SGS photo contest showcases vivid snapshots of life across the globe
“Cheerful Hong Kong Butcher” taken by Paul Festa in Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
With cameras and smartphones in hand, members of the Stanford Global Studies community documented meaningful experiences from their adventures around the world—from a lively soccer match in Guinea-Bissau to a peaceful demonstration in Cuba—each image a window into the everyday and extraordinary moments that defined their global journeys.
Miray Cakiroglu, a Ph.D. student in anthropology, took home the grand prize in the annual Stanford Global Studies (SGS) Photo Contest for the striking image, “The Silent March.” The photograph depicts thousands of people marching solemnly in southern Turkey to commemorate the first anniversary of the country’s deadliest earthquake disaster in February 2023. “The photo captures a moment from the ‘silent march’ in Iskenderun, which started on a major boulevard and concluded at the ‘earthquake monument’ — a makeshift structure made of stacked stones adorned with pictures of those lost to the earthquake, flowers, and candles,” Cakiroglu explained.
The powerful image stood out among more than 50 entries submitted by students, faculty, staff, and visiting scholars affiliated with the SGS’ 14 centers and programs. This year, the contest included a new category open to staff and faculty, titled Signature Snap, alongside five student categories: Arts & Architecture, Scenes from Abroad, Cultures & Traditions, Global Classroom, and the Natural World.
A panel of six judges from units across Stanford evaluated the photos based on their originality, technical quality, impact, and adherence to the theme, among other criteria. The judges selected one winner in each category, as well as several honorable mentions and a grand prize. In addition, members of the public voted for their favorite photo on social media. In total, 14 photos received awards.
The category of Arts and Architecture featured images of public art, sculptures, cityscapes, historic landmarks, and urban scenes in communities around the world. Diana Gor, a master’s student in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies earned first place in this category for her image of an Art Nouveau-style building on Alberta Street in Riga, Latvia.
Gor also triumphed in the Natural World category with a breathtaking shot of a giant sequoia tree in Sequoia National Park, California. “The forests not only dazzled thanks to the glittering snow that had fallen the day prior but also filled with a visually magical steam as the warmth held by the trees and soil clashed with the cold snow and air,” Gor recalled. “The tree that frames the photograph was large enough to fit four individuals inside its trunk, and its cavity provided a unique view of the surrounding trees that towered over.”
In the Scenes from Abroad category, contestants submitted pictures showcasing memorable moments from their travels abroad. Manasi Garg, an undergraduate student minoring in global studies, claimed first place for her photo of a group of pilgrims waiting to pray at the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India.
International relations major Nkemjika Obi’s snap of the Ga Homowo Festival in Accra, Ghana, won the Cultures and Traditions category, which invites students to capture cross-cultural interactions, traditions, local customs, and celebrations. “The festival was a vibrant display of tradition, pride, and community, with women and girls dressed in red carrying ceremonial pots,” Obi said. “It was an unforgettable day filled with dancing, food, and storytelling, giving me a deeper understanding of the life and customs of the Ga people.”
Majesty Zander, a master’s student in East Asian Studies, won the Global Classroom category with a postcard worthy image of a sunny day at Gwangalli Beach in Busan, South Korea. The category highlights students’ immersive learning experiences in settings outside of the classroom.
Paul Festa, associate director of the Program in International Relations, was victorious in the Signature Snap category with his image of a cheerful butcher grinning from ear to ear at a bustling street market in Hong Kong.
“I'm working on a street photography project with a focus on traditional markets and so visited some of my favorites in Aberdeen, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, and Sham Shui Po,” Festa shared. “I love how he seems to love what he does.”
Lastly, Ramzi Salti, an advanced lecturer for the Arabic Program and affiliate of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies, won the Popular Vote category on social media for his Martian-like image of a “bubble camp” in the Wadi Rum Desert in Jordan. “Nestled within the rugged desert landscape, these transparent domes provided me with an immersive experience that brought me closer to nature without sacrificing comfort,” he shared.
The following are all 14 winning images:
Winners
Winner, Grand Prize
“The Silent March”
Iskenderun, Hatay, Turkey
Miray Cakiroglu, Ph.D. student in anthropology, affiliate of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
“Turkey was shaken by a devastating earthquake on February 6, 2023. On the first anniversary of the earthquake, I visited the Antakya region, which suffered the most significant damage. The photo captures a moment from the ‘silent march’ in Iskenderun, which started on a major boulevard and concluded at the ‘earthquake monument’ — a makeshift structure made of stacked stones adorned with pictures of those lost to the earthquake, flowers, and candles.”
