Some of the best photographs depicting the delicate balance between man and the environment were honored today when the winners of the UNEP International Photographic Competition on the Environment 2004-2005 were announced.
Organized by the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) and sponsored by Canon Inc., with the theme “Focus on Your World,” the world’s largest environmental photo competition accepted entries between June 5 and October 31, 2004. It attracted participants from 169 countries and regions worldwide with a total of 32,299 entries submitted-double the number received for the previous competition held in 1999-2000.
“We are delighted at the enthusiastic response to the competition,” said Fujio Mitarai, President and CEO of Canon Inc., which also sponsored the three previous competitions. “We are also heartened that so many people share our concern about global degradation and are joining with us to promote environmental responsibility and sustainability.”
A panel of award-winning photographers comprising Takeyoshi Tanuma, Raghu Rai, Susan Meiselas, and Enny Nuraheni carefully scrutinized the thousands of entries received, adjudging each in the three categories of General, Youth and Children’s according to how successfully the photos depicted the challenges facing the earth’s rich environmental diversity.
“The competition’s global scope and worldwide participation are truly noteworthy, and Web entries contributed to the increase in total entries this year,” noted Takeyoshi Tanuma, head of the judging panel. Added Enny Nuraheni, “Overall, the entries were great from children while the Youth and General categories depict most of the typical problems associated with the environment.”
The three Gold Prize winners were Resmi Chandra Senan from India who won US$20,000, Monica Alexandra Terrazas Galvan from Mexico who secured a prize of US$5,000, and Chamaiporn Pongpanich from Thailand who won US$2,000. The UNEP Executive Director’s Special Prize was awarded to Brazilian Paulo Cesar Lopes Alvadia, a professional photographer and previous winner of Brazil’s Esso Prize.
Commenting on the forces behind their photos, Resmi Chandra Senan noted that “nature is the greatest motif for me, always,” while Monica Alexandra Terrazas Galvan laments the fact that for Mexico City’s inhabitants, whether rich or poor, “everybody lives in the garbage,” a situation she finds so sad.
An awards ceremony will be held on March 26, 2005, in the United Nations Pavilion at The 2005 World Exposition, Aichi, Japan.
An exhibition of all award-winning works, including Honorable Mentions, will be displayed at the UN Pavilion of the Aichi Expo until September 2005. Current as well as the three previous competition’s winning pictures will be incorporated into the design of the outer wall of the UN Pavilion. Following the Expo, this year’s works will be displayed in New York, Paris and Beijing.
Award Winners
General Category:
Gold, Resmi Chandra Senan, India
Silver, Brent Stirton, South Africa
Bronze, Jian Qiang Chen, China
Bronze, Jesus Rodriguez, Dominican Republic
Bronze, Andrew Merry, Australia
Honorary Mention, 40 recipients
Youth Category:
Gold, Monica Alexandra Terrazas Galvan, Mexico
Silver, David Collier, America
Bronze, Faraji Vahid, Iran
Bronze, Matthieu Marquenet, France
Bronze, Thy Phuong Nguyen Hoang, Vietnam
Honorary Mention, 40 recipients
Children’s Category:
Gold, Chamaiporn Pongpanich, Thailand Silver, Thien Anh Huynh, Vietnam
Bronze, Joel Rosen, United Kingdom
Bronze, Lam Vu Duc Hanh, Vietnam
Bronze, Dinh Cung Vuong Tran, Vietnam
Honorary Mention, 40 recipients
The UNEP Executive Director’s Special Prize: Paulo Cesar Lopes Alvadia, Brazil
The Canon Special Prize: Chidchanok Senanunsakul, Thailand
Impressions on Gold Prize Works by Head Judge Takeyoshi Tanuma
General Category Gold Prize: Resmi Chandra Senan, India
“The photo of several deer scavenging through the garbage dump, jostling for the contents of a plastic bag, really forces us to think long and hard about humanity’s impact on the environment.”
Youth Category Gold Prize: Monica Alexandra Terrazas Galvan, Mexico
“The striking contrast between the neighboring slum and upscale housing reflects a message of better living for tomorrow.”
Children’s Category Gold Prize: Chimaiporn Pongpanich, Thailand
“I can see many levels of meaning in this photo. This photo of Buddhist monks draping washed cloth out to dry upon a tree in the jungle symbolizes man’s simple coexistence with nature, yet also underscores the Buddhist reverence for life and the importance nature plays in ascetic training.”
For additional information regarding the award winners and their works, please visit https://www.unep-photo.com.
About the United Nations Environment Programme
Established in 1972 and based in Nairobi, Kenya, UNEP is the voice for the environment within the United Nations. Its mission is to provide leadership and encourage partnership in caring for the environment by inspiring, informing, and enabling nations and peoples to improve their quality of life without compromising that of future generations.
About Canon
Canon Inc. and the Canon Group develop, produce and market a wide range of products used in the home, offices and industry, including business machines, conventional and digital cameras, lenses, digital video camcorders, semiconductor production equipment, television broadcasting lenses and medical equipment. Established in August 1937 and headquartered in Tokyo, Japan, the group employs about 100,000 people worldwide.
This article was last modified on January 7, 2023
This article was first published on March 21, 2005
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