ANIMAL KINGDOM INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY RANDAL FORD

Randal Ford is an American fine-art photographer widely recognised for his distinctive studio portraits of animals – works that explore their character, presence and individuality. His images have been exhibited internationally and are held in private and public collections, establishing him as a leading contemporary voice in animal portraiture.

Ford’s celebrated series Animal Kingdom comprises more than 150 studio portraits made in collaboration with trainers, wildlife organisations and sanctuaries. Working against minimal backdrops and with controlled, painterly lighting, he isolates each subject to reveal expression, texture and form with striking clarity. The resulting images bridge fine art and portrait tradition, inviting viewers to encounter animals as sentient individuals rather than symbols or specimens.

His work has appeared on the cover of TIME Magazine and in publications including Texas Monthly and Communication Arts. He has been listed among Lürzer’s Archive’s top 200 photographers worldwide, and recognised multiple times at the International Photo Awards. Across his practice, Ford combines technical rigor with a patient and respectful approach that brings dignity to the animals he photographs – offering a contemporary, humanistic view of the animal kingdom.

IMAGES © RANDAL FORD

RELATIONSHIPS INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY MAGDALENA WOSINSKA

Magdalena Wosinska is a Polish-born, Los Angeles–based photographer whose work spans intimate portraiture, subculture documentary and atmospheric editorial work. Known for her authentic and emotionally-open style, she captures human connection with rawness and warmth.

Wosinska began photographing as a teenager after moving to the United States, first documenting the male-dominated skateboarding and heavy metal communities she moved in, before expanding into broader narratives of friendship, identity and belonging. Her images often centre on relationships – between friends, lovers, families and the communities that shape us – approached with a candid, empathetic eye.

She has published four books, has been exhibited at international galleries such as Fahey/Klein, Praz Delavallade and Webber Gallery, and has work in the MoMA Library Collection. Her work has been featured in publications such as Vogue, Wired, Rolling Stones, Dazed & Confused and The New York Times, and she counts Adidas, Converse, Goop, Ray Ban and Uber.

Across her practice, Wosinska reveals the tenderness, vulnerability and imperfection that define how people relate to one another, in doing so documenting the richness of human experience.

IMAGES © MAGDALENA WOSKINSKA

BLACK & WHITE INSPIRATIONAL GALLERY

COMPETITION JUDGED BY LÉA THOUIN

Léa Thouin is a Paris-based photography curator and collections specialist at the Fondation Henri Cartier-Bresson, one of the world’s leading institutions dedicated to the preservation and presentation of photographic art. Her work spans exhibitions, publications and public programmes, connecting the legacy of key figures in photography with contemporary practice.

Through her curatorial and research work – including previous roles at the famous Les Rencontres d’Arles photography festival – she has developed a deep engagement with the photographic medium and its capacity to reflect and shape cultural moments.

Thouin’s close relationship with photographic archives and visual traditions makes her a perfect judge for the theme of Black & White – a practice that focuses on structure, light, timing and storytelling, and that sits at the core of photography’s history.

IMAGES © LÉA THOUIN / FONDATION HENRI CARTIER-BRESSON