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GCCA Concrete in Life 2024/25 photography competition winners

Photo contests typically have some sort of central theme or guiding topic, but that isn't often centered around a building material. The Concrete in Life contest, however, does just that. Run by the Global Cement and Concrete Association (GCCA), the contest aims to highlight concrete's beauty and essentiality worldwide. The winners of the sixth annual running of the contest have been announced, having been selected from more than 20,000 entries.

"The stunning images highlight concrete’s positive impact on our lives right across the planet," said Thomas Guillot, GCCA Chief Executive who helped to judge this year’s competition. "Whether it’s the vital infrastructure such as bridges, railways and roads that we travel along or the homes, offices and schools we inhabit, concrete is a truly versatile material. Our competition gives anyone with a smartphone as well as professional photographers, the chance to show just how essential concrete is to our lives, as well as how beautiful it can be."

The contest is open to any type of camera, from smartphones to professional equipment. The contest awards an overall winner with a prize of $10,000. There are also four category winners – Urban Design and Use, Concrete Infrastructure, Concrete in Daily Life and Beauty and Design – with one winner per category winning $2,500. Finally, a People's Choice award winner receives $5,000.

You can see all of the shortlisted winners and learn more about the contest at the GCCA Concrete in Life website.

Concrete in Life Photo of the Year 2024/25: Henrik Hagerup

Photographer: Henrik Hagerup

Image title: Venice Beach Skating

Image location: Venice Beach, Los Angeles, USA

Description: A magical morning where the skaters work their magic on the concrete rink with the Pacific Ocean as a backdrop, the picture illustrates the professional skater and the little boy who dreams big dreams.

Statement: I am truly honored, overjoyed, and deeply humbled that you have chosen my image as the Overall Winner of the Concrete in Life 2024/25 Competition.

I captured my picture at Venice Beach in Los Angeles, a vibrant destination where people from all over the world come to enjoy the sun, the ocean and not least, the iconic skate park, this vibrant space is a magnet for creativity, where something exciting is always unfolding. When in L.A. I often spend hours here, camera in hand, patiently waiting for the perfect moment to emerge. 

From the very start, I noticed a young boy who I instinctively knew could become an essential part of my story. Through this image, I aimed to illustrate how concrete shapes the lives of those who play, dream, and push the limits of possibility. The experienced skater, who has mastered the smooth surface through dedication and skill, stands as an inspiration to the child, whose hopes and ambitions are just beginning to take form.  

My image is a tribute to the way concrete, when embraced by creativity and passion, fosters connection, dreams, and boundless potential not just in skate parks, but in communities across the world.

Urban Design and Use winner: Anvar Sadath TA

Photographer: Anvar Sadath TA

Image title: Urban Flow

Image location: Dubai, UAE

Description: The iconic Burj Khalifa rises above the futuristic skyline, framed by surrounding architectural marvels and concrete curves, all mirrored in the shimmering waters of the city.

Statement: I am honored to be the winner of the Concrete in Life 2025 competition in the Urban Concrete category! My winning photograph captures the dynamic relationship between concrete structures and the vibrant cityscape, reflecting how concrete shapes our urban experiences.  

This recognition reinforces my passion for storytelling through photography, and I hope my image inspires others to find beauty in the everyday structures that define our cities. My heartfelt thanks to the GCCA for this incredible honor. I also extend my sincere gratitude to the judges and the entire GCCA team for supporting photographers and celebrating visual storytelling.

Concrete Infrastructure winner: Wentao Guo

Photographer: Wentao Guo

Image title: Structure as Aesthetics

Image location: Washington D.C. USA

Description: In Harry Weese’s Washington subway station, concrete transcends time and function: its light and shadow align precisely with the motion of countless trains passing through; its rectangular division aesthetically resonates with the sense of security and austerity of the mass transportation station in the United States’ capital city.

Statement: I took this photo at one of the Washington DC subway stations designed by Harry Weese. I was captivated by the moment when the transience of transportation runs into the permanence of concrete. Its obscurity becomes its greatest presence: its functionality, its aesthetic and its enduringness. Concrete is such an essential part of our lives and it constructs so many characters of our built environment. I am very honored to be a winner of the Concrete in Life 2425 competition, having a valuable opportunity to reveal the essence of concrete in our built environment through my lens.”

Concrete in Daily Life winner: Wellington Kuswanto

Photographer: Wellington Kuswanto

Image title: Daily Life in Bedok Jetty

Image location: Bedok Jetty, Singapore

Description: Bedok Jetty serves as an urban public space in Singapore, offering people a serene retreat for fishing, sport & leisure activities, and scenic waterfront view. Urban public space like this is vital for fostering community engagement, social interaction, and a sense of belonging among people.

Statement: I’m truly thrilled that the judges selected my photo as the winner in the daily life category. 

Bedok Jetty holds a special place for me, as I cycle and hang out there every weekend. It inspired me to submit the image of this particular place for the competition, as it showcases a public space made of concrete structure that is actively used by many people engaging in various activities as part of their daily lives

Beauty and Design winner: Artemio Layno

Photographer: Artemio Layno

Image title: Broken Building

Image location: Amsterdam, Netherlands

Description: Valley is a residential and office tower on the Zuidas in Amsterdam. The three towers are respectively 100 metres (north), 66 metres (west) and 76 metres (south) high. The 75,000-square-metre building, which was recently declared the world’s best new skyscraper by the Emporis Awards, stands out in Amsterdam. The construction of Valley took four years, with the first residents and entrepreneurs moving into the building at the end of 2021.

Statement: I am really happy and grateful that my photo is chosen to be a winner of the Concrete in Life 2425 competition. I took the photo at Amsterdam, Netherlands and I was amazed how creative and modern the design of the building is, it looks like it was cut-out and separated in the middle of the main structure, the design is created by a large number of terraces. Concrete is not just used as a necessity in creating structures but it can also be used to showcase artistic works that are amazingly beautiful.

People's Choice winner: Mohamed Rafi

Photographer: Mohamed Rafi

Image title: Fluttering Through Life

Image location: Pondicherry, India

Description: When I saw this wall near Pondicherry Beach, I waited for someone to enter the frame. I captured a few casual shots, then this elderly woman walked in. Dressed in a floral outfit with a black shawl, she moved with quiet grace. I clicked my shutter as much as possible, not wanting to miss the moment. For me, it was a powerful intersection of reality and art, symbolizing unseen strength and the beauty of everyday life.

Statement: I am truly honoured to win the People’s Vote Category of the Concrete in Life 2024/25 competition. This photograph, taken in Pondicherry India, captures an everyday moment transformed by art: an elderly woman walking past a mural, unknowingly aligning with its butterfly wings painted in a wall. To me, it symbolizes resilience, unseen beauty, and how our surroundings shape us in ways we don’t always realise. Street photography is about finding meaning in fleeting moments, and I’m thrilled that this image resonated with so many people.

Shortlist: Febina Nabeel

Photographer: Febina Nabeel

Category: Beauty and Design

Title: Where Nature and Architecture come together!

Image location: Abrahamic Family House, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Description: Abrahamic Family House combines the three Houses of Worship - Eminence Ahmed El-Tayeb Mosque, St.Francis Church and Moses Ben Maimon Synagogue.

The olive tree representing peace and friendship.

Shortlist: Edwin Loyola

Photographer: Edwin Loyola

Category: Beauty and Design

Title: The Oculus

Image location: New York City, USA

Description: The World Trade Center’s Oculus, designed by the visionary Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava, is a triumphant transportation hub that embodies the unbreakable spirit of New York City. Situated in the heart of Manhattan, the Oculus serves as a vibrant gateway to the city, seamlessly connecting millions of people to 12 NYC Transit subway lines, while also offering an unparalleled shopping and dining experience.

Shortlist: Jason Balaba

Photographer: Jason Balaba

Category: Beauty and Design

Title: Futuristic Ithra Library

Image location: Dhahran, Saudia Arabia

Description: The futuristic design of Ithra Library is inspired by natural, organic shapes, and the building as a whole feels like it is in constant transformation, symbolizing progress and cultural growth.

