Made for Documentary Awards
celebrating outstanding documentary family photography
Made for Documentary Awards are devoted to recognising excellence in the world of documentary family photography, celebrating the next generation of outstanding image makers and encouraging photographers to continuously raise the bar in their craft.
Our 2024 theme was (EXTRA)ORDINARY.
We encouraged you to interpret this theme in any way you saw fit, as long as it related to documentary family photography. From candid moments of everyday life to environmental portraits, we invited you to submit your best work infused with your unique style and vision.
Thank you everyone who submitted. It was a joy to look through your images and to recognise your exceptional work by awarding photographs that we felt represented the best of documentary family photography in our community today.
You’ve shown us the (extra)ordinary through your own unique perspectives and we are here to celebrate that. Congratulations to our award-winning photographers, honourable mentions, our finalists and our judges’ choice winners.
We hope you enjoy the images and that you learn from the judging broadcast, gaining valuable insights into the art and craft of documentary family photography. Overall, we hope that you’re inspired by the incredible work of your peers and discover new ways to express your creativity.
Watch the judging broadcast.
We set out to make our awards educational as well as celebratory. Initially our first round guest judges made their selections to give us our list of finalists. From this point, we recorded the entire final round judging process, from making our first gut decisions, to deliberating over first, second and third place, as well as a selection of very worthy runners up. We made sure that every photo we picked from the first round selection was discussed. As educators, we know how valuable critique can be, not just for our own images but for our peers’. We hope you can learn from the judging process.
We also set out to be transparent. Appreciation of photography is an art and a science but it’s also personal. We recognise that subjectivity has a place alongside objectivity in judging. We wanted you to see our reactions to the images and how they made us feel, as well as hear our thoughts on the technical and artistic elements of the images in front of us. We gave this process a lot of time. We hope the judging broadcast and the awarded images give you both insight and inspiration.
Honourable Mentions
Judge’s Choice: Ofelia Arzate
Selected by Margaret Albaugh:
“It was so difficult to choose only one. In the end, I chose this photo for its many layers of magic. The photographer’s choice to use a slow shutter helped conjure a sense of nature and the natural movements of water which creates a sense of rhythm in the photo. At the same time, the joy and energy in the children (enhanced by the shutter speed) makes you feel like you can hear them. And I ask myself, what are they excited about? What are they shouting? It brings about a nostalgia to simple days and simple pleasures. Maybe they qualified for a choir production or maybe everyone is sharing the role they got for a play or maybe they just released the destination for the band trip. The composition is well done, as there are multiple points in focus that allow my eye to travel from one spot in the frame to another. The storytelling is clever and it feels like it could belong in a longer form essay of this group. And it really seems to take what could be an ordinary school moment to an extraordinary capture of emotion.”
Judge’s Choice: Melina Coogan
Selected by Chuck Anerino:
“This wonderful image captures the essence of fleeting childhood moments in an extraordinary way. The blur of the child in motion, juxtaposed against the stillness of the house with its warm orange light, evokes a sense of time slipping away. The interplay between the deep blues of twilight and the amber glow of the windows creates a rich, cinematic mood that feels instantly nostalgic and intimate. I appreciate how the photographer chose to shoot this during blue hour, pushing the limits of their equipment to capture such a delicate balance of light as the day faded. The composition is simple, thoughtful, and intentional…the background provides the canvas for the everyday, inviting all viewers to step into their own memories. For me, it brings back vivid echoes of my own children at this age, begging for “just one more ride” as daylight dwindled. In elevating this seemingly ordinary moment, the photographer has reminded us that extraordinary beauty is often found in the everyday. This image deserves to be printed, matted, framed, and displayed.”
Judge’s Choice: Ofelia Arzate
Selected by Kristine Nyborg:
“I’m always drawn to photographs that give me a jolt while looking at lots of images and this one did. There was something about the interior, it feels both old and fragile yet angular and sharp, both are not very kid friendly. The paints on the chairs are worn at the top, maybe from use, the china in the bookshelf and the big old chair tucked into a corner, the whole place feels odd. Like a community room but the child has a pyjamas on, so it’s confusing to me. The little kid looks so profoundly bored, like there is literally nowhere to turn their attention other than inward. That was the feeling that drew me into this image, and it made me curious about what is going on in the child’s head. It feels like forced introversion. I picked it because it made me feel something, had me curious about the story behind it, and I can relate to the subject.”
