Abdullah Özgün – Fine Art Photography

After many years away from photography, I recently submitted a photograph to the BBA One Shot Award 2026. More than a competition entry, this felt like the beginning of a return to a part of myself that had been quietly waiting in the background.

What immediately attracted me to the BBA One Shot Award was its concept: a single photograph. There is something both exciting and demanding about expressing an idea or emotion with just one frame. The €19 entry fee also creates a certain level of commitment, encouraging photographers to think carefully about the image they choose.

Looking through previous finalists and winners, I noticed that technical perfection or extremely high resolution was rarely the defining factor. Instead, the jury seemed to appreciate photographs with a strong artistic voice—images that are spontaneous, open to interpretation, and capable of creating an emotional or conceptual response.

Another aspect I appreciated was the absence of any restriction on when a photograph had to be taken. That allowed me to revisit my own archive and rediscover an image I had almost forgotten.

For my submission, I chose a photograph taken in 2012 with a Canon EOS 550D. It is an image that had never been published or entered into any competition before. Looking back at it after all these years, I felt it still represented the kind of photography I enjoy most: discovering unexpected moments rather than constructing them, finding quiet traces of surrealism within ordinary reality, and relying on observation instead of digital manipulation.

The submission deadline is 4 August 2026, and I am looking forward to seeing the results. Whatever the outcome, entering this competition has already achieved something valuable—it has reminded me how much I missed making photographs.