/ 2025 / Portraiture / Culture

• Prize
  Honorable Mention
• Photographer
  Rahsan Firtina, Turkey

I took this photo at Istanbul’s Bird Market. At first glance, it looks like a moment of freedom—but the string tied to the pigeon’s leg changes everything. The wings beat, yet it’s not free. It reaches for the sky, but remains bound to the ground. What struck me most was this contradiction: sometimes we appear to fly, while still being captives inside. “Captive Wing” isn’t just the bird’s story—it’s ours, too.