cizucu Presents 'Breathing with Earth' Award Announcement | Challenge #354

'Breathing with Earth' is a global online photography contest organized by cizucu, open to all creators registered on cizucu. Outstanding works are curated from the submissions, with the aim of discovering new talent as a platform and supporting the community as a whole.

This edition's theme was ‘Coexistence with Nature’.

Nature is not only found in special landscapes, but also breathes right beside our daily lives.
While we may observe and capture nature, we do not live outside of it. We breathe the same air, touch the same earth, and exist within its cycles every day.
Before we are observers of nature, we are already part of its circulation, sharing the breath of the planet.
Nearby flowers and trees, the presence of light, wind, and water, and the activities of people living with nature.
This time, we invited moments of coexistence between humans and nature found within everyday life.

Now, let us introduce the submissions and the awarded works.

Steven Liao

cizucu Editorial Team
Looking at the figure resting by the water with the city in the distance, we sense a moment where people and nature coexist effortlessly. Rather than entering nature, it appears as a continuation of daily life, facing the wind and water's edge. This is a portrait of coexistence that takes place close to everyday living.

jayjay.peg

cizucu Editorial Team
What comes across is the distance between the photographer and the foxes. It wasn't just a chance encounter; it seems they were mutually aware of each other's presence. Rather than a gaze of observation, there is a warmth born from a relationship formed by facing another living being.

Kei

cizucu Editorial Team
From the figure of a woman surrounded by rapeseed blossoms, we sense the joy of immersing oneself in nature, receiving the seasons with one's whole being. We, too, wish to give back so that we may continue to receive the blessings of this planet for generations to come.

AinokazeKureha
“Land of Prayer, Tibet: At the Boundary of Light and Shadow”

📷 NORITSUKOKI EZ Controller

cizucu Editorial Team
In a rapidly changing world, it feels as if only this person has been left behind—or perhaps it is we who have moved too far ahead, driven by our own convenience and desires. I felt that this individual continues to stand there, preserving a culture where the land’s nature is intertwined with faith and tradition.

uni.z3
“immersed in plants”

📷 Minolta HI-MATIC E

cizucu Editorial Team
Coexistence with nature is not just about consumption; it is built and maintained through production, care, and ongoing engagement. This image of nurturing flowers conveys such a message about sustaining a lasting relationship with the natural world, made even more powerful by the framing and choice of motif.

We hope you enjoyed this feature.

Nature is not something distant, but is truly alive within our daily lives, activities, prayers, and labors. The works in this edition have each shown this in their own way. Thank you to everyone who submitted—your works were once again outstanding.