The XV Nikolas Lekuona Photography Contest, organized by Ortzadar Argazkilari elkartea, is exhibiting its winning works at the Barrena Palace in Ordizia. Despite a lower number of participants this year, the quality of the submitted pieces has been a standout feature.
Portraits dominate the podium, with representation from the Goierri region. The first prize went to 'Inner Space' by Jose Ramón Luna de la Ossa (Tarancón, Cuenca); the second to 'Playing in solitude' by Jose Agustín Gurruchaga Garagarza (Bergara); and the third to 'Shadu en el Gat' by Manu Barreiro Rodríguez (Beasain). The local prize was awarded to Iñaki Hidalgo Ezenarro (Ordizia) for 'Parabola Naturala'. The top three finishers have qualified for the Argizaiola Trophy.
The jury, comprising photographers Arbil Iciar Manterola, Jose Carlos Romero Bilbao, and Jose Luis Feo Gonzalez, faced the challenging task of selecting the award-winning works from the 98 photographs submitted by 25 photographers.
Although participation numbers are lower than in previous editions, Ortzadar expressed satisfaction with gathering «a good handful of photographs» recently. However, they voiced concerns about the declining number of participants. Most participants hailed from Gipuzkoa (17), but there was also representation from Alicante, Catalonia, Madrid, Vizcaya, Ciudad Real, Cuenca, and Álava.
The jury also granted honorable mentions to six other images: 'Arte en cada clic - 1' by Sonia Montejo; 'Trascendencias' by José Ramón Luna; 'Octa el Ruso' by José Venegas Flores; 'Smoker' by María Ona de Miguel; 'Retrato en clave alta' by José López Giménez; and 'La fuerza de la experiencia' by Manu Barreiro Rodríguez.
Additionally, six finalist works were selected and are featured in the exhibition and commemorative catalog, along with 14 other pieces completing the display at the Barrena Palace.
The exhibition features photographs on a variety of themes, as the contest is open-topic, including portraits, landscapes, and architecture, in both color and black and white. The only requirement was that they be presented on paper.
