Havana Times has announced the winners and special mentions of its 14th Photo Contest, featuring a close competition in categories such as portraits, bridges, markets, nature, and documentaries. A 10-member jury selected the top images from many excellent entries. Four of the five main prize winners had previously triumphed in earlier contests.
The 14th Havana Times Photo Contest drew numerous high-quality entries, with the 10-member jury using a scoring system of 10, 5, 3, and 1 points for first through fourth places in the final round. In the finals, 24 of the 32 photos in the portraits, bridges, markets, and nature categories received at least one first-place vote, as did six of the nine documentary sets.
In the Portraits category, Paco Morillo won with a 2019 photo from his 'contextualized portraits' series, positioning a child close to the frame against the backdrop of Cienfuegos Bay and a girl diving under harsh light. His special mention, from the same series, captures a dog on a Havana street using a wide-angle lens, conveying protectiveness toward its owner.
For Bridges, Gabriel García Juárez took the prize with a 2023 image of the bridge over the Canímar River in Matanzas, Cuba, highlighting geometric and harmonious shapes from its reflection, nearly abstract. Laura Valdivia's special mention is pending.
In Markets, Nicolaas Kuipers won with a 2014 photo of a bustling Havana market, showing vendors surrounded by vibrant produce, laughter, and resilience, seeking the soul of the place. Alejandro Arce received special mention for a 2019 image of meat products in a Havana market.
The Nature category went to Alejandro Arce for a photo of a woodpecker feeding its chick in Havana, after five months of tracking; these birds nest from February to July in palm or dead trunk cavities, laying five to six white eggs. Mario Gustavo Fiorucci earned special mention for a Great Kiskadee eating a mojarra in Santa Rosa, La Pampa, Argentina, in 2015.
In Documentary Sets, Claudio Mammucari won with images from August this year of Havana's Malecón, a gathering spot for couples, friends, fishermen, and musicians at sunset. Paco Morillo received special mention for his 'A Part of Me' collection, inspired by childhood memories of observing feet on buses, playing with suggestions, irony, and mystery.