Tanchōdzuru

• Prize
  Gold in Book/Fine Art
• Photographer
  Uwe Langmann, Germany
• Date of Photograph
  2022 - 2024
• Website
  http://www.uwelangmann.com
• Instagram
  https://www.instagram.com/uwelangmann/
• PDF
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In the series "Tanchōdzuru" I'm looking for similarities of this special kind of bird (the japanese crane) and traditional Japanese arts. In the winter landscapes of Hokkaido the cranes do resemble ink paintings or calligraphic characters, both of which have a long tradition in Japan. I underline this by the using a formal abstraction that extends through the whole series. The cranes are always arranged in the center of the image and consistently stand out in front of a white, snowy background. Presented this way, I wanted to create a sort of a new language, an alphabet of the Tanchōdzuru.

Inspired by the Japanese aesthetic principle of mono no aware, the beauty found in impermanence, my work explores the quiet poetry of transient moments. Through minimal compositions, diffused light, and atmospheric weather such as snow or fog, I seek to slow perception and encourage a more attentive way of seeing. Rather than documenting reality, my photographs create spaces for contemplation, where landscapes become subtle reflections on memory, emotion, and the fragile beauty of the present.

Awards 2025 – Awagami Factory Price, Winner
2024 – Deutscher Fotobuchpreis – Gold Award
2024 – Tokyo International Foto Awards – Silver Award
2024 – Px3 de la Paris – Gold Award
2023 – Aesthetica Art Prize, Finalist
2022 – Global Peace Photo Award, Shortlisted
2021 – Sony World Photography Awards, Shortlisted
2017 – Moscow international Photography Awards – Gold Award
2013 – Px3 de la Paris – Silver Award
2013 – Black & White Zebra Awards – Gold Award, Grand Winner
2013 – OneEyeland Awards – Gold Award, Photographer of the Year