We’re thrilled to announce the winners of our Photo Theme, The B-Sides of Architecture! To celebrate the creativity of our community, we’ve compiled all entries into a single gallery, which you can explore here: B-Sides of Architecture 2024 Gallery. While the competition has concluded and we’re sharing the winning images below, we encourage you to browse the gallery, click on your favourite images in the activity feed, and don’t forget to leave a comment sharing what you love about them!
But without any more delay, let’s get to the winners!
Single Photo Winner: Antoinette Schaafsma-Stydom with her capture of Mr. Ramjuttun’s Store in Mauritius!
This image perfectly captures the spirit of the theme, using a rich palette and simple architectural elements of line, shape, and Mr. Ramjuttun’s signboard, underscored by the scooter, which adds a strong sense of place. Antoinette receives a cash prize of R1,000. Congratulations, Antoinette, on this well-deserved win!
Best Series: Luke Brouwers with his series from the Bo-Kaap, Western Cape
Luke’s series caught our attention for its minimalistic style and effective use of colour, line, and shape, evoking an almost abstract quality reminiscent of Franco Fontana’s work. His series demonstrates a strong sense of balance, with carefully considered negative space enhancing the impact of each composition.
One standout image juxtaposes a yellow-orange wall against green and magenta hues, creating a striking use of contrasting colours that adds depth to the series. Luke receives one month free in our upcoming Architectural Mentorship Programme as his prize, valued at R2,500! We’re excited to have someone with your talent join our programme, Luke!
Second and Third Prizes as Honourable Mentions
Second prize goes to René Pfeiffer and third goes to Colleen Francis.
- René Pfeiffer’s series, also featuring the Bo-Kaap, displayed excellent compositional strength. While René’s work was impressive, Luke’s series offered a bit more variety and intrigue, giving him the edge.
- Colleen Francis’ Retail Therapy Series, created during one of our Pro Excursions to 44 Stanley, showcases beautiful lighting and retail elements that truly captivated us.
How We Decided on the Winning Images
We received some remarkable submissions with eloquent compositions and dramatic lighting. Beyond our set criteria, a key factor in our decision was how these images would translate into print, particularly as a way to beautify interior spaces. This theme’s winners were thus chosen not only for their technical proficiency but also for their potential to shine in print—a valuable lesson for all photographers submitting images to competitions.
Our Next Photo Theme: Black and White!
A final word: our community is growing, and we are grateful for everyone’s participation! We encourage everyone to take part in our next tri-monthly theme, Black and White! Details coming soon!
