AAP unveils the dramatic winners in its black & white photography contest

All About Photo has revealed the winners in its latest competition on theme of black & white photography. 25 winning images were picked from photographers from 14 different countries  – with Manuel Besse from France winning the first prize.

His stunning portrait was shot in New York of a homeless man he spotted near the exit of Booklyn Bridge.

"I spotted him from a distance. He reminds me of an Australian aborigine," explains Besse. "I circle around him…. He yells, he speaks loudly, it’s all intimidating. He calls out to me. For the thousandth time, I explain that I’m a photographer and would like to take his portrait. He looks at me, questioning, then loudly declares: OK! I take four shots".

The second prize went to American photographer Tom Zimberoff from a series on the gangs of East Los Angeles.

"A woman who led a non-profit organization, now known as Gang Reduction & Youth Development, facilitated my introduction to the leaders of White Fence, a gang I had encountered in Boyle Heights", says Zimberoff. "Despite their violent history, they were striking in appearance—the oldest gang in LA, with a legacy of fierce rivalries dating back to 1900…

"For a couple of days, I negotiated with White Fence, attempting to persuade them to visit my studio in West LA—an entirely different world from their perspective. Initially, they wanted to be paid, but that wasn’t an option. However, after some back-and-forth, they warmed to my idea of creating a historical record with a fashion-oriented twist.

"During the session, they posed patiently, both individually and in small groups. They were intrigued by my six-foot-tall lightbox and large-format 4x5 camera, which they had only encountered in the context of cartoonish "watch-the-birdie" moments. Those not in front of the camera relaxed with beer, ate pizza that I had delivered, and wandered around the studio. After about two hours, they began to get restless. I made a brief speech about how we were just getting started and expressed my desire to return to Boyle Heights to photograph them on their home turf, and later to bring the women to the studio. They remained noncommittal, took the hundred dollars I offered for gas, and left."

The third prize was won by Jaume Lloren s from Spain, from a series called Gaia. "All the images in the Gaia series are created by juxtaposing two photographs of elements from my natural surroundings," explains Lloren.

"This simple technique aims to generate images that are richer and more complex than the mere sum of their parts, much like combining two musical notes, as Ralph Gibson suggested in his theory of visual overtones. The resulting image often carries a sense of unreality or surrealism, as is the case here, where a photo of wildflowers is paired with one of a mountain".

Other award winners

You can see the full list of winners on the AAP website.

See our guide to the best cameras for black and white photography