Prize winner says competition gives opportunity to disseminate work to wider audience

Winning at the Istanbul Photo Awards contest gives photographers an opportunity to publicize their work, thus increasing its visibility and audience, said photojournalist Fabio Bucciarelli, this year’s first prize winner in the Story News category.

As the world struggled amid the difficulties that the COVID-19 pandemic has brought with itself, Anadolu Agency’s Istanbul Photo Awards drew attention to what has been going on throughout the globe with the power of photos.

Bucciarelli is among the photojournalists who spoke to people from all around the world about how the deadly virus affected everyday life with the photos he took in Italy in early 2020.

“I gained exclusive access to Red Cross workers who were going from door to door to check on those who were infected,” he said. “It was an intimate view of the devastating way the coronavirus was tearing apart family after family.”

Mentioning that he visited hospitals full of COVID-19 patients, he described his connection with the families as “so intensive that, in the most tragic cases, they allowed me to follow them to cemeteries for the pared-down yet poignant ceremonies that only the closest relatives could attend.”

Photo of year award winner Mohammed Shajahan says this award will bring him great significance in photography community

Istanbul Photo Awards competition is accepted as one of the most reputable awards across the world, said Bangladeshi photojournalist Mohammed Shajahan, this year's Photo of the Year winner.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic has turned the world upside down, photojournalists continued working with dedication to demonstrate the events worldwide with photos as one of the most effective ways.

In such a harsh period, Anadolu Agency's Istanbul Photo Awards contest has continued showing everyone how important photos are to actually have a sense of the incidents.

As the winners were announced in all categories, Bangladeshi photographer Mohammed Shajahan shared the story behind his award-winning photo "Mom Love" and expressed how he feels after being deemed worthy of the award.

Mentioning that he went to Halishahar district of southeastern Chittagong province of Bangladesh to attend a funeral resulted from coronavirus, Shajahan said there he saw a "teenager standing by the door of the next house, putting some flowers on the glass door with scotch tape."

"She drew the sign of 'Love' and wrote 'MOM' on the side. A little later, Mahmuda Khanam came to the door with an oxygen mask on her face and desperately tried to smell the flowers!" he stated.

Recalling that, he then understood the difficulty that the 44-year-old woman had as she couldn't breathe and also couldn't smell the flowers due to the virus.

Having such a strong story behind it, the photo "Mom Love" made him the man who told the world how the deadly virus affects the everyday life of people from all around the world with just the demonstration of a single moment.

"A photojournalist can never avoid social responsibility no matter what the situation is," underlined Shajahan, stressing that "He has to work in any difficult situation."

Mentioning that reaching out to everyone with just a photo of a single moment is "the greatest strength of photography," he stated: "I think this kind of emotional picture during coronavirus epidemic will send a message to others to be careful."

He also emphasized how important this award was for him; he said: "The Istanbul Photo Awards competition is now considered one of the most prestigious awards in the world."

"It is a matter of great pride. This award will bring me a lot of importance in the photography community and encourage me to do better."

Responsibility, organization, discipline, professionalism

In the Single News category, AFP photojournalist Yuri Cortez deserved the second prize with his work in which he pictured the prisoners in the Quezaltepeque prison in El Salvador.

Sharing the story of his photo, Cortez said he was at that prison in the photo upon the invitation of the prison authorities for him to take a tour around.

I was shocked when I entered the first block of cells and saw how overcrowded that place was, said Cortez.

"Perhaps the first great challenge was the little time to think about doing a job under the pressure of being inside a maximum-security prison full of highly dangerous prisoners," he stressed, adding that trying to do his job effectively while also trying to adapt to such an environment he was in really pushed his boundaries.

Describing the photographers as the "generators of opinion," Cortez stated that it is not important whether a photo tells a likable story or not since the most important thing for it is to deliver the message properly.

"One of the principles that I always assume when I do my work is responsibility, organization, discipline and professionalism that my teachers taught me in college," Cortez underlined.

He told Anadolu Agency that receiving that award was a "pleasant surprise" and said that he felt thankful with the recognition that the prize was "important and prestigious" for him.

"I feel committed to continue giving my best, which is what I always try to do when I am taking photos," he stated.

"I speak with young people and try to motivate them to never give up and to face life and adversity with courage because they give us nothing.

"Especially in a society that often marginalizes us or even discriminates against us for being 'the photographers'."