Shortlist: Ee Long Tan

Photographer: Ee Long Tan

Category: Concrete in Daily Life

Title: Colorful Stairs

Image location: Batu Caves,Selangor, Malaysia

Description: The most striking thing in the photo is the bright colors of the stairs,red,orange,yellow,green,blue,and purple,with distinct layers,as if a rainbow fell from the sky. These colors not only make the stairs more beautiful,but also give it deeper cultural and religious significance.

Shortlist:

Photographer: Ricardo Funari

Category: Concrete in Daily Life

Title: Maracanã

Image location: Outside Maracanã stadium, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Description: My eyes were attracted by the curious and funny shadow of the boy playing with his soccer ball projected by the mid-afternoon sun on the concrete floor surrounded by palm trees at Maracanã stadium in Rio de Janeiro.

Shortlist: Shibasish Saha

Photographer: Shibasish Saha

Category: Concrete in Daily Life

Title: Drying incense sticks

Image location: Hanoi, Vietnam

Description: Quang Phu Cau Incense Village is a picturesque place where vibrant red incense sticks are laid out under the golden sun, creating a surreal scene. The air is filled with a calming aroma as friendly artisans dye and dry the incense with skilled, rhythmic movements. The village buzzes with quiet activity, children's laughter, and the warmth of a timeless Vietnamese tradition. It's a beautiful, unforgettable experience.

Shortlist: Ian Payne

Photographer: Ian Payne

Category: Concrete Infrastructure

Title: Hyperboloid

Image location: Slough, UK

Description: A beautiful summer's day with the temperature around 30°C, I did what any sensible person would do, walk around an industrial estate to photograph newly painted concrete cooling towers. The heat shimmered off the tarmac, but the towers stood out, sharp and clean against the sky. Worth the sweat? Absolutely.

Shortlist: Serdar Aydin

Photographer: Serdar Aydin

Category: Concrete Infrastructure

Title: Varyant

Image location: Izmir, Turkey

Description: In İzmir, Türkiye, buses navigate a winding road called Varyant. This uniquely shaped route, made of concrete and asphalt, might be an uncomfortable ride for passengers, but from above, it offers a stunning view.

Shortlist: Anna Kropf

Photographer: Anna Kropf

Category: Urban Concrete

Title: Arch_ES_Valencia

Image location: Designed by Santiago Calatrava and Félix Candela. Museu de les Ciències Príncipe Felipe (2000) – an interactive museum of science that resembles the skeleton of a whale.

Description: The City of Arts and Sciences (Valencian: Ciutat de les Arts i les Ciències, Spanish: Ciudad de las Artes y las Ciencias)[a] is a cultural and architectural complex in the city of Valencia, Spain. It is the most important modern tourist destination in the city of Valencia and one of the 12 Treasures of Spain.

Shortlist: Jacob Surland

Photographer: Jacob Surland

Category: Urban Concrete

Title: Door to the Unknown

Image location: Aalborg, Denmark

Description: I shot this photo in February 2024. It is of a side door to the old power plant Nordkraft (North Power). It is now a recreational and cultural center including a cinema and concert hall. When I was a child, it was the new Power Plant and it was a Monument of the city and the first thing you would see, when driving towards Aalborg. It was a sign that told you, that you were soon home.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Image: TTArtisan

TTArtisan is no stranger to making L-mount lenses, but those have always been manual focus options. That's no longer the case, though, as the budget third-party lens maker has released an autofocus lens for L-mount cameras. TTArtisan originally released the AF 75mm F2 prime lens in September 2024 for Sony E and Nikon Z-mount.

The L-mount version of the AF 75mm F2 weighs 329g (11.6oz), which is slightly less than the Z-mount model. Aside from the weight difference, the L-mount version shares the same specifications as the other mounts. It uses a stepper motor for autofocus, which TTArtisan says is fast, quiet and accurate. The lens supports eye, animal and vehicle AF detection as well, and it can focus as close as 0.75m (2.5').

Image: TTArtisan

The lens features ten elements in seven groups, including one extra-low dispersion (ED) element and four high index elements, promising to reduce chromatic aberration and improve overall image quality. It has nine diaphragm blades and an aperture range of F2 to F16.

TTArtisan's AF 75mm F2 offers a clicked aperture ring, with no option to de-click it for silent operation. It uses all-metal construction for better durability, and a USB-C port allows for firmware updates.

The TTArtisan AF 75mm F2 lens is available for purchase today for $178.

Buy now: $178 at TTArtisan

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Mitchell Clark

We've been using the Panasonic Lumix DC-S1RII in a range of circumstances, shooting galleries, covering trade shows and photographing weddings, in addition to our standard tests. We take a look at how it works, what it does well and where it worries us.

Autofocus operation

The Panasonic S1RII features a revised version of the phase-detection AF system introduced with the S5II cameras. It can detect and track more subjects than the S5II supported at launch, and Panasonic promises it's both quicker to find focus and more tenacious in terms of tracking.

The interface will be familiar to anyone who's used a Panasonic in the past ten-or-so years: pressing the AF Area button on the back of the camera brings up a row of seven icons representing the different AF areas the camera offers. Pressing upwards on the four-way controller or joystick then lets you choose whether the camera should look for a recognized subject near your chosen AF area. Pressing the 'DISP' button lets you select which subjects the camera looks for.

There's a twist, though: the S1RII can either be set to use its focus tracking system or it can be set to track a recognized subject but, unlike most modern cameras, these are separate functions. The upshot is that if you want to focus on a non-recognized subject for one shot, or the camera fails to find the subject it's supposed to recognize, you'll need to disengage the subject tracking: the S1RII will not fall back to its generic tracking system.

This is disappointing as the S5II has now gained the ability to detect all the same subjects as the S1RII, but its subject recognition is built on top of the generic tracking system, so the camera will fall back to tracking AF, making it more flexible.

AF interface

The interface generally does a good job of managing multiple subjects without overwhelming you with information. In most AF area modes, it'll only draw a box over the recognized subject nearest your selected area. If you move the point over another subject in the scene, it'll instantly snap the box to that subject instead. It's responsive enough that it doesn't feel like you're missing out by not having all the recognized subjects highlighted.

When the S1RII finds faces, it can do a good job of sticking with them. In this scenario, it was able to track someone who started out walking straight-on towards the camera but who ended up at an angle to it without losing track of them or jumping to the person next to them.
Photo: Mitchell Clark

If you prefer, you can use the 'full area' tracking mode. In this mode, the camera highlights all the recognized subjects, letting you select which one you want to focus on using the joystick or touchscreen. The boxes do jiggle quite a bit, though, and can sometimes flicker on and off, which isn't the most confidence-inspiring user experience and means a tap of the joystick doesn't always select the subject you wanted.

Autofocus performance

Our experiences with the S1RII were distinctly mixed: when the AF system works, it can be very good, but overall, we found it to be appreciably less reliable than we've come to expect from the likes of Canon, Nikon and Sony cameras.

In our standard tracking test we found the S1RII had a tricky time of following the subject – it lost track of the subject on half of the runs we performed. The camera would typically lose the subject as the rate of approach changed as the target turns a corner.

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Human detection did a better job but could still be prone to losing the subject mid-run (it did so in one of the four runs we conducted). This is consistent with our other usage of the camera: it can be very sticky once it's found a subject, but it doesn't always successfully find subjects, and it can lose track of them as you're shooting. The camera also appears to have struggled to judge subject distance consistently, resulting in some softness when the subject's approach speed varies.

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Perhaps the most concerning behavior, though, was one we've seen in other recent Panasonic cameras, where tracking AF will fail to find something to focus on at all and will simply present a red flashing box and make no further attempt to focus. This is offputting enough to undermine our faith in the reliability of the camera, probably out of proportion to how often it occurs. Just knowing that the camera will sometimes fail to focus and make you wait a few moments is an unpleasant thought to have lingering in the back of your mind and not something we're used to encountering on a modern camera.

