Visual Story Award Editors’ Picks of January 2022

“Photography is by nature a documentary art.” – August Sander

Following the results of January’s Visual Story Award, judged by Filipina photographer, Hannah Reyes Morales, the editorial team is delighted to share some of the most compelling competition entries.

Over the course of the month, we received some truly stunning imagery, encompassing a litany of techniques, styles, and subjects. We believe the iterations selected by our team demonstrate the immense potential of photographic storytelling; shining a light on some of the key socio-environmental issues of our time, and thus underlining the need for immediate action.

“Shades of Yamal” - Yamal peninsula, Siberia, Northern Russia
Winter in the Yamal Peninsula is really hard and difficult, but it catapults you into a parallel world in which it seems that time has stopped, and the colors of the sky give you the perception of being inside a fairy tale. In this picture an elderly Nenet carrying a huge ice sheet on his sled. Nenets are indigenous Siberian people whose traditional economy has long been rooted in nomadic reindeer-herding, fishing, and hunting. © Tommaso Vecchi
"The power of faith” - Bulgaria
In this small Christian church, near the capital of Bulgaria, an interesting and breathtaking ritual is performed each year on the holiday of beekeepers. On this day believers and honey producers gather and arrange thousands of jars of honey and candles in the shape of a sacred cross to illuminate the honey. The fiery copper cross is believed to bring health and a fruitful harvest for the beekeepers. © Vladimir Karamazov
“Child Shiva” - Pushkar, India
From the series “Facets of India” - A young child dressed as the god Shiva, one of the most popular Hindu gods in India looks for hand-outs from tourists during the festival season in Pushkar India. Many children who live in poverty dress as gods and deities to earn small wages to help their families. India is home to over 30% of almost 385 million children living in extreme poverty. © Sandra Chen Weinstein
“I’m different” - Vinicunca, Peruvian Andes
Vinicunca is a mountain in the Andes of Peru with an altitude of 5,200 meters (17,100 ft) above sea level. In the area, knitting is one of the main sources of income. © Reza Assar
“Floating Bed” - Dhaka, Bangladesh
The life of a boatman is not easy at the Sadarghat, Keranigonj, in the heart of Dhaka. They carry passengers across the Buriganga River from sunrise to midnight. Some of them can’t even afford to waste time visiting their families and have to live on the boat which is also cost-effective as well. © Sujon Adhikary
“Aoyate” - Turkana, Kenya
In Kairor district, Turkana, Kenya, a family transports wood for several kilometers by foot to the settlement of Kairor to earn some money to buy food. The cutting of threes is a survival strategy that makes the droughts worse. But people here say they know that, but have no other option left as animals are dying and elder people get sick. Turkana is one of the regions on earth warming up much faster than the average, with severe consequences for the semi-nomadic populations. Aoyate means a long period of drought in Turkana language. © Kristof Vadino
“What nature knows IX” - From series “What nature knows”
With the photography project “What nature knows”, the photographer draws in references from his affiliation with Arctic Northern Norway, to light, darkness, and the seasons. He transforms ordinary landscapes into an enigmatic place to be and takes us on a visual experience in the evening and the atmosphere of the night. In the project, he immerses light installations in water and creates harmony where there is a conflict between the elements. He illuminates nature with LED lights and luminescent material. © Gjert Rognli
“Roma singer” - Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
As the train hurtled through the Thar Desert, the man sang a beautiful tune to the passengers. The Thar Desert, also known as the Great Indian Desert, is a large arid region in the northwestern part of the Indian subcontinent that covers an area of 200,000 km² and forms a natural boundary between India and Pakistan. It is the world’s 20th-largest desert, and the world’s 9th-largest hot subtropical desert. © Robi Chakraborty
“Hereditary reindeer herder” - Kola Peninsula
A reindeer herder from father to son, Piotr Galkin belongs to the Saami ethnic group. Dressed in a traditional reindeer skin outfit, he walks down the stairs of his apartment building to Prazdnik Severa (\”The Festival of the North\”) which takes place every year at the end of March. For a long time, he participated in reindeer driving competitions, but at the height of his 93 years, his health no longer allows him to drive. From the series “Saamis, we used to live in the tundra” © Natalya Saprunova
“Saint-Louis, swallowed by the sea” - Saint-Louis, Senegal
On the Atlantic coastline of Senegal, the historic fishing town of Saint-Louis is slowly disappearing into the water. Climate change and coastal erosion mean that houses, mosques and schools are being swallowed up whole by the salt water. Children play on the last remaining strip of beach, which has become smaller and smaller in recent years. At high tide, the Atlantic Ocean eats at the city. According to the United Nations, Saint-Louis is “the African city most threatened by rising sea levels”. © Joost Bastmeijer

Published February 21, 2022 - Congratulations to all selected artists: Tommaso Vecchi, Vladimir Karamazov, Sandra Chen Weinstein, Reza Assar, Sujon Adhikary, Kristof Vadino, Gjert Rognli, Robi Chakraborty, Natalya Saprunova, Joost Bastmeijer,

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