The American “Bloomberg” agency photographer Konstantinos Tsakaldis said that the Istanbul Awards for the best picture are one of the most important and prestigious competitions in recent years.
At the end of March, Anadolu Agency announced the names of the winners of the eighth edition of the Istanbul Photo Awards 2022 competition.
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Out of more than 16,000 entries in the competition, “Woman in Evia” by Bloomberg photographer Konstantinos Tsakaldis won the Picture of the Year award.
Tsakaldis added in an interview, “The Istanbul Best Picture Awards are one of the most important and prestigious competitions in recent years.
Because it includes a large number of jury members with great experience in photojournalism.”
And about his winning photo, Tsakaldis, the Greek photographer, explained that he took it on August 8, 2021 in the village of Govis, on the island of Evia in northern Greece.
He explained that while he was with his colleagues in the area, he separated from them and approached the village to take pictures of a fire in the area.
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He added that he thought at the time that his photographs could describe the disaster more clearly if the flames approached the village houses.
It will also reflect the exacerbation of the consequences of the climate change crisis facing humanity in recent years.
Tsakaldis confirmed that when he approached the village, he saw the woman who took her picture, as she asked him for help to help her husband, who was in the back garden of the house.
And that this lady was doing her best to keep her house from the fire.
“While she was talking to me, a pine forest behind the house was engulfed in flames, and my picture was taken at that time,” he said.
He stressed that he considers himself a photojournalist who witnessed for the first time in his life such a big fire, expressing his great panic at the time.
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Tsakaldis noted that his instincts were what prompted him to write The Woman in Evia, saying, “I think you need courage and a strong character to follow the stories.”
Although he believed that one picture could not change the course of the world, the photojournalist emphasized that perhaps the world and the way politicians treat people could be made more fair.
He stressed that photojournalists bear a great responsibility in conveying the facts to the people.
Tsakalidis expressed his great pride in winning the Image of the Year award, which has led to his image gaining international recognition.
He pointed out that the Istanbul Photo Awards competition is one of the most prestigious awards in the world, not only thanks to its awards, but also because of the members of its jury.
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He explained that the jury includes many members with long experience in photojournalism.
In order to provide advice to other photographers and photography enthusiasts, Tsakalidis called on those wishing to photograph to go outside and closely follow current events with the naked eye.
“If you are not in the center of the action, nothing can be done,” he said, calling on photographers to take more pictures daily.
