Gold Winner

Wings of Courage

Photographer

Fenqiang Liu

Category

Fine Art Photography - Panorama

Company

Submission Group

Amateur

Year

2022

Country / Region

United States

On one perfect spring morning in Central Florida, I captured the moment a Great Egret took off decisively and beautifully from an ancient oak tree draped in Spanish moss. That was in 2020, and for nearly two years, I did not feel an urgent need to process that image. Then, when the war in Ukraine broke out in February, I began to see my photo in a different light—it had come to symbolize, for me, the Ukrainian spirit and bravery that I so much admired. After that, I immersed myself in processing it with genuine enthusiasm.



The original capture of the image was in bright sunlight and a blue sky. During post-processing, I selected the sky in Photoshop to make it darker before painting the light, using the digital brush to create a more dramatic and artistic impression. This photograph is my tribute to the brave Ukrainians and their military, as well as all the international volunteers in this ongoing war.

Professional
2022
Beyond the world (black and white) - Photography Winner

Photographer / Company

Hsiaohsin Chen

Category

Black & White Photography - Landscapes

Country / Region

Taiwan

Professional
2022
See ya - wouldn't wanna be ya - Photography Winner

Photographer / Company

Saso Domijan

Category

Nature Photography - Cityscape

Country / Region

United States

Professional
2022
Solastalgia - Photography Winner

Photographer / Company

Max Lévine

Category

Nature Photography - Nature / Other

Country / Region

France

Amateur
2022
Fishing Nets In the Wind - Photography Winner

Photographer / Company

Chin Leong Teo

Category

Editorial Photography - Travel

Country / Region

Singapore