World Photography Organisation

Beyond the Lake: Interview with Carlos Folgoso Sueiro

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Fri, 09 Jan 2026 10:17:51 +0000

Beyond the Lake: Interview with Carlos Folgoso Sueiro

We catch up with the Spanish photographer about his powerful project that grew out of a period of personal struggle

annasiemaszko@… Fri, 01/09/2026 - 10:17

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What inspired you to pick up photography?

I’m a photographer from Galicia who began in photojournalism, working across environmental issues and human crises throughout Europe and Russia. In 2020, a spinal injury left me immobilised for almost three years, and photography became both therapy and inquiry. It led me back to my homeland, where I now explore memory, landscape, and the emotional traces people leave behind.

Your series Beyond the Lake was shortlisted in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Professional competition’s Perspectives category. What motivated you to pursue this project?

Beyond the Lake emerged during one of the darkest periods of my life. A spinal injury and several personal losses pushed me back to my Galician village, where photography became a way to move through the shadows. The project grew as a search for healing, tracing how memory and abandonment shape both place and self.

Were there any memorable moments or people you encountered while shooting this series?

Each person photographed in this project carries a profound story. Most portraits are the result of long shared time - I often spend whole weekends with someone and make only a few images. Even small sensations, like rain on my face or the smell of apples in a bowl, became moments I’ll never forget.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

As a photographer, the best advice I’ve received is to follow the heart above all else. Let intuition, instinct, and desire lead the way - and let practical matters come later. The work only becomes true when it grows from a place of honesty and deep inner resonance.

What have you been up to since being recognised in the Sony World Photography Awards? And what are your plans for the future?

Since receiving the Sony Award, I have continued working on the winning project, as my intention is to turn it into a book in the future. I’ve also begun a new photographic project - completely different from the previous one - though I prefer not to reveal anything about it until it is finished.

About Carlos Folgoso Sueiro

Carlos Folgoso Sueiro is a photographer and a Sociology student. His work explores human emotions and major questions such as the passage of time and the destiny of the universe, with projects focused primarily on Galicia and Russia. His work has been published in National Geographic, Stern, Geo, Vanity Fair and The Sunday Times, and has been exhibited at the Hermitage Museum, Somerset House and Brooklyn Bridge Park. It has also been recognised with awards such as POYI, Vital Impacts, the Sony Awards and the ZEKE Awards. In his free time, he enjoys reading - especially Russian literature - analysing maps and creating abstract oil paintings.

Visit his website
Follow him on Instagram

The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 close on 13 January at 13:00 GMT. Don't miss your chance to win $25,000, Sony Digital Imaging equipment, worldwide exhibition inclusions, a day of sessions with industry experts - and more!

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Interview

Top tips for a successful submission to the Sony World Photography Awards 2026

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Mon, 05 Jan 2026 14:00:00 +0000

Top tips for a successful submission to the Sony World Photography Awards 2026

Final days to enter

annasiemaszko@… Mon, 01/05/2026 - 14:00

Photography competitions can be a powerful stepping stone, opening doors to new audiences and career-defining opportunities. Recognition can place your work in front of industry leaders, lead to gallery or agency representation, unlock publishing opportunities, and see your images exhibited around the world.

Open to photographers at every stage of their journey, the Sony World Photography Awards invites entries from creators using any type of camera or device. Beyond the possibility of winning, the process itself offers a valuable moment to evaluate your work and clearly express the ideas behind it. With deadlines approaching quickly, take a moment to review our essential tips to help strengthen your submission.

