Visual Story Award February 2024
– Theme: Visual Story / Competition Judge: Nichole Sobecki
A celebration of the art of photographic storytelling, the Visual Story Award is a search for the most powerful stories. Through personal and conceptual projects, portraits, travels, fine art, or documentary works, we aim to discover the most compelling visual storytellers.
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Finalists
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1ST PRIZE: Vikas Datta
“The most powerful storytelling is world-making. It transports you, like this frame, into a place, a moment, and an entire sensory experience. Within the beautiful tonality and layered composition of this frame, I can almost feel the rush of the bird’s wings on my cheeks and hear the soft thud as the paddle hits the water. In the little boatman’s expression is a kind of quiet, daily heroism that we too often overlook.” —Nichole Sobecki
2ND PRIZE: Alejandra Lopez Zaballa
“On the surface, this is a humanizing portrait of orphans. What made me keep coming back to the image though was a sense of darkness below the surface. In the interplay between the two young girls is a subversive reflection on power: between children and a world over which they exercise little control over their own lives, and between the photographer and the subject, who are too often portrayed as victims of their own fate. Ultimately I felt that it was an elegant challenge to what we know about the inner world of those we often fail to see beyond the label of “orphan.” — Nichole Sobecki
3RD PRIZE:Laurin Strele
“A powerful image, rich in tone and shadow, that exudes painting-like quality, while conveying a profound sense of history, connecting past and present in a single frame. The two Taliban fighters, situated amidst their faceless predecessors that loom above, each figure acutely aware of its place within Afghanistan’s intricate narrative. With profound intensity and somewhat surreal quality, it compellingly conveys the nuanced story of this complex nation with rare objectivity, serving as a potent reminder of the enduring importance of documentary photography in capturing the zeitgeist of our times.” – The Independent Photographer Editors
Judge: Nichole Sobecki
Represented by renowned photo agency VII, Nichole Sobecki is an American photographer based in Nairobi, Kenya. She began her career focusing on regional issues related to identity, conflict, and human rights. believing that a well-told story can cut through the noise, deepen empathy, and inspire a more conscious world.
Nichole’s photography has received countless awards and has been exhibited worldwide including at The United Nations Headquarters in New York City. A passionate teacher, workshop leader, and speaker, she is also a contributor to Everyday Africa, and her work is regularly published in National Geographic.