Photographer Isabella Franceschini has been awarded the prestigious Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2024, for her work ‘The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying’.
The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying is a series that acknowledges our changing and mutual relationship with the environment and sustainable development.
Franceschini’s work focuses on the decommissioning of the Polesine Camerini thermoelectric plant, the largest in Italy, now inactive, which is set to be transformed into an eco-friendly tourist facility based on a project involving local institutions and the local population.
The project documents the conflicting environmental challenges of this area since 2015. Humans have both benefited from this environment, through activities such as mussel farming, and yet also exploited it with the industrial site of the thermoelectric power plant.
This transformation enables a renewed and balanced coexistence between humans and nature, paving the way for a future of unexplored and fertile possibilities.
Isabella Franceschini
Isabella Franceschini is an Italian freelance photographer and contributor for Parallelozero photojournalism agency and Lowepro Ambassador. After a degree in Economics from Bologna University, she attended a one-year masterclass of photojournalism in Rome and, since then, photography has become a fundamental part of her professional life.
Franceschini is currently developing long-term projects primarily inspired by what influences human beings and their relationships as well as issues related to environmental sustainability.
In recent years, her projects have been featured in The Washington Post, Der Spiegel, l’Espresso, la Repubblica, MarieClaire, Vanity Fair. She has contributed to a Telethon Foundation Campaign about rare genetic diseases.
She has received multiple awards such as WRA Documenting Humanity 2022, 21st Julia Margaret Cameron Award, ISPA Award 2023, ZEKE Award 2024. Her works were exhibited in private galleries and public spaces such as the Festival of Ethical Photography in Lodi (Italy) Fotonostrum (Barcelona) Photoville (New York).
On receiving news of winning the award, Isabella Franceschini, says:
The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award represents a unique opportunity to share my project with a wider international audience, promoting awareness and understanding of the importance of preserving delicate ecosystems like the Po Delta.
Furthermore, the Award provides me with the necessary resources to continue documenting my work in this area and to produce a book that promotes sustainable development. Winning this Award is therefore an important step in advancing my commitment to environmental protection and the appreciation of an invaluable natural heritage.
The
Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award of £2,5000, facilitated by
FotoDocument and generously supported by
Nikon UK, is granted annually to a professional woman photographer towards the completion of a compelling and cohesive documentary photo essay, which addresses an important social, environmental, economic or cultural issue, whether local or global that has a focus on positive solutions.
The Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award 2024 submissions came from a wide range of countries including: Afghanistan, Albania, Australia, Brazil, Colombia, Ethiopia, France, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, Spain, UK, US, Venezuela.
Workers are engaged in demolishing the last tank in the southern
industrial area of the plant. In the background, a 250-meter chimney,
Italy's tallest masonry tower, stands as a structure used to release
combustion gases into the atmosphere—an evident source of air, water,
and soil pollution for twenty years. This debated power plant brought
jobs and income to the area at a high cost. Polesine Camerini 2022
September 22
Fishermen engaged in the 'Fraìma', the traditional fish harvest that
occurs in autumn in the Po Delta valleys (extensive enclosed basins).
Fish raised in the valley grow under semi-natural conditions and require
meticulous management based on empirical knowledge that has been
passed down orally by valley dwellers for generations. Rosolina, 2023
November 15
© Andrea Hernández Briceño
Andrea Hernández Briceño is a Venezuelan journalist, visual storyteller, TEDx speaker and National Geographic explorer based in Caracas. She tells representative stories about gender, environment and social phenomena that put the dignity of participants in the centre of the narrative.
She believes in the importance of working with communities through horizontal collaborative practices that combine education and storytelling initiatives. Her work explores narratives that search for humanity in the space between seemingly opposing ideas as a result of growing up and living in Venezuela, a place of contradictions.
Andrea Hernández Briceño’s work ‘Luna de Agu’, is an impact-led project that merges storytelling and community building while documenting the feminisation of the fishing trade and the women’s sustainable approach to their practice. This multi-format strategy combines still photography, video, audio and impact measuring tools to explore how women went from weaving fishing nets to using them at sea and what this change means for their communities in Aragua, Venezuela. The storytelling aspect will lead to an educational component in which the fisherwomen choose a skill that will improve their livelihoods and trade while protecting the ecosystems they inhabit.
www.andreahb.com
Jennifer Carlos
A French freelance photographer based in Paris, Jennifer Carlos graduated from the DU Photodocumentary and digital writing of the University of Perpignan and holds a DNSEP (Master II) from the ENSA of Bourges and a year at the ENSA of Nice (in France). She has combined her studies with 18 years as a social worker, an experience that deeply permeates her photographic practice.
Through her photographs, she tells stories of social exclusion and migration. In recent years, she has documented Senegalese migration and its consequences, highlighting the intimate and emotional aspects of individuals. In 2021, she joined the RÉA agency and participated in the mentoring of the ITEM collective in 2022/2023. Her work has been featured in international media and exhibited in France and the West Bank. and she received a Special Mention at the All About Photo Awards 2024 and was a finalist in the World Press 2024, “story” category.
Carlos’ work ‘Odyssey' documents the journey and life of Macomba, a professional sportsman. His journey, marked by resilience in the face of adversity, demonstrates that a positive outcome to returning home is possible. Seriously injured in 2008 while working for the French Foreign Legion, Macoumba showed incredible strength by returning to Senegal despite the stigma related to disability.
It is through this discipline that he will endeavour to represent Senegal with dignity at the 2024 Paralympic Games. By documenting his journey and actions, this story raise awareness about the challenges of immigration and disability from an inspiring perspective.
jennifer-carlos-wapr.format.com
All about Jennifer Carlos
Lys Arango
Lys Arango is a Spanish documentary photographer and writer, and a member of VU’ Agency. Originally from Madrid and based in Paris, she undertakes self-initiated research projects focusing on environmental and social issues. Arango builds her work on genuine relationships with her subjects through time, trust, and understanding. Since 2019, she has been working on a global hunger project, gathering stories, testimonies, and images from regions affected by armed conflicts and ecological challenges. Her work has received significant recognition, including becoming a National Geographic Explorer in 2024 and receiving the Pictures of the Year award in 2023 for her project “The River Ran Black.” Her photographs have been exhibited at various festivals and published by international media such as CNN, Le Monde, BBC News, El País Semanal, and Marie Claire Magazine.
Aragon’s work ‘Hunger Recipes addresses the often-hidden issue of hunger in France, where 22% of households experience food insufficiency, yet fewer than 5% seek assistance.
This project illuminates the human stories behind these statistics, showcasing recipes created from limited, often unchosen ingredients. Unlike typical cookbooks, it reveals the reality of food scarcity. The project explores how food culture for many has shifted to a culture of hunger, documenting the strategies people use to feed their loved ones with meagre resources.
It also includes recipes from charitable associations made from unsold or near-expiry date products. Beyond being a cookbook, “Hunger Recipes” is a powerful reminder of the daily struggles of many French households. It invites readers to connect with these experiences through culinary photographs and narratives, emphasising resilience and hope. By sharing these stories, “Hunger Recipes” aims to raise awareness and inspire action to combat food insecurity.
@lys_arango
