The photograph of a young girl carrying another younger albino girl has won Spaniard Sara De Antonio Feu the 2018/19 Grand Prize of the prestigious Nikon Photo Contest.
De Antonio Feu’s winning photo was taken in Ghana and shows Ayimpoka, a young girl with albinism. Albinism is a recessive condition that drastically reduces the amount of melanin in the skin and can lead to problems like vision loss and skin cancer.
The Grand Prize winner was chosen from the top selections in two photo categories, as well as a short-film category, specifically:
• The Open category: single photo, photo story on the theme of “Change”
• The Next Generation category for under-25s: single photo, photo story on the theme of “Identity”
• The Short Film category on the theme of “Hope”
12 judges from the fields of photography and film chose Sara’s photo from a record 97,369 entries from 33,000 photographers and video artists in 170 countries.
The special event to announce the winners took place in Tokyo Japan, last Friday as the contest celebrated its 50th anniversary.
At the event, Sara said she was keen to highlight the issue of color-based discrimination from a fresh angle, and in her image wanted to convey the deep level of love and care that Ayimpoka receives from her sister.
Lead judge Neville Brody, CEO of U.K.-based design agency Brody Associates, said De Antonio Feu’s picture “captures a human story so successfully and succinctly that we can all interpret and sense it directly.”
He added: “The image is framed tenderly — the camera is at the same eye level as the children, who are positioned centrally in the frame, not raised, lending them a vulnerability, innocence, and sincerity.
“This everyday story of superstition, difference, and prejudice is shocking. We understand the difference love and protection make. A worthy winner, one that reminds us of our need to engage and open our sense of humanity and optimistic empathy in such a self-centered age.”
De Antonio Feu took the photo on a Nikon D5600 DSLR with a 50mm f/1.8 lens. The Grand Prize is worth 500,000 Japanese yen (about $4,800), which the winner says she intends to give to Ayimpoka to help pay for her education.
The Nikon Photo Contest International has been held by Nikon Corporation since 1969 to provide an opportunity for photographers around the world to communicate and to enrich image-making culture for professionals and amateurs alike.
In the last 10 years, with the wide penetration of digital cameras with video capabilities, the environment surrounding image-making has dramatically changed. Adapting to this change, the 34th contest was reconceived, changing its name and its structure, and it continues to evolve to create new standards and provide new opportunities for discovery.
