AAP Magazine #59: Shapes: Discover the Winning Photographs

Curves and Contrast: An Abstract Study in Shape

What happens when photographers stop looking at the world through objects and start seeing it through shapes?

That question lies at the heart of AAP Magazine #59: Shapes, the latest issue of All About Photo’s international photography publication. Bringing together photographers from 15 countries across four continents, the issue explores the visual language of form through architecture, landscape, portraiture, abstraction, everyday objects, light, shadow, and unexpected compositions.

Rather than simply photographing recognizable subjects, the selected photographers pay attention to the structures hidden within them. Lines become patterns, shadows become silhouettes, buildings become geometric compositions, and familiar scenes take on a new visual identity.

Seeing the World Through Shape

Shape is one of the most fundamental elements of visual composition, but it can also be one of the most powerful. A circle, a diagonal line, a repeated pattern, or the outline of a human figure can completely change how an image is perceived.

The photographers featured in AAP Magazine #59 approach the theme from very different directions. Some create carefully balanced compositions built around symmetry and repetition. Others embrace abstraction, unusual viewpoints, strong contrasts, or visual tension.

Together, the photographs demonstrate that shape does not have to be obvious to be effective. Sometimes it emerges through light and shadow; sometimes through the relationship between people and their surroundings. In other images, it becomes the subject itself.

The Winning Photographers

First Place: Tom Zimberoff (United States)
ReNude

Known for his extensive career in portrait photography, Zimberoff presents an intimate exploration of the human form, using the body as both subject and shape.

Second Place: Matthew Garbutt (United Kingdom)
Unit of Work: 20 Industrial Estates

Garbutt finds rhythm, repetition, and structure within industrial environments, transforming functional spaces into compelling visual compositions.

Third Place: Nicolas Castermans (France)
First Language

Castermans explores form and perception through a highly personal photographic language, creating images that invite viewers to look beyond the immediately recognizable.

Merit Award Gallery

The Merit Award Gallery brings together photographers from around the world, further emphasizing the international scope and diversity of this issue.

Marco Parenti (Italy), Maya Meshel (United States/Israel), Jaroslav Mareš (Czech Republic), Michael Prais (United States), Klaus Lenzen (Germany), Zechen Huang (China), Stuart Chape (Australia), Kazutoshi Takeuchi (Japan), Alireza Bagheri Sani (Iran), Olena Zubach (Ukraine), Claudio Limiti (Italy), Ralph Milewski (Germany), Emily Neville Fischer (United States), Kevin Lyle (United States), Julie V Garner (United States), Jaeseok Lim (South Korea), Carlos Esguerra (Philippines/United States), Julia Classen and Magdalena Lepka (Germany/Austria), Peter Harlow (United Kingdom/Australia), Dede Pickering (United States), Francesca Pompei (Italy), and Tracy Burke (United States).

A Different Way of Looking

From architectural details to human silhouettes, from industrial structures to fleeting patterns of light, AAP Magazine #59: Shapes encourages us to slow down and reconsider what we see every day.

The strength of these photographs lies not only in their technical execution, but in the photographers’ ability to recognize visual possibilities where others might see only ordinary surroundings. A wall, a shadow, a body, a building, or a repeated object can become something entirely different when viewed through the lens of photography.

Ultimately, Shapes is an invitation to look more closely. To notice lines, curves, patterns, spaces, and relationships—and to discover how much visual poetry can exist within the simplest forms.

Explore the winning photographs from AAP Magazine #59: Shapes and discover the photographers who transformed form into visual storytelling.

AAP Magazine #61 STREET: Win $1,000 and Get Published

AAP Magazine #61: STREET is now open for entries! Photographers from around the world are invited to submit their best street photography for the chance to win $1,000 in cash prizes, be published in AAP Magazine, and gain international exposure.

ENTER AAP MAGAZINE #61: STREET →

Street Photography: Tell Us What You See

The street never stops telling stories.

A stranger's glance. A shadow falling across the pavement. The energy of rush hour. A chance encounter. An empty street late at night.

Street photography is about seeing these fleeting moments and transforming them into photographs that make us stop and look.

For AAP Magazine #61: STREET, we are looking for photographs that capture the strange, unexpected, beautiful, humorous, or quietly profound moments of everyday life.

Your interpretation of street photography is completely open.

You might photograph crowded city streets, isolated figures, architecture, movement, light and shadow, spontaneous encounters, or small moments that most people simply walk past.

A Long Tradition of Photographing the Street

Street photography has been part of the history of photography almost since the medium was born.

Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre's 1838 photograph of the Boulevard du Temple in Paris is often considered one of the earliest photographs to capture everyday urban life.

As cameras became smaller and more portable, photographers increasingly took them into the streets. Artists including Eugène Atget, Alfred Stieglitz, André Kertész, Berenice Abbott, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Brassaï, Walker Evans, Robert Frank, Diane Arbus, Vivian Maier, Garry Winogrand, Lee Friedlander, and William Eggleston each developed their own ways of looking at the changing world around them.

Today, street photography remains one of the most compelling ways to explore contemporary life.

It can document a particular place and time, but it can also reveal something much more personal: how people behave, interact, move through public spaces, and experience the world around them.

What Are We Looking For?

Submit a cohesive body of work or portfolio that reflects your personal vision of the street.

There are no restrictions on subject matter. Look for the moments that speak to you.

Digital and analog photography are welcome. Color and monochrome are both accepted.

Photographers of all levels and from all countries are invited to participate.

ENTER AAP MAGAZINE #61: STREET →

$1,000 in Cash Prizes

1st Place — $500

• $500 USD cash prize
• Exclusive interview and winning image(s) or portfolio published in AAP Magazine, Volume 61: STREET
• One free copy of the magazine, available for sale and distribution on Blurb
• Work showcased in the online Winners Gallery on All About Photo
• Printable AAP Magazine Certificate of Accomplishment

2nd Place — $300

• $300 USD cash prize
• Winning image(s) or portfolio published in AAP Magazine, Volume 61: STREET
• One free copy of the magazine, available for sale and distribution on Blurb
• Work showcased in the online Winners Gallery on All About Photo
• Printable AAP Magazine Certificate of Accomplishment

3rd Place — $200

• $200 USD cash prize
• Winning image(s) or portfolio published in AAP Magazine, Volume 61: STREET
• One free copy of the magazine, available for sale and distribution on Blurb
• Work showcased in the online Winners Gallery on All About Photo
• Printable AAP Magazine Certificate of Accomplishment

Particular Merit Mentions

Photographers ranked 4th–25th will have their best image(s) or portfolio published in AAP Magazine, Volume 61: STREET and will receive a printable AAP Magazine Certificate of Accomplishment.

Publication and International Exposure

AAP Magazine is a printed photography publication dedicated to discovering and showcasing photographers from around the world.

Being selected for AAP Magazine #61: STREET offers photographers the opportunity to have their work published in print and presented to an international photography audience, alongside exposure through All About Photo, press coverage, and our online Winners Gallery.

Whether you photograph the familiar streets of your hometown or explore somewhere completely new, we want to see the world through your eyes.

Show Us Your Streets

Submit your work to AAP Magazine #61: STREET today.

ENTER THE STREET PHOTOGRAPHY CONTEST →

All About Photo Presents 'Cuba es Vida' by American Photographer David Saxe

Cuba Beyond the Frame: Why the Quietest Moments Often Tell the Biggest Stories

Some places are photographed so often that they become almost impossible to see with fresh eyes. Cuba is one of them. Search for images of the island and you'll find an endless collection of vintage American cars, brightly painted buildings, cigar smoke, and lively streets. They're beautiful scenes—but they're only part of the story.

Photographer David Saxe approached Cuba differently.

Rather than chasing iconic locations, he spent three trips observing everyday life, allowing the people he met to shape the direction of his camera. The result is *Cuba es Vida* ("Cuba Is Life"), a photographic series that replaces tourist clichés with genuine human moments.

The photographs don't rely on spectacle. A fisherman prepares his boat before sunrise. A young boxer trains with complete concentration. Musicians rehearse in nearly empty theaters. Children practice ballet with remarkable discipline. Elderly Cubans sit quietly, their expressions revealing years of experience that no history book could fully explain.

These are the moments that rarely appear in travel brochures, yet they often leave the strongest impression.

One of the most compelling aspects of the project is its visual style. Saxe doesn't strive for flawless technical perfection. Instead, he welcomes deep shadows, soft focus, and movement. The images feel less like frozen moments and more like memories—fleeting, emotional, and open to interpretation. Rather than documenting every detail, they capture the atmosphere of being there.

This approach reminds us that photography isn't always about showing everything. Sometimes what remains hidden tells the richer story.

*Cuba es Vida* also reflects the fascinating relationship between history and the present. Decades-old architecture stands beside everyday routines. Political and cultural history is visible throughout the landscape, yet daily life continues with remarkable energy. Families gather, artists create, athletes train, and neighbors share conversations that have likely taken place on the same streets for generations.