Photos to make change

AP photojournalist Petros Giannakouris won the third-place award with his photograph reflecting the difficulties faced by the refugees who fled the camp they had been located in Greece.

He also told Anadolu Agency about his experiences, the story of his photo and how he feels about his award.

Taking a picture of multiple fire zones at the Moria refugee and migrant camp, he said he felt "the incredible force of that moment."

"The picture was filled with emotion," stressed Giannakouris, emphasizing that "You could sense the drama in the faces of the people fleeing the camp as it was again engulfed in flames."

Mentioning that he has been in this profession for about 30 years, he describes himself as a "romantic" as he believes that "a picture can make a change."

"People must be informed, and one strong moment can stir the news audience," he stated.

He said he feels "lucky and happy" to be honored with such an award and perceives the award as "an opportunity for people to see the picture and learn about the issue."

While also praising the jury, he admitted that he admires "their work for so long."

Information related to the 2021 jury and award-winning photographs can be accessed via the website www.istanbulphotoawards.com.

Goran Tomasevic of Reuters calls on everyone to apply for next year’s contest

A member of the jury for Istanbul Photo Awards 2021 said he was “honored” to be a part of the “top-quality competition.”

“It is amazing. And it's a top-quality competition and absolutely loved, and I'm honored to be a member of the jury this year,” said Goran Tomasevic, a seasoned photojournalist for Reuters.

“I would encourage everyone to apply. I should apply also next year, when I'm not the judge. I love to compete. I love it.

“Everyone should apply; especially [those] with such precision or lucky single photos. And I would encourage everyone to attend every spot [category of the competition] because there are many of my colleagues, and I tell them to get this [participate in it] next year,” he said.

In his first year as a jury member of the competition, Tomasevic gave his impressions on the jury.

“The jury -- some of the people I knew, some people I never met. But we simply clicked. It was very quick. And we even noticed that we didn’t agree about certain things, and everyone was easy[going] and supportive and positive. And it was easy to come to the conclusion of what we [the jury] believed was the best. So there were really great things too. All the jury members were really impressive. And I really enjoyed it and it was easy for me as a professional to contribute with my judgment because everyone did a fantastic job.”

Praising the quality of the photographs submitted in the seventh round of the competition, he said: “I saw some amazing works. Surely, we could not give awards to everyone. That's why it's a competition.”

“But I just want to say that if somebody didn't get an award, they shouldn't be disappointed, because there were lots of really, really good works. It was really hard for us to decide.”

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic which has been running rampant worldwide for over a year, the jury evaluated and selected the winning photographs through an online platform developed by an Anadolu Agency team exclusively for the contest.

“We were living in a time of coronavirus. So it was frustrating not ‘seeing’ the brains, not meeting [them], while sitting next to each other and discussing pictures. From the first moment taking pictures apart in the competition, it was perfect. Everything was simple and clear. And I'm not a technical person, but I didn’t have troubles. It was easy to follow the pictures, easy to judge,” Tomasevic said.

He congratulated Bangladesh-based photographer Mohammed Shajahan for his shot titled Mom Love for being awarded Photo of the Year.

“It's always been difficult for me to describe and explain for some pictures why they're the best or the why we love them,” he said.

“It's difficult because simply, they just stand out, and they just shine when you look at and judge a competition, or even it can be my pictures or pictures of others,” he said, adding “my colleague did a very good job.”

He said one of the reasons he loved Mom Love was that despite its vague background and black-and-whiteness, “it was very clear that this is the time we are living in, with the virus and everything, and the picture is emotional. For me, it could not be more clear.”

Regarding Shajahan’s picture, he said “it was simply that the picture just shines, you know, and it's perfect. It’s in focus. It's nicely composed.”

“That's hitting you in the face. This is it.”

Tomasevic said there is no certain criteria for him in choosing among the submitted pictures. He said photographs that are technically flawed can still be good.

“Sometimes in the past, I would like some pictures. They were not technically perfect, but they were still good. So it’s perfect,” he added. “As for good pictures, you shouldn’t need to describe them. You either see them immediately or not.”

Tomasevic also touched on the beginning of his career.

“War hit my country when I was really young. So there was no other choice than to go into this direction in a business. Sadly, this happened. I wish it never happened here.”

He went on to compare the past and present of photojournalism, telling how the sector became more demanding with the developments in technology.

