All photos by Bryan Novak.
It’s been a strange, but interesting time.
Lockdowns, travel restrictions, no live events. General limited social contact. The very aspects of life that formed out identity and culture was pulled out with the rest of the rug under our feet overnight.
But we weren’t just going to sit around and mope about it. Instead, we decided to team up with our good friends at VERO for the most glorious of photo competitions. The theme? Easy, celebrate the world slowly opening back up and how we’re all going to be together, again.
We had an amazing amount of entries. Los Angeles, Northern Russia, Barcelona. Australia and Shanghai and Colombia. A plethora of incredibly talented photographers from all over threw their names in for consideration. And then there was that gallery show we held at our studio last Monday with all our shortlisters that was as lavish as it was successful… it hasn’t been the worst time.
And now, we announce our winner. Congratulations to Bryan Novak!
Bryan is a photographer and video editor based in Barcelona. Raised there too, besides Yalta and Belgrade as well. He works in fashion, landscape, and lifestyle photography. Analog and digital, stills and motion. “I draw inspiration from youth and beach culture,” he told us. “Between assignments I have started a side project restoring classic Mercedes-Benz vans that I later test on occasional surf trips.” Not a bad way to live it sounds like.
It was Bryan’s winning shot that was, funnily enough, snapped just down the road from our offices at the Av. Paul Lahore bridge over Lac d’Hossegor that caught our particular attention. But enough from us, let’s hear it from our judges…
“Through Novak’s use of color and movement, the image conveys a sense of innocent nostalgia of summers spent with friends… A feeling I greatly missed during lockdown,” says Rachel Summer. “Damn, it feels good to be together again! Congratulations on your win Novak!”
“Bryan has a very unique approach,” Pierre David follows up. “Some of these images share a sense of innocence and freedom, sublimated by his delicate handling of film photography. Bravo Novak.”
“Through this beautiful photograph, Bryan’s captured what it is we all really want, to be with friends, to have fun, to be free and in nature,” writes Nick Pumphrey. “I love the movement and colour, it feels like I am also in mid-flight jumping with them into that sea. Great work.”
Yes, great work, bravo, and congratulations again to Bryan! There’s a $1000 to spend at an independent camera shop of your choice with your name on it. Oh, and a profile and photo spread in the rapidly-upcoming Wasted Talent Vol. X. Thank you again to everyone who submitted their wonderful photos, and we’ll see you here in Vol. X here soon…