This month, we're looking for pictures that feature a red, green and blue color palette. This photo was taken on a hike with friends in Glacier National Park while I was testing the Sigma 28-105 F2.8. Unintentionally, they happened to color-coordinate their backpacks to fit this theme
Photo: Mitchell Clark

The theme for our April's Editor's challenge is 'RGB,' or red, green and blue.

We're looking for photos featuring a red, green, and blue color palette. Think an apple orchard under a blue sky, a color-coordinated bookshelf, a parrot – anything with a tri-chromatic color palette utilizing the three colors that form the basis of all our digital images. Our favorites will be featured on the DPReview homepage at the end of the month.

This challenge is open to photos taken at any time.

You can submit photos to the competition starting Sunday, April 6th. The last day for entry will be Saturday, April 12th (GMT).

IMPORTANT: Images MUST include a title and a caption of at least 25 words to be eligible. Viewers want to know the story behind your photo. We will consider both photos and captions when selecting our winners, so make sure to tell us that story!

Visit the challenge page to read the full rules and to submit your photos for consideration as soon as the challenge opens.

Visit the challenge page to see all the rules

Photos: SmallRig, CineStill, Tamron

We're back with another accessory roundup. This week, we're taking a look at memory cards, memory cards, and more cards! Oh, and some other stuff, too, but we'll get to that right after we discuss the deals.

On sale this week

Photo: Brendan Nystedt

If you're looking for an entry-level full-frame camera, Canon's EOS R8 is one of the cheapest ever released. That's especially true now that it's on sale for $200 off, putting it at only $1300. It doesn't have all the whizz-bang features of more expensive models – IBIS is a particularly notable omission – but for the price, it's hard to complain.

Buy now:

$1499 at Amazon.com$1499 at Adorama$1499 at B&H Photo

If you've got $2000 to spend on a mirrorless camera, there are a lot of great options. But if you're feeling nostalgic, you're in luck – the Nikon D850 is currently on sale for $400 off. It may be a camera destined for the history books, but that doesn't mean there's no reason to use one today.

Buy now:

$1996 at Amazon.comBuy at B&H Photo A deck of cards Image: Pergear

It's a big week for CFexpress cards – we've seen several new options hit the market. The first two are from Pergear and Novachips, and are aimed at budget-conscious shooters. The former company is offering CFexpress Type A cards starting at just $129 for a 256GB model. Type A cards have always been more expensive than Type B or SD models, likely partly because they're far less common – Sony is the only major manufacturer whose cameras use the standard.

Novachips, meanwhile, is selling both Type A and Type B cards. You can get a 330GB Type A card for $238, and a 256GB Type B card for just $125.

Meanwhile, Delkin has updated its lineup of CFexpress Type B cards, making them even faster and adding more storage options. Unlike the other cards we've covered today, these ones aren't particularly cheap. But if you need the utmost performance, they may be the way to go.

A do-it-all reader Image: SmallRig

If you end up buying one of those CFexpress cards, you'll probably want a way to offload data from it to your computer. SmallRig has you covered. Its new 9-in-1 docking stations offer either a CFexpress Type A or Type B reader, along with myriad other I/O options.

Despite costing less than some dedicated CFexpress card readers, the docks also include SD and Micro SD readers, two 5Gbps USB-A ports, two USB-C ports, one of which can accept 100W of power to pass along to your computer, HDMI and gigabit Ethernet ports. It also includes a cable that lets you connect it to your computer and transfer data at up to 10Gbps, though its CFexpress read speeds are limited to a (still quite fast) 6Gbps. The one downside is that you'll have to decide whether you want a dock with a Type A reader or a Type B reader; there isn't one that does both.

Buy at B&H Buy at Amazon A bright idea Image: SmallRig

SmallRig is also becoming a major player in the budget lighting space, to the point where it's releasing add-on products for its COB lights. This week, the company introduced the SP-mini, a spotlight attachment for its lights with the RCmini mount, including the RC60B/C and RC100B/C.

It does pretty much what it says on the tin, allowing you to focus your light on a narrow area, highlighting your subject. It also comes with 10 gobos to help you shape the light, creating interesting patterns in shadow.

The SP-mini is available now for $149.

Buy at SmallRig The ProPack

If you're a medium-format shooter and a fan of CineStill's 400D film, we've got great news: you can now buy a "ProPack" with five rolls of the 120 film. You won't save much by doing so – it's only around $3 cheaper than buying five individual roles – but at least you'll know you've got enough on hand for whatever you want to photograph.

Buy at CineStill Save on a lens

The Tamron 28-75mm F2.8 DI III VXD G2 is currently available for $200 off.

Image: Tamron

Tamron hasn't announced any new lenses, but it is having a spring sales event from now until April 20th. That means you can pick up some of its best glass for up to $200 off. The sales are available on Tamron's site and through retailers like B&H and Amazon. You can see which lenses are on sale and how much off you can expect on the company's website.

Read last week's roundup

Sinna Nasseri's photographs are distinctively his, with a unique style that draws upon mistakes and happenstance. Despite being relatively new to photography, he has photographed countless famous and influential people. His work is frequently featured in publications like Vogue, The New York Times and others. In a recent video interview with YouTuber and photographer Willem Verbeeck, Nasseri talks about his photographic path and how important mistakes are to his work.

Nasseri, formerly a corporate lawyer in New York City, recognized that 2020 would be a pivotal year. After just two years of photography, he quit his job and embarked on a journey of living in his car and traveling across the country to capture images. That same year, Vogue hired him to photograph the Democratic National Convention. Reflecting on this experience, Nasseri admits he wasn't fully prepared at the time, lacking the skills and a clear personal vision or style.

Now, though, his images have a very distinctive style, and it's pretty easy to tell photographs are his before seeing his name. "I think like my guiding principle is really to kind of try to not make things that have been made before, which is really hard to do," says Nasseri. One of the keys to his process is to embrace uncertainty, chaos and errors. He notes that some of his best photos are those that resulted from mistakes. "It's fun to make photography that doesn't look like normal life. We see normal life all the time," Nasseri says.

The video provides interesting insight into Nasseri's unique work, process and journey and is well worth a watch. You can see more of Nasseri's photographs on his Instagram.

SkyPixel, the aerial photography and videography community, has announced the winners of its 10th annual contest. The contest this year drew thousands of participants, who submitted over 140,000 entries from around the world. While the contest has traditionally been exclusively open to aerial photos and videos, a handheld video category was added this year, opening submissions to more than just aerial shots.

The contest features both photo and video categories, with two Best Video Prize winners –one for aerial and one for handheld – and one Best Photo Prize winner. Additionally, the SkyPixel contest selects the top 10 video and photo winners. There is also a "Nominated Entries" category (a people's choice award) with five video and five photo winners.

You can learn more about the contest and see all of the winning images and videos on the SkyPixel Contest website.

2025 Annual Best Video Prize (Aerial): The War - My Transformation Journey by Bashir Abu Shakra

Directed by Bashir Abu Shakra, The War - My Transformation Journey uses stunning aerial shots to tell his story of battling loneliness, leading to self-discovery. The project was filmed over the course of five years across eight countries, including China, Venezuela, Italy and more. Shakra purposefully chose each landscape to fit with the song's lyrics, aiming to use the contrast between the song and visuals to show how nature helped him overcome his struggles.

Judge comments: "The opening shot is truly captivating, marked by its elongated duration, graceful camera movements, and the serene beauty of the time of day. The composition stands out as particularly noteworthy. It’s one of my favorites, and the overall quality is exceptional," said Claudio Miranda.

"The War is an admirable film. Landscape photography is never a simple record, and every shot taken by this cinematographer is refined, precise, and captivating. The angles, the light all show his persistence and perseverance. It is a film where technique and the creator's inner vision are highly aligned. I really liked the ending," said Chenyu Jin.

