Anna Plyusnina, a photo artist from St. Petersburg, has won the Grand Prix at the 10th International Andrei Stenin Press Photo Contest. The international jury unanimously honored her with the top prize for her series of photographs titled Looking into Human Eyes, which depicts children with autism spectrum disorder and their families.
“I first met people with autism while teaching at an inclusive photography workshop. These were teenagers who attended the classes with their mothers. Autism spectrum disorder is not always apparent at first glance, as it can manifest in various forms and levels of severity. The unwavering dedication of these mothers, who always stay close to their children, has deeply affected me,” Plyusnina said.
The series of photographs was featured in the Portrait. A Hero of Our Time category.
Alongside the Grand Prix, the prize winners from the 2024 shortlist were also announced.
In the Top News category for single images, the top prize went to Vladislav Nekrasov from Novosibirsk for his photograph titled His Duty. The image captures a pilot of the Ural Airlines passenger plane that did an emergency landing in a field in the Novosibirsk Region.
In the Top News category for series, the first place was awarded to Frederique Gelinas from Italy for her series The Time of Agave, which delves into the agave variety used to produce mezcal. The increasing global demand for mezcal is exerting pressure on Mexico, often overlooking the plant’s natural growth cycle. The agave industry stands at the crossroads of ancient traditions and evolving modernity.
In the Sport category, the top prize in the single photo category was given to Mohammed Suman from Bangladesh for his work titled Children of Chittagong are Playing on Piles of Dirt. The photograph captures a city without playgrounds where children could spend their free time.
In the highly favored My Planet category, the top single photograph was Where Green is not Life by Paula Jesus Brignardello, Italy. The image offers a striking portrayal of a dystopian vision, where the color green takes on a hellish quality. In this vision, survival becomes a struggle not just for food, but for every breath.
In the My Planet category, the top series was Memories of Underdevelopment by Mosfiqur Rahman Johan from Bangladesh. This series combines vivid recollections from the photographer’s childhood, exploring themes of identity, belonging, and loss that individuals confront.
In the Portrait. A Hero of Our Time category, the standout works came from photojournalists in Russia and India. One notable piece is The Children were Scared, but I am a Father Myself by Alexander Oshchepkovfrom Novosibirsk. This work features Rza Rzayev, an Azerbaijani loader who bravely carried children through boiling water during an accident in the city. Rza chose to donate to an orphanage the money that the locals collected for him to visit his family. “The children were scared, but I am a father myself,” Rza said.
The series Outcast Widows by Indian reporter Rajendra Pandeyexamines the city of Vrindavan in India, where approximately 20,000 widows live, being mistreated by their own families.
The most atmospheric photographs were showcased in the Top View. Singles category. The prize was awarded to Aung Chan Thar from Myanmar for his captivating photo titled Lily Flowers. This image captures a serene morning in Vietnam and people who gently clean lily flowers with water, which highlights their natural beauty. From an aerial perspective, this simple ritual resembles an elegant dance, with intricate patterns and vibrant flowers set against a tranquil landscape.
The remaining positions in the categories are as follows:
Top News. Singles
German Caballero, Spain
| 2nd place |
Karam Al-Masri, Syria
| 3rd place |
Apratim Pal, India | Special mention
|
Jahid Apu, Bangladesh | Special mention
|
Top News. Series
Luke Dray, UK
| 2nd place |
Gunnar Oberhosel, South Africa
| 3rd place |
Kaushik Dutta, India | Special mention
|
Sport. Singles
Roman Velikotsky, Russia
| 2nd place |
Jianfei Xie, China
| 3rd place |
Dipayan Bose, India | Special mention
|
My Planet. Singles
Pelagiya Tikhonova, Russia
| 2nd place |
Alexandra Novitskaya, Russia
| 3rd place |
Mohammed Suman, Bangladesh | Special mention
|
My Planet. Series
Richard Nazaretyan, Russia
| 2nd place |
Giacomo d'Orlando, Italy
| 3rd place |
Ivan Vysochinsky, Russia | Special mention
|
Portrait. A Hero of Our Time. Singles
Ziaul Huque, Bangladesh
| 2nd place |
Arpan Basu Chowdhury, India
| 3rd place |
Muhammed Shamim Ul Islam, Bangladesh | Special mention
|
Portrait. A Hero of Our Time. Series
Konstantin Yerokhin, Russia
| 2nd place |
Sergei Alekseyev, Russia
| 3rd place |
Top View. Singles
Ruslan Kondratenko, Russia
| 2nd place |
Abdul Momin, Bangladesh
| 3rd place |
Mushfiqul Alam, Bangladesh | Special mention
|
The Moscow ceremony will kick off the traditional exhibition tour featuring the competition winners’ photographs. The international roadshow has already scheduled stops at galleries in Ethiopia, Serbia, and Argentina, with plans to expand its global reach further.
About the Contest
The Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest, organized by the Rossiya Segodnya media group under the auspices of the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO, is dedicated to supporting young photographers and highlighting the challenges faced by modern photojournalism. This platform offers talented, perceptive, and innovative young photographers the opportunity to focus our attention on the people and events around us.
The general information partners of the competition are VGTRK (All-Russian State Television and Radio Broadcasting Company), the SMOTRIM online platform, and the Moscow 24 TV channel, all from Russia.
The international information partners of the competition include Sputnik news agency and radio (international), RT TV Channel and Portal (international), Independent Media (South Africa), ANA News Agency (South Africa), Shanghai United Media Group (SUMG) (China), China Daily Online (China), The Paper online publication (China), and Al Mayadeen Media Network (Lebanon).
Industry partners supporting the competition are the Union of Journalists of Russia, YOung JOurnalists Information Portal (Russia), Russian Photo Portal (Russia), and Photo-study.ru (Russia).