15 Stunning Winning Photos Of The Mono Awards 2023

Presenting the outstanding 15 winning photographs from The Mono Awards 2023, proudly sponsored by SanDisk.
Now in its fifth year, this prestigious annual competition continues to attract the finest black and white photographers.

In this remarkable year, we celebrate a superbly camouflaged leopard captured in India by Tony Sernack, a brilliantly composed street photograph by Tebani Slade, and a ‘simple yet intricate’ image of a grass tree skillfully crafted by Mark Ditcham. These exceptional images share the spotlight in the competition, where photographers vied for a total of $12,000 in cash and prizes, spanning three categories: People, Places, and Animals.

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#1 Animals Category Winner By Tony Sernack

Now you see me. The photograph was taken in Jawai in Rajasthan. This place is famous for its leopards who live in peaceful co-existence with the local shepherds, the Rabari. There are around 50 leopards living in amongst the quite spectacular granite hills that rise from the plain. Leopards are usually hard to see in most habitats. Your chances in Jawai are far better, although they are most often seen sunning themselves high up amongst the boulders, surveying their territory. This female was the first leopard we saw on this trip. Whenever you see a rare wild animal, it is a thrill. While I got to photograph a number of other leopards over the next few days, this image is one of my favourites, seeing her serenely and beautifully blending into the rockface.

#2 People Category Winner By Tebani Slade

When I captured this shot I was living in Spain in the coastal town of Sitges. I would often walk along the beachfront promenade late in the afternoons with my camera. On this day, I came across this man who was throwing bubbles to entertain children while their parents sat and watched.There’s something magical about bubbles – they bring so much joy. As the children danced and jumped to try and pop the bubbles, I wanted to capture a shot just like this. It was simply a matter of waiting for the right juxtaposition. It was a bleak and dull day, making it perfect for a black and white image.

#3 Places Category Winner By Mark Ditcham

Holding. This shot was taken during a sunrise shoot in a strip of remnant bushland amongst farming properties just east of Geraldton in Western Australia. This particular area is full of Grass Trees (Xanthorrhoea spp), one of my favourite subjects to photograph. These trees are full of character and I like to hunt for ones with a human semblance. I found this dead and broken-down tree in a previously unexplored area of the bushland and was instantly drawn to its shape and form. The coppery colours of the internal structure of the trunk were beautiful, but I knew that processing it as a black and white image would be far more compelling.