The winners of the photo book competition and the U25 Photo Challenge

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“Into the great wide open” is the name of the most beautiful photo book in Switzerland. It was done as part of the photo book competition chosen by Bookfactory and Photo Münsingen and comes from Matthias Notter. The price of the U25 Photo Challenge 2024 goes to Micha Bigler.

For the second time, Photo Münsingen, together with the main sponsor Bookfactory, looked for the best, most original or most unusual photo books in Switzerland. After a pre-selection, the jury – consisting of Brigitte Aeberhard-Baur, Sonja Berger and Beat Feller – evaluated the ten best creations.

Matthias Notter won first prize with his photo book “Into the great wide open”. The jury was impressed by its content concept, impressive implementation and very good images. Thanks to originally used AI and good texts with a quiet sense of humor, a travel report becomes a photo book that you not only enjoy looking at, but also read.

Second and third places go to Nadia Knechtle with the book “Stadtmomente” and Manuel C. Studer with “Rayim-Bek”.

The U25 Photo Challenge also went into the second round. Once again, photographers aged 25 or younger were able to demonstrate their passion for photography. This year the theme is “Music”.

Micha Bigler, Amira Kopp and Lukas Affolter are on the podium here. The 28 submitted images were judged by Jan Schmidt, Florian Biedermann and Yves Leneveu. They evaluated image design, quality, creativity and the connection to the topic of “music”.

The most beautiful photo books and the pictures from the U25 Photo Challenge are on display at Photo Münsingen until Sunday, May 12th.

Photo Münsingen Award 2024 goes to Austria

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This is the second time in its history Photo Münsingen Award according to Austria. The Erste Fotoclub Lustenau impressed the jury with its tableau “The Movement of Music”. Works from Basel and Meyrin follow on podium places two and three.

“The tableau is surprising, technically sophisticated and well done,” is how the jury summarizes the work of the Erste Fotoclub Lustenau on this year’s theme “Music”. The technique in which movement sequences were consciously used supported the image content. “The composition is slightly redundant, but the same distance gives something calming to the 'moving' tableau in which the instruments 'sound',” said the jury, which also liked the warm image tone.

Second place goes to “Purple Fury” from Fotowerk Basel. The jury describes this work as “classic stage photography, solidly implemented and monochrome (purple) designed.” “Plein les Oreilles” is the name of the tableau by Club Activités Photo Meyrin (CAPM) in third place.

The jury for the photography club competition consisted of Gabi Ortner, Guy Jost and Beat Suter. The three state: “Although the topic of “music” offers a very broad spectrum, which was also visible in the submitted works, it is demanding and difficult to present.” Many of the submitted works are of a similar level. Only a few surprised in terms of execution, impact and technical quality.

A total of 50 teams submitted their work on the topic of “music”. All tableaus are on display at Photo Münsingen in the Schlossgutsaal. Visitors can also judge the photography clubs’ works there.

The competition theme for next year is already known: At the Photo Münsingen Award 2025, everything is focused on “passion”.

To the exposition…
To the public competition…

Photo Münsingen 2024: Music in focus

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The theme of “Music” is at the center of Photo Münsingen 2024: the competition for photo clubs and eleven of the 27 exhibitions are dedicated to it. You can see, among other things, rock stars, Elvis impersonators, the inner workings of musical instruments and an interpretation of the work “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky. Let's take a first look at a program full of music photography!

First there is the concert photography: the well-known Swiss photographer Hannes Schmid photographed rock stars on and off stage in the 1980s. In Münsingen he shows a selection of his photographs. They not only show well-known figures, but also capture the cultural changes and gender dynamics of this time.

“Emotions on Stage” is the name of the concert photographer’s exhibition Nicole Rötheli. She is present with the camera when musicians like Hecht, Stress or Stefanie Heinzmann perform. Grant emotional looks in blues and jazz clubs Wolf-Peter Steinheisser and Vicenç Semper.

Dance, instruments and Elvis

Axel Brand focuses on the elegance of dancers in his fine art black and white photography. Charles Brooks In “Architecture in Music” he takes a fascinating look at instruments from the inside.

Graeme Oxby documents the subculture of Elvis impersonators and their stories. Students of the CAP photography school photographed on the topic of “sound colors”.

Mussorgsky reinterpreted

Two special projects make the connection between music and photography directly tangible. Seraina Marchal was commissioned to create photos for the musical piece “Pictures at an Exhibition” by Modest Mussorgsky. Mussorgsky composed his piano cycle in 1874 to match paintings and drawings. 150 years later, Seraina Marchal took the opposite approach for Photo Münsingen and was inspired by Mussorgsky's work. Your images will be projected alongside a piano concert played live by the pianist Martin Klopfenstein and will then be exhibited.

