A few weeks back, we sorted through the photos submitted to the Foap contest and selected the top shots in eight categories: People, Food, Landscape, Animals, Products, Macros & Abstract, Plants, and Selfie. We then brought in independent judges to pick the winners, and now, drumroll please, here are the Winners!
Foap Community Photo of the Year
The most popular photo, with the highest number of ratings among all the nominated shots.
Winner: mariecullinane
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/mariecullinane
Photo of the Year: Selfie
Nominated photos:
www.foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-selfie
Judge: Vesna Siftar, Global Senior Executive
www.linkedin.com/in/vesna-siftar-5052a3/
Winner: 7w6bp889kk
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/7w6bp889kk
Judge’s comment:
“There’s always that moment in travel when you’ve arrived at your destination. You’re exhausted, excited, haven’t slept properly for a while, still feel shaken from the long bus or train ride and have that momentary moment of safety when you got to your room. There’s chaos, new sounds, new smells, but the sense of achievement in reaching your destination is too strong to take a break, because there is so much more to discover. A multifold reminder of all the roads we should have traveled. Especially these days when travel seems to be getting more expensive, less safe than it used to be and younger generation being under even more stress..
This selfie encapsulates it all – all these emotions captured in this small moment when everything fell in a place. Even the sleeve and hand sneaking into the frame, instead of ruining the selfie, add to its imperfect perfection.”
Photo of the Year: People
Nominated photos:
www.foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-people
Judge: Marcelo Bresciani, Executive Creative Director at Oliver IIG Latin America
www.linkedin.com/in/marcelo-bresciani/
Winner: evathanksgod
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/evathanksgod
Judge’s comment:
“The penetrating eyes looking directly to the camera, the wrinkles on the face, the white beard slightly uneven, all this expresses a beautiful moment of humanity. And it reminds me of some of the beautiful black and white photos taken by Diane Arbus of “uncommon” people.”
Photo of the Year: Food
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-food
Judge: Patrycja Lukjanow, Creative Director
www.linkedin.com/in/patrycja-lukjanow-5793ba30/
Winner: mirahneva
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/mirahneva
Judge’s comment:
“Food photography has traditionally been very hyper real, over saturated and loud to make the viewer want to eat that thing immediately. But there is something special in a shot that captures the more authentic experience we have with food, and the emotion and tradition associated with it. “
Photo of the Year: Products
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-products
Judge: Kadian Langlais, Chief Marketing Officer at Renfro Brands
www.linkedin.com/in/kadianlanglais/
Winner: deea.olteanu
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/deea.olteanu
Judge’s comment:
“It was a tough decision, but the chosen photo is absolutely beautiful. The image conveys a sense of quiet luxury while being visually captivating and aesthetically please to the eye. Great prop setting as well.”
Photo of the Year: Animals
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-animals
Judge: Dushan Drakalski, Executive Creative Director
www.linkedin.com/in/dushan-drakalski-5ab5526b/
Winner: zippio
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/zippio
Judge’s comment:
“Considering the significance of the subject matter and the story behind the image, ‘Karibu Fighting’ stands out. This photo transcends the ordinary with its rare depiction of conflict and competition in the wilderness, all under a captivating yellow light that adds an otherworldly glow to the scene. It is this convergence of raw intensity and exceptional lighting that makes it my definitive choice for the award.”
Photo of the Year: Plants
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-plants
Judge: Michael Raso, Executive Creative Director at Ogilvy
www.linkedin.com/in/michael-raso-865740111/
Winner: kaser
https://enterprise.foap.com/user/kaser
Judge’s comment:
“The composition and lightening focused your attention to the bloom – a side of the cactus when generally don’t see. A plant many think of as arid and rough. However the shot managed to capture the moment of the plant flowering. A gentle and soft moment that reframed what we think if it.”
Photo of the Year: Macros & Abstract
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-macros-abstract
Judge: Daniel Cheng, Founder & CEO of Metric Design Studio
www.linkedin.com/in/chengdaniel/
Winner: heidi.larsen
http://enterprise.foap.com/user/heidi.larsen
Judge’s comment:
“While the nominations were all stellar, this particular image is incredible depth due to the landscape reflected in the horse’s eye.”
Photo of the Year: Landscape
Nominated photos:
https://foap.com/brand/foapcrowd/mission/poty-2023-landscape
Judge: Martin Winther, Creative Director
www.linkedin.com/in/winthermartin/
Winner: icyasuka
http://enterprise.foap.com/user/icyasuka
Judge’s comment:
“For me, it is undoubtedly the most interesting one. Technically, it may not be the most brilliant photo; it even appears coincidental. However, it possesses a crucial stopping factor. Why? It’s the textures. The texture of the mountain combined with other common natural colors, such as the shades of green trees and the blue sky, makes the mountain emerge with a roar of organic and alien-like power. It almost looks as if it’s created with another technique, perhaps charcoal, giving it the impression of a collage-like image. This photo demonstrates that even on the brightest of days, one can discover magical surprises through the lens of a camera.”
Congratulations to the Winners!