Istanbul Photo Awards unveils jury for 2019 contest

ISTANBUL (AA) - Jury members for the fifth Istanbul Photo Awards, an international news photography contest organized by Anadolu Agency, Turkey’s leading news agency, were announced on Monday.

Deborah Copaken, an award-winning photojournalist and author, is joining the jury for the first time this year.

Also returning as jury members this year are Marion Mertens, a senior digital editor at Paris Match in France, Yuri Kozyrev, photojournalist with Netherlands-based Noor images, Georges De Keerle, a photographer and visual media adviser, Michel Scotto, AFP director of photo business development, Ahmet Sel, visual news editor in chief for Anadolu Agency, and Firat Yurdakul, photography editor for Anadolu Agency.

Copaken, born in 1966 in Boston, has worked as a photojournalist in Afghanistan, Israel, Romania, Zimbabwe, and Russia.

Her photographs have been featured in Time, Newsweek, The New York Times, Financial Times, L’Express, Libération, Géo, and Stern. Copaken is also an Emmy-award winning TV news producer.

Currently a columnist at the Atlantic magazine, Copaken is also New York Times bestselling author of Shutterbabe and The Red Book, among others.

Jury members will meet this April to select the winner in Turkey.

The winner of the Single News category will be honored as Photo of the Year with a prize of $8,000, while winners in other categories will get $5,000 for first prize, $3,000 for second prize, and $1,500 for third.

The entry window for the contest is almost over. The international contest will accept applications through midnight on Jan. 31, Turkish local time (2100GMT), via http://istanbulphotoawards.com, the statement added.

Professional photographers may apply to the contest with their news and sports photographs taken in 2018.

Much like years past, this year’s winning photos will be compiled in a handsome book and displayed throughout the year at exhibitions in Turkey and abroad, including New York, Istanbul and Ankara.