Nikon has announced this year’s winner of the esteemed Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award as Isabella Franceschini, for her work, ‘The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying’.
The annual award was first launched on International Women’s Day 2017, as a way to recognise the work of female documentary photographers, tackling important social, environmental, economic or cultural issues.
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The 2024 competition was once again launched by FotoDocument on International Women’s Day and marks Nikon’s fifth consecutive year as sponsor. Submissions were judged by an international panel, including award-winning photojournalist and Nikon Ambassador, Andrea Bruce, along with honorary judge, Lina Clerke, daughter of the late, great Marilyn Stafford, whose incredible body of photographic work continues to inspire new generations of photographers.
Along with the prestige that comes with winning the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, Isabella Franceschini scooped the prize fund of $3,220 / £2,500. The Italian photographer’s thought-provoking series documents the decommissioning of Italy’s largest thermal power station, the Polesine Camerini. Franceschini began documenting the now inactive power plant in 2015: “showcasing how humans have both benefited from this environment and yet also exploited it with the industrial site of the thermoelectric power plant.”
According to Isabella herself, the 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… 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.”
The documentary photographer’s achievements were echoed by Nikon marketing director Julian Harvie, who said: “‘The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying’ is as inspiring as it is thought-provoking (...) They say great photography asks great questions, and the story of her work does just that.”
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As well as FotoDocument founder Nina Emett: “Franceschini's project (...) stood out for its hauntingly beautiful images, eloquent narrative storytelling, and environmental importance and replicability.”
To find out more about the Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, this year’s winner, Isabella Franceschini, and the 2024 competition’s honourable mentions, visit the FotoDocument website.
As well as sponsoring the incredible Marilyn Stafford FotoReportage Award, Nikon is responsible for some of the best mirrorless cameras on the market, along with the best Z lenses. The Nikon Z f stands as one of the best retro cameras and is the perfect photojournalism companion.
