As a mom and daughter loved an city picnic on the rooftop of their Dhaka dwelling, Bangladesh, photographer Mithail Afrige Chowdhury pressed the shutter on his digital camera to seize the contrasting scene.
The daughter, Nuraine, wished the unfamiliar expertise of consuming in nature, however the pair discovered themselves atop a inflexible construction on the coronary heart of a concrete jungle. The mom, unable to whisk her daughter away from town, determined to carry nature to them, propping up a blanket depicting the scene of a heavenly panorama akin to an Ansel Adams picture.
This image tells the story of human resilience among the many ever-expanding metropolis limits and infrastructure challenges confronted by Dhaka residents, and with it Chowdhury scooped the Striking Solo Photography class on the 2025 Wellcome Photography Prize.
“Awards can feel technical, but this recognition from Wellcome feels deeply human,” he told the prize organizers.
The biennial photography competition celebrates images drawing attention to issues on health, science, and the human experience, awarding each of the three winners a grand prize of £10,000 approximately $13,300 / AU$19,300), along with widespread recognition.
Today, July 14, the competition begins its call for entries to the 2027 edition, with photographers invited to submit pictures across three categories: a striking solo image, a storytelling series, and scientific or medical imaging.
While category winners take home the aforementioned top cash prizes, the remaining 22 finalists will receive £1,000 (approximately $1,300 / AU$2,000), with all 25 finalists invited to an awards ceremony.
Entry to the prize closes October 21, 2026, and you can make your submission by heading to the competition webpage. Following his 2025 win, Chowdhury stated: “When I received the information, the very first thing I did was cost my digital camera—to not take a photograph, however to restart one thing I believed I’d misplaced. I received’t dwell on private or skilled hardships, however this second means greater than I can say.”
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