Free Weekly Photography Contest | Photographer of the Week

From July 21, 2025, to July 27, 2025 – Week 30

Photographer of the Week | Photographer of the Week

Russia/Spain

Covadonga from series Insomnia © Diana Rybakova

Behind the Shot: Covadonga

“This photograph was taken on Mount Covadonga, in the northern part of Spain. Rain and fog are typical for this region. Over a thousand years ago, it was here that the Asturian army—Christianity’s last stronghold in a nearly fully conquered Spain—found refuge. Using their knowledge of the mountainous terrain, the Asturians defeated the Arab forces, marking the beginning of the Reconquista, the centuries-long process of reclaiming the Iberian Peninsulav.

Today, these misty slopes are home to peaceful cattle with bells around their necks. Often invisible in the fog, they remain present through sound—the quiet landscape filled with the haunting chime of dozens of bells, like an echo of the past.

The photograph is part of the black-and-white series Insomnia, which explores reality, sleeplessness, and subjective memory.”

Expert Juror

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel

Photographer, Founder & Editor All About Photo

www.hermandgrisel.com | @allaboutphotocom

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel is a professional photographer who specializes in Fine Art Photography and Printmaking. She grew up in Paris, France and in London, UK before she moved to the United States with her family in 2006. She decided to use her knowledge of the photography world to become the curator of the website, All About Photo, which she founded in 2013. Much more than a cultural agenda, All About Photo is a source of information for photographers and aficionados of photography as well as a showcase platform for talented artists.

An integral part of All About Photo is its annual awards competition, The Mind’s Eye, she has juried over the years with renowned photographers and curators such as Liu Bolin, Ann Jastrab, Ed Kashi, Eli Klein, Jules Maeght, Aline Smithson, Ami Vitale, Judy Walgren, Sabine Weiss, Frank Horvat, Elizabeth Avedon and many more. She also juried competitions and shows for A Smith Gallery, Darkroom Gallery, Gomma Photography Grant, Rayko Photo Center, L.A. & N.Y. Photo Curator, Emerge UK Prize, The PhotoPlace Gallery, Praxis Gallery, The Young Photographer's Award and others.

Sandrine Hermand-Grisel's work has been published in books and magazines as well as exhibited in museums and galleries worldwide.

While still working on personal projects, she now spends most of her time discovering new talents for All About Photo. She is also working on the new AAP Magazine committed exclusively to the publication of portfolios.