An Etna eruption seen from San Teodoro. Image via Fernando Famiani, single image finalist at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
The winners of the first photography competition from Magnum and LensCulture have been revealed. Here are 15 of the best shots.
Taking in imagery from dozens of photographers around the world, a select 12 took top honours at the Magnum and LensCulture photography awards.
“We were delighted by the diversity and quality of submissions,” said David Kogan, executive director at Magnum Photos. “It was an incredibly hard competition to judge because of this – but also a pleasure.”
Street, portrait, photojournalism, fine art, documentary and open categories saw both single image and series winners, with applicants from over 127 countries eventually whittled down to the chosen few.
“We came across brilliant storytelling from all corners of the world, powerful documentation of important issues, and memorable single images,” said Kogan.
Here are 15 of the finest images on show:
Passover preparations are very chaotic – image via Ofir Barak, street single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Israeli soldiers shoot tear gas during a demonstration against Israel’s controversial separation barrier in the West Bank village of Nilin – image via Cris Toala Olivares, documentary single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
A Palm wine collector, in Namibia – image via Kyle Weeks, fine art single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Kurdish YPG militia arrest a man in the northeastern part of Syria – image via Asger Ladefoged, open single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Civilians escape from a fire at a house destroyed by an air attack in Donbass, eastern Ukraine – image via Valery Melnikov, photojournalism single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
This photo was shot in a dying coal-mining town, St Charles, which is situated in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains behind the fog – image via Hannah Modigh, portrait single image winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Josephine – image via Aaron Hardin, fine art series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Harrodsburg – image via Dougie Wallace, street series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Maths lesson in the school of Grigoriopol – image via Emile Ducke, student spotlight section at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
An Etna eruption seen from San Teodoro. The quiet of the grazing flocks and the tranquility of the village are in contrast to the enormous explosive force of the volcano – image via Fernando Famiani, single image finalist at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Winter in Berlevaag, Norway – image via Liz Palm, single image finalist at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
Six Degrees of Copenhagen – image via Jens Juul, portrait series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
‘My work examines how the state the politicians defend so stubbornly vanishes by their actions—their images and all the paraphernalia that surround them are simply an ivory tower in which they believe they can live’ – C.E.N.S.U.R.A. image via Julián Barón, open series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016.
Lesbos at dusk, part of a huge pile of discarded life vests, inner tubes and deflated rubber dinghies. This is the basic equipment that thousands of refugees have been using to cross the Aegean sea – image via Mauricio Lima, documentary series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards
Cigarettes, covered with the lipstick of sex workers, sitting in an ashtray in Bangladesh – image via Sandra Hoyn, photojournalism series winner at Magnum and LensCulture Photography Awards 2016