“When I started for Reuters and the first pictures I [took when I] moved on as a freelancer in the ‘90s, I was still printing pictures in my hotel rooms and typing scripts with a typewriter, and we would send one, two or three pictures per story maximum. And then when we started getting all those scanners and laptops, we would have to file more.”

Congratulating the winners of all categories, Tomasevic draw attention to the challenges of shooting a single and series of photographs.

“How I have been trained by the best professionals is that you can say more with one single photograph -- the whole story. I believe a single shot is the most challenging,” he said.

“To describe it, you remember I was telling you about when we should file two pictures in the ‘90s, for example one horizontal for the front page and one wide for the article inside. So with these two pictures, we were challenged to describe the biggest events in the world at that time,” he said.

Highlighting the importance of the message in a photograph, Tomasevic said: “A group of photographs, [even if they are] good, it doesn't mean that they are telling the story. So this is the challenge: how to present your story.”

“So I believe both things are challenging. For me personally as a photographer, the challenge was single, but stories are also not easy and how you package it that is very important,” he said.

“That is how I see, and that is how I was trained. And then with the start of this new kind of technology, we have now to start the day with a slideshow with so many pictures, and it's a totally different dynamic.”

Tomasevic said he is content with the development of quality cameras in smart phones and their widespread use.

“I truly believe in today's world of the phones and tablets. People are more looking at and going through the pictures than in the newspapers in old times. So because of that, I'm saying that photography has been more important than ever before.

“I think it is more important than it has ever been. The more we look at it, there are more effects on the people than in the past.”

Critical about employers who demand that their photographers shoot videos, Tomasevic said: “I think that pushing people to do videos and photos at the same time is absolutely killing photography."

“This is not good for us, and either once or twice [by chance], these are good pictures; and I hate it. But I also understand that this is the time we are living in,” he said.

“Certainly, this is in news photography. There are moments [where] if you miss them, they will never come back,” Tomasevic said. “If you want to have a picture to be remembered, then [you need] to be focused in work, and you have to work hard.”

Tomasevic reminded Anadolu Agency’s audience that photojournalism comes with certain responsibilities and challenges and talked about the most challenging moments he has faced as a photographer.

“I have a few [challenging moments], but one of them definitely happened in Iraq in 2003, when the US Army or Marines accidentally killed and injured some of our colleagues,” he said.

“Sadly, these kinds of things are happening sometimes. And this was maybe the most striking or the hardest moment in my career -- and I lost a good friend, and colleagues,” he went on.

“This is often the thing I'm thinking about; where is this thin line of doing some good photography or fighting for basic survival sometimes? So with every assignment I go [for], after the assignment, it is always some sadness and happiness in some moments when we are telling friends we are back.”

Mentioning another of his challenges, Tomasevic said: “I was in Kosovo, ‘99, it [a conflict] was happening in my country, and I was presenting their story from my perspective. Because everyone was judging you because you were from that area. So I can stand proudly and say yes, I did very well in my pictures then.”

“So this is the challenge. However, it's hard to go traveling to other places for conflicts,” he said. “But it is the hardest when the stories are in your home. It hurts the most.”

He said the variety of pictures submitted was “super” despite the COVID-19 pandemic and congratulated his colleagues across the world for the “amazing” works of an impressive variety in this period.

“I understand why we had so many of these [COVID-19 pictures] because it’s not a story which lasts two to three weeks. It was all year, and it’s more. But there was some amazing other work. I mean it’s super,” he said.

For photographers who would like to improve themselves, Tomasevic advised: “Work harder than anyone else did. This is what I did.”

“I believe I am waking up earlier and staying in the field longer than anyone else still. It's just working hard,” he continued. “To be talented is not enough. I believe in hard work.”

As a photographer who is still passionate after 30 years of experience, he said: “I want to turn around, I want to shoot more. I'm still happy to do it. Working for new challenges. And I can't wait to go back for some good story.”

Information related to the 2021 jury and award-winning photographs can be accessed via the website: istanbulphotoawards.com.

Head of jury says contest’s strength comes from passion of photographers worldwide, universal nature of photography

"What is great about the Istanbul Photo Awards is that every year, you stop the time and you realize, you take time to just really see what went on for 12 months," said the head of the contest's jury this year.

Marion Mertens, a France-based visual storyteller, gave her impressions on this year's winning photographs to Anadolu Agency.

Mertens said the Photo of the Year, titled Mom Love and taken by Bangladeshi photographer Mohammed Shajahan, was "a very strong picture," and its strength derived from harboring news and human and personal qualities at the same time.

