Gold / 2023 / Press / Performing Arts

• Prize
  Gold in Press/Performing Arts
• Photographer
  Toni Rasinkangas, Finland
• Studio
  Hämeen Sanomat

Legendary Finnish stuntman Markku Eklund is set on fire.

Eklund is considered to be one of the stunt pioneers of Finnish film industry with a body of work that includes films such as The Romanov Stones (Romanovin kivet, 1993) and The Real McCoy (1999).

Eklund made his first fire stunt in the early 1980´s. He has never got hurt by flames.

Photo was taken on 16.3.2022 at the Haukilahti Beach in the city of Espoo, Southern Finland. The one-minute-stunt was done under supervision.

Toni Rasinkangas is a photographer and a journalist based in Hämeenlinna, working for newspaper Hämeen Sanomat.

Awards 2023
PX3 Paris Photo Prize: Gold (Press/People/Personality), Gold (Press/Performing arts), Bronze (Portraiture/other)
2022
-Tokyo International Foto Awards: Gold (People/Lifestyle), silver (Editorial/Personality).
-Monovisions Photography Awards: Silver (photojournalism), Honorable Mentions (Fine Art, People).
-International Photo Awards IPA: Honorable Mention (Editorial/Press-Photo Essay/Feature Story).
-Monochrome Photography Awards: 2 x Honorable Mention (photojournalism, portrait)
-Fine Art Photography Awards: Honorable Mention (photojournalism).

2021
-International Photo Awards IPA: Honorable Mention (Editorial/Press-Photo Essay/Feature Story), Honorable Mention (People, Family)
2020
-Finnish Photo Awards: Finalist (Reportage/photojournalism)
2019
-Finnish Nature Photograph of the Year (2019): 4th place (Nature and Man).
2018
-Finnish Underwater Photographer of the Year. Overall winner.
2015
-Finnish City Magazine Photo of the Year: 3rd place.