
The same image also placed Belinda as second overall for the title of Photographer of the Year 2020 in the competition.
Mauro Cantelmi won the title of Non Wedding Day Photographer of the Year 2020. The judges called his photograph a “fantastic Avant Garde image” in which the “strong geometric shapes and the bold red colour depict a strength between the couple.”
You can view the whole gallery of finalists here.