The winners of the 19th annual photography contest organized by the city of Bourges were finally announced and honored during a ceremony held at City Hall on Saturday, October 18. Originally scheduled for September, the award announcement was delayed as the jury took additional time to carefully evaluate the submissions.
The competition attracted significant participation, with 89 photographers submitting a total of 207 images for consideration. The jury conducted an initial selection process, choosing 69 photographs for a summer exhibition displayed in large format around the Archbishop's Garden. Additionally, the contest featured an online voting component that drew considerable public engagement, with 1,108 online voters casting a total of 2,755 votes across all categories.
Mayor Yann Galut presided over the awards ceremony, accompanied by Deputy Mayors Constance Bonduelle, who oversees city promotion and activities, communication, tourism and international relations, and Yannick Bedin, who handles culture and the Bourges 2028 initiative. Mayor Galut expressed satisfaction that the contest theme "Bourges mon amour" (Bourges My Love) had successfully inspired photographers to capture the essence and beauty of their city.
The People's Choice Award went to Ophélie Bellegarde for her striking winter night photograph that artistically combined the illuminated Ferris wheel and cathedral. The jury's first prize was awarded to Jessy Bléron for a dazzling composition titled "Toucher de soleil" (Touch of Sun). The second place in the online voting was claimed by Jocelyn Devallière, whose romantic image captured a young couple in the Marais district.
The most compelling story of the competition involved the jury's second prize winner, Lyes Dib, a newcomer to Bourges who captured his award-winning shot using just a smartphone. "I had arrived in Bourges only three weeks earlier," Dib explained. "I was discovering the city and took the nocturnal Blue Lights walking tour. In front of me, in a narrow alley, a woman and a little girl were walking. I took the shot while walking myself, captivated by the blue halo and the thick streak of bright orange light on the cobblestones."
The contrast between the winning photographs was particularly noteworthy, with three highly crafted and carefully planned images standing alongside Dib's spontaneous capture that demonstrated what judges called a "diabolical sense of framing and light." All winning photographs will be featured again in an upcoming exhibition scheduled for May during the second Month of Photography event in Bourges.