Take time to familiarise yourself with the Professional competition, which celebrates cohesive series of images rather than single photographs. You don’t need to be a full-time or working professional to enter - any strong series will be considered, whether that’s a documentary project or a carefully edited set of 5–10 landscapes. You can submit one photo project per category free of charge.
If your work spans multiple genres or combines different approaches - such as portraiture alongside still life - the Perspectives category in the Professional competition was introduced specifically for these kinds of projects. It’s an ideal space for photographers whose work doesn’t fit neatly into one genre.
Before submitting, make sure your images meet the technical requirements. Files must be in JPG format, saved at quality 10 or above, set to sRGB colour mode, and sized between 1–5MB.
Please ensure your images are free from watermarks or logos. Any marked images will be automatically disqualified.
Curious about what the judges are looking for? The category descriptions are a valuable resource and can help guide your selection and submission.
Be sure to read the rules for each competition carefully, as they differ. For example, images entered into the Open competition must have been taken in 2025, while images submitted to the Professional competition must not have been published before 2025.
Avoid leaving your entry until the last moment - planning ahead will give your work the attention it deserves. The Open and Youth competitions close on 6 January at 13:00 (GMT), with the Professional competition closing on 13 January at 13:00 (GMT).
Finally, don’t let perfectionism stop you from entering. As long as your work meets the requirements, it’s always better to submit than to hold back. With free entry and a once-a-year opportunity, you truly have nothing to lose.

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Inspiration

December's Entries of the Week winners

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Fri, 02 Jan 2026 17:09:18 +0000

December's Entries of the Week winners

Top picks revealed

annasiemaszko@… Fri, 01/02/2026 - 17:09

As the Open competition closes on Tuesday 6 January, we reveal the final Entries of the Week monthly winners.

Congratulations to Ihsan Ilze (1st Place - 50 Image Bundle), Elena Paraskeva, (2nd Place - 20 Image Bundle) and Daniel Joss (3rd Place - 10 Image Bundle).

All the first place Entries of the Week monthly winners will take part in a People's Choice Vote, during which the public will vote for their favourite image. The winner will then be exhibited at the Sony World Photography Awards 2026 exhibition in London's Somerset House.

There's still time to enter the 2026 competition. Don't miss the opportunity to win $5,000, Sony Digital Imaging equipment, inclusions in worldwide exhibitions plus more!

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Inspiration

The final Entries of the Week are here

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Tue, 30 Dec 2025 15:14:31 +0000

The final Entries of the Week are here

Only one week left to enter the Open competition

annasiemaszko@… Tue, 12/30/2025 - 15:14

With only one week left to enter the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, this is your final chance. These Entries of the Week, selected from across all 10 Open categories, showcase the diversity of work submitted so far - let them inspire you to submit your best images.

By entering, you could:

Win up to $25,000 and Sony Digital Imaging equipment
Have your work showcased in international exhibitions and published in the annual book
Gain global recognition through press and media coverage
Unlock new opportunities for your photography career

The deadline for the Open competition is 6 January at 13:00 GMT. Don't miss it - submit your work today!

Enter for free

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Inspiration

October and November's Entries of the Week winners

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Mon, 29 Dec 2025 18:00:00 +0000

October and November's Entries of the Week winners

Top picks revealed

annasiemaszko@… Mon, 12/29/2025 - 18:00

In this special double feature, we're highlighting October and November's Entries of the Week monthly winners. Each month, we select one winner and two runners-up, each receiving an Image Bundle to enter more images into the Open competition for free boosting their chances of success.

All monthly first-place winners will compete in the People's Choice Vote, and the overall Entries of the Week winner will have their image printed at the Sony World Photography Awards exhibition in London in April 2026.

With only one week left to enter, don't miss your chance! The Open competition closes on 6 January.

October

Congratulations to Anders Engebretsen (1st Place - 50 Image Bundle), Anjan Ghosh (2nd Place - 20 Image Bundle) and Nicolas Salinas (3rd Place - 10 Image Bundle).

November

Congratulations to Dilmurad Akhmedov (1st Place - 50 Image Bundle), Abbas Valadi (2nd Place - 20 Image Bundle) and Dmitry Yurchenko (3rd Place - 10 Image Bundle).

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Inspiration

Get inspired: Last weeks to enter the Sony World Photography Awards

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Tue, 23 Dec 2025 15:57:07 +0000

Get inspired: Last weeks to enter the Sony World Photography Awards

Which categories will you choose?

annasiemaszko@… Tue, 12/23/2025 - 15:57

With only a few weeks left to enter the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, we hope these Entries of the Week inspire you to take the next step.

By entering, you could:

Win up to $25,000 and Sony Digital Imaging equipment
Have your work showcased in international exhibitions and published in the annual book
Gain global recognition through press and media coverage
Unlock new opportunities for your photography career

Don’t miss your chance to be part of a global celebration of photography - submit your best images today!