The versatile instrumentalist does it the other way around Wieslaw Pipczynski. He will improvise live on four series of images. Members of various photography clubs submitted the images.

The work of the photo clubs

The central component of Photo Münsingen is the competition for photo clubs. 52 photo clubs from all over Switzerland and neighboring countries took photos on the topic of “Music” and competed with their tableaux in the coveted competition «Photo Muensingen Award». These are being carried out for the second time U25 Photo Challenge and the Photo Book Contest.

In the area of ​​club photography they represent Photo clubs from Münsingen, Riedisheim and Kirchzarten Images on the topic of “movement”. Photographers from Münsingen will also present their works on the topic “Electricity and heat”.

PHOTOSUISSE shows the best and award-winning pictures from the annual competition. The award ceremony for the «Swiss Photography Championship» by PHOTOSUISSE will again take place as part of Photo Münsingen.

Animals, places and society

Other photo exhibitions are dedicated to social phenomena: Petra Angela Imhof “Cyberized” explores the relationship between people and technology. Gerardo Garciacano shows street portraits of skiers and snowboarders. Oliver Stegmann takes a look behind the circus scenes in “Circus noir”.

Andrea Knechtle captures forgotten spaces and traces of past lives in “Vestiges – The End of Something”. Unexpected urban perspectives developed Manuel Giron. Romano P. Riedo presents Polaroid images with a special depth. Markus Eichenberger was impressed by the breathtaking starry sky in the Swiss Alps.

Lorenz Andreas Fischer shows animal portraits from Africa. And Karl Schuler After all, he was traveling in the realm of the snow leopards, where he ended up meeting them.

Book a date now!

Photo Münsingen also belong to this year audiovisual productions, Lectures, Photo workshops and – in keeping with the annual theme – musical performances. Take a look at our program now and mark the Ascension Days from May 9th to 12th, 2024 in bold on your agenda!

The audience's favourites

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"Customs" was the theme of the Competition for photo clubs um den Pho­to Mün­sin­gen Award 2023. After the jury at the Pho­to Mün­sin­gen which makes 'official' ranking announced, also had that during the four days of the exhibition audience the opportunity to vote for your favourites. Now these are counted.

The following tableaus went down best with the audience:

Photo Club Fricktal Moving tradition 562 votes
Photo club Sense CHAPEAU! 395 votes
Photo club Thun Fulfillment 325 votes
Münsingen photo club charcoal burning 300 votes
Photo club Rapperswil-Jona And tomorrow a king... 284 votes
Photo Club Lucerne fondue fun 274 votes

The competition theme for next year is already known: the Photo Münsingen Award 2024 is about “music”. Interested photo clubs can register for the competition until August 31st register.

The Photo Münsingen Award 2023 goes to Appenzell

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"Cowwalk" is the name of the winner tableau Photo Club Competition with Pho­to Mün­sin­gen 2023. The Photo Club Appenzellerland convinced the three-person jury. A total of 47 teams from all over Switzerland and neighboring countries took part in the “Customs” competition.

The jury praised the "modern, striking image conception" of the winning tableau. The work plays with details and is characterized by a colorful and fresh way of presentation, she writes in the exhibition catalogue.

This year the jury consisted of Susanna Brändli, Guy Jost and Roland Steffen. "The spectrum of submitted images is large and appropriately reflects the diversity of the subject," the three judges summarized. Many works are on a similar level, only a few have dropped in terms of effect, implementation or technical quality.

Second and third places go to the Sense photo club with the tableau «CHAPEAU!» and the Fricktal photo club with «Bewegte Tradition». The Thun Photo Club («Fulehung»), the Brown Boveri Baden Camera Club («Celtic Rough Nights») and the Dietikon Amateur Photo Club («Alpabzug») follow in fourth to sixth place.

All tableaux are exhibited at Photo Münsingen in the Schlossgutsaal. There, visitors can also judge the work of the photo clubs and win nice prizes. Six winners will be drawn from all the talons submitted. Vouchers from Nikon, Foto Video Zumstein and Bookfactory are waiting for them.

The competition theme for next year is already known: the Photo Münsingen Award 2024 is about “music”.

Photo Book Competition and U25 Photo Challenge: Join now!

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The Pho­to Mün­sin­gen is launching two new competitions for this year's edition: together with Bookfactory, we are looking for the best photo books in Switzerland. Together with BERN-OST let's start the «U25 Pho­to Chall­enge». Now it's time to participate and win!