2025 Annual Best Video Prize (Handheld): Japan Travel Cinematic by Henry Yue Image: Henry Yue

The new handheld category of the SkyPixel contest celebrates videography created with handheld or stabilized cameras. The inaugural winner, Henry Yue, showcased popular and iconic destinations across Japan in Travel Cinematic. The video uses cinematic camera angles and transitions with creative compositions. You can view the video on the SkyPixel website.

Judge comments: "The sound design and use of movement in this film were second to none, absolutely capturing the essence of Japan in the most stunning way. This was one of my favorites, and I felt immersed from the moment I hit play. Keep up the incredible work—this was truly something else," said Sam Newton.

"Japan Travel is a work rich in visual elements, combining both motion and stillness without causing any sense of chaos. Henry expertly controlled the pace of the film, with clean tones and precise, appropriate exposure control that perfectly integrates all elements. It is a highly refined and cohesive piece," said Chenyu Jin.

2025 Annual Best Photo Prize: Gangerqia Photo: Gangerqia

Photographer: Gangerqia

Caption (machine translated): A red-crowned crane accidentally fell down when it landed, leaving a phoenix-like shadow on the snow-covered ice. The photographer used the dark spring as a guide point to capture this beautiful moment.

Judge comments: "This aerial photo works beautifully because it almost tricks you at first glance—like you're looking at a drawing rather than a real landscape. There's a frozen pond shaped like an eye that immediately grabs your attention, and the neat line of footprints from the bird adds a playful sense of movement. It’s simple, clean, and has a bit of mystery to it. The minimal colors and subtle textures make the whole thing feel calming but intriguing at the same time," said Luke Stackpoole.

Selection of Annual Top 10 Photo Winners

Photographer: AB Gusai

Image title: Mud bath bliss

Caption: In the heart of the Indian countryside, a buffalo finds its own unique way to beat the heat. This aerial view captures the animal fully immersed in a vibrant pond, reveling in a luxurious mud bath. The deep, rich mud clings to its skin, providing a natural sunscreen and a soothing relief from the scorching sun. The buffalo seems to sigh contentedly, its eyes half-closed as it luxuriates in the cool, wet embrace of the mud. This image is a reminder of the simple pleasures in life, the joy of a good mud bath, and the resilience of nature's creatures in adapting to their environment.

Photographer: Fadah

Image title: Sailing through the ice

Caption: None

Photographer: hanifi

Image title: bulgurcu

Caption: Wheat harvested in the Gaziantep province of Turkey is turned into bulgur after various processes. The resulting bulgur is laid out in the sun to dry. Bulgur needs to be stirred frequently to ensure it dries quickly. The different geometric shapes that emerge during this process are preserved.

Photographer: Joanna Steidle

Image title: Another World

Caption: This is a top-down drone capture of a fever of cownose rays mixing their way through a school of menhaden fish. Taken just off the coast of the Hamptons, Southampton, New York , USA . On this day the sky was clear, and the sea was calm, allowing the sunlight to enhance the depth and bursting sand clouds.

Photographer: qb.pixels

Image title: Alien made symbol

Caption: The crest of Buri in Sicily is likely a rocky ridge with Mediterranean vegetation, offering scenic views and possibly historical ruins from Sicily’s rich past.

When you use DPReview links to buy products, the site may earn a commission. Photo: Mitchell Clark

Panasonic's S1RII is the company's latest professional-level full-frame camera, featuring a 44MP sensor, burst rates up to 40fps with continuous autofocus and promises of improvements to its autofocus system, especially when it comes to recognizing humans and eyes.

We're currently in the process of reviewing it, so when a friend-in-law asked me to be the photographer for her wedding, it felt like a great way to see how the camera would perform during a high-stakes, real-world shoot. It also promised to test the S1RII's specific strengths; I'm by no means an expert wedding photographer, so I'd need to lean on the autofocus system and shoot wide, secure knowing I had the resolution to crop in to fix imperfect compositions.

Let's start with what went well. The S1RII's design is, in my opinion, more comfortable than the original. It's substantially lighter and feels more like a tool designed for human hands than a piece of industrial equipment. I also have no complaints about the control layout; there are enough buttons for all the settings I need quick access to, and they're easy to operate without looking.

The S1RII has all the controls you'd expect to find on a professional-level camera, and is comfortable to hold.

Photo: Mitchell Clark

The image quality I got aligns with our studio test scene results: the pictures have a lot of detail, and, subjectively, I thought the straight-out-of-camera colors were quite nice. I'm also pleased with the dynamic range of the Raw files. It was an outdoor ceremony on a Las Vegas afternoon, so I spent most of the time exposing to preserve highlights with plans to raise the shadows in post. While I haven't made it through every photo yet, they mostly seem to be handling relatively extreme pushes and pulls with grace.

Exposure raised 1.75EV in post, cropped to taste.

Lumix S Pro 24-70 F2.8 | F4 | 1/800 sec | ISO 80 | Edited from Raw in Capture One
Photo: Mitchell Clark

The autofocus system is where my complaints start. Panasonic has made what I think is a strange decision with the S1RII: if you have subject detection mode on, tracking will only work if it detects a subject. So if, for example, I had human eye detection on, I couldn't put my focus point over the wedding cake, start tracking, and then recompose my shot.

This way of shooting may sound strange if you haven't tried it before, but I've found it's faster and more efficient than setting the focus point with the autofocus joystick. And, importantly, it's what I've become used to: Canon, Nikon, Sony and Fujifilm all let you track arbitrary points even when subject recognition mode is on. If you mainly want to use tracking autofocus with the S1RII, you'll likely have to constantly toggle subject detection on and off.

That limitation also wouldn't have mattered as much if the S1RII had been better at recognizing subjects, but I found its performance a bit unreliable. Most of the time, it worked as intended, but there were several times when it just didn't recognize that I was pointing it at a human. That meant I had to realize it wasn't working, move my thumb to the joystick, and get the focus point where it needed it to be, all before the moment was over. This very nearly led to me missing the couple's kiss during the ceremony, which would've been – to put it mildly – quite unfortunate.

There were plenty of times when the S1RII quickly and confidently locked on to my selected subject.

Lumix S Pro 24-70 F2.8 | F2.8 | 1/60 sec | ISO 320 | Out of camera JPEG
Photo: Mitchell Clark

To be clear, I wouldn't consider this to be deal-breakingly bad autofocus; I still got plenty of tack-sharp photos, and I have no doubts that a professional photographer could shoot a wedding with the S1RII and end up with mostly keepers. However, despite the promised improvements, Panasonic is clearly lagging behind the competition when it comes to its autofocus system.

Case in point: I used a Canon EOS R5 II for part of the wedding, and never had an issue with its subject detection. Throughout our tests, we've found that Canon's system has an almost supernatural ability to find and stick to faces even in challenging conditions where their eyes, nose and/or mouths are obscured. The same is true for Sony and Nikon's autofocus systems too.

The EOS R5 II zeroed in on the subject's eye, even in this relatively difficult situation.

RF 70-200mm F2.8 L IS USM Z | F2.8 | 1/160 sec | ISO 1600 | Out of camera JPEG
Photo: Mitchell Clark

One last complaint before we get back to compliments: the placement of the record button on the front of the camera makes it really easy to accidentally start taking a video. Thankfully, you can assign separate functions to it depending on whether you're in stills or video mode, letting you set it to do nothing while you're taking photos while retaining its original function for videos.

As for battery life, the S1RII did okay. I shot around 1,700 photos – many of them in bursts – and while I frequently turned the camera off to save battery, I did have it on for the entire 20-minute ceremony. I went through about one and a half batteries, putting in a fresh one between the ceremony and the reception. If I were to do it again, I'd probably opt to use a battery grip, especially if I wasn't sure how long the ceremony would last.

I'm pretty happy with the S1RII's photos, and so are the bride and groom. But...

