Portrait nominee

"Echoes of Self” is a seven-chapter fine art, self-as-subject, self-portrait series that examines the reverberations of my identity through time and experience. The photos are taken with a black-and-white 4x5” large-format camera and the 1800s, ISO 2, dry plate technique on glass plates. This project aims to capture the echoes of past selves that continue to influence and shape my present identity. Each image reveals a facet of my life’s journey, reflecting the enduring impact of past experiences, emotions, and memories.
"Whispers of Dreams," Chapter two, explores my journey through the unresolved moments of my past. Like dreams, where we process the day’s experiences and allow thoughts to flow unbound by logic, this nineteen-photo series invites memories, joys, fears, and desires to resurface symbolically, unveiling deeper layers of my Ikigai. The series reflects life's memories through metaphor and visual reflections of my inner world. "Whispers of Dreams" delves into my identity, journeying through the subconscious—a realm beyond reason, where raw and unfiltered emotions reside, waiting to be seen.

Ton Schless is a fine art photographer exploring memory, identity, and the passing of time through self-portraiture and metaphorical landscapes in search of his Ikigai, life's purpose. Working with the 4×5" dry plate process, his series Echoes of Self merges historical technique with contemporary inquiry. His images reveal a dialogue between body and nature, introducing imperfection as a metaphor for imperfections in life, transformation, belonging, and the quiet resilience of the human spirit. His work is to evoke meditations in search of his audience's Ikigai.