Pictures In Review

Pictures In Review

The Siena Awards Photo Festival 2025 concluded with a glimpse of what’s happening in the world. From the beautiful to the mundane people’s stories were unspooling in front of people’s lenses all over the world. This is a different look back at the year that was.

“The photographs awarded in this edition remind us of the essential role of photographic vision: documenting, arousing empathy and opening windows onto realities that are often distant, but decisive for understanding our time”, declared Luca Venturi, Artistic Director of the Festival. “The selected works testify to the vitality of the photographic language: not only aesthetics, but also responsibility and testimony. Overall, the Festival has collected, also in this edition, thousands of proposals from a wide geographical spectrum, reiterating its nature as an international showcase and the weight that the three competitions have acquired over time within the global photographic community”.

This year, recognition as Best Author was awarded to Pakistani-American photojournalist Adrees Latif for the 2024 Dispatches from US-Mexico Border: Refuge Along An International Boundary project, a rigorous and dramatic testimony to the human and social dynamics linked to migration along the border between the United States and Mexico. The jury motivated the choice, which pointed out: “In a year in which the topic has dominated the political and social debate in the United States, his photographs go beyond reportage, offering a profound and human look at the difficulties and hopes of those seeking a better future. Through a coherent corpus of images that travels the 2,000 miles of the southern frontier — from the Rio Grande Valley to El Paso, from Arizona to California — Latif demonstrates consistency of vision and great sensitivity in recounting a complex issue of global relevance. Its narrative not only informs, but engages and excites the viewer, transforming the most urgent topicality into timeless images of value”.

Above: Fisherman and Whaleshark

Derawan (Indonesia), Wai Hoe Mok

Off the Derawan Islands, on the eastern coast of Borneo, whale sharks gather around ‘bagan,’ traditional wooden fishing platforms with nets used in Southeast Asia. The image, taken at dawn while the nets are being raised, captures the sharks feeding on bycatch discarded into the sea by fishermen.

Nature and fisherman Lake Beyşehir, Konya (Turkey), Seyit Konyalı An enchanting image of Lake Beyşehir, in southwestern Turkey, completely frozen and enveloped in a beautiful, crystal-like texture. In this magical landscape, a lone fisherman has drilled a hole in the ice and remains there for an extended period, patiently waiting for a catch. During the winter, Lake Beyşehir, the third-largest in Turkey, can remain frozen for months. While it is also used for irrigation and aquaculture, it is recognized as an Area of Botanical Importance and hosts the third-largest ecosystem in the country. Its basin, which includes islands, forests, and various ecosystems, provides a rich habitat for a wide range of plant and animal species and is crucial for many bird species.

 

Buzkashi Little Pamir, Afghanistan Daniel Malikyar Buzkashi is the national sport of Afghanistan. Groups of horsemen compete to drop a headless goat carcass into a goal. This scene features men from the Kyrgyz ethnic group playing Buzkashi at 15,000 feet elevation deep in the mountains of the Little Pamir region, Afghanistan.

 

El Charro Colorado (USA), Ana Joaquina Charrería is Mexico’s national sport and a tradition of great cultural significance, recognized by UNESCO as part of the intangible cultural heritage of humanity. It involves performing various horse drills with a team. In this photo, a Mexican charro is executing one of these drills with his lasso, or ‘lazo,’ while jumping on his horse.

 

Buffalo Race Indonesia Bali, Indonesia, Bram Paulussen Every year in Jembrana, West Bali, the Makepung Bull Races are held to celebrate the end of the rice harvest. Jockeys ride traditional wooden ploughs that are slightly modified for the competition.

 

Feria de Abril Seville (Spain), Francesca Chiacchio The Feria de Abril is a traditional festival held every year in Seville, usually two weeks after Holy Week. The people of Seville wear traditional costumes, such as flamenco dresses, and dance the sevillana, a folk dance from the flamenco tradition. During the week of celebrations, people eat, drink, and dance from morning until night.

 

Full Swing Buraidah (Saudi Arabia), France Leclerc The Buraidah market, located in central Saudi Arabia, is the largest and oldest camel market in the world. The sheer number of animals and the chaotic atmosphere are undoubtedly overwhelming. Particularly attention-catching is the unique method used to transport some of the camels.

 

Take a Photo Beijing (China), Chris Yan This incredible scene seems like it was taken out of a movie, but it actually happened in real life. In a place that serves both as a bathhouse and a café, a girl was trying to take a selfie when another “guest”, who was enjoying a relaxing treatment, accidentally ended up in the shot.

 

Plane Overload Corfu (Greece), Levi Goldbaum During the summer in Corfu, Levi searched for the perfect spot where planes flew low over people. His fear of flying and the overwhelming noise made him nervous, and his first photos were awful. Then, noticing an elderly woman with a hat right beneath a plane that seemed to skim her head, he tried again, and for a brief moment, he felt happy.

 

The Istanbul promise Istanbul (Turkey), Stefano Mirabella In Istanbul, everyone enjoys strolling along the Bosphorus, especially beneath the iconic Galata Bridge. If you’re lucky enough to be there at just the right moment, you’ll find yourself surrounded by a vibrant array of people, all immersed in the pulse of the city. For street photography enthusiasts, the Bosphorus becomes a captivating canvas, a magical space where moments of daily life unfold effortlessly. Here, patience is often rewarded with the perfect shot: a fleeting instant that captures the heart and soul of Istanbul in a single frame.

Isaac Taylor

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