Photographers Trent Mitchell and Andrew Kelly have been shortlisted in the Professional Sport and Documentary categories in the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards.
Inner Atlas, Robert Sherwood 2018, one of the images in Trent Mitchell’s shortlisted portfolio. © Trent Mitchell, Australia, Shortlist, Professional, Sport (Professional competition), 2019 Sony World Photography Awards.
Trent Mitchell, shortlisted in the Professional Sport category, presented a portfolio titled ‘Inner Atlas’ focused upon the sport of bodysurfing. Explaining his inspiration for the series, Mitchell says: “Historically celebrated for performances above the water surface, I felt intrigued to explore the rider’s interaction with the power of the sea from an immersive perspective below. What does it feel like to be there, moving at the perfect speed, intimately connecting with the dynamics of the sea? To ride the formless edge between fear and joy in a single breath? I discovered a physical and emotive space where man, movement and energy fuse during a journey of self-discovery and inner harmony.”
Ayah, 37 and Aisha, 18 drink from Burger King cups in a mall ahead of the face veil ban in Hundige, Denmark, July 19, 2018., one of the images in Andrew Kelly’s shortlisted portfolio. © Andrew Kelly, Australia, Shortlist, Professional, Documentary, 2019 Sony World Photography Awards.
Melbourne-born photojournalist Andrew Kelly is shortlisted for his series Outlawing the Face Veil in Denmark, which the judges found to be thought-provoking and insightful.
Intrigued by communities of people unlike his own, the photographs capture the daily life of women in Denmark wearing the niqab. Talking about the work, Kelly says: “On May 31, 2018, the Danish government voted to ban the wearing of face veils in public. Under the law, police will be able to instruct women to remove their veils or order them to leave public areas. Fines will range from 1,000 to 10,000 crowns ($160 – $1600). The ban would prevent Muslim women from wearing the niqab or burqa in public. Some politicians asserted that the law promoted public safety and secular and democratic values. But many people felt it was an easy way for the government to appease a growing nationalist voter base. Numerous social media campaigns in Denmark have demanded stricter laws on non-western immigrants, a reflection of rising populism in Europe. Denmark has struggled with integrating non-western immigrants, resulting in what have been labelled ‘parallel societies’ within the country.”
Winners will be announced at the London Awards ceremony on 17 April. Prizes include $25000 (USD) for the overall Professional winner, as well as the latest cutting-edge Sony camera equipment and flights to the London Awards ceremony. The winning images will also be included in the 2019 Awards’ book. All shortlisted and winning images will be exhibited as part of the 2019 Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition in London from April 18 until May 6, 2019 before touring globally to countries including Japan, Italy and Germany.