I'm also happy to accept middling battery life if that's the price for the S1RII's large, bright and high-resolution EVF. And while I mostly used the viewfinder during the ceremony, I was happy to have a display mechanism with both tilting and full articulation when shooting detail shots of the venue and decorations, encouraging me to be flexible with my compositons.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with the photos I got out of the S1RII. And, more importantly, so are the bride and groom. Still, I wish the autofocus system had made it a bit easier to get those end results, and hadn't added pressure to what is already a very stressful job. It certainly wasn't the most difficult thing ever; I'm well aware that people shot weddings for years using cameras with single autofocus points or even – gasp – no autofocus at all.

Several years ago, I shot my sister's wedding with a Fujifilm X-T30. The experience of using the S1RII was worlds apart, as it's far more suited to the task. Even with my complaints, I'd still take it over that every day of the week. But the next time I'm asked to shoot a wedding, I won't respond with, "Sure, let me just grab my S1RII," or even "I'll get the EOS R5 II." I'll probably say, "Ehhhh, maybe get a professional photographer."

Photo: Dale Baskin

Panasonic has released a firmware update for the Lumix DC-S9, offering some smaller performance-related fixes. Firmware Ver.1.3 is mostly subtle, but it promises to address one of the S9's slightly frustrating features: its slow startup speed.

When we reviewed the S9, start-up times were occasionally upwards of four seconds. On paper, that doesn't seem like much, but it was notably slow at times. In many situations, that won't be much of a problem beyond a slight inconvenience. But when you are trying to capture something happening right that moment, four seconds could mean the difference between getting the shot or not. The official note for the firmware update says, "The startup speed when powering on has been improved." We haven't tested the new firmware to see how much of a difference this makes, but it's good to see that Panasonic is addressing the issue.

Beyond startup speed, Ver.1.3 also promises improved operational stability and offers some subtle Wi-Fi-related updates, all of which you can see below. You can download Ver.1.3 now from the Panasonic website.

Firmware Ver.1.3 notes:

Feature changes due to security enhancements

• When directly connecting the camera and smartphone via Wi-Fi, the connection has been changed to always require password authentication. (The [Wi-Fi Password] menu has been removed.)
• The [TKIP] encryption method is no longer supported when connecting to Wi-Fi via an access point.
• The [No Encryption] option in network authentication is no longer supported when connecting to Wi-Fi via an access point.
• The image transfer feature to PC via Wi-Fi has been removed. (Only European/Ukrainian models)

Other improvements

• The startup speed when powering on has been improved.
• The operational stability has been improved.

2025 World Press Photo Contest winners

The 68th annual World Press Photo Contest winners have been announced, highlighting outstanding examples of documentary photography and photojournalism worldwide. The contest is divided into six regions: Africa, Asia-Pacific and Oceania, Europe, North and Central America, South America, and West, Central, and South Asia. Each region features Single, Story and Long-Term Project categories, with the latter two including multiple images per winning photographer.

The contest grew this year, with three winners instead of only one selected across the Single and Story categories per region. There is still only one Long-Term Project winner per region. In total, 42 photographers were selected as winners. Of those winners, 30 were local to where they photographed their subjects.

This year's themes included politics, migration, conflict, gender and the climate crisis. Photographers captured some of the world's current conflicts, the impact of climate disasters, secret Pride celebrations, portraits of those impacted by war and much more. The awarded stories will be part of World Press Photo's annual traveling exhibition, which will be held in over 60 locations around the world, beginning with Amsterdam at De Nieuwe Kerk from April 18 to September 21.

World Press Photo prohibits the use of AI in images, including generative fill and fully generated images. The contest uses a multilayered approach to spot fake and manipulated images, partly including verification of the facts behind each story and examinations by digital analysts.

You can see more of the winning images and projects on the World Press Photo website.

Africa – Singles: Temiloluwa Johnson

Photographer: Temiloluwa Johnson

Image title: Mother Moves, House Approves

Date: June 21, 2024

Image details: Participants at “Heavenly Bodies,” an underground drag ballroom event during Lagos Pride, celebrate the “mother of the year” winner. Lagos, Nigeria.

Members of the LGBTQI+ community in Nigeria face legal prosecution, widespread social discrimination, and physical violence. Held in a secret location, “Heavenly Bodies: Notes on Fola Francis” was the third edition of the Pride celebration in Lagos ballroom, one of the largest drag ballroom experiences in Nigeria. The 2024 series was named after the late Fola Francis, a trans icon, activist, and first openly transgender person to walk the runway during Lagos Fashion Week. Despite all risks, the event was an electrifying experience, providing a vibrant space for celebration of love and free self-expression.

Jury comment: In a country where LGBTQ+ peoples have no legal protection and face up to fourteen years in prison, this image portrays a moment to breathe for the queer community. The striking composition seamlessly ties together a busy scene, conveying joy, love, and celebration. Due to the sensitive legal context, this story is often overlooked in the region, but by focusing on body language, gestures, and shapes, the photographer captures the essence of the moment while protecting the identities of those involved.

Africa – Stories: Luis Tato

Photographer: Luis Tato, Agence France-Presse

Series title: Kenya’s Youth Uprising

Date: June 25, 2024

Image details: Two protestors helping injured people are hit with tear gas outside the Kenyan Parliament during a national strike against the Finance Bill 2024. Nairobi, Kenya.

In 2024, the National Treasury of Kenya proposed additional taxes on everyday items to generate additional income and alleviate Kenya’s high debt burden. Protests against the bill erupted, led by young Kenyans who organized actions over social media. On 25 June, protestors stormed Parliament and clashed with police; many were killed or abducted and hundreds were injured. Though President William Ruto withdrew the bill, protests persist into 2025, fueled by anger over economic hardship, corruption, police brutality, and distrust of the political class. All across Kenya, young people have emerged as a driving force, demanding accountability and systemic reforms.

Jury comment: This project offers strong photojournalistic coverage of a key news event from the year, with each shot and the overall edit effectively capturing the unfolding events while also addressing larger issues of generational divides across Kenya, particularly the disillusionment between older and younger generations. The photographer's ability to capture the story from both sides, while being so close to the friction—moments of explosion when fatalities occurred—adds significant depth. The high-level photography aligns perfectly with what the jury was looking for.

Africa – Long-Term Project: Cinzia Canneri

Photographer: Cinzia Canneri, Association Camille Lepage

Project title: Women’s Bodies as Battlefields

Date: June 4, 2021

Image details: Despite experiencing trauma, the girls find strength and support in their
shared experiences, fostering resilience, self-confidence, and collective strength. Um Rakuba Refugee camp, Gedaref, Sudan.

Project details: In 2017, Cinzia Canneri began documenting the experiences of Eritrean women fleeing Eritrea’s repressive government. Since the outbreak of war in the Tigray region of Northern Ethiopia in 2020, her scope has expanded to include the stories of Tigrayan women fleeing from armed invasion. Both groups have been the targets of systematic sexual violence – rape, shooting, torture – that, due to social stigma, limited health facilities, and journalistic access, remains insufficiently reported by news media. By amplifying the stories and voices of the survivors, this project reimagines the idea of resilience as a complex collaborative challenge against pain, trauma, and loss.

Jury comment: This project amplifies the voices of the women affected by the war in the border region of Eritrea, Ethiopia, and Sudan, with remarkable depth and care. The jury was impressed by the photographer's commitment to the story and the trust she fostered with the Tigrinya women she photographed, shedding light on their underreported experiences. Despite working within a challenging media landscape marked by misinformation and difficulty in gaining access, the work offers a rare, intimate perspective, balancing the weight of the subject matter with moments of beauty and tenderness. Furthermore, the photographer’s self-reflective approach—evident in the strong captions, thoughtful sequencing, and acknowledgment of her positionality as an Italian woman in a region shaped by Italy’s colonial history—adds further depth to this powerful work, balancing the weight of the subject matter with moments of beauty and tenderness.

