Photo of the Year 2019

Architectural photography is a special discipline which, like drawing, has a strong connection to the development of architecture. The potential of architectural photography – also for artistic development – helps challenge the way we look at and work with architecture, and in an image filled world, the media is today more relevant than ever before. The best architectural photographers have close ties to the world of arts, hold academic degrees, and think photography as architecture.

We live in a world of images. Images, so to speak, shape the way we see the world. And the speed at which they rush by us on social media makes us visually immune. Lifelike renderings help convince developers and investors, but the photograph is able to document the naked truth. There are therefore very good reasons for honing and developing our senses to help raise the level of photography.

By launching the new competition, Aarhus School of Architecture wants to look into how architectural photography can generate debates and be part of the discussion on how we plan and build for people.

The competition calls for the experimental as well as for new subjects and angles in photography. As the aim of the competition is to develop the profession, it is crucial that the person behind the camera has a professional background in architecture and thus a special awareness of space, light, place, and time. The jury awards photos of architecture with a high level of artistic content.

Although the introduction of new technologies has affected photography, all media are welcome, analogue as well as digital, colour as well as black and white, post-processed or unedited, zoom or panorama, as long as the photograph interprets the architecture through a visual orchestration, gives the spectators room to read into the images their own spatial experiences, relations and memories, and shows how the architecture is used.

Photo of the Year is supported by Dinesen and The Dreyer Foundation. Dinesen has pledged financial support for the competition for the next three years.