Honorable Mention / 2023 / Portraiture / Culture

The Wagenia fishermen of Congo River

The Wagenia people have settled in the area of Kisangani (former Stanleyville), many centuries ago while trying to find the best place along the Congo River for their fishing needs, by using unique fishing methods adapted to the topography of the area.
Due to climate change, the level of the river has become to its lowest, forcing them to abandon their wooden scaffoldings by the river shores and move their fish-traps closer to the falls, where the waters are more turbulent and the catch is better.
However, the risk is bigger and the result still uncertain….

Although a Civil Engineer by profession, he turned out to be an amateur travel photographer having traveled to numerous countries around the world such as Ethiopia, India, Burkina Faso, Indonesia, Cote d'Ivoire, China, Democratic Republic of Congo, Bolivia, Brazil, Papua New Guinea, Mali, Benin, Haiti, Cuba etc. His main goal is to capture the uniqueness of the local cultures and the life of the people in the most remote places of our world. Recently graduated Anthropology of Religions at UCLA.

Awards His pictures have been awarded multiple awards in many prestigious photo competitions and have been published in many books and magazines.
Best New Talent of the Year, PX3
Portraiture Photographer of the Year PX3
1st place, IPA awards
Discovery of the Year, Finalist, IPA awards
1st place, Chromatic Awards
Travel Photographer of the Year, Judges Choice
Numerous Honorable Mentions, IPA awards
Masters Cup, Honorable Mentions, Nominee
Exposure Awards, Finalist
Photographer’s Forum Magazine, Finalist
ND Awards, Honorable Mention
Global Photo Travel Contest, Honorable Mentions