WINNERS of the 7th HT Photo Contest
HAVANA TIMES — Today we are pleased to present the winners of the 7th HT Cuba Photo Contest. A total of 190 photographers submitted 1,506 pictures and the contest was very competitive with a high level of work by both amateur and professional photographers.
Of the winning photos, two were taken by Cubans, one by a US citizen and three by Israelis.
There were four rounds of selection. In the first cut, 119 photographers survived with at least one photo; in the second, 85. Going into the final round were 47 participants with a total of 72 images.
In the final round all the photos received at least 1 point in our rating system, which reflects the closeness of the contest.
Once again congratulations to the participants, and to the 20 judges who devoted considerable time over a month.
Here are the winning photos and special mentions:
FRIENDSHIP
WINNER: A couple of 100-year-olds spend most of their day sitting together. It was an emotional moment to capture the expression of love between them. The picture was taken in Trinidad. Felix Lupa, Israel
Special Mention: – One step from glory. Rafael Velázquez Mora, México
Special Mention: A girl shares her ice cream with a friend and classmate during a school outing in Old Havana. – Alfonso Aguilar, México
BICYCLES
WINNER: “Blessed by the rain” – Playing in the rain is something common and desired by many children. In Havana, little kids love to feel free and be blessed by nature. In the summer of 2014 this little boy made me remember my childhood with its innocence and free spirit. Eduardo Garcia, Cuba
Special Mention: César Vilá, Cuba
PORTRAITS
WINNER: An exciting intimate moment of a grandmother and her granddaughter. The picture was taken in Cienfuegos. Felix Lupa, Israel
Special Mention: Portrait of an elderly man in Ciego de Avila. Orlando Garcia, Cuba
WORKSHOPS/STUDIOS
WINNER: Visiting the studios and workshops of Cuba is to see and learn so much of the vibrant Cuban culture. This dramatic sculpture really caught my EYE. I tried to show its progression from sketch to sculpture while including Solomon the artist himself in the background of his workshop in Matanzas. His diverse works have been shown worldwide from painting to sculpting to ceramics. All very colorful. Linda Klipp, USA.
Special Mention: Finishing touches. Rafael Velázquez Mora, Mexico
TEXTURES
WINNER: I took this photo in Havana Vieja. I remember being almost alone in the street, it was very early in the morning. This guy was so focused on his work, and once he noticed me he looked at me like I was a freak taking so many photos of puddles. I guess he had no idea that he was a major part of the shot. Adar Hay, Israel
Special Mention: Benjamin Bruce, USA
STREET VENDORS
WINNER: This is a typical scene from the Parrandas of Remedios, Villa Clara, annual fiesta where in a small village foreign visitors, domestic tourists, relatives, friends of Cuba and local residents join together to create massive and chaotic scenes but always surrounded by joy. Everything comes together simultaneously. Orlando García, Cuba
Special Mention: Dame platanos. Ghyslaine Peigné, Francia
See the Contest Finalists Here
GREAT photos everyone! and thanks for participating! thanks for hosting! see you again next year!
Awesome pic, all of them. Congratulations to the winners and many thanx to the jury and especially to you, Circles.
Congratulations to all fotografos on yet another fantastic year of great submissions and presentation! Love the work, thank you all for your efforts. Thank you Havana Times, this is an important thing you do by hosting a contest that encourages both artist photographers and visitors to portray all the realities and beauty of Cuba. The universal vision and messages of shared humanity are welcome reminders to be a present participant in life, not just an observer, as, “the times they are a changing…” We have only to walk on any street to realize that Cuba is communication,in every way. The future holds much promise. The heart of Cuba is growing…Special shout out of appreciation to my friends Orlando and Eduardo Garcia for their strong and tender images (see Proyecto Siamés)
Congratulations to all.
Congratulations to everyone, very well done!
Fantastic images, all of them!
You presented some incredible photos for us to enjoy and savor. Thank you for an excellent job!
The art jury did a great job. The winners are all deserving! It would be great to have a popular vote as well since so many people make comments posting their favorites. Do you think the outcome would be the same? Committee vs popular choice?
The reason we haven’t had a side popular vote thus far either on the site or on Facebook is because few Cubans could participate. Just seeing the photos is very limited due to the Internet situation. When and if that changes your suggestion will be one of the first impemented.
Thanks again Circles for what I believe is the best fair and balanced blog on Cuba. We have every spectrum of the rainbow and glad that it’s not censored or biased. The Photo Contest was awesome and brilliant! Again congrats and thanks for the incredibly talented contestants and winners! Salute
Wow! What an amazing selection of photographs!
Circles, your jury had to work hard to make their decisions, every one of the photos above is worthy. Well done. This is a wonderful tradition you have built.
Keep ’em coming.
Please where can I see the photos ?? thanks
Open the post of the winners and there are also links to the first three rounds of the contest.
http://www.havanatimes.org/?p=114828
Wonderful images – true artistry! Ah to have the creative eye!