West, Central, and South Asia – Singles: Murat Şengül

Photographer: Murat Şengül, Anadolu Agency

Image title: Drone Attacks in Beirut

Image date: September 29, 2024

Image details: People glance anxiously upwards during an Israeli drone strike, as they take refuge away from buildings in Beirut’s Dahiyeh neighborhood. Jets and drones often fly at low altitudes, causing fear and distress. Lebanon.

Cross-border attacks between Israel and Lebanon-based Hezbollah – ongoing since the outbreak of the war in Gaza – escalated sharply in September 2024. Israel announced a new goal to eliminate the militant group, first launching airstrikes into southern Lebanon, and later a ground offensive. Beirut, initially a refuge for those fleeing airstrikes in southern Lebanon, itself came under fire as attacks spread northwards. From 27 September, Israel targeted buildings, including apartment blocks in Dahiyeh, saying that Hezbollah was headquartered in the densely populated suburb.

Jury comment: This photo captures a paradoxical moment of people seeking safety while sheltering outdoors, highlighting the impact of drones and technological warfare. It brings attention to the psychological trauma endured by those living under constant threat, where safety is elusive, and terror can strike from the sky at any moment. It powerfully conveys the ongoing reality of living in fear.

West, Central, and South Asia – Stories: Ali Jadallah

Photographer: Ali Jadallah, Anadolu Agency

Series title: Gaza Under Israeli Attack

Date: August 9, 2024

Image details: Relatives of people killed in an Israeli attack on the Nuseirat refugee camp
mourn as the bodies are brought to al-Aqsa Hospital. Deir al-Balah, Gaza.

Series details: Israel continued its war on Gaza throughout 2024, leaving much of it in ruins. The UN reports more than 60% of homes have been destroyed and 95% of hospitals are non-functional. Nearly two million people have been displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water, and medicines, due to Israeli restrictions.

With international journalists effectively barred from Gaza, local photographers risked their lives to document the war. The photographer, who has also lost family members, says: “Every time I photograph a destroyed house, I remember mine. Every time the wounded and martyred are pulled from the rubble, I remember my father and siblings.”

Jury comment: The jury felt this work offers a critical representation of the industrial scale of violence experienced daily by Gazans. Despite the story's graphic imagery, the project serves as a powerful record of the immense human cost and destruction endured by civilians. Additionally, it underscores the vital role of Gazan photographers in bearing witness to these ongoing atrocities, ensuring that the world does not look away especially as international journalists are barred entry.

West, Central, and South Asia – Long-Term Project: Ebrahim Alipoor

Photographer: Ebrahim Alipoor

Project title: Bullets Have No Borders

Date: June 1, 2019

Image details: A kolbar follows an arduous mountain path. Kolbars’ packs can weigh around 50 kg, and crossings take an average of eight to 12 hours. Kurdistan, Iran.

Project details: Kolbars (border couriers) carry goods, such as household appliances, mobile phones, and clothes, on their backs through treacherous terrain from Iraq and Turkey into Iranian Kurdistan. The Iranian government bans import of many such goods to protect local production and save foreign currency in the face of Western sanctions. Decades-long marginalization of Kurds means widespread unemployment in the region, driving many to kolbari. In addition, many kolbars see the activity as legitimate, as they feel ties with fellow Kurds across nation-state borders they do not acknowledge. However, kolbars risk being shot by security forces and border patrols.

Jury comment: The jury felt that this project—shot in Western Iran—provides a rare and deeply nuanced perspective on the complex impacts of economic sanctions, offering a lens rarely seen in mainstream coverage. The photographer's long-term commitment and willingness to take significant personal risks to tell this story is evident in every frame. Each image stands on its own while also contributing to a broader, compelling narrative, inviting viewers to slow down, engage with each caption, and absorb the layered realities of life under sanctions.

Asia-Pacific and Oceania – Singles: Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro

Photographer: Mas Agung Wilis Yudha Baskoro for China Global South Project

Image title: The Impact of Nickel Mining on Halmahera Island

Date: August 12, 2024

Image details: Workers ride towards a nickel smelting and processing plant, amid heavy rains that continued for two days, causing flooding. Weda, Halmahera, Indonesia.

Nickel mining in Indonesia has ramped up in the past decade, and Weda Bay now accounts for 17% of global production of a metal essential for electric vehicle batteries and renewable energy storage. Research indicates that deforestation from mining leads to longer and more frequent flooding. Air pollution from nickel smelting and coal-based energy production has also surged, with one local health center recording a 25-fold increase in respiratory diseases between 2020 and 2023.

Jury comment: This image captures the impact of foreign industry and mining operations on the local community, pulling together complex issues like the exploitation of raw materials, pollution of the environment, and the influence of corporate power, into a single frame. The strong foreground emphasizes the intertwined social and environmental cycle and trap of industrialization, whereby local communities become dependent on industrial jobs that are simultaneously leading to the ruination of the environment. Direct eye contact from the workers in the frame further draws the viewer into the story, underscoring the human toll of these issues.

Asia-Pacific and Oceania – Stories: Noel Celis

Photographer: Noel Celis for Associated Press

Series title: Four Storms, 12 Days

Date: October 25, 2024

Image details: A boy wades through a flooded street with his pet dogs in a styrofoam
container, after Tropical Storm Trami. Naga City, Camarines Sur, northern Philippines.

Series details: Four consecutive cyclones, three of which developed into typhoons, hit the Philippines in a matter of days in late October and early November 2024. Tropical Storm Trami, followed by Typhoons Yinxing, Toraji, and Usagi left a trail of destruction, mostly in the northern Luzon region.

A Philippine Climate Change Assessment Cycle report points to a 210% increase in typhoons hitting the Philippines since 2012, and other studies indicate that the climate crisis is intensifying extreme rainfall and flooding worldwide.

Jury comment: This selection highlights the increasing frequency of natural disasters in Southeast Asia, illustrating how people are becoming increasingly accustomed to such events. The classic edit includes photographs that juxtapose intimate moments with the broader scale of these storms, capturing both their personal impact and the wider consequences at the local and national scale. The combination of day- and night-time shots emphasize the relentless nature of these extreme weather events, maintaining a consistent aesthetic throughout.

Asia-Pacific and Oceania – Long-Term Project: Tatsiana Chypsanava

Photographer: Tatsiana Chypsanava, Pulitzer Center, New Zealand Geographic

Project title: Te Urewera – The Living Ancestor of Tūhoe People

Date: November 21, 2016

Image details: John Rangikapua Teepa (63) gathers pikopiko, edible fern fronds, near his home. Pikopiko are considered a delicacy among Tūhoe elders. Ruatoki, New Zealand.

Project details: The Ngāi Tūhoe people of the Te Urewera region in New Zealand have maintained a staunch independence. Tūhoe have never lost their connection to their language and cultural identity, and in a groundbreaking 2014 agreement, the New Zealand government opened the way to Tūhoe managing their ancestral lands according to their cultural values.

Recent changes by New Zealand’s right-wing government are seen as reversals of such hard-fought progressive policies regarding indigenous peoples. Yet the Tataiwhetu Trust farm in Te Urewera offers a revitalizing model for a younger generation.

Jury comment: The jury felt this project stood out as a powerful, detailed look at the Ngāi Tūhoe people's fight for the return of their ancestral lands and indigenous rights. It captures the ongoing governance struggles between Te Urewera's ways of being and Western knowledge, along with tensions from far-right political movements. Through a variety of thoughtful frames, the work provides a compelling visual dialogue about relationships to land and cultural preservation, shedding light on an often underrepresented community.

South America – Singles: Anselmo Cunha

Photographer: Anselmo Cunha, Agence France-Presse

Image title: Aircraft on Flooded Tarmac

Date: May 20, 2024

Image details: A stranded Boeing 727-200 surrounded by floodwaters at Salgado Filho International Airport. Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.

