This is a new photography contest, dubbed the Natural Landscape Photography Awards , conceived with the aim of honoring images with the least possible digital manipulation; the most natural.
1,300 photographers from 47 countries submitted a total of 13,368 images to this new photo contest. A panel of 8 judges, including renowned landscape photographers Joe Cornish and William Neill, selected Eric Bennett , based in Utah, USA, as the overall winner.
Winners of the inaugural natural landscape photography awards highlight the breathtaking beauty of the natural world without excessive post-processing techniques getting in the way . All photographers who passed the first round were required to submit the RAW version of their photos to ensure they were not breaking the rules; nothing to distort elements, compose or combine images.
As these types of images tend to have a quieter impact, they often end up being ignored in much of the photo contests. Here, images based on composition, lighting and originality are rewarded as opposed to post-processing techniques or flamboyant composition, according to Bennett, the overall winner of this year's contest.
20,000 in prizes will be distributed to all winners, including Canon cameras and printers. The full gallery of the 2021 contest can be viewed on the Natural Landscape Awards website.
