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/.