
To date over two thousand five hundred images from thirty four countries have been the hallmark of the Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards. Now calling for the 2018 Awards. Today we recognize the third annual Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards are open, and announce all entrants will receive an iconic image of the Champs-Élysées by Mark Gunter, just for entering the Awards.
New this year is the ‘Proud Cycling Moment’ category to accompany the existing categories; ‘Professional’, ‘Enthusiast’, and ‘Smartphone / Action Cam’. ‘Proud Cycling Moment’ is a celebration of the moments in life that make us proud of our loved ones and ourselves. An example image could be the thrill and satisfaction of reaching the peak you’ve always dreamed of, or the pure exhaustion. Both equally ‘Proud Cycling Moments.’
CyclingTips.com – who are backing the Awards again – and Leeanne Gatien (Mark Gunter’s wife) invite professional photographers, budding amateurs, and the happy snapper or iPhonologist, from anywhere in the world, to enter. Last week marked three years since the cycling community lost Mark and his talent. Renowned as one of Australia’s leading cycling photographers, he ‘captured moments in time’ and preserved them forever. These Awards are his legacy for all to share, and in the process, we are unearthing new talent from all over the world. The continued impact of Mark’s work is evident through the comments from previous Awards’ entrants: “Mark was one of my first inspirations to pick up a camera.”
“It’s a good cause and fun to have your hobby evaluated by the pros.” “So many of us lived vicariously through Mark – what a gift he gave us!” “The celebration of bikes, life and landscape through photography is a wonderful thing to support and I think this is a great initiative and legacy for Mark.”
Over 2,500 images from 34 countries have been submitted in the past two years. We’ve seen a large presence from the USA, UK and Australia, as well entries from Slovenia, Norway, Monaco, Poland, Israel, Brazil, India, and China. Mark was known for his kindness and willingness to help others. All money raised from the Awards will go to cancer research via Tour de Cure and to the Young Cyclist Assistance, an initiative of the Awards to provide a $1,000 grant for up to three young cyclists.
This year’s judging panel sees the return of Graham Watson, famed for his latest book ‘40 Years of Cycling,’ and who shared a strong professional connection with Mark. He’s joined by Russ Ellis, Team Sky’s pro peloton photographer, and Wouter Roosenboom, the Award’s inaugural Professional category winner. We’re thrilled to announce Marianne Vos – World and Olympic champion and Pro Tour cyclist – as the independent judge for the Young Cyclist Assistance. We’re expecting many more inspiring nominations, all vying for the Young Cyclist Assistance. https://bit.ly/2zK9yrz
If you are not a keen photographer but would like to help, donations can be made directly to cancer research at Tour de Cure. https://tourdecure.com.au/events/events-calendar/?id=2146 The competition is open now, and runs till 3rd January, 2019. More information can be found here: https://cyclingtips.com/2018-mark-gunter-photographeryear-awards/ Promotion on social media via hash tag #markgunterphotoawards2018.