The Spotlight Awards 2024 have once again shone a light on the best in commercial photography. Spanning 14 unique categories, this top-notch contest draws snappers from every corner of the globe. Run by Production Paradise, the Spotlight Awards have become the gold standard for ad and commercial photos, pushing the envelope of creativity and innovation.
Photographers from far and wide sent in thousands of shots, vying for a chance to catch the eye of big-name creative leaders. The contest offers unmatched visibility to those who make the cut. Here’s the full rundown of this year’s champs, whose eye-popping work has earned them both bragging rights and goodies from the contest’s backers.
Grand Prize & Advertising Category Winner: Lucila Blumencweig
Lucila’s outstanding work on an Alzheimer’s disease awareness campaign earned her the Grand Prize. Her skilled use of natural light and perfect timing shows how powerful photography can be in telling emotional stories. The campaign highlights the challenges faced by Alzheimer’s patients through thoughtful images captured in ideal lighting.
Title: Alma RED
About the Photograph: ‘’This campaign was shot in natural light, doing a precise scouting and time frame of the sun hitting the spots just like we needed to portray and emphasize the struggle through Alzheimer,’’
– Lucila Blumencweig.
Photographer Background: Lucila, based in Argentina, is known for her compelling commercial photography and advertising campaigns.
Cars Category Winner: Anke Luckmann
Anke Luckmann pondered: which would win in a race – a newer 911 model or the earlier Porsche 911 GT3 RS prototype? At the Navarra racetrack, Anke got the chance to explore this question through her lens. Her dynamic capture of two Porsche 911 models dueling on the track clinched her first place in this category. The image’s intensity is heightened by the dramatic weather, amplifying the scene’s power.
Title: Porsche Duel
About the Photograph: ”Initially, the day started out rainy with unfavorable weather…however, it proved to be just right for this powerful duel in which the 1036HP Porsche’s battled for pole position, lap after lap. The Erlkönig wonby a narrow margin,’‘
– Anke Luckmann.
Photographer Background: Anke specializes in automotive photography and has worked with prestigious car brands globally.
Architecture & Interiors Category Winner: Ema Peter
Ema’s architectural photography showcases the beauty of modern spaces, using light and angles to enhance the structure’s grandeur.
About the Photograph: Her winning image focuses on minimalist interiors, highlighting the harmony between space and light.
Photographer Background: Ema is a renowned architectural photographer whose work has been featured in major publications around the world.
Beauty Category Winner: Christine Lutz
Christine’s work in the Spotlight Awards 2024 Beauty category features stunning close-ups that emphasize texture and minimalism. The contrast between the human skin and the vibrant petals captures both fragility and resilience.
About the Photograph: ”I aimed to create visual tension by incorporating selective coloring and using black and white as the primary element, contrasting it with a vibrant orange of the petals. This contrast draws immediate attention to the organic elements placed on skin, symbolizing a connection between nature and human identity. The texture of the skin, captured in detail with its subtle imperfections and matte finish, contrasts with the soft, delicate quality of the petals.
For me, this interaction between the natural and human forms suggests themes of fragility and resilience, where softness meets strength,” – Christine Lutz.
Photographer Background: Christine, based in Germany, is celebrated for her elegant approach to beauty photography.
Corporate & Industrial Category Winner: Camilla Rutherford
Camilla’s photography highlights the strength and intricacy of industrial machinery, with a focus on precision and scale.
About the Photograph: The image captures the grandeur of industrial work, emphasizing the human element behind the machinery.
Photographer Background: Known for her industrial and corporate photography, Camilla’s work often combines technical excellence with artistic flair.
Fashion Category Winner: Dirk Bader
Dirk’s work in the fashion world is a celebration of style and creativity. His ability to bring out the boldness and uniqueness of his subjects makes his photography stand out.
About the Photograph:His winning work surprises, showing the essence of haute couture, with strong contrasts and an elegant composition through an ensemble that would rarely be expected.
Photographer Background: Dirk is a German photographer with extensive experience in high-end fashion photography.
Food & Drink Category Winner: Ben Cole
Ben’s creative arrangement of ingredients in his “Stick Taste 2” project aimed to make flavors visually tangible. Using studio lighting, he crafted a sculptural display of food that engages the viewer’s senses.
About the Photograph: Cole’s image blends flavor and aesthetics, using sharp textural contrasts between sweet honey, crackers, cheese, and prosciutto to create a sensory experience for the viewer.
Photographer Background: Based in Australia, Ben Cole is a seasoned food photographer who excels in bringing life to still subjects with unique styling and creative lighting.
People & Lifestyle Category Winner: James Pearson-Howes
James’ work celebrates the vibrancy of youth culture in California, particularly the dance scene. His portrait of two young dancers beautifully encapsulates the energy and movement of this growing subculture.
About the Photograph: ”Delilah and Richy, photographed here, are two dancers who are a part of a project I’ve been working on over the last year. The project focuses on a handful of dancers who are all friends and is a celebration of the Baile (dance) scene in California. If Norteño or Banda music is being played, young people will be dancing to it. The scene has its roots in northern Mexico. But fueled recently by TikTok and Instagram, these young dancers have developed their own style of dance and fashion. The project will be a short film and a photo series,” – James Pearson-Howes
Photographer Background: A UK-based photographer, James is known for his dynamic street and lifestyle photography.
Portrait & Celebrity Category Winner: Sacha Stejko
Sacha’s introspective portrait of a performer mid de-drag explores themes of identity and transformation. The subtle details of the image—such as smudged makeup and a wig cap—reveal the vulnerable side of show business.