Winner, Natural World
“Through the Giant Sequoia”
Sequoia National Park, California, United States of America
Diana Gor, master’s student in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies
“This photograph was taken at Sequoia National Park in California from inside one of the many beautiful giant sequoia trees. The forests not only dazzled thanks to the glittering snow that had fallen the day prior but also filled with a visually magical steam as the warmth held by the trees and soil clashed with the cold snow and air. The tree that frames the photograph was large enough to fit four individuals inside its trunk, and its cavity provided a unique view the surrounding trees that towered over. I wanted to capture and immortalize the special experience of standing within one of the largest trees in the world through this photograph.”
Winner, Arts & Architecture
“Art Nouveau in Riga”
Riga, Latvia
Diana Gor, master’s student in Russian, East European and Eurasian studies
“This photograph was taken on Alberta Street in Riga, Latvia, in summer 2024 during a study abroad program. Riga is famous for its high concentration of Art Nouveau architecture, and Alberta Street features the city's most famous buildings, many of them designed by Mikhail Eisenstein, the father of famous Soviet filmmaker Sergei Eisenstein. I was absolutely stunned by the intricacy, symmetry, and artistry of the architecture; namely, I was amazed by the detail put into the faces and full-body sculptures included in the buildings, which appear to watch over the passersby, and I wanted to capture its depth in a photograph.”
Winner, Scenes from Abroad
“Refugees of Belief”
Amritsar, Punjab, India
Manasi Garg, undergraduate student minoring in global studies
“I went to Amritsar last year. My grandmother is originally from Lahore, Amritsar's sister city, now in Pakistan, and was a refugee in Amritsar for some time after Partition. I felt very fortunate to have been able to go to a city she spent time in and the Punjab, a region that my family has roots in. This photo was taken at The Golden Temple, on the day of Guru Nanak Jayanti. Masses of pilgrims arrived to come pray and pay homage. This was the line into the prayer area. I titled this photo ‘Refugees of Belief’ after a line in my favorite poem by Agha Shahid Ali, ‘Tonight.’ The poem invokes ‘refugees from belief,’ people seeking grace away from religion. I inverted the line into ‘refugees of belief,’ for the people who seek refuge in their faith, the pilgrims at Golden Temple.”
Winner, Cultures & Traditions
“Ga Homowo Festival”
Accra, Ghana
Nkemjika Obi, undergraduate student in international relations
“I took this photo during the Ga Homowo Festival in Accra, Ghana, in August 2024. I was invited by a work colleague to experience her culture and join in the celebration. The festival was a vibrant display of tradition, pride, and community, with women and girls dressed in red carrying ceremonial pots. It was an unforgettable day filled with dancing, food, and storytelling, giving me a deeper understanding of the life and customs of the Ga people.”
Winner, Global Classroom
“Busy Beach Day”
Gwangalli Beach, Busan, South Korea
Majesty Zander, master’s student in East Asian studies
“This photo was taken at Gwangalli Beach during my time on the Critical Language Scholarship (CLS) Program in Busan, South Korea. On the hottest day of the year, the area was packed with beachgoers, tourists, and marathon participants.”
Winner, Signature Snap
“Cheerful Hong Kong Butcher”
Sham Shui Po, Kowloon, Hong Kong
Paul Festa, associate director of the Program in International Relations
“My wife and I spent the 2024 Thanksgiving break in Hong Kong, in part visiting some of our old stomping grounds (we were living and working there prior to coming to Stanford in 2009). I'm working on a street photography project with a focus on traditional markets and so visited some of my favorites in Aberdeen, Yau Ma Tei, Mong Kok, and Sham Shui Po. This is a quick candid capture of a butcher at a large street market in Sham Shui Po taken with my digital Leica M10 Rangefinder and Leica Summilux 35/1.4 lens (a manual focus system). I love how he seems to love what he does.”
