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Golden Shot Photography Awards
Archives: Entries
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Picnic
Orangutans live near wetlands and flooded forests, and although they are not strictly aquatic plant eaters, they use the plants in their environment, including those near water, for food and medicine. Orangutans interact very intelligently with their plant and aquatic environment, not only to survive but also to heal themselves and build simple tools, even […]
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The vulnerable temple of the orange spirit
The name orangutan comes from the Malay word orang hutan, which literally means man of the forest. In 20 years, orangutan populations have lost 80% of their range and have shrunk by half. The rate at which animal and plant species are disappearing is leading to a considerable loss of biodiversity. The causes of this […]
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Theyyam – Where Humans Become Gods
In Kerala, Theyyam is not a performance but a transformation. As ritual, costume, and devotion merge, the dancer becomes the deity, carrying centuries of belief, power, and presence into the heart of the community.
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Child of Shiva
In Varanasi, devotion begins early. A young girl dressed for Shiva stands on the banks of the Ganges, surrounded by smoke, prayer, and belief, carrying centuries of faith in a single, quiet moment.
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THE LONE HORSEMAN
During the magic of blue hour, a lone rider stands atop a rocky outcropping in the heart of Cappadocia. Taken on the very first evening, this photo is one of the highlights of Dennis Schmelz’ winter trip to Cappadocia. Using his drone, Dennis managed to find a unique and breathtaking perspective that has never been […]
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Jackalope
I sometimes wear a mask in social situations. It’s lowbrow and poorly made, which is a little embarrassing. But it gives me power to cope with fear of judgment, rejection, and embarrassment. It’s ironic that through this admission, I feel a sense of power. The mask gives me that power. Wild Suburb plays with this […]
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Gelmali ceremony
This environmental portrait was captured during the Gelmali ceremony, a traditional mourning ritual in Bijar, Kurdistan, where participants use flowers and colored earth to express collective grief and commemorate Ashura.
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Mourning ceremony
This photograph depicts a mourning ceremony in Zanjan, Iran, where participants are distributing charitable offerings (nazri) among the people. Muharram, the first month of the Islamic lunar calendar, commemorates the martyrdom of Imam Hussein and his companions in Karbala, and includes rituals such as processions, recitations, and communal acts of devotion.
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SOLIDARITY
On June 13, 2025, an Israeli missile strike destroyed a residential building on Patrice Lumumba Street in Tehran, home to nuclear engineering faculty member Ahmadreza Zolfaghari. This series documents the hours after the impact, as firefighters, rescue teams, and municipal crews cleared debris, controlled fires, and searched for people under unstable conditions using temporary lighting. […]