# Ordinary moments hold hidden power

> A photographer's everyday backyard shot wins a major award, revealing emotional depth she didn't see at first.
- Title: Ordinary moments hold hidden power · Digital Camera World
- Summary: A photographer's everyday backyard shot wins a major award, revealing emotional depth she didn't see at first. Simple, unposed moments can carry profound…
- Keywords: carly goldsmith, mono awards, black and white photography, portrait photography, photography competition, emotional storytelling, australian photography, award-winning image, Ordinary, moments, hold, hidden
- Source: Digital Camera World — https://digitalcameraworld.com/photography/awards-and-competitions/it-carried-more-emotional-weight-than-i-had-realized-at-the-time-says-award-winning-photographer-about-her-ordinary-black-and-white-portrait
- Published: 2026-09-21T13:41:05+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: carly goldsmith, mono awards, black and white photography, portrait photography, photography competition, emotional storytelling, australian photography, award-winning image
## Backyard moment wins big
Carly Goldsmith's black-and-white photo of her two children playing in their garden won the People category at the 2026 Mono Awards, an annual competition celebrating monochromatic imagery.
## Shadow cast the spell
As the sun dropped lower, it cast a defined shadow across the fence. Goldsmith realized later the ordinary moment held far more emotional weight than she'd recognized when taking it.

> It carried more emotional weight than I had realized at the time
## Competition drew thousands
The Mono Awards, hosted by Australian Photography and Capture magazines, attracted over three thousand entries from Australia, New Zealand and beyond, celebrating the world's best black-and-white imagery.
## Humor wins Places category
Andy Zakeli from New South Wales won the Places category for a quirky shot at Sydney's Gadigal Station, where he made the subject appear headless using metro signage to create visual interest.

> I like trying to add humor or strange elements to my photos purely to create interest for the viewer
## Rays swirl in Mexico
Brooke Pyke from Western Australia won the Animals category with a dramatic shot of mobula rays swirling in Baja, Mexico, using white sand to contrast the rays' shapes against a glowing backdrop.

> With marine life, you never know what you might see, and that's part of the magic
## Color removal reveals emotion
Goldsmith said removing color captures emotion and nostalgia in a poignant way, and knowing the judges felt something too gave her joy.

> Removing color captures emotion and nostalgia in a very poignant way
## Winners receive cash and storage
Each of the three category winners received twenty-five hundred Australian dollars, approximately eighteen hundred US dollars or thirteen hundred British pounds, plus an eight terabyte Synology NAS storage device.
## Key takeaway

Simple, unposed moments can carry profound emotional weight that becomes clear only upon reflection.