André Boto, born in Silves, received this weekend the distinction of European Photographer of the Year 2024, an award awarded by FEP – Federation of European Professional Photographers.
The Algarve native, who last year became the only photographer to win the competition's main trophy twice (2010 and 2023), has now achieved it for the third time – and in the year in which the participation record was broken, with more of 3300 images submitted.
André Boto was the winner of the “Golden Chamber” in the “Commercial and Advertising” category. In the Algarve, more Portuguese winners joined: Luís Godinho also won the “Golden Chamber”, in reporting, Paulo Pinto obtained the “Silver Chamber”, in Marriage, Franklin Neto achieved the “Bronze Chamber”, also in “ Commercial and Advertising”, and there was also a 9th place, in Landscape, and a 6th place, for Valter Antunes, in Wedding.
After the victory, André Boto said he felt “happy” to have won it in the “Commercial” category and with food images, “an area to which I dedicate myself more and more, due to my involvement with photography for hotels and restaurants ».
«This is a special competition for me, as it was the first big competition I managed to win, in 2010, at a time when I was starting out in photography. Now, it's a source of pride to know that, after 14 years, I can remain current and create images with enough impact to catch the attention of the judges, winning again, with a very different style", revealed the artist in his social networks.
Johan Brouwers, president of the competition, highlighted that «this year marks the first time that an in-depth verification of all images and respective original files of the finalists has been implemented».
«The objective is to defend the most basic principles of photography, with absolutely minimal use of Artificial Intelligence and stock images in the few categories that allow this. By prioritizing authenticity and integrity, we ensure that each winning image is a true reflection of the photographer's skill and vision», he further said.
Comments