Launch Shapes Photo Contest 2024

Announcing the New Shapes Photography Contest: Shape Your Vision!

AAP Magazine is excited to announce its 42nd printed issue, dedicated to the theme of Shapes. This issue will feature the best photography projects that explore the concept of shape in its myriad forms.

A shape is the form of an object or its external boundary, outline, or external surface. Whether it's a square, circle, triangle, hexagon, rectangle, or oval, shapes are all around us, influencing how we perceive the world.

Henri Cartier-Bresson once said, ''The rhythm of surfaces, lines, and values is for me the essence of photography; composition should be a constant of preoccupation... an organic coordination of visual elements.'' This sentiment perfectly encapsulates what we are seeking for this issue. We want to see how you capture the elements that abstract into light, texture, shape, and shadow in your photography.

We invite photographers from around the world to send us their images—preferably series—where shapes not only influence the pictures but also serve as the subject itself. Whether your work falls under architecture, portrait, landscape, nude, street, or any other form of photography—classic or experimental—we are open to all genres. Our goal is to discover the most interesting and compelling photography projects globally.

Winners of this competition will receive $1,000 in cash awards, with their winning images printed in AAP Magazine #42, and extensive press coverage. All winners will also have their work published in the 42nd printed issue of AAP Magazine, receive a free copy of the magazine, and have their portfolio showcased in the Winners Gallery on www.all-about-photo.com.

The first-place winner will be awarded $500, an exclusive interview, and have their winning images or portfolio featured in AAP Magazine Volume 42: Shapes. Additionally, they will receive a free copy of the magazine, which will be available for sale and distribution on Blurb.com, and their work will be showcased in the online Winners Gallery of All About Photo.

The second-place winner will receive $300 and have their winning images or portfolio included in AAP Magazine Volume 42: Shapes. They too will receive a free copy of the magazine and have their work featured in the online Winners Gallery of All About Photo.

The third-place winner will be awarded $200 and their winning images or portfolio will be published in AAP Magazine Volume 42: Shapes. They will also receive a free copy of the magazine and have their work showcased in the online Winners Gallery of All About Photo.

Additionally, the next 23 winners, ranked from 4 to 25, will have their best images or portfolio published in AAP Magazine Vol.42.

Ikoji Temple Sesshu Garden from the series 'The Creation of Place or Gardens of Sesshu' © Junichi Wajda, Merit Award Winner Shapes 2023

Note: Images previously published in AAP Magazine are not eligible for submission.

This competition is an incredible opportunity to have your work seen by a global audience of photography enthusiasts and professionals. Participating can be a pivotal moment in your career, providing exposure to editors, book publishers, gallery owners, festival directors, creative directors, curators, and online media publishers.

Don't miss the chance to be featured on All About Photo, a leading platform in the photography industry showcasing the work of both famous photographers and new talents. Share your work with the world and catch the attention of diverse media outlets through our promotion on our website and social profiles.

Submit your best photographs centered on the theme of shapes and become part of the illustrious AAP Magazine Vol.42. Elevate your craft, gain exposure, and join the ranks of celebrated photographers. Submit your work today and let your creativity shape the future of photography.

Chiave di Violino (Treble Clef) from the series 'Musica Notturna (Night Music)' © Jo Fields, Merit Award Winner Shapes 2023

La Muralla Roja © Fabien Dendiéval, Winner Shapes 2023

Bryan Adams: Hear the World

By Bryan Adams

Publisher : Steidl

2024 | 264 pages

Hear the World is a visually compelling and heartwarming collection of over 120 portraits by musician and photographer Bryan Adams, created in collaboration with the Hear the World Foundation. This beautifully curated book brings together some of the most recognizable faces from the worlds of film, music, fashion, and beyond—including Julianne Moore, Bruce Springsteen, The Weeknd, Priyanka Chopra, Jared Leto, Léa Seydoux, and Lenny Kravitz—all captured through Adams' distinctive lens. Each subject strikes the signature "Hear the World" pose, with a hand cupped behind one ear, symbolizing their support for hearing awareness.

The Hear the World Foundation, which focuses on supporting children with hearing loss in low- and middle-income countries, is grounded in the belief that every child deserves the opportunity to hear and live life to its fullest. Adams has been a passionate collaborator with the foundation since 2007, and Hear the World is the culmination of their shared vision to highlight the importance of conscious hearing and advocate for global accessibility to hearing care.

