Black and white photography has a magic of its own. Without colors competing for attention, every shadow, texture, and expression gets its moment to shine. Sometimes, a single frame in shades of gray can tell a more powerful story than a thousand colors.
The Artist Gallery Awards 2026 brings together talented professional and amateur photographers, celebrating their creativity and passion for capturing the world through a lens. The competition offers photographers a platform to showcase their skills and receive well-deserved recognition.
This year’s Black and White category features 24 outstanding photographs filled with emotion, imagination, and striking compositions. Taking first place, Charles Janson from the USA impressed everyone with "Flames in the Water," a breathtaking drone photograph of an Icelandic glacial river whose twisting channels resemble flames dancing above a roaring fire.
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Overall Winners
The top three photographers impressed with their exceptional vision and mastery of monochrome photography. Charles Janson from the USA claimed 1st place with Flames in the Water. The 2nd and 3rd place winners also earned recognition for their remarkable creativity and stunning black and white compositions, celebrating the beauty of photography without color.
#1. 1st Place: Flames in the Water by Charles Janson, USA
"As seen by a drone, the interlacing channels and shallower sandbars of a glacial river in Iceland appear like flames above a roaring fire. Despite their very different substances, the oddly regular yet chaotic shapes in the river and in a fire share the same physical process: turbulence."
#2. 2nd Place: Salt Farm Workers Harvesting by Saurabh Sirohiya, India
"Seen from above, laborers work in a salt pan, raking salt into circular, radiating lines that allow slow evaporation under the scorching sun. At the end of the day, the salt is collected in baskets. It is a truly difficult job, and from this height it becomes a striking pattern of labor and geometry."
#3. 3rd Place: Conformation by Ali Zolghadri, Iran
"Confrontation is a visual metaphor for life’s challenges and defining moments. A solitary man crosses the field carrying one ball toward many scattered ahead, divided by a white line. The image explores opposition, uncertainty, ambition, and the courage to move forward."
Honorable Mentions
Beyond the top three, several talented photographers earned honorable recognition for their exceptional work in the Black and White category. Their photographs capture fascinating moments, dramatic contrasts, and beautiful compositions, proving that monochrome photography continues to inspire fresh perspectives and unforgettable visual storytelling.
#4. A Deer in the Headlights by Preeti and Prashant Chacko, UAE
"An impala, which is a common antelope in Africa, decides to pose in front of the rising sun, to dramatic effect. We chose the black and white treatment as we wanted the striking figure of the unsung impala to be the hero and not the deep orange hues of the rising sun."
#5. High Sky Bar by Michael Wirth, France
"Shibuya."
#6. Where are you Mom? by Charles Janson, USA
"This Alaskan Brown Bear cub has just realized that its mother has wandered away into the meadow. Poking its head out of the tall grass, it searches the area to find her mother. I took this shot with the camera nestled in the meadow grasses, which became a diffuse blur between me and the cub."
#7. A Young Fisherman with Hilsa by Azim Khan Ronnie, France
"In this captivating aerial shot taken near Teknaf, Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh, a young fisherman beams with pride as he sits surrounded by a glistening catch of Hilsa fish, the prized national fish of Bangladesh, locally known as Ilish. Caught fresh from the waters of the Bay of Bengal."
#8. Social Unrest by Michael Wirth, France
"Paris, La Bastille."
#9. Gannets at Shetland by Juliet Frey, USA
"Gannets and their decorative guano on a high cliff."
#10. The Moldmaker by Paul Dunphy, Canada
"A Venetian craftsman is viewed through a metal sculpture while creating a mold for metal casting."
#11. Peeking Angel by Paul Dunphy, Canada
"A small stone angel is seen peeking out upon the world through a glass window."
#12. Ears by Harry Giglio, USA
"A study of the texture and form of a dogs head."
#13. Bob Marley by Brigitte B. Burckhardt, Switzerland
"A huge poster of Bob Marley in the streets of London made him feel alive. It was just a dream someone walked past."
#14. Calm before the Chew by Dev Kumar, Malaysia
"A mountain gorilla pauses with eyes gently closed before taking its next mouthful. This fleeting moment of stillness reveals the quiet grace that exists beneath immense strength, inviting viewers to see gentleness where they might expect only power."
#15. Fortitude by Preeti and Prashant Chacko, UAE
"Age cannot wither nor rain dampen her infinite fortitude. A lioness is joined by her cub and together they decide to brave the rain rather than rush for shelter, in the Masai Mara in Kenya. We crafted this whole image with the explicit purpose of saying a lot with a little."
#16. The Ascent by Preeti and Prashant Chacko, UAE
"Leopards climbing trees make for silhouette heaven. But when we found a tree as striking as this one with a leopard close by, we didn’t mind waiting a whole day just to capture this moment."
#17. Darter Feather Detail by Peter Kinchington, Australia
"I photographed the plumage of a Darter who was drying it’s feathers by the lakeside. The photogravure print rendered the details of the feathers beautifully."
#18. Towering Trident by Preeti and Prashant Chacko, UAE
"With a storm brewing, these three giraffes seemed to huddle together, seeking strength in numbers. The illusion created by their silhouettes was of a towering trident, rising to pierce the sky and face the oncoming storm head-on."
#19. The Ticket by Michael Wirth, France
"Paris, Le Marais."
#20. Reflections in the Dust by Douglas Kliewer, USA
"A group of rhinos appears out of the dust at their local waterhole. Solio Reserve, Kenya."
#21. Crossing Chaos by PJ. Hicks, Tanzania
"The wildebeest cross the Mara River in Tanzania to find better grazing. They group up in hundreds and thousands and prepare to cross, sometimes waiting hours and sometimes just moments. Here you can see them congregating ready to cross."
#22. Bear Emergent by Charles Janson, USA
"I followed this bear for much of an afternoon. When he came out of the stream where it had been fishing for salmon, he shook his fur vigorously. The late afternoon sun was about to set behind the mountain tops, but lingered long enough to light up the cloud of water drops the bear sent out."
#23. The Gathering Storm by Turgay Uzer, USA
"In the flat and featureless landscape of the Serengeti, the few rocky outcrops serve as vantage points for the local big cats. They inform themselves about the presence of prey watching the distant horizon. Taken during the wildebeest calving season."
#24. The Fever by Kaushik Subramaniam, United Kingdom
"This is what it looks like being in the middle of a stingray tornado. I saw this group of pink whip-rays souring the reef in search of their next meal, so I slowly sank down as they approached. I captured this image just as they engulfed me, and for a split second, I became one of the fever."
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ):
What are The Artist Gallery Awards 2026?
The Artist Gallery Awards 2026 recognize professional and amateur photographers, giving them an opportunity to showcase their creative skills, gain recognition, and celebrate outstanding photographic talent.
Who won first place in the Black and White category?
Charles Janson from the USA won first place in the Black and White category with his spectacular aerial photograph titled "Flames in the Water."
What makes the winning black and white photographs special?
These photographs showcase exceptional creativity, composition, lighting, and storytelling, proving how monochrome photography can transform everyday scenes into powerful and visually captivating works of art.