About the Photograph: ”’For this particular shoot, I wanted to create an introspective portrait that captures a moment mid de-drag—a transitional phase often overlooked in the spectacle of performance. This image embodies the aftermath of a show, where the façade drops, revealing the intricate layers of identity beneath. Having collaborated with Elektra previously, I was keenly aware of her multifaceted talent as a performer and her ability to infuse raw emotion into every moment. Known for her brilliant performances on “RuPaul’s Drag Race Down Under”, and having an illustrious career both as a dancer, choreographer and creative director, Elektra has the ability to seamlessly blend artistry with truth, making her ideal for this project. This moody, enigmatic photograph stirs curiosity about what she could possibly be thinking while she sits in the silence of it all,” – Sacha Stejko
Photographer Background: Sacha, a New Zealand-based photographer, has made a name for herself in portrait photography, particularly within the entertainment industry.
Sport Category Winner: Matthew McQuillan
Matthew’s inspiring portrayal of Walid, a refugee and Paralympic hopeful, captures both physical and emotional resilience.
About the Photograph:
”Walid’s life took a transformative turn when, at 14, he was tragically shot on his way home from school, resulting in the amputation of his leg. The aftermath brought not only the challenge of adapting to life with a prosthetic limb but also the onset of Phantom Limb Pain.
As a portrait photographer, I was deeply drawn to the inspirational narrative of Walid’s journey. From the heart-wrenching adversity of his injury to his resilience as a refugee adapting to a new country and language, his story is nothing short of remarkable.
My project delves into the multifaceted aspects of Walid’s life – capturing the nuances of his Phantom Limb Pain, his transition from being a refugee to a Paralympic hopeful and aspiring prosthetist. I directed a film & shot photography side by side. Dovetailing the two meant we could tell this story in a super efficient and cohesive way,” – Matthew McQuillan
Photographer Background: Matthew is a UK-based photographer who specializes in sports and documentary photography.
Still Life Category Winner: Sabine Scheer
Sabine’s carefully crafted still life composition uses underwater photography to create a dreamy, ethereal atmosphere.
Title: Eden Roc Diving Between Minerals
About the Photograph: ”It was shot in my studio in Düsseldorf, Germany. The entire underwater scene was a controlled studio set up using artificial strobe lighting to create the illusion of natural light and gentle waves. The perfume flacon is unobtrusively positioned among various rock minerals, all in subtle colors and illuminated by backlighting and streaks of sunlight. Gentle waves ripple across the underwater scene, slightly distorting the details and creating a mystical, dreamlike and vibrant atmosphere.
The image „Eden Roc Diving Between Minerals“ is part of a fragrance series featuring Christian Dior’s oceanic Eden Roc scent, which includes eight main images inspired by the fragrance’s key ingredients: sea salt and minerals. Each image in the series, along with its effects and lighting characteristics, was captured entirely in-camera (!). Either the images were taken in one shot, like the winning image, or I used techniques such as motion, long exposures, or multiple exposures. Two things all the images in this fragrance series have in common: no filters and no post-production,” – Sabine Scheer.
Photographer Background: Sabine’s expertise in still life photography has earned her numerous accolades, especially for her work in beauty and product photography.
Travel, Documentary & Landscape Category Winner: Per Schorn
Per’s work in travel photography beautifully captures the essence of landscapes, blending technical skill with an eye for detail.
About the Photograph:His winning image shows the grandeur of the subtlest contrasts, with a composition that draws the viewer into a tension-filled scene and doesn’t let them leave.
Photographer Background: Based in Germany, Per has built a reputation for his stunning photography. His portraits skillfully convey the spirit of their subjects, while his sceneographies offer profound insights into the themes he envisions.
Kids Category Winner: Matt Anderson
Matt’s portrait of his daughter captures the raw intensity and emotion of childhood, blending innocence with the complexity of human expression.
About the Photograph: ”I love this shot because it is a powerful image that beautifully captures the raw intensity of childhood. It showcases not only the emotion of my amazing daughter, but also hints at the complexities of human expression. Kids are so intense, so much of the time, and I love to view the world through their perspective,” – Matt Anderson.
Photographer Background: Based in the United States, Matt’s work often focuses on personal and candid moments in everyday life.
AI Image Developing & Creating Category Winner: Sy Goldstein
Sy’s work, a creative depiction of a busy subway commute, was crafted using AI tools like Midjourney and Photoshop. The image captures the chaotic beauty of everyday life, with a playful nod to AI’s “hallucination” tendencies.
About the Photograph: ”’The image was made using Midjourney AI and Photoshop. People talk a lot about AI hallucinations, most notably with “AI hands”, but in my case, I try to lean into the hallucinations, which I feel add a certain something to my work. After all, AI is unlike other mediums, and I feel like the approach should be different, too,” – Sy Goldstein.
Photographer Background: A Canada-based creator, Sy has embraced AI technology as part of his artistic toolkit, adding a new dimension to the world of commercial photography.
More About the Spotlight Awards 2024
The Spotlight Awards 2024 displayed top-notch talent from across the globe. Thousands of entries were evaluated by a panel of respected industry experts. This year’s awards covered a wide range of fields, from advertising to AI-generated imagery, reflecting the growing variety in commercial photography.
Want to see all the winning shots? Visit the official Spotlight Awards 2024 Winners Gallery on Production Paradise’s website.
Are you a photographer looking to join global photo contests? Check out our full list of photography competitions. You’ll find details on the latest opportunities for photographers there.