August 26, 2020

There is a tendency particularly with landscape and travel, to want to squeeze a lot of eye-catching subjects into the frame, which can result in cluttered images. If you favour a more lo-fi, stripped-down approach, as exemplified by Michael Kenna, check out the winners of the second annual Minimalist Photography Awards. More than 4200 photographs from 41 different countries were submitted; Australian photographer, George Byrne, won the title of minimalist photographer of the year 2020 and a $2,000 prize for his series called ‘Exit Vision.’ Categories included Abstract, Conceptual, Architecture, Landscape, Night and Portrait.

‘As an approach in photography, minimalism or minimalistic photography could be taken by the photographer in all genres. No matter your are a portrait, architecture, landscape etc. photographer, minimalist photos are always an option as long as you have a minimal look toward your surroundings,’ commented the president of the awards, Milad Safabakhsh. The top three prize winners in each  each category will be published in a book and exhibited at Galerie Minimal Berlin when it reopens.

For the full list of winners, see here. Hopefully it will inspire you to try this fascinating genre, particularly as you can often get great images with the camera you always have on you when you are out and about – your phone.