Judge’s Choice: Mary Anne Webley
Selected by Alice Chapman:
“This is an exquisite photograph. I responded to it right away, but my appreciation grew every time I saw it. This is the image that stayed with me as I considered my choice. Immediately, there’s an impressive composition; graphic form and line combining with naturally contrasting light and shade gives us a deep, story-rich frame. The colour palette is beautiful, with many balanced tones. I appreciate how the photographer has used the environment so thoughtfully. The subjects, in their pairs, fit so well into the light, space and colours. What I feel, when I look at the photograph again and again, is a sense of children getting older; of their growing independence and strength, as parenthood happens from an ever growing distance. Just when I’m feeling serious, a beat later the graffiti makes me smile. Childishness never has an age limit.”
Mary Anne Webley: Instagram
Judge’s Choice: Katrin Kuellenberg
Selected by Emma Collins:
“This is a beautiful photograph that I respond to emotionally and has visually stayed with me. I am always drawn to the unusual, and want to applaud this photographer for their unexpected interpretation of the classic Madonna motif – in a world inundated with a constant stream of images, creating a photograph that stands out as unique is no mean feat. It captures a poignant moment between mother and child, but what made this stand out to me was how the photographer’s compositional choices elevate the image beyond the ordinary, loading it with metaphors and meaning. I am often wary of employing photographic tropes, but in this image the choice to capture a reflection rather than the direct scene, forces our gaze away from the physical moment, inviting us to observe quietly from a distance and amplifying the sense of intimacy. The partial reflection of their bodies bathed in sunlight further enhances the private, almost sacred nature of the mother-child relationship by concealing the subjects’ identities, whilst also lending a universality to the image. Filling the frame with evergreen foliage envelops us into the scene immersing us in the moment, mirroring both the protective role of the mother and the feeling of security a child enjoys when cradled in her arms. I am transported back to a time when I could wrap my arms around my child, when time stood still, and for a moment we existed together in a world of our own.”
Judge’s Choice: Corey Biskind
Selected by Antonina Mamzenko:
“This photograph stayed with me from the moment I saw it and I keep coming back to it again and again. There’s a skill and a talent to making a simple photograph devoid of many environmental clues or details, to speak volumes nonetheless and this images does it for me. All the elements in it, from the low warm light, to the strong vertical framing, to the child’s gaze and the scar and the dirt around their mouth come together to tell a story of a fierce little person, ready to take on the world. A perfectly ordinary portrait, and yet captured in an extraordinary way.”
Corey Biskind: Instagram
Finalists
Congratulations also to the finalists who had at least one of their images selected to go through to the final round by the first round guest judges:
Agnes Bledowski, Agnes Sipos-Biborska, Aleksandra Jonas, Alena Pesavento, Allyson Klein, Ana Sofia Carvalho, Andrea Zampitella, Anna Mehta, Anna Meyer Kahlen, Anna Warga, Åshild Steinsholt Audrey Hastings, Azure Mahara, Bianca Buliga, Cristin Franks, Danielle Jacobson, Daria Petrovic, David Ford, David Kastelan, Deborah Barak, Diana Pirraglia, Elisa Cesca, Engel Annabell, Esther Bryce, Ewelina Strzelczyk, Flavia Felgueiras, Ewa Burns, Francesca Codispoti, Frederikke Brostrup, Inna Fuetterer, Jodie Cross, Justin McGregor, Karoline Vitellaro, Kasia Warpas, Katarzyna Dziuba, Katarzyna Woźnica, Kristin Sharp, Laura Beth Davidson, Lianna Nielsen, Lisa Hu Chen, Loren Haar, Louise Van Assche, Lucie Oever, Lukas Klimek, Merel Nelson, Maria Montero, Maria Del Rosario Martinez, Marie O’Mahony, Marisela Alanis, Marta Szyszka, Many Anne Webley, Melina Coogan, Melissa Baerwald, Michelle Molnar, Monique Sainz Nic Shuttleworth, Nina Riehl, Ofelia Arzate Oonagh Casey, Orsolya Boncser, Pamela Brady, Petra Eyre, Pia Vogel, Rachel Pray, Sara Matos, Sara Stankovic Sarah Marsden, Saskia Albers, Stephanie Woodward, Tanae Sorenson, Verena Meissner.
