Get your fix of monochrome: Exposure One announces its International Photographer of the Year 2026 winners

Exposure One has concluded its 2026 Photographer of the Year Awards, which celebrates black-and-white photography. The competition recognized Joshua YeheNara as the International Photographer of the Year and Ed Healy as the International Discovery of the Year. YeheNara, a New York City-based photographer, won with a series of 8x10 large-format film frames featuring rocks appearing to float through the air.

He utilized specialized equipment and techniques to achieve the illusionary effect. YeheNara, an ultra-specialized photographer, also restores and modifies classic, rare Deardorff large-format studio cameras, owning both an 8×20-inch and an 11×28-inch panoramic model. Ed Healy, another New York State photographer, took the amateur prize with a heartfelt picture of a snowy, moody scene following a Buffalo blizzard in December 2022.

Exposure One also awarded "Gold" winners in 20 categories, including "Aerial" and "Event." Cristina Ford (professional, US) won in the Aerial category for a photo of waves receding from a black-sand beach, while Francesco Calarota (amateur, Germany) won in the Event category for a picture of a solitary ship in dark waters held by a fragile line.

Other notable winners include Scarlett Freund (professional, US) for her Pride Festival photo in Los Angeles and Nady Rizk (amateur, Switzerland) for her creative shot of a performer at the Montreal Jazz Festival. The jury comprised photography and arts professionals from organizations like SFMOMA, Leica Gallery Los Angeles, Aperture, and the Art Gallery of Alberta. The full list of winning images can be viewed on the Exposure One website.