Between April and June 2024, record-breaking rainfall in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil, led to the worst flood in the area’s history. More than half a million people were displaced and more than 183 died in the floods. According to scientists, climate change – driven primarily by the burning of fossil fuels, including those used in passenger air travel – almost certainly intensified the floods. In the larger context of the global climate crisis, this image of a plane suspended between sky and water becomes a foreboding symbol.

Jury comment: The jury was struck by the eerie atmosphere of this image, which contributes to a powerful visual narrative of Brazil’s surreal climate extremes— shifting between record droughts and devastating floods. The frame of the abandoned aircraft captures the unsettling impact of flooding in Rio Grande do Sul, provoking reflection about disasters in modern society and the fragility of man-made systems.

South America – Stories: Musuk Nolte

Photographer: Musuk Nolte, Panos Pictures, Bertha Foundation

Series title: Droughts in the Amazon

Date: October 5, 2024

Image details: A young man brings food to his mother who lives in the village of Manacapuru. The village was once accessible by boat, but because of the drought, he must walk 2 kilometers along the dry riverbed of the Solimões River to reach her. Amazonas, Brazil.

Series details: The Amazon River is experiencing record low-water levels due to severe drought intensified by climate change. This ecological crisis threatens biodiversity, disrupts ecosystems, and impacts local communities reliant on rivers for survival. As droughts intensify, many settlers face the difficult choice of abandoning their land and livelihoods for urban areas, changing the social fabric of this region permanently. This project makes the effects of climate change, which can so often be abstract or difficult to represent, appear as a tangible and concrete reality shaping the futures of vulnerable communities closely connected with the natural world.

Jury comment: The jury felt this project was critical to highlight, as it documents unprecedented drought in the Amazon and its profound impact on communities connected to natural cycles. This work powerfully illustrates the consequences of climate change— landscapes transformed, livelihoods disrupted, and the urgent need for adaptation. The striking contrast of dry, desert-like scenes in the world's largest rainforest makes the absence of water hauntingly visible. The photographer captures the scale of environmental change while centering the human experience, offering a compelling visual narrative of a rapidly shifting reality.

South America – Long-Term Project: Federico Ríos

Photographer: Federico Ríos

Project title: Paths of Desperate Hope

Date: August 2, 2023

Image details: Thousands of migrants wade into the Rio Muerto (“Death River”) at the Darién Gap, where several have drowned in its treacherous waters. They assist one another to prevent drowning in the swift currents. Rio Muerto, Colombia.

Project details: This project documents the perilous journeys of migrants traversing the Darién Gap, a 100-kilometer long stretch of dense jungle connecting Colombia and Panama. Over a million people have braved this route since 2021. They hail from diverse nations – Afghans escaping Taliban rule, Venezuelans seeking refuge from economic collapse, Chinese fleeing authoritarianism, and many others – driven by the pursuit of a better life. Their stories are full of danger: treacherous rivers, unforgiving terrain, and the constant threat of violence and exploitation. Many never make it. Those who succeed find themselves only at the beginning of a different and difficult journey through Central America and Mexico to the United States.

Jury comments: The jury felt this project was exceptionally well done, offering a sincere and touching portrayal of migration through the Darien Gap, one of the most important yet dangerous migration routes in the Americas. The photographer follows families on this journey, giving faces to migrants in search of better lives, humanizing their stories. The selection of images captures both the personal and environmental challenges and hardships— dangerous terrain and threats from wildlife as well as human threats from organized crime— all while showing the hope and desperation that drive these families forward. Each image reflects the diverse range of people on this route and the harsh reality of their journey, making this a powerful and vital story of global migration.

North and Central America – Singles: John Moore

Photographer: John Moore, Getty Images

Image title: Night Crossing

Date: March 7, 2024

Image details: Chinese migrants warm themselves during a cold rain after crossing the US–Mexico border. Campo, California.

Unauthorized immigration from China to the US has increased dramatically in recent years due to a host of factors, including China’s struggling economy and financial losses after strict zero-COVID policies. Moreover, people are being influenced by video tutorials on how to get across the border, shown on Chinese social media platforms. This image, both otherworldly and intimate, depicts the complex realities of migration at the border, which is often flattened and politicized in public discourse in the United States.

Jury comment: This image powerfully connects distant regions through a complex story of migration— portraying migrants from Asia navigating South and Central America on their journey to North America. The frame's otherworldly quality, paired with the tenderness between parent and child, invites reflection and evokes questions about the uncertainty that lies ahead. In a single picture, the photographer conveys both immense vulnerability and resilience.

North and Central America – Stories: Rebecca Kiger

Photographer: Rebecca Kiger, Center for Contemporary Documentation, TIME

Series title: A Town Derailed

Date: May 9, 2023

Image details: The site of the East Palestine train derailment, approximately three months after the disaster. East Palestine, Ohio, United States.

Series details: On 3 February 2023, a Norfolk Southern train derailed in East Palestine, Ohio, a small town of 4,700 residents. The train contained hazardous materials, including known carcinogens. It was one of the most toxic train spills in the history of the United States, which raised concerns about the environmental and public health impacts of the derailment. This project chronicles the aftermath of the disaster and its continuing impact on the local community after national media attention waned. Embedded with residents as they sought corporate accountability and navigated conflicting health information, the photographer captures the nuanced new reality of East Palestine in limbo, highlighting the complex relationships between residents and their environment, health, and governing institutions.

Jury comment: The jury felt that this story effectively tells a story of a town impacted by corporate negligence, putting in focus the persistence of its residents to seek justice. The selection of frames skillfully blends thoughtful, intimate visuals. The photographer's immersive reporting, captures both the human cost and systemic issues with striking sensitivity.

North and Central America – Long-Term Project: Carlos Barrera

Photographer: Carlos Barrera, El Faro, NPR

Project title: Life and Death in a Country Without Constitutional Rights

Date: September 22, 2022

Image details: A group of arrested people awaits entrance to Ilopango jail. Many will spend over a year behind bars without due process. Trials are conducted in groups rather than on a case-by-case basis. Ilopango, San Salvador, El Salvador.

Project details: In 2022, El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele and its legislative assembly passed a law declaring a “state of emergency” that limited the rights of El Salvadorans to freedom of assembly, privacy of communication, and due process under the law. This temporary measure, designed to curb gang violence responsible for El Savador’s high murder rate, has been renewed 35 times as of March 2025, turning El Salvador into a nation where mass incarceration is the norm. Prisons in El Salvador have become severely overcrowded and reports of inhumane treatment, poor medical care, violence, and murder are common. This project focuses on the stories of individuals and affected families to show the private struggles behind public policy.

Jury comment: The jury felt that this project powerfully captures the personal toll of state violence, offering an intimate view into the lives of individuals who have been unfairly arrested and brutalized. The photographer’s creative approach to protecting identities while maintaining visual impact heightens the sense of descending darkness and terror. The story resonates beyond its borders, reflecting the global implications of migration politics as many Salvadorians face the prospect of being deported back to the violence they once fled. The photographer’s work, undertaken at enormous personal risk, brings viewers closer to the human cost of authoritarianism.

Europe – Singles: Nanna Heitmann

Photographer: Nanna Heitmann, Magnum Photos, for The New York Times

Image title: Underground Field Hospital

Date: January 22, 2024

Image details: A soldier injured near the city of Bakhmut, lies in a field hospital set up in an underground winery. His left leg and arm were later amputated. Donbas, Ukraine.

This soldier was conscripted to fight for the Russian-backed, separatist “republic” of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine on 22 February 2022, two days before the full-scale Russian invasion of the country. Later, Russia unilaterally annexed the territory, and the militia that conscripted him was merged into a unit of the Russian army. Russia has occupied vast swathes of eastern Ukraine, and the city of Bakhmut has seen some of the bloodiest battles of the war.