Noting that the photograph appeals to the viewer and reminds them of the occasions that were "stolen" from loved ones during the pandemic, she added that "a lot of people, myself included, had a lot of moments where we were thinking about our parents, and we couldn't see them, or we had to get organized to see them."

"And I think it's the reason why it's a strong picture," she said. "Because it's a very human picture."

Mertens commented on the outstanding technicality of the picture, which was taken in black and white with an unclear background.

"It brought more strength to the picture because, for some reason, it stood out. I also think what was interesting about that picture is that we don't see much; it's a very close-up picture. So you don't really know which country it is. So it's a matter of relating more; you don't think it's far away, in a way. It's mom, and there's a heart, and the flowers... and I think it's universal, isn't it?"

In her fifth year on the jury, Mertens touched on the variety of perspectives deriving from different backgrounds within the jury.

"We all are very different. We all come from different countries. We all have different skills," she said.

"What is interesting about the contest is that we get more photos from more places. There are different contests all around the world, and we always are different," Mertens continued.

"Not being from the same country or the same department or the same area of expertise makes the jury really strong," she added.

Excited to have two more awards -- Story Daily Life and Story Portrait -- in the contest's seventh year, she said: "So what is interesting about the Istanbul Photo Awards is that we are allowed to pick a little bit of everything."

"If you look at the sports winners this year, you have action, but the first prize is the COVID supporters, the supporters in the Czech Stadium, frustrated not to be able to attend. So it's more of a human picture. But there's also the motorbike crash, which is an action picture. And then you have the third prize. It is more of a very visual sports picture with [the photo titled] 'Log Pile Bouldering.'"

Mertens also gave insight into the criteria that the jury adopted while selecting the winners. Thinking of the most significant criterion, she said: "It's the story. It's what it tells. But it's also what it shows. It's also what it makes you feel in a way. So it's always a mixture of those three or more things."

"But I think, for me, what makes a photo really strong is what it tells you and how you connect as a human being to the picture," she remarked. "The human side is always what I find the strongest to get attracted to a picture."

Regarding the winner of the Single News second prize picture, which shows inmates in a hard-to-enter prison in El Salvador where dangerous gang members were incarcerated, Mertens said access is a crucial criterion for photography as well.

"You have your way, your talent as a photographer, but one of the tenets of photography is to be at the right place," she emphasized.

"For example, for Yuri Cortez, the photographer, I think we all agreed that the picture was really good, but the access was amazing. And I think it's when you can combine access and a good photo, it's amazing," Mertens said.

Mertens said despite the coronavirus pandemic that has been raging worldwide for over a year, the variety of pictures and subjects submitted for the contest was impressive. She said the number of photographs amid battling a pandemic was notable.

"We have a lot of people from every single part of the world and a lot of photos -- photos that we've never seen, that were not published."

Stating that the jury received a great number of photographs reflecting the life with the novel coronavirus, Mertens underlined, "What was interesting about COVID is that the pictures were never the same."

"We didn't realize there were pictures of young people with COVID and doctors, and then medical research, and sports and COVID... But in different parts and different levels of society… It made you travel all around the world... And it's not the same picture. Never," she said.

Mertens congratulated all the participants, who made it "very difficult" for the jury to choose winners.

She called on photojournalists worldwide to participate in the contest, regardless of whether they work for big agencies or are freelancers.

"We were very happy when we realized that there were a lot of freelancers that were winners. Because it's interesting; it shows that independent photographers show their work, and they can win," she said.

"It's not only big organizations that can have awards and that produce material."

She expressed her disappointment, however, that the world of photography is different than when she started shooting 35 years ago, in that "the agencies pay less than they used to [for photographs]."

"I think the industry is in trouble and is suffering. The industry of photography is suffering. But I think the photographers have their passion and their desire to shoot," she noted.

"I think watching a photo is always something that changes you. It opens up your worlds. Sometimes it shocks you, sometimes you don't agree, sometimes you're surprised, but I think it's something that doesn't leave you intact, or doesn't leave you. It has an effect," Mertens said.

"I love photography, I think every single person should keep shooting photographs and showing what the world is, and not feeling afraid of showing reality," she said. "Because photography is the best language in the world. It's universal."

Information related to the 2021 jury and award-winning photographs can be accessed via the website: istanbulphotoawards.com