Photo Contest Awards Best Visual Storyteller

“The Little Boatman” by Vikas Datta (Dehli, India). To start with Put.
“It was however dim when I achieved the banking institutions of the Yamuna River in North Delhi to see for myself a bizarre spectacle of newlyweds and before long-to-be-married couples arranging marriage photoshoots on this stinking cesspool of what was as soon as a river. Originating in the Himalayas, the river winds its way down the mountains by way of the northern plains of India. The river, which is a lifestyle supply for tens of millions of individuals, the river on whose banking institutions the Taj Mahal was built…. that river enters Delhi by means of the Wazirabad barrage, to die. As I walked down the stairs of the embankment, I could smell the stink of sewage and see the garbage and harmful waste floating in the river. A number of partners dressed in their marriage finery ended up remaining photographed by about-enthusiastic marriage photographers. A boy sitting down in 1 of the row boats, not much more than twelve or thirteen, beckoned me in the direction of him. I can get you, he explained, only five hundred rupees. I stepped into his boat, and we established off down the river. He pointed to a plastic bag and reported, “Take that for the birds. Fifty rupees only.” I opened the bag, grabbed a handful of the salted fried treats, and flung it in the direction of the birds. The small boatman stood up and heaved on the oars hard, “Full pace ahead,” he shouted. As the solar rose, the golden light-weight brightened the fog on the river. Couples in other boats held palms and their breath as the cameras clicked and captured their exclusive second of new beginnings. Meanwhile, the boat sliced via the dark, useless river, with seagulls traveling together with.”

“The Photographer’s Assistant” by Alejandra Lopez Zaballa (Oaxaca, Mexico). Second Place.
“This impression is element of a prolonged undertaking (8 decades now) I did in a Girls’ caring home in Oaxaca (south of Mexico). The goal was to display and give voice to “orphan” children. To carry on boosting awareness about a social problem that has existed for good but, as a modern society, we appear not to have settled quite properly. I went so several moments to this area that early on, it became natural for the girls that I would be there, peaceful, taking images and later on on taking part in with them. The reality that for them I was portion of the caring household created them truly feel comfortable so that at times they “created” spontaneously some images, like this one particular. The girls had been just talking, and I was going to choose a photo of them when the a single on the right made the decision to be like the “stylist” of the one on the remaining and manufactured her pose. I liked how by natural means and gracefully she was going her face. I beloved that even nevertheless they did not pose for the venture, they felt they wished to do it and assistance in their very own way. It was pure chemistry and connection without conversing.”

“Stairway Standoff” by Laurin Strele (Herat, Afghanistan). 3rd Location.
“In Herat jihad-museum, there’s a staircase lined with lifelike puppets of Mujahideen fighters. No faces, just silent soldiers. A Taliban man climbs up. At the heart, yet another Taliban sits, gun in hand, wanting straight at the camera. I stood at the top rated of the staircase, on the lookout down. I snapped a photograph of what lay down below. The quiet figures, both puppets and individuals, appeared to tell a story without the need of words and phrases. It is a picture of history, the place puppets and men and women blur the line involving reality and illustration. Every single figure, whether carved or flesh, weaves a thread in Afghanistan’s narrative.”

“The Car or truck Boys” by Rebecca Moseman (Carrowbrowne Halting Web-site, Galway, Eire). Finalist.
“Billy, Steven, and Paddy, a few Irish Traveler. Boys use an abandoned car as their playground. The boys have no pure locations to enjoy, so they show boredom, irritation, and aggression by destroying the motor vehicle. The Carrow Browne halting web-site, a rat-infested web-site, is positioned on the outskirts of Galway Metropolis up coming to a squander administration internet site. Although the internet site was meant to be short term, it has turn out to be their lasting living space. The Irish Travellers are a proud and reclusive people today, keeping a tradition and traditions whose origins are misplaced in time. In the fall of 2017, I experienced the possibility to be amongst them less than the supervision of a fellow photographer who offered entry to their entire world and allowed me to photograph their life. This sequence of pictures demonstrates my personalized interactions with the Travelers I was privileged to connect with.”

“The Mundari and their treasured cows.” by France Leclerc (South Sudan). Finalist.
“Indigenous to the Nile Valley, the Mundari is a tiny ethnic team of approximately 100,000 people. As is the case for numerous other tribes in the area, every thing is about the cows for the Mundari. Cattle are the Mundari’s main resource of prosperity the cows serve as a sort of currency and, as this sort of, have come to be a image of status and electric power. And the cows are superb. These Ankole-Watusi cows are gigantic and have amazing curly horns.”

“Stilt fishermen of Weligama” by Andrea Peruzzi (Weligama, Sri Lanka). Finalist.
“At the initially gentle of dawn, when no a single still wanders alongside the seashores of southern Sri Lanka, some community fishermen try their hand at the intriguing and scenic fishing on stilts, which are trapped in the sand in the center of the sea. An ancient community fishing customized, which luckily some aged fishermen carry on to exercise, and is not just a faux photographic set for holidaymakers, as it is frequently feasible to come upon in some areas in the country for the duration of the working day.”

“The pursuit of water” by Eliane Band (Gujarat, India). Finalist.
“In the hinterlands of Gujarat, India, lies a Rabari Neighborhood Village exactly where I could witness the essence of a each day ritual – the arduous job of fetching and carrying h2o for vital wants. What truly resonated with my heart was witnessing the metamorphosis of this challenging everyday action into a serene and poetic scene. The image not only encapsulates the actual physical act of drinking water collection but also serves as a poignant reflection of the community’s strategy in direction of this day by day chore – just one marked by grace, beauty, and an inherent acceptance of their instances. This juxtaposition, caught in the frame, encapsulates the resilience and transcendent spirit of the Rabari persons as they navigate the complexities of their everyday lives.”

“Nameless1” by Hossein Fardinfard (Tskaltubo, Ga). Finalist.
“From the series ‘Blackout.’ Merry is just one of the victims of the 1992 war in Abkhazia. Her brother and her 53-year-aged husband had been each murdered by Abkhazian separatist forces. With an wounded leg, she escaped and hid in a forest for two weeks. Following a very long journey, she attained her new residence in Tskaltubo. Individually, Merry and this photograph symbolize hope for me.”

“Evans & Charles” by George McLeod (Nkoranza, Ghana). Finalist.
“Part of an ongoing task documenting the local local community revolving all over corn farming and output. I expended two weeks there and took a single photo for the reason that I required to get to know men and women and develop believe in right before demonstrating up with my digital camera, and so this was shot on the last night time of the two men I received to know the finest. Evans & Charles. Tremendous awesome men who were being up for becoming in the 1st picture of the venture. Evans is the internet site foreman and Charles is the nighttime protection guard, I wished to pose them, but specifically as I’d observed them many instances. I may have moved the motorbikes for a much better composition, as well.”

“Untitled 1” by Afroditi Diamantopoulou. Finalist.
“The picture sequence titled “(No) Tales to Be Told” delves into my inner journey from the current to the previous. It types a discourse with my non-public family members selection, the two virtually and symbolically, as the men and women portrayed in the photos are portion of my relatives, prolonged kinfolk, and buddies. By manipulating these images and aligning them with the existing instant, I endeavor to unravel their characters, narratives, and roles. Through this course of action, I strive to recreate the earlier, appraise their actions, and redefine my job in just the household dynamic and the historical past.”