Stephen Fitzgerald - Valley of the shadow

2017 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards – the best of week 1

December 8, 2017
2 minute read

In 2016, the inaugural Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards saw over 1,200 stunning images from photographers in 34 countries vying for top honours, and our panel of judges had their work cut out for them selecting the winners. It was a fitting way to commemorate the life and work of the esteemed Australian cycling photographer, Mark Gunter, who lost his life to oesophageal cancer in late 2015. The awards, conducted in partnership with Mark’s wife Leanne Gatien, didn’t just honour a great photographer and man – they also made a tangible difference. 100% of entry fees went to cancer research, the development of young cyclists, and an education fund for Mark and Leanne’s son, Lucas.

This year, the awards are back, with entries to the 2017 Mark Gunter Photographer of the Year Awards opening last Friday. Already, we’ve seen some amazing shots come through, which we’ll be showcasing in weekly galleries rounding up our highlights. And again, entry fees will go to a great cause, supporting Tour de Cure, the Australian Cancer Research Foundation and Young Cyclist Development.

The competition closes on January 4th, 2018, at which point our judges – Graeme Watson, Marcus Enno (aka Beardy McBeard), and Jim Fryer & Iri Greco of BrakeThrough Media – will deliberate on who’ll take out the honours and amazing prizes on offer.

This year, thanks to our generous sponsors, competition entrants are vying for the following:

Professional category:

1st place: Cycling Photographer of the Year trophy & medallion
2nd place: Cycling Photographer of the Year medallion
3rd place: Cycling Photographer of the Year medallion

Enthusiast:

1st place: Specialized Allez road bike
2nd place: Olympus PEN-F camera kit
3rd place: Silca floor pump

Smartphone/Action Cam:

1st place: Trip to the Spring Classics with Trek Travel
2nd place: Shimano Dura Ace Di2 disc groupset
3rd place: Stages power meter

Think you’ve got a winning shot? Enter now. Want to contribute to the fight against cancer? Donate here. Want to check out some of the best cycling photography of the year? Just keep scrolling…

Professional category

Entry into the fiercely-contested Professional Cycling Photographer category is permitted to anyone who earns a living from his or her cycling photography.

: Andy Bokanev – At the top of the gravel side of Mt. Figueroa

: Chris Auld – ‘Right Place, Right Time’ Stage 2 of the Tour de France 2017, Romain Bardet, Chris Froome and Geraint Thomas wearing the Maillot Jaune take a fall.

: Stirl and Rae Photo – That small window of weather between late Summer and early Fall when everything seems right with the world. Idaho Peak, British Columbia.

: Adam Phelan – A quiet moment for Simon Clarke, who had just finished his final training ride on the eve of the 2017 Tour de France. The next morning he would fly out to the grand depart.

: Luca Bettini – Fight for winning

: Natalie Starr – There are no bridges like Icelandic bridges

: Jojo Harper – 3 members of Team Katusha Alpecin hiding out in the paddock of Monza race track before stage 21 of this years Giro D’Italia.

: Nils Laengner – Adne van Engelen, Team Bike Aid, during the Tour du Rwanda in 2017 Adne mastering the cobbles of the Wall of Kigali, a 12% gradient. Just a couple of minutes ago van Engelen had crashed into a barbed wire fence at a speed of 80km/h but he managed to finish stage 6 and the whole tour.

: Thurk – After a full effort on Flagstaff, Alex Howes wrings out his helmet.

: Ralph Samson – First snow on the last cyclocross day of the season.

: Russ Ellis – The Maillot Jaune passes by a rustic garage in a small French village.

: Thomas Maheux – I took this photo on a local cyclo-cross, after the finish, the children are running around Pauline Ferrand Prevot, the admiring look, stars in the eyes.

: Yuzuru Sunada – 21 February 2017 22nd Tour de Langkawi Stage 03 – Serdang – Pantai Remis Shower from a firefighter

: Lee Basford – GoGo, former Tokyo bike messenger captured in Shibuya for the Rapha Rides city project. “Being a messenger, I rode under the hot sun, in the shadow of clouds, through the night, the wind, and rain, even snow. For a decade, from one spring to the next I watched the city and its ‘air’ change. It’s not just the roads of Tokyo I experienced but Tokyo itself and it never failed to entertain me.”

: Pete Dunlop – Looking for a response.

Enthusiast

For non-professional photographers using high-end cameras, we have the Enthusiast category. It’s a loose description including entries taken on high-end cameras including Interchangeable Lens Cameras (ILC), mirrorless, film, compact, DSLR and other cameras.

: Jeannine Avelino – The look of intensity on a very steep run-up

: Sam Fritz – Just laughing at the outrageous beauty of the descent.

: Yorit Kluitman – Belgium hArdennes baby!

: Chiara Redaschi – A rider and his girlfriend after the crash. He broke his shoulder.

: Mark Geary – This is Brad Evans of the Drapac-Cannondale team, racing the 2.1km Prologue of the 2017 HeraldSun Tour. I covered the full lap, taking shots of each rider as they passed me. There were 104 starters, 45 seconds apart. So, I would move to a new position before the next rider came along. I took this shot under Princes Bridge. It was dark and this is how the pic turned out. It is one of my favourites but it didn’t get many likes on Instagram (people, what do they know!!)

: Gene Kehoe – The Long Way Home

: Matthew Wiebe – A break in the fog. Marin County, California.

: Reid Neureiter – Taken at during the Women’s pro race at the 2017 Littleton Twilight Criterium, Littleton, Colorado. This race takes places after sundown in through the old downtown section of Littleton, Colorado. Corners are lit with bright lights, and live music and open restaurants help create a festive atmosphere. A large purse attracts high quality fields to both women’s and men’s races.

: Rupert Hartley – Two cyclists are photographed on ‘The Struggle’ in the Lake District, England.

: Stephen Fitzgerald – Valley of the shadow

: Stuart Baker – Watts Davidson

: Daniel Madden – Unexpected fan waiting for the peloton at the convent on Kaiserstraße during the Grand Départ 2017.

: Will Davies – Col du Glandon A quiet autumn day

Smartphone/Action Cam

With constant advances in technology, it’s possible for some absolutely amazing photos to be taken with mobile phones and action cams. Sometimes it’s just a lucky shot, sometimes there’s a bit more art to it. Either way, the results can be memorable. For the purposes of this competition, the SmartPhone and Action Cam category refers to still photos taken on devices such as iPhones, Android, Windows Mobile, etc, as well as still photos from devices such as GoPro, Shimano Sports Cam, Garmin VIRB, etc.

: Marek Litinsky – Getting over the hump. It’s cold, wet and grey around Oregon for better part of the year. So good!

: Anthony Gordon – Perspectives

: Verita Stewart – Watching someone elegantly float down a switchback. There is always time to stop and reflect.

: Alex Cormier – Everyone needs a little dose of climbing!

: Tim Clairs – Autumn- les Zinzins de Turini Shot on Samsung Galaxy phone, propped up with a rock on a stone wall, with 30sec timer. Sospel side up col de Turini, Alpes Maritimes, France.

: Kasper Voogt – To me memories are more valuable when I can share it with someone. This cycling trip through Japan I was all by myself. Only me and my audible breathing. The monotonous humming of my tires. The gentle rattling of my chain. It made me miss my cycling buddy Tanja. We have cycled for what feels like years now and there’s no one I’d rather clip in next to. I’m continuously impressed with her dealing with her physical constraints. And here I was thinking this climb was tough. It’s all mental, right?!