5 Award-Winning Photographs and the Fascinating Stories Behind Them

5 Jaw-Dropping Photographs from Around the World That Won Major Awards

The Pulitzer Prize for Photography, British Photography Awards and IPA International Photography Awards are just a few examples of the biggest honours in the world of photography. They reward the best photographs across categories like Architecture, Documentary, Portraiture, Sports, Landscape, Fashion, Wildlife, Travel, Culture, Breaking News and Street Photography.

Here are five award-winning photos along with the stories behind each one of them.

1. Five Degrees – Federico Borella

The Italian serial clicker, Federico Borella, was awarded the Photographer of the Year (and winner in the Documentary category) for his project called Five Degrees. The project focused primarily on farmer suicides in the drought-fraught area Southern India. It was praised by the jury for its sensitive outlook, technical excellence and creativity in bringing a global concern to light.

2. Sliding Away to Olympic Glory – Mike Egerton

Mike Egerton’s award-winning sports photograph, which features Romania’s Valentin Cretu in one of his practice runs at the Olympic Sliding Centre, was shot on a Canon 70-200mm camera. Caught in action ahead of the Pyeong Chang Winter Olympics 2018 in South Korea, this picture was the winner in the Sports category at the British Photography Awards 2019.

3. The Awakening – Tawny Chatmon

The winner of the People/Family category at the IPA International Photography Awards, this photograph is a part of a series called ‘The Awakening’ – which focuses on family bonding, motherhood, fatherhood and celebration of childhood. Clicked by Tawny Chatmon, the portrait was inspired by the work of Marianne Stokes, focusing on the finest of details in terms of the garment embroidery and design.

4. Desert Striker – Thomas Dressler

Desert Striker is an award-winning photograph in the Wildlife category, showcasing the characteristic S-shaped posture of a Peringuey’s adder camouflaging itself in sand. Clicked in the Namib Desert (Namibia), the reptile was caught in action trying to submerge itself in anticipation of its prey.

5. Lone Jewish Woman – Oded Balilty

Oded Balilty’s Lone Jewish Woman photo won the 2007 Pulitzer Prize in the Breaking News Photography category. This incredible picture of a Jewish woman standing up to Israeli security forces became the defining symbol of the Jews’ opposing the government at the time.

Just one look at these amazing photographs will tell you truckloads about how challenging it must have been for these individuals to get that perfect shot. However, one important overcoming these challenges is the fact that they were/are formally trained photographers.

While you might be great at taking pictures and candids, it takes a whole lot of learning and experience to master the craft. If you are looking for a  photography course that can help you develop or hone your photography skills, Seamedu School of Pro-Expressionism’s comprehensive degree and Diploma on photographs can enable you to do that. The institute also provides students with ample opportunities to work on individual practical assignments and group projects, so that there is no lack of experience in terms of knowing what it takes to click great photographs in the real world.

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