People Award Editors’ Picks of October 2021

“When people ask me what equipment I use – I tell them my eyes.”
— Anonymous

Following the results of last month’s People competition judged by National Geographic editor Elizabeth Krist, we would like to share some of the competition entries that didn’t make the final selection, but impressed and intrigued us with their overall quality.

Dancers performing a traditional ritual in Papua New Guinea; young nuns in Myanmar; a sulfur miner in Indonesia; Japanese men braving the cold winter at Okayama’s Hadaka Matsuri Festival; two picadors in a Spanish arena, and more: we’re delighted to present the work of 15 international image-makers who have captured the fascinating cultural diversity of our planet, with honesty, artistry, and skill.

“Ready to Dance” - Mt. Hagen Festival, Papua New Guinea
I had a chance to travel to Papua New Guinea to witness Mt. Hagen Festival. So many tribes gathered for the annual festival to show off their original costume and make up. The tribe in the picture had much simpler costume but their face expresses “Psyched up”. © Yosh Hase
“ Two picadors in the horse yard.” - Spain
“The Iberian Peninsula is a geographical concept formed by Spain and Portugal, two geographically united countries but separately by an invisible border. The essay ‘The Iberians’ focuses on my travels in these territories throughout the first two decades of the 21st century. Visually narrating the things that happen while wandering around Iberia, how to write in a sketchbook. Knowing a specific territory gives depth and meaning to my project; that is why my work is a continuous journey through Spain and Portugal. These are places where I explore the concepts of territory, borders, light, memory, and identity through observing the other.” © Candy Lopesino
“Manual workers” - Gabtoli, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2020
Workers unloading sand from a cargo ship at the river bank in Gabtoli, Bangladesh. Picture taken in Gabtoli, Dhaka, Bangladesh, 2020 © Joaquin Barata
“Life in Borcka” - Turkey
Borçka, on the Black Sea coast of Turkey, is a charming district of the province of Artvin. Corn is one of the most important food sources in the region. Corn can be eaten by boiling or baking and is used in meals and soups. In winter corn is dried in the storage area in the garden of every house. Dried corn is ground into corn flour in stone mills and used for bread. © F. Dilek Yurdakul
“Ash, Strawberry Milk” - Florida, USA
Image from an ongoing series of youth portraits at suburban malls. Picture taken in Florida, USA.
© Michelle Bruzzese-Eggleston
“Shaving” - Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria
Portrait of a man shaving and bathing in the Hot mineral springs in the Rupite area, Blagoevgrad Province, Bulgaria © Ivelina Berova
“Abur Janet (Age 38)” - Uganda
From series “HeadStrong: The Women Of Rural Uganda” - HeadStrong is an ongoing photographic and storytelling project focusing on working women in rural Uganda. These women are at a critical crossroads in their agrarian society. Emerging from a history of war and economic uncertainty, women are the tipping point of a future with more possibilities for their gender and offspring. © Dan Nelken
“Hadaka Matsuri Festival” - Okayama , Japan 2019
The Saidaiji Eyo Hadaka Matsuri in Okayama is a festival all about luck and happiness, in which a crowd of thousands of nearly naked men jostle for lucky objects tossed by priests in the cold of late February. Naked festivals are held in dozens of places throughout Japan every year, usually in the summer or winter. The festival originated over 500 years ago and every year, over 9,000 men participate in hopes of gaining luck for the entire year. © Kars Tuinder
“Street portrait” - Cairo, Egypt
Portrait shot on the streets of Cairo, Egypt.
© Geffrard Bourke
“Blessing” - Mpumalanga, South Africa, December 2020
Meet Blessing, 12 years old waste picker. He’s one of the many collectors at the Steenbok Landfill site. His work is to separate waste into different categories. © Alessandra Squarzon
“Jumanto - Sulfur Minor” - Kawah Ijen, Indonesia 2016
Deep in the Kawah Ijen volcano, lies the most acid lake in the world. There we can discover an open-pit sulfur mine where miners come to risk their life to quarry sulfur. Twice a day, they go down to the volcano to harvest huge blocks of sulfur they have to carry back to the factory. They carry almost 90kg of rocks on each trip, for around 10€/day. © Roman Jehanno
“Anastasia” - Modena, Italy
Portrait of Anastasia, a beautiful young woman from Modena. She was a little insecure about her “big” hears, I thought is her strong point.
© Ilenia Brunelli
“Young Nuns” - Bhamo, Myanmar
Nunneries in Myanmar are a means by which girls can further their education. Bhamo, Myanmar.
© Kathleen Gerber
“Kenyan Boy” - Nairobi, Kenya
A young boy outside Nairobi, Kenya, who was taking part in a traditional dance.
© Jack Lawson
“Eternal Sail” - Agra, India
The Marvel Monument of Taj Mahal basking in the golden light and the boatman on a cold winter morning in Agra. © Arun Hegden

Published November 17, 2021 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Yosh Hase, Candy Lopesino, Joaquin Barata, F. Dilek Yurdakul, Michelle Bruzzese-Eggleston, Ivelina Berova, Dan Nelken, Kars Tuinder, Geffrard Bourke, Alessandra Squarzon, Roman Jehanno, Ilenia Brunelli, Kathleen Gerber, Jack Lawson, Arun Hegden,

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