Winner, Popular Vote
“Bubble Camping in Wadi Rum”
Wadi Rum, Jordan
Ramzi Salti, advanced lecturer for the Arabic Program, affiliate of the Abbasi Program in Islamic Studies
“I stayed at this 'bubble camp' in the Wadi Rum desert while doing research in Jordan last summer. Nestled within the rugged desert landscape, these transparent domes provided me with an immersive experience that brought me closer to nature without sacrificing comfort.”
Honorable Mentions
Honorable Mention, Natural World
“Smoke in the Mountains”
Sa Pa, Vietnam
Manasi Garg, undergraduate student minoring in global studies
“I traveled to Vietnam a year ago out a deep desire to travel in countries where Eastern spiritual traditions like Buddhism and Hinduism have formed much of the country's architecture and ways of life, and also to experience the rituals of an unfamiliar nature. Sa Pa is in the North of Vietnam, at the border between Vietnam and China, where many Indigenous hill tribal peoples live. I stayed at the home of a Black Hmong tribeswoman and went hiking deep in the mountains of North Vietnam, all the way to the border with China. We trekked across rice fields, steep slopes, and saw wild horses. In the morning, it was foggy and cool, and the fog was so dense it looked like smoke trailing through the unimaginable blue of the mountains.”
Honorable Mention, Natural World
“Resilience: Dragon Tree”
Kesennuma, Japan
Jenny O’Keeffe, master’s student in East Asian studies
“This photo was taken in Kesennuma, Japan. Called the 'dragon tree' or dragon pine, this tree was among the last left standing along the coastline of Kesennuma following the tsunami of the 3/11 disaster in Japan. Even more than a decade after the disaster, my time living in Miyagi was underscored by the memory of the tsunami and the ongoing impact it had on my students, co-workers, and friends.”
Honorable Mention, Arts & Architecture
“View of Mt. Fuji from Tokyo”
Minato, Tokyo, Japan
Majesty Zander, master’s student in East Asian Studies
“This photo was taken from the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Catching glimpses of Mt. Fuji at various angles and sizes always reminds me of Hokusai, but the juxtaposition of Tokyo's sprawling cityscape brings me back to the present.”
Honorable Mention, Scenes from Abroad
“Home”
Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand
Mu Hsi, undergraduate student in international relations and human rights
“This was taken in Mae La Refugee Camp, Thailand, at my grandparent's home. The two people in the photos are my grandparents as they're going on about their routine before nighttime. My grandpa is making fermented tea leaf with betel nut for my grandma. This is a traditional practice that people in our culture love to do and chew on.”
Honorable Mention, Signature Snap
“The Helix Bridge”
Marina Bay, Singapore
Paul Festa, associate director of the Program in International Relations
“My wife and I spent the second week of our summer 2024 two-week anniversary vacation in Singapore, where my wife had program review work to do at National University of Singapore (week one was in Bali). I was therefore ‘free’ and spent every day getting to know people and taking pictures in the Chinatown Complex fish market. The one afternoon my wife had off, she wanted to visit ‘the sites’ downtown and prepared a packed itinerary that kept us busy. I carried with me my little Leica Q2 and, despite our swift pace, was able every now and then to take a snap, most of which were uninspiring. By evening, we arrived at and walked across the famous Helix pedestrian bridge in Marina Bay. After emerging, I looked back at the view and had just enough time to compose a shot of the bridge with the Singapore Flyer in the background that put to work all 47 megapixels of the Q2.”
Honorable Mention, Signature Snap
“Puffin Perspective”
Mykines, Faroe Islands
Kristyn Hara, academic and outreach manager of the Stanford Global Studies Division
“Known for its prolific puffin colony, we made a special pilgrimage via ferry to Mykines, the westernmost island of the Faroese Archipelago for the chance to admire the beloved birds. A veritable ‘puffin island,’ I encountered many puffins who were happily living on Mykines amidst turf roof houses, craggy cliffs, windswept grassy hills, and a solitary lighthouse (as well as inclement weather). This majestic puffin was perched on one of these dramatic cliff faces, a member of a bustling community of birds who were taking flight, returning from the ocean with fish, cozily huddling together, or otherwise seeking refuge in their burrows. If you are lucky enough to stay the night, you might even glimpse local villagers guiding young puffins (‘pufflings’) back to their hilly homes on the island. It was truly a moment of feeling the raw beauty of nature and admiring some of the cutest birds on the planet!”