Getty Images chief sports photojournalist Cameron Spencer 'excited' to see depth of contestants' works

The jury for the Istanbul Photo Awards 2023, organized this year for the ninth time by Anadolu Agency, Türkiye's premier news source, has been announced.

Photojournalist Yuri Kozyrev from NOOR Agency, photojournalist Goran Tomasevic from The Globe and Mail, visual storyteller Marion Mertens, visual media consultant Michel Scotto, chief sports photojournalist Cameron Spencer from Getty Images, photojournalist Ahmet Sel and Firat Yurdakul, the editor-in-chief of Anadolu Agency's Visual News Department, are all among the jury members of the prestigious international photo contest.

National Geographic photographer and filmmaker Ami Vitale, who has worked in more than 100 countries, and photojournalist Carol Guzy, who has over 40 years of experience in the field of photography, rejoined the jury this year after their important role in last year's contest as well.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency about the contest, seasoned jury member Cameron Spencer said 2022 had been a year full of significant events, including "major international conflicts, borders reopening, a continued focus on climate change and a busy calendar of international sporting events."

He expressed how "excited" he felt about seeing "the depth and skills of diverse photojournalists from around the world visually documenting the year with powerful photography" as well as having a seat among the other jury members.

The jury of the contest, which attracts hundreds of entries from many staff photographers along with a sizeable number of freelance journalists worldwide annually, will meet online in March.

Information on the jury members, all of whom are prestigious members of the world of photography, can be accessed at istanbulphotoawards.com/Jury/.

Deadline for entries Jan. 15

Participants can apply with photographs related to the year 2022 in ten different categories: Single News, Story News, Single Sports, Story Sports, Single Nature and Environment, Story Daily Life, and Story Portrait, along with the newly added Story Nature and Environment, Single Portrait and Single Daily Life. There are three awards in every category and the total amount of the prize is $58,000.

Participants can apply in all categories, with every photographer eligible to send four different pictures in single categories and two different series in the story categories. Terms and conditions for applications can be found on the contest website.

The winners will be selected through a platform specially prepared for the contest by Anadolu Agency's dedicated tech team.

Applications are open for professional photographers until Jan. 15, via istanbulphotoawards.com.

An exhibition featuring a selection of photographs from the international news photography contest the Istanbul Photo Awards kicked off on December 8, Thursday in New York.

More than 30 photographs covering major events around the world over the past year will be exhibited at the world body until Dec. 22.

Speaking at the opening ceremony, Turkish Ambassador to the UN Feridun Sinirlioglu said the exhibition is a ''flesh and bone manifestation'' of some of the greatest challenges that humanity faces.

''You will see the sorrow, the desperation, the fear of the unknown and the longing in the eyes of the people that endured various challenges last year,'' he said.

''We are pleased to see the growing interest that Anadolu Agency's annual photo awards have enjoyed over the years.''

Oguz Karakas, the agency’s project management coordinator, said the biggest mark of the agency's strength in photography has been the Istanbul Photo Awards.

Karakas remarked that each shot conveys a particular tale and feeling and that Konstantinos Tsakalidis' piece named "Woman from Evia," which was awarded Photo of the Year, describes the sensation of loss or survival, as well as natural catastrophes and tragedies.

''Over the last eight years, 14,000 photographers have entered our competition,'' he said. ''In 2022 alone, photojournalists from 113 different nationalities applied with 16,000 different photos.''

He added that the photos featured here are an impressive selection skillfully taken by the world's leading photojournalists and selected by an international jury.

Winners

Bloomberg photographer Konstantinos Tsakalidis' photo titled "Woman from Evia" won the Photo of the Year award at the IstanbulPhoto Awards 2022, the eighth edition of the annual international photography contest.

Tsakalidis' photo was selected from more than 16,000 submissions from various parts of the world.

Alain Schroeder, who placed third in the Sports Series category with his tale series about Thai youth training for combat sports, was also present at the opening. 

"This photography contest is simply amazing," Schroeder told Anadolu Agency. “It is always a pleasure to be a part of the winners in this event," he added.

The first exhibition of Istanbul Photo Awards 2022 opened in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul in September.

The contest was organized this year with the support of Canon, Turkish Airlines (THY), and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).

Photographers can send their entries for Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 until Jan. 15. The submissions opened earlier this month.

Details of application requirements and winning photos of past years can be found at http://www.istanbulphotoawards.com/.

Istanbul Photo Awards rank among most prestigious awards globally, says Anadolu Agency Director General Serdar Karagoz

The second exhibition of the 2022 Istanbul Photo Awards kicked off on Tuesday in the Turkish capital Ankara, featuring a selection of award-winning photographs from Anadolu Agency's international news photography contest. 

At the exhibition set to run through Dec. 19, visitors saw the human cost of the conflict in Afghanistan, as well as this year's Formula 1 races, rallies in the US, bird deaths in the Iranian wetlands, and glimpses into the lives of Thai children and mothers in Dagestan.

Türkiye's Deputy Culture and Tourism Minister Ozgul Ozkan Yavuz, Paraguayan Ambassador to Türkiye Ceferino Adrian Valdez Peralta as well as many well-known names from the world of photography attended the exhibition's opening at the CSO Ada Ankara. They were hosted by Anadolu Agency Director General Serdar Karagoz.

Speaking at the ceremony, Yavuz said: "I always define Anadolu Agency as the archive and memory of our country. They do very good work all over the world without compromising on quality."

Karagoz, for his part, said that since its foundation in 1920, Anadolu Agency has always attached great importance to the power of photography.

"We currently maintain nearly 11 million photos on our Anadolu Images platform. We cooperate with many photo distribution agencies globally, including Getty Images, Reuters and AFP Forum. We produce an average of 3,400 photos daily," said Karagoz.

"The Istanbul Photo Awards, which we have been organizing since 2015, has become one of the most prestigious organizations in the world, where the most important international photographers take part,” Karagoz added.

“As Anadolu Agency, we see photography and its story as an indispensable element of news. We want to support photojournalists, who perform their jobs under all kinds of difficult conditions,” Karagoz said.  

Winners

Bloomberg photographer Konstantinos Tsakalidis' photo titled "Woman from Evia" won the Photo of the Year award at the Istanbul Photo Awards 2022, the eighth edition of the annual international photography contest.

Tsakalidis' photo was selected from more than 16,000 submissions from various parts of the world.

The first exhibition of Istanbul Photo Awards 2022 opened in the Turkish metropolis of Istanbul in September.

Anadolu Agency will open its third exhibition on Dec. 8 at the UN Headquarters in New York.

The contest was organized this year with the support of Canon, Turkish Airlines (THY), and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA). Culture and Tourism Ministry and CSO Ada Ankara helped organize the exhibition in the capital.

Photographers can send their entries for Istanbul Photo Awards 2023 until Jan. 15. The submissions opened earlier this month.

Details of application requirements and winning photos of past years can be found at http://www.istanbulphotoawards.com/. 

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