HAVANA TIMES – The 20-member jury has given its verdict and it’s time to bring you the winners and special mentions of our 10th Anniversary Havana Times Cuba Photo Contest.
The selection process is quite arduous, so hats off to the jury after evaluating so many excellent photos in each category. We started with 962 pictures from 109 participants.
Interestingly in the final round, all of the 60 photos still in competition received at least 8 points in our system of giving 10, 5, 3, 1 points to first, second, third and fourth places.
The “Best Picture” category (taken over the last 10 years) was won by Nicolaas Kuiper of Norway and “Black & White”, another highly popular category, was led by Guilherme Bergamini of Brazil.
Two participants, Paco Murillo (Spain) for “Cuban Countryside” and Bill Klipp (USA) “Interiors”, are repeat winners from past contests as their work continues to be highly appreciated.
I’d like to give special recognition to first time participant Indiara Rivero Reyes, 21, (Cuba). She is the youngest ever HT Photo Contest winner, and it is curious that the category she won was “Hope”.
Last, but not least, is the challenging category of “Intolerance” won by Edel Alejandro Garcia from Ciego de Ávila, Cuba.
Here are the final contest results. The number in parenthesis was the number designated to the picture.
Best Picture:
Winner: Nicolaas Kuipers (771) 66 points
Special Mention: Frank Gil (353) 61 points
Third Place: Arletty Giménez Jiménez (102) 48 points
Fourth Place: Jorge L. Borges (506) 42 points
We were just about to finish a fantastic tour around Havana in the blue car, when it broke down and we rolled into this gas station on the Malecon and got help. The sun was about to go down, a slight shower cleaned the air and the atmosphere was just magic. I took many pictures here of friendly Cubans and the great surroundings with perfect light. My name is Nicolaas Kuipers, 67, from Norway, and a passionate hobby photographer who likes to work with the moment and content in pictures. I have no political agenda; my only purpose is to display a positive environment including great respect for people. I have now been to Cuba twice, and would love to come back again as soon as possible to my favorite city, Havana!
SPECIAL MENTION By Frank Gil
Black & White:
Winner: Guilherme Bergamini (411) 107 points
Special Mention: Francis Chow (311) 48 points
Third Place: Luisa Martina Hernández Valdés (681) 42 points
Fourth Place: Dan Tidwell (204) 41 points
For 7 days I walked the streets of Old Havana always in the late afternoon. My goal was to find the light Cuba eradicated, i found it and i loved it. A mixture of pulse, contrast, architecture and people on all sides. Moments of mutual coexistence, jokes, games, music and movement. Simplicity and creativity of a welcoming people, who do not deserve to go through so much shortage of essential goods. A country unlike anything you can imagine, both for its geographic location and politics where its greatest wealth lies in its citizens. My name is Guilherme Bergamini, 40, and I was born in Belo Horizonte, Minas Gerais, Brazil. I graduated in journalism and have been working with photography for 23 years. Through my art I express my experiences, worldview and anxieties. I’ve been passionate about photography since childhood, and always curious about new contemporary possibilities that this technique allows. I see photography as a way to express political and social criticism.
SPECIAL MENTION By Francis Chow
Cuban Countryside:
Winner: Paco Murillo (786) 78 points
Special Mention: Linda Klipp (659) 60 points
Third Place: Bill Klipp (144) 58 points
Fourth Place: Ginle Cubillas (376) 54 points
I took the photograph during a visit I made last summer to some friends in the Cuban countryside, specifically in the province of Pinar del Rio. Two generations separate them (grandfather and grandson), a shared life, full of experiences and sensations, memories and emotions unite them. At that moment, they were waiting for it to stop raining to continue cooking. I liked that serenity and closeness, those looks beyond what they looked at and the atmosphere that surrounded them. My name is Paco Morillo, I live in Leganés-Madrid (Spain) and I am 56 years old. I teach photography courses at the Leganés City Hall and I like to travel when time permits, discover places and the people who live there. Photography is the perfect excuse that moves me to do it. With Cuba, I have maintained a close relationship for a long time, it is that place I return to whenever I can.SPECIAL MENTION By Linda Klipp
Hope:
Winner: Indiara Rivero Reyes (425) 49 points
Special Mention: Niels Hejnfelt (778) 48 points
Third Place: Jeff Lucas (446) 47 points
Fourth Place: Alfonso Aguilar (28) 41 points
The photo was taken last year at this time in the church of Parraga. It shows what people feel when they celebrate Santa Barbara. Hope and optimism for their lives. I especially like that photo because it shows that people are not only physical but also and above all meaningful. My name is Indiara Rivero Reyes. I am 21 and have studied photography for several years at the School of Creative Photography in Havana. I have participated in several exhibitions both inside and outside of Cuba. I am in 4th Year of University and I study social sciences.
SPECIAL MENTION By Niels Hjenfelt
Interiors:
Winner: Bill Klipp (150) 91 points
Special Mention: Paco Murillo (792) 67 points
Third Place: Diana Rodriguez (245) 45 points
Fourth Place: Alfonso Aguilar (31) 38 points
Cuba is one of our favorite Caribbean cultures and living in Key West we feel a special connection to our island neighbor only 90 miles to our south. My wife and I have had the opportunity to travel to many areas of the island interacting with the locals while on humanitarian missions. One day while wandering old Havana I ran into an old friend who invited me in to meet two bachelor brothers who lived in a very large yet sparsely furnished apartment. My image “Old Man at Home” reflects the simpler times of days past. – Bill Klipp
SPECIAL MENTION By Paco Murillo
Intolerance:
Winner: Alejandro Garcia (17) 102 points
Special Mention: Ginle Cubillas (384) 55 points
Third Place: Gabriel Garcia (367) 42 points
Fourth Place: Jodi Newell (498) 41 points
During the parade in Ciego de Avila against homophobia and for non-violence it was impossible not to feel the aggression of some of the gazes. Curiosity burns and makes the most indifferent of passers-by stop, at least to peek out and make some gesture open to interpretations. The readings of some are very different from what is intended. For them, it is a carnival of the grotesque, displaying the most burlesque, rude and selfish of the human spirit, totally opposed to the firm pride and the joy of expressing a right of oneself or someone else. My name is Edel Alejandro Garcia Sánchez. I studied at the Superior Arts Institute (ISA) and I live in Ciego de Avila.SPECIAL MENTION By Ginle Cubillas
Comments are closed.