The “U25 Photo Challenge” is aimed at teenagers and young adults born in 1998 or later. The theme of the competition is «Water». What is needed are photos in which water plays a role. Whether landscape shots, studio shots or abstract images - creativity, imagination and good implementation are the focus. It doesn't matter whether the picture is taken with a smartphone or a digital camera, or developed in analogue form and then scanned.

Participation is uncomplicated and takes place via BERN-OST via the following link:

To the “U25 Photo Challenge”…

The submission deadline is March 31, 2023. After that, the submitted images will be judged and exhibited at Photo Münsingen.

You can win vouchers from the Ni­kon Foto School worth CHF 750 for first place, CHF 500 for second place and CHF 250 for fourth place. The third place winner wins 300 francs in cash, sponsored by BERN-OST. The fifth prize is a voucher from Bookfactory worth 200 francs.

The most beautiful photo book in Switzerland

In a second competition, we are dedicating ourselves to the photo book category. Together with the main sponsor Bookfactory, the best, most original or most unusual photo books in Switzerland are sought.

You have until April 23, 2023 to submit your most beautiful Bookfactory photo book using the link below. Convince the jury with your snapshots, the best shots or artfully arranged pictures. Be creative and try something new!

The content, design and overall impression of the photo book are evaluated. The topic is freely selectable. The main prize is a new Fuji camera X‑T5 with lens! The best books are also presented at the Pho­to Mün­sin­gen be visible.

To the photo book competition…

Photo Münsingen 2023: water, customs and new competitions

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"Water" in all its diversity is the main theme of the Pho­to Mün­sin­gen 2023. We are proud that Michel Roggo - one of the best underwater photographers - is bringing us closer to the underwater world of the Amazon and Aare. In 2023 there are other aspects of "water photography" to be discovered, the club competition on the topic of "customs", many creative photo exhibitions, lectures, audiovisual productions and photo workshops.

Michel Rogo shows at the Pho­to Mün­sin­gen 2023 in his unmistakable style the underwater world from the Amazon to the Aare. He not only exhibits current pictures, but also speaks in one Lecture on Friday evening also about his work.

Six other exhibitions show "water photography" in all its diversity: There are the icy worlds of the marine biologist Julia Hager, the «flooded cathedrals» of Silvio Maraini or the waterfall photos from Jean-Francois Delhom.

Reported in «Border of Hope» Lauren Schmid via the risky escape route from Libya across the Mediterranean to Europe. Urs Wohlwend photographed for his coastal pictures with a moving camera. And Res Reinhard continued for his series «Eau et Noir» Dancers with water elements in scene.

Club competition on the theme "Customs"

An important element of Pho­to Mün­sin­gen is also this year the club photography. 48 teams compete at the «Pho­to Mün­sin­gen Award» on the subject of "customs". The Photo clubs from Münsingen, Riedisheim and Kirchzarten exhibit pictures on the subject of «Yellow».

The PHOTOSUISSE shows the best and award-winning pictures from the annual competition. The award ceremony for the «Swiss Photography Championship» by PHOTOSUISSE will again take place as part of Photo Münsingen.

People, landscapes and silent helpers

Other photo exhibitions deal with people, landscapes and silent helpers: Melinda Blättler photographed for her project «99x ein­zig­ar­tig #un­ge­fil­ter­te Por­traits» People with a flaw, taboo subject or illness. Marielsa Niels questioned in «Dans l'antre du soi» our concept of female-male. Gia Chkhatarashvili shows the daily life of the inhabitants of two mountain regions of Georgia.

For «Mo­der­ni­zing Na­tu­re» photographed Zak van Biljon the beauty of nature in the near infrared. Thomas Biasotto in turn, he combines daylight shots with starry skies for his «Landscapes at Night». Alexandra Schmid placed everyday objects in the center of attention in “Employee of the Month”.

For the first time with a photo exhibition as a guest at the Pho­to Mün­sin­gen is the CAP photography school. 16 students of the intensive practical course show a cross-section of the work created in the current training year.

«U25 Photo Challenge» and photo book competition

The organizing committee has decided to implement some new ideas for this year. "We want to entice younger people to take photos," says President Urs Hintermann. This year, for the first time, the «U25 Photo Challenge» on the subject of water. It will be together with the internet portal BERN-OST carried out. The best pictures will be exhibited in Münsingen.

Besides, she wants Pho­to Mün­sin­gen offer a platform for the photo book as a medium of expression. At the Photo Book Contest together with main sponsor Book­fac­to­ry the best, most original or unusual photo books are sought. The most beautiful results are also exhibited there.

Book a date now!

Photo Münsingen also belong to this year audiovisual productions, Lectures, Photo workshops and product demos. Take a look at our program now and mark the Ascension Days from May 18 to 21, 2023 in bold on your agenda!

Cover picture: © Michel Roggo