Syngenta Announces Photo Prize 2010 Winners

BASEL, Switzerland, Nov. 16, 2010 /PRNewswire/ -- Syngenta has announced the winners of its 2010 Photo Prize competition. Nigel Hallett from Australia, Zoltan Balogh from Hungary and Mario Pereda from Spain were awarded first, second and third prize vouchers of $8000, $5000 and $3000, respectively. The winning photos were selected from 3800 entries, from 87 countries, based upon their quality, creativity and interpretation of Syngenta's purpose: Bringing plant potential to life.  

The winners were announced today at a special exhibition at the Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, as part of Syngenta's 10th Anniversary celebrations.  

"The breadth and quality of the work submitted to the 2010 Syngenta Photo Prize reflects the standing the competition has within the global photographic community," said award-winning professional photographer Marcus Lyon, Chairman of the Judging Panel and Exhibition Curator. "Moreover, the commitment Syngenta has shown to this initiative through the Basel exhibition is a significant step towards this becoming a recognized award for photographic excellence."

"As we celebrate our 10th Anniversary, I have enjoyed seeing so many creative and original interpretations of our company's purpose," said Mike Mack, Syngenta CEO. "Agriculture comes in all shapes and sizes. The power of photography brings the richness and diversity of our industry to life. The photos are a great reflection of our daily job, where we work with farmers in the field and the environment they live in."

Syngenta employees also submitted over 900 photographs, with winning entries from the Netherlands, the UK and Germany. All external and internal winning entries were judged upon their creative interpretation, color and composition, and quality and technique. The diverse judging panel included Syngenta representatives, a Syngenta customer and professional and amateur photographers.

First prize winner, Nigel Hallett, is a professional photographer working for a local Australian newspaper. His entry was named 'Summer Scorcher'. Zoltan Balogh, a semi-professional photographer, described his winning picture, 'Countryside in Finland', as "a fortunate moment." Usually keen to photograph people, Balogh felt "compelled to capture the outstanding symmetrical composition in the landscape." Mario Pereda, a professional photographer, described his winning entry 'Ifugao Rice Terraces' as "one of the most interesting places he had ever visited." Taken during a three month trip to the Philippines, Pereda said this type of farming community is exactly what he envisions Syngenta's purpose to represent.

The annual Syngenta Photo Prize seeks outstanding images of plants, landscapes, communities and technologies in the context of global agriculture. The website www.syngentaphoto.com is dedicated to the photo prize and features all of the 2010 winning entries and submissions, and showcases the winners from previous years.

Syngenta is one of the world's leading companies with more than 25,000 employees in over 90 countries dedicated to our purpose: Bringing plant potential to life. Through world-class science, global reach and commitment to our customers we help to increase crop productivity, protect the environment and improve health and quality of life. For more information about us please go to www.syngenta.com or www.growmorefromless.com.

Note to the Editor:

High-resolution files of the winning photos can be found here. Photos can be downloaded after registration and can only be used for publication in relation to the Syngenta Photo Prize.

CONTACT:  Medard Schoenmaeckers, Switzerland, +41 61 323 2323

SOURCE Syngenta