Visual communication company Getty Imageas alongside stock photo resource, iStock by Getty Images, has announced the winners of its first #RePictured competition.
Over 2,500 photographers from 85 countries entered the global contest, which called for photographers to help #RePicture the world through imagery and break free from stereotypes, submitting over 11,000 images.
The winners are Braden Summers from the United States for All Love is Equal, and Ben McRae from Australia for RePicture Family (pictured), who took first and second place respectively.
Summers and McRae will join the Getty Images team as contributing photographers with access to and guidance from Getty Images’ global team of art directors and editors, in addition to receiving prizes from Canon.
Wollongong photographer Ben McCrae was awarded second place for his RePicture Family image. Ben has spent the past eight years compiling his Himba tribal shots, returning to live with the tribe in Africa year after year. He works the summers at home as a lifeguard travelling each year back to Africa during the winter. He discusses his winning image to RePicture family: “I’ve spent a number of weeks over many years with this particular family from the Himba peoples of northern Namibia. Living and being initiated into the family fold. When two years ago the chief, Tjanongombe, was found to have cancer, I followed his battle with it and how he chose to deal with traditional medicine and western medicine. Unfortunately he lost that battle three weeks before I shot this image.
“Tjivio, pictured, was the favourite of Tjanongombe’s three wives. On my most recent visit she had just come out of mourning. This image was captured on the first morning after the wives left the first wives hut after being sealed off from the outside world for two weeks.
“Tjivio remembered the time I spent previously with her and her family and called me into her hut to show that even with her loss she was still happy. She had her children and the support network of the larger family. Himba families are very close and the expression on Tjivio’s face really showed how content she is with her family, even at such a rocky time.”
Speaking on the winning recipients, Pam Grossman, director for Visual Trends at Getty Images and a judge of the competition said: “Getty Images strongly believes in the power of imagery to change the way people view the world. We are impressed with the high standard of creative talent we have been exposed to through the competition and are thrilled with the compelling and confounding imagery submitted – images which break down and challenge stereotypes around every day notions from love and marriage, to ageing and family.”
The competition was judged by a panel of leading creative and photography industry experts, including:
- Pam Grossman, Director, Visual Trends, Getty Images
- Severin Matusek, Vice President, Community, EyeEm
- Mike Owen, European Professional Marketing Manager, Canon
- Toshiya Kono, Executive Creative Director, Hakuhodo
- Jessica Bennett, Contributing Editor, LeanIn.org
- Romain Colin, Founder, Fubiz
- Gert-Jan van Ek, Photo Editor-in-Chief, De Volkskrant
Judging criteria focused on consistency with the theme, composition of the photograph, technical skills and authenticity.
Getty Images launched #RePicture this year at Cannes Lions, with the aim of challenging how we look at the world and exploring how we can change the paradigm around stereotypical imagery currently used to describe people and communicate concepts. The #RePicture competition is also inspired by the success of Getty Images’ recently launched partnership with the women’s empowerment organisation LeanIn.Org to create the Lean In Collection, with image sales from the moving collection up 66 per cent YOY since the February launch.
