The 39th AOP Photography Awards are open to all AOP Accredited Photographer and Assisting Photographer members.
© Todd Antony
Featured Image © Laura Pannack
Judged by:
Defying the Myth is a collaborative photographic project which I have been working on for the last 10 years which focuses on illuminating the challenges & triumphs faced by 3 families headed by single women, living with severely disabled children.
One of the families at the heart of this project was part of an original yearlong commission in 2014 to create a visual essay about families where children were being raised in poverty by the international NGO – Save the Children.
Although I completed the original project after 12 months, I continued to return to visit the family. I had become impressed by the courage and the fortitude of the single mother and had grown interested in chronicling her story further. I also was intrigued as to how typical this situation was for single mothers with disabled children and how many other stories of this nature existed. I asked her for introductions to other women like her with similar challenges and I worked with her to create a small group of 2 further families who were familiar with each-other, who had similar situations with their children, and who were also living below, on, or close to, the defined ‘poverty line’.
This engagement evolved into an intense co-authored personal project with a total of 3 families.
Every year elite divers from all over the world gather at the spiritual home of Cliff Diving in Ponte Brolla, Switzerland for the International Cliff Diving Championships. Tucked away on the outskirts of a small village near the Swiss/Italian border a naturally formed valley of sheer cliffs and deep pools filled with cool crystal-clear mountain water, provides an idyllic setting for a two-day display of technical prowess and nerves of steel.
Soaring down from the 20m platform performing, flips, tucks, spins and somersaults, competitors in peak physical condition come to compete against each other and to see how far they can push themselves, physically and mentally. It’s a close-knit community though and everyone knows each other, they eat, sleep, train and compete together, so there’s a familial, jovial atmosphere.
The shape of the valley and the surrounding cliffs provides ample opportunities for spectators to get close to the action, and both the divers and spectators effortlessly blend with the landscape creating a timeless natural feeling, as if this has always been the way of things.
With warm-up dives complete the divers make their way to the staging area by the main dive platform, there’s bravado and joking around but the tension levels have gone up. After a round of hugging, handshakes and shouts of ‘good luck’, the divers naturally separate themselves, quietly focused on the task ahead, steeling themselves for the competition to come. And with explosive and lightning speed the competition starts, and it’s all eyes on the dive platform.
Eventually a winner is crowned, but it doesn’t really matter who it is, all the divers have performed at their absolute peak. Cliff diving is a way of life, it’s a physical expression of pure freedom, and mental strength, it’s a unique and extraordinary experience both to take part in and to watch. I will be heading back to Ponte Brolla this summer to continue the project and spend more time with the divers.
In the mid-to-late 1940’s a new subculture in America emerged. Mexican-American youths had been known to place sandbags in their custom vehicles so that the body of their car would ride close to the road. This was aesthetically pleasing for those involved in the scene and would later be technologically advanced, for the same effect to be achieved by hydraulics.
Lowriding was formed out of Mexican-American culture, and the vehicles were decorated to hold political statements and sported images representing the culture from which it was born.
As the years passed, and the 21st century began, Lowriding culture became extremely popular. Often seen in popular music videos, the scene was embraced by cultures all around the world and amassed huge global appeal.
Making our way home from school is a simple, nostalgic, universal activity we can all relate to.
This daily commute has its own set of challenges in South Africa- a country with the greatest social divide and largest growing youth
population in the world.
We share cameras, techniques and alternative mediums to tell this very real experience of walking through crossfire daily. During this project there were many days when walking to school was not an option. Gang culture in these areas is so rife that voilence and shootings are a weekly and sometimes daily occurrence.
Together we navigate their surroundings, their community and see both the beauty and horror that makes up a very complex world to grow up in.
In a city where rollerblading has become a niche subculture, the project sheds light on the tight-knit community of friends who are determined to keep the wheels turning. ‘Manchestuhhh’ – established in 2020 off the back of lockdown boredom – is a place to document the Manchester Rollerblading Scene & to share our skating with the internet. My project delves into the vibrant yet dwindling rollerblading scene in Manchester. Through a series of striking images, this project aims to document the spirited individuals who continue to embrace the exhilarating world of rollerblading.
We aim to capture the resilience and determination of these skaters as they push their own limits, mastering new tricks and embracing the freedom that rollerblading brings. Each photograph tells a story of dedication and camaraderie, showcasing the unique personalities that make up this close community.
Against the backdrop of Manchester’s urban landscape, the images will reflect the raw energy and creativity that define the rollerblading subculture. Whether it’s the graceful execution of a trick, the laughter shared between friends, or the intense focus during a challenging manoeuvre, ‘Manchestuhhh’ seeks to freeze these moments in time, preserving the essence of a sport that refuses to be forgotten.
Captured using a mix of film & digital cameras.
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