In many ways, the project becomes less about Cuba itself and more about the universal experience of community, resilience, and hope.

For photographers, *Cuba es Vida* offers another valuable lesson: memorable images often come from slowing down rather than moving faster. Instead of searching for the next famous landmark, spending time with people, observing patiently, and waiting for authentic moments can lead to photographs with far greater emotional depth.

The camera records what stands before it, but the photographer chooses what matters. In David Saxe's work, that choice is consistently the human experience.

Perhaps that's why these photographs stay with the viewer long after the first glance. They don't simply show a destination—they invite us to connect with the lives that give that destination its identity. And in a world filled with familiar travel images, that perspective feels both refreshing and timeless.

Discover the full exhibition here

Win an Exclusive Interview and a Solo Exhibition this September

Maximize Your Exposure: Enter the Solo Exhibition Competition for a Month-Long Online Showcase
At All About Photo, we celebrate extraordinary photography that inspires, transforms, and connects with us on a deeper level.

WHY ENTER THE SOLO EXHIBITION?
Global Reach: Showcase your work to a wide international audience through one of the most dynamic photography portals on the web.
Open to All Genres: Whether you work in photojournalism, street photography, fine art, landscape, or portraiture — all categories and subjects are welcome. Unleash your creativity.
For All Photographers: Open to professionals and enthusiasts alike. Submit a cohesive body of work or portfolio that reflects your unique vision.

EXCLUSIVE BENEFITS
• Featured Solo Exhibition — Presented for an entire month across our Home Page, Competition Gallery, and Exhibition Directory
• Exclusive Interview — Share your story and insights with a global audience
• Permanent Online Presence — Your exhibition remains accessible indefinitely + a dedicated portfolio page featuring 20 images
• Social Media Exposure — Promotion via Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter
• Dedicated Newsletter Announcement — A special edition sent to our international subscribers
• International Press Coverage — Guaranteed features on Bored Panda, Visura, and Photophiles Magazine
• Sell Your Work Commission-Free — Connect directly with collectors and keep 100% of your sales

Win a Solo Exhibition Now. Deadline August 11, 2026

AAP Magazine #58: Discover the 25 Winning Black & White Photographers

Black and white photography has an extraordinary ability to distill a scene to its essence. Without the distraction of color, light, shadow, texture, shape, and emotion take center stage, inviting us to experience the world with renewed attention. Timeless yet constantly evolving, monochrome photography remains one of the most expressive visual languages, embraced by photographers working across every genre.

We are delighted to present the 25 winning photographers of AAP Magazine #58: B&W, selected from an exceptional international pool of submissions. Representing 12 countries across 3 continents, these photographers each bring a distinct vision to black and white photography, demonstrating its remarkable versatility and enduring relevance.

The winning portfolios span an impressive range of subjects—from intimate family stories and compelling documentary work to evocative landscapes, portraits, architecture, and quiet moments of everyday life. Some images are bold and graphic, others subtle and contemplative, but all share a thoughtful approach to storytelling through light, composition, and atmosphere.

What stood out throughout the judging process was not a single style or technique, but the diversity of perspectives. Each photographer uses black and white differently, proving that monochrome is far more than the absence of color. It is a deliberate creative choice that strips away distractions and reveals what truly matters.

First Prize was awarded to Anastasia Pagonas (United States) for her image Francis.

Second Prize went to Eric Kunsman (United States) for his series Life-Lines Throughout the United States.

Third Prize was awarded to Tzion Essel (United Kingdom) for his series Of Birds and Being.

The remaining winners are Dev Kumar (Malaysia), Jaeseok Lim (South Korea), Michael Trueblood (United States), Isabelle Kettner (Netherlands), Antonio Denti (Italy), Kathryn Audet (Canada), Lera Zilbershtein (Russia), Tommy Jiang (China), Thibault Gerbaldi (France/United States), Paul Adams (United States), Troy Colby (United States), Paul Gibert (United States/Spain), Lena Sokolova (Russia), Eric Renard (United States), Kelly O'Leary (United States), Rikk Dunlap (United States), John Gubertini (Italy), Max Chu (China), Brice Weaver (United States), Jim Lustenader (United States), Ylva Sjögren (Sweden), and Richard Evnen (United States).

Congratulations to all the winners for their exceptional work and for reminding us that, in black and white photography, what is left out is often just as meaningful as what remains.