We can fully appreciate the anguished expression crossing the face of this 81-year-old Greek woman, Kritsiopi Panayiota, who stands grief-stricken before a hellish backdrop of forest fires on the verge of consuming her home. As the devastating infernos of California’s wildfires in 2020 continue to haunt recent American memory, Grecians recall the worst fires their country has seen since 2007, which ravaged Evia, Greece’s second largest island, in August 2021.
Tragic yet pertinent, this picture, “Woman from Evia,” garnered Greek photographer Konstantinos Tsakalidis the top title of Photographer of the Year at the Siena International Photo Awards 2022 (SIPA 2022) in October.
Winner: Photographer of the Year
Winner: Fascinating Faces and Characters
Another striking picture portrays “Angelina Jolie and Bees,” which was taken by Dan Winters, winner of the Fascinating Faces and Characters category. On the occasion of World Bee Day, an initiative saw the actress sprinkled with a queen bee’s pheromone, attracting a swarm of the buzzing yellow-and-black bugs to climb aboard her body. Jolie remained motionless for 18 minutes for the photography session and was not stung in the process, a SIPA 2022 press release stated.
Winner: Animals in Their Environment
Winner: Storytelling
A fox overlooks a northern Canadian town at night in a wintry shot by Peter Mather, winner of the Storytelling category. This animal was among a number of foxes that Mather discovered living in a den in an abandoned building in the Canadian north. His project, “Urban and Wild,” documented a thriving fox population in Whitehorse, where the species has no option except to adapt and coexist with humans.
Winner: Street Photography
Runner Up: Street Photography
Winner: Journey & Adventures
Runner Up: Journey & Adventures
Runner Up: Fascinating Faces and Characters
Winner: Beauty of Nature
Runner Up: Animals in Their Environment
Winner: Architecture & Urban Spaces
Runner Up: Architecture & Urban Spaces
Winner: Sports in Action
Runner Up: Sports in Action
Winner: Documentary & Photojournalism
Runner Up: Documentary & Photojournalism
Winner: Under 20
Winner: Underwater Life
Runner Up: Underwater Life
