2019 Winners – News/Events

Lianyu Lu

Guangdong, China

1st Place – News/Events

Fire Dragon
This photo was taken at the Lantern Festival in Buzhai Town. It is the tradition of this small southern town to hold a dragon dance performance for Lantern Festival that dates back to the Qing Dynasty. It is a spectacular scene with the fire dragon being lifted by more than 30 adults while it dances and fireworks are set off from its body.  Thousands of people came to watch the event and to pray for their family to be safe and healthy for the New Year.

Location: Meizhou, China
Shot on iPhone 6S

Yanan Li

China

2nd Place – News/Events

When the Curtain Falls
This photo was taken in an abandoned house in Aleppo, Syria. In the Syrian civil war, almost the entire city of Aleppo became a ruin of war and there was hardly a building left intact. In January 2018, I walked into many rooms in the ruins. I found that lives were abruptly stopped by the war, and many rooms still retained the pre-war look.

Location: Aleppo, Syria
Shot on iPhone X

Gabriel Ribeiro

Brazil

3rd Place – News/Events

Wedding Prayer
I photographed this wedding with my father in Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul. During the religious ceremony, each person kneels to hold a prayer with all present for the purpose of blessing the wedding.

Location: Dourados, Mato Grosso do Sul
Shot on iPhone 8

Honorable Mentions