At last – the results are in! Photographers from across Asia submitted more than a thousand images for this year’s FCCT Photojournalism Contest. Categories included Spot News, Feature Photography, Environmental Photography (for photos about the environment, climate change and natural resources) and Photo Essay. The winning images come from just about everywhere, including Thailand, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, China and the rest of Asia.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see some of the most compelling photo images of the year from some of the region’s best photographers. The exhibit serves to continue promoting Bangkok as the leading regional hub for photojournalistic work in Asia. The winning photos will remain on display in the FCCT Clubhouse for the months of December 2008 and January 2009. Thanks to all the photographers who participated in this year’s contest, as well the judges who helped make it happen:

- Philip Blenkinsop, one of Asia’s best-known photographers who has devoted much of his work to covering forgotten conflicts across the region.
- Masaru Goto, a 20-year photography veteran who has examined social and human rights issues in South America and Asia and has won a number of awards.
- Adrees Latif, a Bangkok-based regional photographer for Reuters who won the Pulitzer Prize for his pictures of a monk uprising in Myanmar in 2007.
- Patrick de Noirmont, a veteran photographer based in Bangkok and Paris with more than 30 years experience with various wire services including AFP, Associated Press and Reuters.

FCCT also extends its warm thanks to the generous sponsors for this year’s contest: Canon, Toyota, Star Alliance, Anantara and The Oriental.

The winning photos will also be displayed on the FCCT’s web site later this month and a link will be given here when that is available. This year’s winners are:
Photo of the Year: Surapan Boonthanom, Thailand (Southern Thailand violence)

Spot News

First Place: Will Baxter, Thailand (Cyclone Nargis, Burma)

Second Place: Nick Nostitz, Thailand (Thai political unrest)
Feature Photography

First Place: Tawatchai Pattanaporn, Thailand (Southern Thailand life)

Second Place: Vinai Dithajohn, Thailand (Thai drug trade)

Third Place: Timothy Syrota, Australia (Burmese migrants)
Environmental Photography

First Place: Lino Escandor, Philippines (Boat disaster, Philippines)

Second Place: Nguyen Viet Thanh, Vietnam (Ben Do fish market, Vietnam)

Third Place: David Chan Leprozo, Jr., Philippines (Wooden scooter race, Philippines)
Photo Essay

First Place: Surapan Boonthanom, Thailand (Southern Thailand violence)

Second Place: Nic Dunlop, Thailand (Burmese refugee)

Third Place: Peter Harris, Cambodia (Education in Cambodia)

This image was shot for Channel 4 London to illustrate “what would happen to an English chef if he were to tinker about with traditional Italian recipes”. When asked that question I said that in Texas we would string him up, and the idea went on from there. Channel 4 (a mad band of ultra creatives) had me do the image in NY and had Jamie Oliver fly over. The set was built in a sound stage so we had complete control of content. Every item in the image was chosen and placed. Orderly chaos. The color felt right being greens and warm tones to give the right feel of tension mixed with some old world. Jamie Oliver hung upside down four times for a couple minutes each. He is a great guy and fun to work with. He kept smiling and saying that the sides of beef needed more blood on the floor, and had I ever slaughtered a cow, and some stuff about dogs bollocks, and other generally confusing things. Fun stuff.

PS: the guy at the table is a spineless boaster waiting on his Ma. She’s the one that’s going to cut stuff up.

Winners Profile

Jim Fiscus was born in Dallas, TX. He attended business school at Texas Tech, but left after two semesters to go work the fish canneries in Alaska. Shortly after, he transferred to East Texas State University, home of one of the top photography departments in the country.

After school Jim began assisting established commercial photographers in Houston and Dallas. Later, while working as both a producer and location scout, he began investing in cameras, lights, a darkroom and new portfolios.

Jim began shooting classically lit environment portraits – a track he could’ve followed successfully for the rest of his career. But, in 1995, Jim and (his now wife) Lisa Ellis began experimenting with digital manipulation. This led to creating seamless images from shots taken at different times and locations – a revolutionary approach.

In 15 plus years of shooting Jim Fiscus has shot campaigns for Levis, Nike, HBO, and many others. He was voted International Photographer of the Year for 2006. His work featured on two communication arts covers, and named #1 on Campaigns 2008 list of top photographers in the United Kingdom. Jim Fiscus lives and works from Athens, Georgia, United

The 2008 International Aperture Awards.

Here are my entries in the APA National annual photo contest. What do you think?