First Round Guest Judges
Our guest judges reviewed all submitted images, resulting in a list of finalists which then progressed to the second and final round of judging. The guest judges also selected one image each as their Judge’s Choice.
Margaret Albaugh
Margaret Albaugh is a Chinese American photographer and visual creator. She is based out of Spokane, WA and is self taught. She is inspired by topics that scratch at controversy and is intrigued by the nuances of human nature and the internal workings of individuals. She frequently explores themes of inheritance, motherhood, identity, race, and gender and often marries her background in psychology with photography.
Her work has been exhibited or recognized by A Smith Gallery, Chico Portfolio Review, Portrait of Humanity, Click, and Documentary Family Awards. She has exhibited at Terrain Spokane, FMoPA Florida, CornelHenry Art Gallery, Chase Gallery, Salmon Arms Art Centre, International Center of Photography, PhotoPlace, and Lenscratch.
She has contributed to NYTimes, Washington Post, HuffPost, Politico, Rewire, The New Yorker, Business Insider, and Wall Street Journal.
She is a mother to cats and children and likes cakes and podcasts.
Find out more: www.margaretalbaugh.com
Chuck Anerino
Chuck Anerino is a documentary wedding photographer and photography teacher with deep roots in family storytelling. Formerly a high school teacher, Dean of Students, and Assistant Principal, Chuck made the leap to full-time wedding photography to pursue a passion for capturing life’s authentic moments. Believing that life is a true story worth telling, Chuck’s work aims to honor unfolding moments rather than to simply take photographs.
Chuck’s work has been featured by Leica and Rangefinder Magazine, Modern Luxury Weddings, and People Magazine, amongst others.
Based in Wilmington, Delaware, Chuck enjoys life as a dad to four energetic boys and a husband to a wife he describes as “way smarter than me”. When not behind the camera, you’ll likely find him enjoying baseball or in search for the perfect slice of pizza.
Find out more: www.anerinooriginals.com
Kristine Nyborg
Kristine Nyborg is a Canada based artist, photographer, journalist and educator. Nyborg’s work uses visual storytelling to highlight social issues around women and cultural identity. This work started while working as a photojournalist for publications in her native Norway, and has carried through into her most recent work, Learning To Speak Bear, an inside look at the challenges of motherhood. The book with the same title was published as a monograph on Yoffy Press in 2023.
Her clients range from international large circulation media to the single mom next door and she’s happiest when working on her long term projects or discussing projects with her students.
Find out more: www.kristinenyborg.com
Second Round Judges
Finalist images were reviewed by the panel of second round judges. They selected the First, Second, and Third Place Winners, as well as a number of Honourable Mentions.
Alice Chapman
Alice has been a family photographer since 2011. The moment she realised documentary family photography was an established genre was the moment everything started to make sense. Alice is passionate about enabling families and children to be themselves in their family photos so she can champion their individuality. Alice has been listed five times as the top UK family documentary photographer by the Family Photojournalist Association, winning many awards. Alice is a This is Reportage Family multi-award winner and a Documentary Family Awards finalist. Her work has been featured in many international publications, platforms and exhibitions, including Portrait of Humanity, the Royal Photographic Society, Digital Photographer Magazine, Photo Vogue, Shutter Hub, Click Magazine, PhotoPlace Gallery and the Florida Museum of Photographic Arts. With 15 years’ people management experience, being a qualified coach and experienced mentor, Alice is passionate about helping photographers thrive.
Emma Collins
Antonina Mamzenko
Award Badges