The portraits in Hear the World offer more than just familiar faces—they capture the humanity, individuality, and solidarity of renowned ambassadors uniting for a vital cause. Each image stands as a reminder of the preciousness of sound and the often-overlooked gift of hearing. Through this striking visual anthology, Adams not only showcases his skill behind the camera but also raises awareness of hearing loss and celebrates the foundation's mission.

This book is a testament to the power of art, philanthropy, and collaboration, making Hear the World a touching and meaningful contribution to both the world of photography and the cause of hearing health.

All About Bryan Adams

Mary Ellen Mark: Indian Circus

By Mary Ellen Mark

Publisher : Steidl

2024 | 160 pages

Playful yet haunting, Mary Ellen Mark’s photographs of Indian circus performers depict a world on the brink of disappearance. In 1969, Mark first traveled to India and photographed a circus, captivated by its "beauty and innocence." Two decades later, she returned for six months to document 18 circuses across the country, from bustling cities to remote villages.

Ranging from large troupes with hundreds of performers—both human and animal—to small, intimate acts, Mark's lens captures not the spectacle of the shows, but the quiet moments in between: scenes of practice, rest, and life beyond the spotlight. Her focus is on the human experience—marked by the contradictions of humor and sadness, beauty and hardship. By the time of Mark’s project, Indian circuses were already fading, holding onto an innocence long lost in the West, as they struggled against the pressures of the modern world.

This new edition of her 1993 book preserves the original text and images but reimagines the sequence and design, staying true to Mark’s poignant vision of a dying art form.

All About Mary Ellen Mark

Peter Lindbergh: Dior

By Peter Lindbergh

Publisher : TASCHEN

2024 | 512 pages

Peter Lindbergh photographed Dior’s most exceptional muses, Marion Cotillard and Charlize Theron among them, and signed campaigns for Lady Dior and J'Adore with his inimitable style. Throughout his career, the photographer was one of the house’s closest collaborators. This final book was an original cocreation that was close to the artist’s heart—and to ours.

Seventy years of Dior history projected against the effervescence of Times Square, New York: this was the concept behind Lindbergh’s project, extraordinary both in scope and dimension, for which Dior, in an unusual move, allowed an unprecedented number of priceless garments to be taken from its vaults in Paris and shipped across the Atlantic.

The result is electric. Amid the frenzy of Times Square, Alek Wek glows in the immaculate 1947 Bar suit, the storied ensemble that launched the House of Dior. In snatches of street scenes, models Saskia de Brauw, Karen Elson, and Amber Valletta flit through crowds and scaffolding, are reflected in building façades, and draped in haute couture, from pieces hand-sewn by Christian Dior to more recent designs by Maria Grazia Chiuri. Lindbergh’s trademark monochrome and color photographs masterfully highlight the intricacies, silhouettes, and textures of each garment.

Lindbergh himself is present in every aspect of this publication designed by his long-time collaborator and friend Juan Gatti. This volume features 165 never-before-published images from the shoot, including an introduction by Martin Harrison, and pays homage to Lindbergh’s profound relationship with the Parisian House by curating more than 100 of his photographs of Dior creations, from haute couture to ready-to-wear, men’s and women’s, originally published in some of the world’s most prestigious magazines such as Vogue and Harper’s Bazaar. A breathtaking tribute to two pillars of fashion and photography and their timeless collaborations.

All About Peter Lindbergh

Toilet Alex Paper Prager

By Alex Prager, Maurizio Cattelan, Pierpaolo Ferrari

Publisher : Damiani

2024 | 40 pages

A captivating fusion of the surreal worlds of Toilet Paper and the striking imagery of artist, director, and screenwriter Alex Prager, the latest issue of Toilet Paper magazine presents a visual dialogue between these creative forces. The issue showcases 12 of Prager’s evocative images alongside 12 conceived by the Toilet Paper team. Known for its vibrant aesthetics and playful visual twists, Toilet Paper enters into a dynamic exchange with Prager’s technicolor universe, where the line between reality and fiction is artfully blurred. Her signature use of archetypes, everyday objects, humor, and allegory creates a provocative and mysterious journey throughout the pages. This collaboration follows in the footsteps of ToiletMartin PaperParr (2018), a special edition that celebrated the iconic work of internationally acclaimed photographer Martin Parr, along with the creative minds of Maurizio Cattelan and Pierpaolo Ferrari. Like its predecessor, this issue brings together distinctive visual worlds in a way that delights and intrigues.

Launch Shapes Photo Contest 2024

Announcing the New Shapes Photography Contest: Shape Your Vision!

Enter Shapes Photo Contest 2024

Selected Books