Documentary Award Editors’ Picks of June 2018

Following the results of last month’s Documentary Photography Award judged by American photographer Mustafah Abdulaziz, we want to share some of the competition entries that didn’t make it to the final selection but impressed by their overall strength and stayed with us.

The competition showed fantastic storytelling skills from all over the world and the award was a great success. However, we couldn’t give an award to every entrant and we would like to share the work of some of the many talented photographers whose images impressed us and are well worthy of exposure.

Thanks again to all of you for taking part in the award and sharing your personal work with us!

“Buddha's eye” - Every year during the Tibetan Buddhist Festival, the Sakyamuni Buddha image is revealed for Buddhist pilgrims to worship. © Fan Wu
Sumo training facility in Tokyo, Japan © Ron Cooper
“Qatar National Day” - A group of Qataris are celebrating "Qatar National Day" while performing the "Ardah", a folkloric dance performed with two rows of men opposite of one another and accompanied by drums and spoken poetry. © Alexandre Mounayer
“Climate Change in Rhino Camp” - Double exposure of Grace Candiru and her failed crops.
Over the last four years irregular rainfall patterns have caused reductions in yields for Grace. A resettled South Sudanese refugee in Uganda, the changes in the Rhino Camp region are making life increasingly hard. From series 'Cotton' will highlight the environmental changes happening in Rhino Camp Refugee Settlement, Uganda. © Divesh Mistry
“Rage and Anger” - Anti-governmental protests, Israel 2017/2018 © Orna Naor
“Untitled (6753) from The Kepler Station” - An outpost on a distant planet. Spacefarers on extravehicular activities into uncharted territory. These scenes of an extraterrestrial everyday-life are part of a scientific fiction: as a field crew member of the AMADEE18 Mars simulation, Florian Voggeneder spent a month in the Omanian desert 'essayistically' accompanying an endeavour by scientists and volunteers to grasp an alien world. © Florian Voggeneder
“Passion 202” - Love hotel bath, plug and taps, Tokyo, 2017
I first became aware of Japanese ‘Love Hotels’ while photographing areas of Japan for a music commission. Designed for couples with busy lives, little private space, and/or a need to hire an anonymous room for intimacy and sexual intercourse, love hotels are very popular. Hired by the hour, or for an overnight ‘stay’, couples hire rooms often via use of a vending machine in the hotel lobby. I instantly found the hotel rooms and their contents fascinating. And a bit gross. © Laura Lewis
NGO's work to provide basic services such as drinking water in Juba camp, South Sudan during the political war that started in 2012. The little amount of water available during the beginning of the crisis made people waiting hours to refill theirs 20 liter containers. © Jerome Guillaumot
“Wrestlers” - In this old gym in Mumbai, some young athletes warm themselves up before fighting. They practice an ancient form of wrestling, called kushti and must follow a harsh discipline throughout their everyday life. © Silvia Alessi
“Nomad” - From the series "Mongolia" The series of portraits illustrates the nomadic life lived by Mongolians communities. © Sidar Sahin

Published July 16, 2018 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Fan Wu, Ron Cooper, Alexandre Mounayer, Divesh Mistry, Orna Naor, Florian Voggeneder, Laura Lewis, Jerome Guillaumot, Silvia Alessi, Sidar Sahin,

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