Meet the Jury
BLACK & WHITE PHOTOGRAPHY
"I like low light, rainy days and troublesome places, but first and foremost I like people,
authentic people."
Rui Palha (born 1953), began photographing at the age of 14 and is one of the most respected street photographers in the world. He was distinguished by the SPA (Portuguese Society of Authors) with the prize "Best Work of Photography" in the 2011 Authors Prizes, in the category of Visual Arts, with his book "Street Photography".
In 2015, in "Street Hunters" blog, was considered one of the 20 most influential street
photographers in the world (confirmed in 2016 by a vote of readers of the blog) and the best street photographer in the world by the website "Top Teny - Top ten of the best ".
In addition to numerous solo and group exhibitions, Rui Palha's work is heavily publicized on social networks, particularly through his Facebook page with more than 330,000 followers.
Rui Palha thinks that the best distinction he can have is the one he feels in the midst of the people he meets in the streets, alleys and neighborhoods ... the warmth that emanates from them, fills his soul and is the biggest prize he may have. His friendly and frank posture makes him gain friendships in the most diverse places, that is for him a real compensation because he is felt, real, palpable and lasting .... the others may be pleasant, but they are ephemeral.
What best defines his posture in photography is its quote:
"Photography is a very important part of my space... it is to discover, it is to capture giving flow to what the heart feels and sees in a certain moment, it is being in the street, experiencing, understanding, learning and, essentially, practicing the freedom of being, of living, of thinking...”
LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY
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Marcin is a landscape photographer from Poland living in Northern California. When he's not chasing light with his camera, he works as a software engineer.
While typically exploring areas near his current home in California, photography has taken him to many stunning locations, from the coastline of Australia to the rugged volcanic landscape of Iceland.
His work has been rewarded in several photography contest including being shortlisted for Astronomy Photographer of the Year organized by Royal Museum Greenwich 4 times in a row (2019, 2020, 2021 and 2022) and winning the People's Choice award in 2021, awarded NASA's Astronomy Picture of the Day in 2020 and placed among the world's top 101 photographs in the International Landscape Photographer of the Year 2021 competition.
WILDLIFE PHOTOGRAPHY
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My name is Jennifer Hadley and I have loved animals and nature for as long as I can remember. I didn't have much exposure to wildlife until I was an adult. Then one day I took a trip to Antarctica with my first real camera. I was overwhelmed at the amazing scenery and abundant animal life that I saw.
Once I started photographing the natural wonders all around me, I was hooked. Since then, I have traveled all over the world capturing wildlife in their element. I am passionate about showing people how incredible animals are and that they, and the natural spaces they call home are worth preserving and safeguarding for future generations. My hope is that by capturing the spirit or "soul" of an animal and telling their stories, I can help people appreciate their individuality and worth. I like spending as much time as possible in nature with wildlife, observing and learning about their behavior and language, and sharing that experience and knowledge with others.
Four years ago, I left my corporate career to pursue photography full time. Today, I guide in Eastern North Carolina and lead photography groups in South Africa, Alaska and Botswana. I have also filmed and co-produced two conservation short films focused on the critically endangered Red Wolves as well as working on other conservation projects in North Carolina.