BLACK & WHITE INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY LÉA THOUIN

Léa Thouin is a Paris-based photography historian and collections officer at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to the preservation and presentation of photographic art. Her work spans exhibitions, publications and public programmes, connecting the legacy of key figures in photography with contemporary practice.

Through her curatorial and research work – including previous roles at the famous Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival – she has developed a deep engagement with the photographic medium and its capacity to reflect and shape cultural moments.

Thouin’s close relationship with photographic archives and visual traditions makes her a perfect judge for the theme of Black & White – a practice that focuses on structure, light, timing and storytelling, and that sits at the core of photography’s history..

IMAGES © LÉA THOUIN / FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON

COLORS INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY JIMMY MARBLE

Jimmy Marble is a Los Angeles–based photographer and creative director known for his bold, graphic use of color and his playful approach to image-making. Working across photography, set design and art direction, his work blends pop culture, humour and meticulous visual control.

First widely showcased in his long-since sold out book “Dream Baby Dream”, Marble’s images are instantly recognisable for their saturated palettes, sculptural compositions and confident embrace of artificiality. He has collaborated with leading global brands such as Coca Cola, Nike, Tinder. LG and Apple, producing work that sits at the intersection of commercial photography, design and contemporary visual culture.

Marble describes photography as “a friend who always picks up when I call”, and that friend would no doubt be meticulously and colorfully dressed. He uses color not just as decoration, but as structure, mood and meaning – a way to enhance intention and ensure impact. It makes him a sharp and authoritative judge for a theme dedicated to colors.

IMAGES © JIMMY MARBLE

PORTRAITS INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY ROBIN HAMMOND

National Geographic Explorer Robin Hammond is a globally recognised documentary photographer and storyteller whose work gives voice to marginalised communities around the world, foregrounding individuals through beautiful and precise portraiture.

Over a career spanning decades, Hammond has pursued projects that shine a light on social injustice, mental health, war, human rights and identity, and in doing so has won two World Press Photo prizes, the RF Kennedy Journalism Award, six Pictures of the Year International Awards, the W. Eugene Smith Award for Humanistic Photography, six Amnesty International awards for Human Rights journalism and recognition from Foreign Policy as one of 100 Leading Global Thinkers. His acclaimed project Where Love Is Illegal documented the lives of LGBTQI+ individuals in countries where their identities are criminalised – many portraits taken under deeply sensitive and risky conditions – and remains a powerful example of portraiture as activism. This activism extends to Witness Change – a non-profit organization he has founded to highlight and combat human rights violations for marginalized communities through visual storytelling.

Whether documenting intimate, personal stories or large-scale crises, Hammond’s compassionate, ethically considered and deeply researched work reminds us of the humanity behind the headlines.

IMAGES © ROBIN HAMMOND