Enter now

Enter for free

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Inspiration

On Asphalt We Grow: Interview with Robin Tutenges

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Fri, 19 Dec 2025 14:48:54 +0000

On Asphalt We Grow: Interview with Robin Tutenges

We spoke with the French photographer about his shortlisted series documenting skateboarding communities in Ukraine

annasiemaszko@… Fri, 12/19/2025 - 14:48

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What inspired you to pick up photography?

I originally came to photography through my interest in journalism and geopolitics. Very quickly, I allowed my photographic practice -which I had pursued as a hobby since adolescence - to take over during my field investigations, to the point that I now make a living from my photo reports for the French and international press. I have since specialised in human rights violations, producing long-term photographic series in different countries around the world, while also striving to create more personal, more documentary-driven projects, such as the series selected here for the Sony World Photography Awards.

Your series On Asphalt We Grow was shortlisted in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Professional competition’s Sport category. What motivated you to pursue this project?

I covered the first hours of the Russian invasion of Ukraine for the press, but I quickly felt that I wasn't telling a story that was any different from the flood of news that overwhelmed us at the time. I wanted to take a step back and tell the story differently. I wanted to talk about Ukrainian youth, those in their twenties like me at the start of the invasion, whose lives have been devastated.

Through the young skateboarders, I was able to imagine what my life might have been like if I had been in their shoes, being a longtime skateboarder myself. The project became personal; the community immediately accepted me and let me document their daily lives. Talking about skateboarding and what it brings as an urban practice took on several dimensions in the context of war: we talk about forging connections when a whole world is collapsing, trying to continue living amid the chaos, living with anxieties and calming them through sport, taking back the streets, even though the scars of war have ravaged them.

Several dimensions and stories opened up to me, and I tried to photograph them sensitively and respectfully. I was also privileged to receive a grant from the Centre national des arts plastiques (CNAP) in France, which allowed me to take my time and also to work with film.

Were there any memorable moments or people you encountered while shooting this series?

Every encounter with Ukrainian skateboarders remains a memorable moment. They all have their own stories, often deeply affected by this war that took everything from them. There were young people barely 18 years old who had their eyes set on the United States and Europe, following skateboarding videos from there, and whose dreams were shattered by the war; Elya and Eric, two friends from Dnipro, who saw the Russians targeting their town, approaching day by day, but never stopped skateboarding; Vasilkan, originally from Odessa, who took refuge with skateboarding friends in Kyiv while his city was being bombed; and then those caught up in the war, like Mitya, a skateboarder from Bucha, who is still fighting today in the Ukrainian army. Many of the skaters I met have now gone to the front, and I am currently seeking for grants or funding for a new chapter in this photo series to find them again.

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

It's not advice, but rather a way of working. You have to take your time, treat photography like a marathon, not a sprint. Digging into stories to turn them into a universal narrative takes time, and out of respect for the testimonies gathered and the subject matter, it's also a necessity.

What have you been up to since being recognised in the Sony World Photography Awards? And what are your plans for the future?

The visibility of the Sony World Photography Awards has allowed me to exhibit this series in several places, from France to Colombia, notably at the Museum of Photography in Bogota. While waiting to be able to complete another chapter of this long-term project on Ukrainian skateboarders, I continue to work on long-term reports in different countries around the world. I was lucky enough to receive a grant from the Pulitzer Center in 2025 to continue another investigation, the Grand Prize at the Sarajevo Photo Festival for a long-term photo project in south east-asia, as well as the Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Lucas Dolega SAIF 2025 Prize for a report on the civil war in Ethiopia.

About Robin Tutenges

Born in 1995, Robin Tutenges is a multi-award-winning French photographer, member of collectif Hors Format, who focuses his work on crises and their consequences, with particular attention to human and women's rights violations. His long-term reports have led him to work in India on the farmers' revolt, in Kazakhstan on survivors of Xinjiang camps, and in Ukraine on the skateboarding community. Since 2022, he has been documenting the armed resistance against the junta in Myanmar.

