「第52回公益社団法人日本広告写真家協会公募展（APAアワード2024）」に寄せて
「APAアワード2024」にご応募頂きありがとうございました。
私達APAは広告写真家の親睦団体として1958年に生まれました。広告は右肩上がりの高度成長の波に乗り、多くの著名な写真家が輩出された時代でした。1989年に社団法人、2012年に公益社団法人になり、創立66年を迎えます。当初は優秀な新人広告写真家を発掘するために設けられた公募展ですが、2006年より協会の主幹事業として、公益的観点からその年の優れた写真を中心とした広告写真をアーカイブ化するプロジェクトも担う「APAアワード」として新たにスタートいたしました。それまで別々に開催していた写真作品部門と広告作品部門を併合し、写真表現の質的向上を図ると共に、その時代を代表する広告作品を歴史的遺産として後世に残す役割を果たしています。
世界を震撼させた新型コロナウイルス感染症は、我が国でも5類感染症に移行されましたが、まだまだ油断できない状況が続いております。また、ロシアのウクライナ進攻やイスラエルとハマスの戦闘など不安定な世界情勢、物価の高騰、GDPの4位転落等、経済的影響も依然として深刻な状況にあります。このような事態は広告業界にとっても多難の時代となり、経済界の旗振り役である広告写真家にも甚大な影響を与えています。
今世紀には急速なデジタル化に伴い、新聞・雑誌・ポスター等の紙媒体は減少し、変わってWEB広告、デジタルサイネージ等々の媒体が急増しています。また、各種のSNSの普及によりマスメディアからの情報伝達ではなくパーソナルコミュニケーションの傾向も増えており、撮るツールもフィルムカメラからデジタルカメラ、スマートフォン等へ大きく進化して、更にはCGやAIでも画像を作れる時代がやって来ました。そういった時代の変化に広告写真家は一層敏感であらねばなりません。
コロナの影響でテレワークが増加した方々も多くおられると思いますが、これらをむしろ逆境とはせずAPAも組織的なDX（デジタルトランスフォーメーション）化に取り組んでおります。「APAアワード」もWEB上からの応募とオンライン審査に改革して今回3回目を迎えましたが、今後も一層システムに磨きをかけて続けていく所存です。プロばかりではなく写真愛好家の方にも広く門戸を開き、素敵な写真を応募して頂ける事を強く祈念いたします。
今年も「APAアワード2024」にエントリー頂きました皆様、並びに本事業にご賛同頂きご後援賜りました、経済産業省、文化庁、東京都、ご協力頂きました関係企業各位に深く感謝の意を表します。
Commemorating the 52nd Japan Advertising Photographers’ Association Exhibition (APA Awards 2024)
Firstly, I would like to extend a big thank-you to everyone who submitted works to the 2024 APA Awards. The Japan Advertising Photographers’ Association (APA) was established in 1958—during the nation’s super-growth period—when the advertising sector was expanding exponentially in tandem. This was also a time when many famous advertising photographers rose to prominence. APA became an Incorporated Association in 1989, a Public Interest Incorporated Association in 2012, and this year the Association will be celebrating its 66th anniversary. As of 2006, a project was launched to archive advertising photography—particularly the excellent photography submitted to the contest (originally launched with a view to acknowledging talented new advertising photographers) each year—as a major project of the Association as well as the idea of benefiting the public. In conjunction with this project, the Awards were relaunched combining the original photo contest and advertising contest as the Photography and Advertising Sections. Today, the APA Awards assume a key role in boosting the quality of photographic expression as well as preserving advertising photography typical of our times as the legacy of the advertising business for future generations.
COVID-19, which disrupted the entire world, has now been re-classified in Japan as a Category V infectious disease, yet we would not necessarily say that we are fully safe from the virus. In addition, there are some other problems including unstable global conditions such as Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the war between Israel and Hamas, as well as ongoing negative economic factors such as rising prices, Japan’s slide to fourth place in the world in terms of GDP, and more. These circumstances have created a challenging business environment for the advertising sector on multiple fronts, wielding a significant impact on advertising sector photographers, whose work reflects business world trend.
As of the current century, in tandem with rapid digitalization, paper media such as newspapers, magazines, and posters have been on the decline, while other types of media, including Web advertising and digital signage, are rapidly taking their place. In addition, a trend toward personal communication is also on the rise by way of various popular social networking services, in place of information dissemination by the mass media. Photography tools have also largely moved on from film cameras to digital cameras and smartphones, and we are now in an era where CG and AI are used to create images. In these times, advertising sector photographers need to be acutely aware of such changes.
More and more people have made the switch to telecommuting due to the impact of COVID-19. Instead of looking at this trend as a form of adversity, we at APA are undertaking the process of digital transformation (DX) throughout our organization. This is our third APA Awards since we began accepting submissions on the Web and reforming our online screening process. We are also committed to continuously improving our systems. It is our sincere wish to open up opportunities not only for professionals but also for amateur photography lovers such that our award system attracts anyone with wonderful photos to offer.
In conclusion, I would like to once again extend my deepest appreciation to those who submitted works to the APA Awards 2024 contest, as well as to our sponsors, including the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry; the Agency for Cultural Affairs; the Tokyo Metropolitan Government; and to all associated companies.