Jury comment: The jury considered the two singles from Europe about the Russian-Ukrainian war in tandem, recognizing them as a powerful pairing that captures different dimensions of the conflict. The first image, of a soldier conscripted to fight for the Russian-backed, separatist “republic” of Donetsk in eastern Ukraine, carries complex symbolic weight, raising thought-provoking questions about nationality and political divides. The second image, of a Ukrainian child, Anhelina, at rest, offers a contrasting perspective — quiet, suspended, and distanced from direct violence, yet still profoundly shaped by the war and its psychological scars. Together, these images expose both the physical and psychological toll of the war, with the pairing providing a deeper, more nuanced view of a conflict with far-reaching global ramifications.

Europe – Stories: Maria Abranches

Photographer: Maria Abranches

Series title: MARIA

Date: November 27, 2023

Image details: One of Ana Maria’s uniforms hangs ready for work. Originally called Utima (the Kimbundu word for "heart”), she was given her new name by the family that brought her to Portugal. Lisbon, Portugal.

Series details: Ana Maria Jeremias’ life as a carer and domestic worker in Portugal echoes the experience of countless women around Europe. Trafficked from Angola to Portugal aged nine, under false promises of education, Ana Maria has spent more than four decades working in other people’s homes, making a vital contribution to their daily lives. By focusing on Ana Maria’s story, the photographer aims to encourage reflection on privilege, as well as to honor her life (and that of so many women like her).

Jury comment: The jury found this project touching and profoundly layered. The photographer was able to connect with her subject respectfully, recording different moments of her daily life. Through these intimate frames, the photographer highlights telling details—symbolic reminders of the lingering consequences of Portugal's colonial past. The work sparks reflection about how this history continues to shape social structures today.

Europe – Long-Term Project: Aliona Kardash

Photographer: Aliona Kardash, DOCKS Collective, for Stern Magazine

Project title: It Smells of Smoke at Home

Date: August 5, 2023

Image details: Aliona (left) sits with her younger sister Sanya, a mother of two. Aliona has never talked to Sanya about the war and has no idea of what it must be like to raise a son in wartime Russia. Tomsk, Russia.

Project details: Russia’s de facto ban on critical media and suppression of anti-war protests has created an alternative reality with its own take on what Russia calls its “special military operation” in Ukraine instead of a full-scale invasion. In this story, Aliona Kardash, Russian-born, but now resident in Germany, reflects on the loss of home, and on love for people who believe in a different version of reality. Making a return visit to her hometown, Aliona tries to capture how war transforms us, and to sustain the belief that personal bonds are stronger than the forces that tear us apart.

Jury comment: The jury found this long-term project to be a deeply personal insight into the fractures within Russian society since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, revealing complexities often overlooked when viewing Russia as a monolith. The photographer visually conveys her melancholy regarding her connection to her family as they are influenced by state propaganda, grappling with the universal dilemma of how to hold to loved ones subsumed by state control. As conflict increasingly draws journalists into their own stories, this project reflects the nuance of their narratives, capturing a personal experience with global resonance.

Belgian cyclist Jolien D'Hoore competes in the Women's Omnium Individual Pursuit event during the Rio 2016 Olympic Games on August 15, 2016.

Photo: Elsa / Getty Images

Elsa Garrison is a trailblazer in the world of sports photography. She was the first woman staff photographer at Getty Images and is renowned for her images capturing iconic moments in sports history. She's known in the industry simply by her first name, which says quite a lot. Her work includes coverage of collegiate and professional events worldwide, including (but certainly not limited to) the Olympics, World Series, Super Bowl, NBA Finals, US Open, FIFA World Cup and NCAA Final Four. She is in the depths of a busy time of year, but despite that, she took the time to answer some questions about her work and experiences as a sports photographer.

Elsa's first experience with photography was in ninth grade when she took an elective analog photography class. That quickly segued into working with the school yearbook and newspaper, photographing her friends who played sports to share the experience with them. Then, during her sophomore year, she was matched for a mentorship with local newspaper photographer Steve Kohls, who worked for the Brainerd Daily Dispatch in Brainerd, Minnesota. That experience was followed by a part-time job working for the paper, which involved photographing lots of high school sports.

New York Yankees pitcher Mariano Rivera walks onto the field at Yankee Stadium before facing the San Franciso Giants on September 22, 2013. The occasion marked Mariano Rivera Day, a special tribute to him by the Yankees.

Photo: Elsa / Getty Images

Her interest in photojournalism continued, and Elsa earned a Bachelor of Journalism at the University of Missouri. During her college years, she continued to work part-time, this time with the university's athletic department, the town paper and the Associated Press. In 1996, soon after graduating college, Elsa was hired by Allsport, a sports photo agency. Getty Images acquired Allsport in 1998, but she stayed on as a staff photographer and continues to work there to this day.

"I felt like I had to justify my existence or prove myself every single day."

Sports photography has, like so many other fields, traditionally been a very male-dominated field. "When I first started, a lot of the time, I would be the only woman on the field other than the cheer squad or members of the medical staff," explained Elsa. She said that was true even in cities with larger media markets. There weren't enough women traveling and covering sports like she was when she began her career, which came with its own challenges. "It was often isolating and I questioned my choices a lot," she said. "I felt like I had to justify my existence or prove myself every single day and that is emotionally exhausting."

Sabrina Ionescu, number 20 of the New York Liberty, celebrates with her husband, Hroniss Grasu, after the Liberty secured the WNBA championship against the Minnesota Lynx on October 20, 2024.

Photo: Elsa / Getty Images

Now, though, she sees more women working as team photographers or as photographers for the wires, papers and league social teams. She explained that she has seen tremendous growth especially in the last five years, as more women get opportunities to work in sports.

"My hope is that girls and women see themselves in sport."

Aiding in that growth is important to Elsa; to that end, she actively mentors women and underrepresented photographers. She greatly values mentorship because it can be a pathway to achieving goals and dreams. "There is a saying that if you can see it you can be it. To see women succeeding in sport photography gives others the courage to pursue it," she explained. "My hope is that girls and women see themselves in sport – as an athlete or someone like me who covers it as a photographer – and that they know not only do they belong here, but that their contributions are worthy and needed."

Elsa's work spans just about every sport you could imagine. She said she doesn't have a favorite to document but loves soccer, baseball, tennis and combat sports like boxing and MMA. That said, capturing playoffs and finals of any sport is what she truly loves. "The atmosphere is different than a regular season game as more is on the line. The matchups are usually tight and the environment is electric," she explained.

Brazilian Rebeca Andrade, the gold medalist of the Women's Floor Exercise, celebrates on the podium with silver medalist Simone Biles and bronze medalist Jordan Chiles, both from the United States, during the Medal Ceremony at the Parist 2024 Olympic Games on August 5, 2024.

Photo: Elsa / Getty Images

Of course, photographing those big events comes with challenges, too. "Every venue is different, and it is working out the logistics of where to shoot, what moments are important and how technically to capture those and deliver them in real time," Elsa explains. Photographing major sporting events means images often need to be sent in immediately, with captions, so they can be published right away. To help with this, she uses voice captions that are attached to the photographs, making it faster for the editor to get caption information.

Elsa has photographed many monumental sporting events that are full of memorable moments for fans and athletes. However, she says she generally doesn't grasp the gravity of the moment until after the fact. She's more focused on documenting the scene and technical aspects of what camera and lens choice she needs, so she doesn't process the importance until after the event.

"I love the challenge of capturing the moments that people will be writing about and talking about that day and for years to come."

However, that doesn't mean she doesn't see the importance of her work – she said that having the ability to freeze moments in history is truly special. "I get butterflies in my stomach when I get the feeling something big is going to happen – the final seconds of a World Cup final or the last out of game seven in a world series," she said. "I am not a sports fan per se, but I love the challenge of capturing the moments that people will be writing about and talking about that day and for years to come."

Elsa's work speaks for itself, with countless powerful, iconic shots of major sporting moments. More importantly, though, she has also left a lasting impact on the world of sports photography, paving the way for even more women. You can see more of Elsa's work in most places where sports photos are shown, on her website and on Instagram.

Sample galleryThis widget is not optimized for RSS feed readers. Click here to open it in a new browser window / tab. Photos: Elsa / Getty Images