Sony World Images Awards 2022: Profitable pictures seize Dutch communities frozen in time

A fisherman’s marriage ring looped around a neckerchief for safekeeping. Buttons created of cherished metals to serve as a form of lifetime coverage for the wearer. Sculptural white hats manufactured from material stretching up to 10 toes extended.

These curious sartorial specifics, ubiquitous in Dutch outfits over 100 several years back, are alive and well in the traditional communities captured by 21-yr-old Netherlands-based photographer Ezra Böhm.

Böhm’s pictures appear like relics from the 19th century, with solemn — and frequently unsmiling — subjects dressed in classic Dutch outfits. But these are not contrived costumes: The wearers are focused to preserving their cultural historical past by donning historic garments to attend church or go on choir outings.

“I started the collection by emailing historical museums,” Böhm reported about e-mail. “Following a though I arrived into contact with some persons who are continue to wearing the costumes nowadays. Once I experienced (set up) get hold of with them, things went promptly. There are only a handful of people who wear standard clothing and they often know each and every other.”

An graphic from Böhm’s collection, “The Identity of Holland.” Credit: Ezra Böhm

It took Böhm in excess of a calendar year to study, visit and doc these shut-knit communities. He generally photographed multi-generational families in intimate settings — in front of a tiled fireside as a hearth heated a copper kettle, or within an antiquated drawing place as his subjects drank tea. Even with the absence of smiles, a tenderness emanates from the visuals.

“The purpose was to rejoice and cherish the aged society of the Netherlands,” Böhm stated. “But apart from all the attractiveness, these communities have a thing beneficial in popular that we frequently miss in modern-day culture: togetherness, protection and pride,

“Many people today now have dropped their cultural roots and can sense alienated in a modern society comprehensive of world citizens. By demonstrating these communities to the earth, I hope that folks commence to appear at their personal cultural roots once again.”

Böhm, a college student at the Nederlandse Academie voor Beeldcreatie in Eindhoven, will receive 30,000 euros’ ($33,000) truly worth of Sony photography machines for his faculty.

Vietnamese photographer Tri Nguyen gained the Youth group at the Sony Photography Awards for this impression visualizing themes of self-reflection. Credit: Tri Nguyen

The competition’s major prize was awarded to 43-12 months-previous Adam Ferguson, whose photograph series “Migrantes” depicts the life of migrants in Mexico, near the US border. Shot in black and white, the project saw Ferguson subvert the regular narrative of documentary pictures by involving his subjects in the development of their very own pictures — normally allowing them hit the shutter. The end result is an impacting portrayal of the harrowing realities of migration.

Ferguson’s profitable picture sequence was titled “Migrantes.” Credit score: Adam Ferguson

“Profitable the Photographer of the 12 months award presents this story an additional daily life,” Ferguson stated in a assertion. “It lets a new viewers to link with the important stories of the folks who shared their story with me.”