2024 Black and White Photo Awards Winners Show the Majesty of Monochrome

Aug 20, 2024

Jeremy Gray

A split image: On the left, a person wearing a mask and jacket stands amid flying debris and sparks. On the right, a person in a headscarf and shawl inspects pottery amidst a smoky, sunlit workshop filled with ceramic vases. Black and white photo.

The winners of the third annual Black and White Photo Awards have been unveiled, showcasing the best in monochrome photography across numerous categories.

The Black and White Photo Awards 2024 were judged by a prestigious jury of photographers, including Joel Tjintelaar, Julia Anna Gospodarou, Charles Paul Azzopardi, Kazutoshi Kawakami, and Néstor Rodan. The contest organizers say that this third edition helps cement the competition’s place among the best photo contests in the world, especially for contests focused solely on black and white photography. This year, nearly 5,000 images were submitted for consideration.

Photographer Haikun Liang earned the title “Black and White Photographer of the Year 2024” for their image, “Destroy Together,” seen below.

A person in a hooded jacket and face mask throws something amidst an explosion of smoke and debris. Other masked individuals stand in the background, partly obscured by smoke. The scene appears chaotic, with a lot of motion and particles in the air. — “Destroy Together” by Haikun Liang, Absolute Winner, Black and White Photographer of the Year 2024 | Black and White Photo Awards

Another distinct award, the Special Prize for Creativity, sponsored by SanDisk, went to photographer László Tóth for the composite image “Spiral to the Tower.” Tóth superimposed multiple frames of a flock of birds to create the eye-catching final image, which the judges note for its conceptual creativity and technical execution.

A monochrome image shows a swirling vortex of thousands of birds in flight against a gray sky. The birds form intricate, curving patterns resembling a tornado shape, with dense clusters creating visual spirals and waves. A signpost is visible at the bottom. — “Spiral to the Tower” by László Tóth, Special Prize for Creativity by SanDisk Professional | Black and White Photo Awards

Alongside Liang and Tóth, winning photographers were selected across five categories: Architecture, Street, Portrait, Fauna and Flora, and Landscape. The winners of each category are featured below.

Category Winners

A person walks alone on a vast, empty plaza next to a large, modern architectural structure with smooth, flowing, curved surfaces and a white facade, set against a dramatic, dark sky, showcasing a stark contrast between the built environment and surroundings. — “Architectural Playground” by Florian Kriechbaumer, Architecture Winner | Black and White Photo Awards

A lone person sits on a bench at an empty, dimly-lit Baker Street underground station. Classic arched brick architecture frames the platform, and signs for Baker Street are visible. The scene is in black and white, evoking a sense of solitude and quiet. — “Baker Street Station 3” by Zhenhuan Zhou, Street Winner | Black and White Photo Awards

A woman sits in a sunlit room surrounded by many intricately designed pottery pieces. She is wearing traditional clothing and is focused on decorating a large ceramic vase. Sun rays filter through a window, illuminating the scene with a soft glow. — “Pottery Village Girl” by Van Dong Nguyen, Portrait Winner | Black and White Photo Awards

Black and white image of wildebeests captured mid-jump during a migration. The scene is dynamic, with dust clouds swirling and multiple wildebeests visible in various positions of movement against a cloudy sky. — “Explosion” by Anup Shah, Fauna and Flora Winner | Black and White Photo Awards

A black and white photograph of a sand dune with delicate ridges that curve gracefully to a peak. Fine grains of sand are being blown off the crest, creating a soft, mist-like effect against the dark background. The lighting highlights the textures and shapes. — “The Dune” by Matteo Strassera, Landscape Winner | Black and White Photo Awards

Beyond these category winners, the contest also named second-place winners and golden, silver, and bronze commendations for each category. The runners-ups are featured on the Black and White Photo Awards website. Even more excellent black and white photography is featured in PetaPixel‘s coverage of last year’s winners.

The Black and White Photo Awards are already looking ahead to next year. Entries will open on January 1st and, if this year is any indication, will close in mid-June.

Image credits: Individual photographers are credited in the image captions. All photos courtesy of the 2024 Black and White Photo Awards.