The Best 30 Photos Of 2023 According To The Urban Photo Awards

Bored Panda got in touch with Andres Ramos Palacios, who won the first prize in the Streets category of the Urban Photo Awards 2023. We wanted to ask some questions about the photographer's work and the winning image “Tough Life.”

First, we asked what inspired Andres to capture the scene depicted in his photograph. He told us: “At the time of taking this photo I was more and more interested in capturing scenes of tourists, a phenomenon for which I consider that street photography has the possibility to understand in its many facets. In this case, I was struck by the halo of beauty emanating from the woman lying down and the people around her, emulating some kind of ritual.”

Asked how he navigates the balance between capturing authentic moments and respecting the privacy of his subjects in urban environments, the photographer answered: “I adhere to the legislation of each country, on the one hand (which usually allows these photos), and to the elementary respect between people. If someone kindly asks me to delete his photo, I do it. I also do not take pictures of people in disadvantaged situations.”

We were wondering how important, according to Andres Ramos Palacios, the storytelling is in street photography, especially in the context of urban life. We found out that: “I think it's a fundamental part of a certain type of street photography, but sometimes it's taken too literally. I think photos can suggest (not tell) little stories or interactions between people, which enriches them, but not tell stories as such. On the other hand, there are merely aesthetic photos that tell nothing and are very valuable.”

Last, but not least, we wanted to know what winning the 1st prize in the street photography category of the Urban Photo Awards means to Andres. The photographer shared with us: “It's my first major award, so it has been a reaffirmation of my confidence as a photographer and my intuition for spotting good photos. However, you have to put it in context as a single award-winning photo can mean just one lucky moment, so it's important to build a body of work that gives consistency to your portfolio.”