Visit Robin Tutenges' website
Follow Robin Tutenges on Instagram

The Sony World Photography Awards 2026 close in early January. Don't miss your chance to win $25,000, Sony Digital Imaging equipment, worldwide exhibition inclusions, a day of sessions with industry experts - and more!

Enter for free

Tags:

Interview

Flashlight fish, an abandoned power plant and an icy landscape

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Wed, 17 Dec 2025 09:16:39 +0000

Flashlight fish, an abandoned power plant and an icy landscape

The latest Entries of the Week are here

annasiemaszko@… Wed, 12/17/2025 - 09:16

From a glowing school of splitfin flashlightfish captured by Korean photographer Akira Asahina to an abandoned power plant shot by Italian photographer Daniel Joss, the latest Entries of the Week have arrived.

With less than three weeks left to enter the Sony World Photography Awards 2026, we hope this curated selection of recent Open competition submissions inspires you to share your strongest work before the deadline.

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Inspiration

A curious panda, an Italian street shot and a playground seen from above

Anna Bonita Evans — Sun, 14 Dec 2025 15:00:00 +0000

A curious panda, an Italian street shot and a playground seen from above

With three weeks left of the Open competition, we take put the latest Entries of the Week in the spotlight

Anna Bonita Evans Sun, 12/14/2025 - 15:00

Time is ticking with the Sony World Photography Awards closing in early January. We highlight some of our favourite images entered into the Open competition. There are 10 categories to choose from, including Portraiture, Street Photography and Travel. With just three weeks left to enter make sure you enter before 6 January 2026 at 13:00 GMT.

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Inspiration

Divided Youth of Belfast: Interview with Toby Binder

annasiemaszko@creoarts.com — Fri, 12 Dec 2025 14:04:08 +0000

Divided Youth of Belfast: Interview with Toby Binder

We spoke with the winner of the Documentary Projects category about his long-term series and upcoming work

annasiemaszko@… Fri, 12/12/2025 - 14:04

Can you tell us a bit about yourself? What inspired you to pick up photography?

During my graphic design studies, I quickly realised that I didn't just want to lay out other people's stories, but rather experience and document these stories myself. I'm more of a drifter and stray dog and can't sit at the computer for too long.

Your series Divided Youth of Belfast won 1st Place in the Sony World Photography Awards 2025 Professional competition’s Documentary Projects category. What motivated you to pursue this project?

When I started the project, I had no idea that it’ll occupy me for so long and turn into a long-term documentary. But when I saw that young people in Northern Ireland's working-class communities had hardly any contact with each other even though they face the same problems and social discrimination, I decided to highlight these similarities and create a project of unity which brings down long-held enemy stereotypes and prejudices.

Were there any memorable moments or people you encountered while shooting this series?

Oh, there are so many... I mostly work with young people, but when I once told an old man that I really love Belfast and its people, he said, “Oh yes, we're nice to strangers. We just kill each other.” In all its cynicism, there is so much truth in that sentence, showing how absurd it sometimes feels what is happening here…

Although the dividing wall has gates, I quickly noticed that no locals go through them, whereas I do so several times a day. At the beginning, kids on one side assured me, ‘You can take photos here, no probs, you’re safe here. But don't go over to the other side, they'll beat you up and steal your camera!’

I then told them that I had been over there an hour ago – and was told exactly the same thing!

What's the best piece of advice you've ever received?

It’s nice to be nice and don’t believe the stereotypes!

What have you been up to since being recognised in the Sony World Photography Awards? And what are your plans for the future?

This year, I continued to shoot the series in Belfast that won the Sony World Photography Awards, and I plan to publish a follow-up volume to the first book from 2019 in 2026.

In addition, my new book #053kids about young people in a strongly migrant-influenced environment in Duisburg, Germany, will be published next January.

And a new major long-term project is being started in Baltimore, so stay tuned – there will be a lot going on!

About Toby Binder

German-born photographer Toby Binder's work focuses on stories from the margins of society and often takes the perspective of young people - whether it's children stigmatised as witches in Nigeria, war-wounded children in Afghanistan or child labourers in Bolivia.

Visit Toby Binder's website
Follow Toby Binder on Instagram

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Tags:

Interview