The 41 Most Stunning Winning Photos Of 2024 reFocus Photographer Of The Year

Eager to dive deeper into the thought-provoking image Swallow, we contacted Tania Barrenetxea. Named International Discovery of the Year by the 2024 reFocus Awards, the photographer shared the fascinating story behind her award-winning photograph: “Swallow was born from a desire to explore illness—both physical and mental—and the challenge of existing in a body or mind with special needs. At the time, I was going through intense waves of anxiety and I felt a deep sense of misunderstanding and lack of awareness around me. So, this personal experience, together with being aware that we live in a system that struggles to accommodate vulnerability, influenced the creation of the image.”

The girl’s gaze, refracted through the water glasses in Barrenetxea’s image, is truly captivating. We were curious to uncover the message or emotion the photographer intended to convey through the subject’s expression. Here’s what we discovered: “The distortion caused by the water-filled glasses symbolizes the fragmented reality experienced during episodes of high anxiety. I wanted to visually convey how anxiety can feel. I believe my gaze carries that tension, reflecting both vulnerability and resilience."

The photographer also shared insights on the role of photography in raising awareness about mental health: “We are living in a complex era where, on one hand, conversations around mental health are becoming more open, and the long-standing taboo is beginning to break. At the same time, this growing awareness highlights how common mental health challenges are in our society. I believe art, including photography, has a unique power to open conversations about complex subjects, such as mental health. It gives us the ability to connect with people on an emotional level, bypassing barriers, fostering understanding and raising conversations that may otherwise go unspoken. So I believe it has an important role.”

The last question we asked focused on how Tania’s Swallow was received when it reached a broader audience. Barrenetxea shared: “The response to Swallow has been moving. Many viewers have shared personal stories and interpretations. This dialogue—the exchange between the artwork and the viewer’s personal experience—is one of the most rewarding aspects of sharing my photography. It reaffirms the idea that vulnerability is an essential bridge between individuals.”

We also had the opportunity to speak with another award-winning photographer from the contest. This time, we were eager to learn more about the fascinating image Underwater Universe. Its creator, Gabriel Holguín, shared the inspiration behind capturing this surreal and dynamic moment featuring the Colombian underwater hockey team: “I think almost all underwater photos are surreal simply because of the fact that they are taken in a world to which we have to adapt. My inspiration, or what moves me, is the athletes. Accompanying the processes of the Colombian underwater hockey team in its different categories is always very fulfilling. Being able to bring visibility to this aquatic sport, in which our country is a reference, is very important to me.”

When asked about the biggest challenges he faced while photographing underwater—especially in a high-energy sports environment—Gabriel responded: “Underwater, everything is a challenge: the light, the movement, framing the subjects, looking through the viewfinder, and all of this while holding your breath and shooting exactly at the moment you think it’s right—and boom, you have it. As for the moment, it’s a very action-packed sport. The women were in their final practices for the World Cup in Malaysia that day, and the atmosphere was very lively—lots of energy, enthusiasm, and the best attitude, which is reflected in the image we captured.”

The Underwater Universe photograph masterfully blurs the line between reality and fantasy. We asked Holguín whether this striking effect was intentional and how he managed to achieve it technically. Here’s what we discovered: “This image is ‘Fantastic’; it looks like a scene from a science fiction movie, and the girls seem to be flying. In reality, the photo is upside down. The lines that appear at the top are the pool’s background, and they are swimming toward the camera, lying on their backs very close to the surface, which creates a mirror effect and blurs their figures. Technically, I set up the camera to freeze the subjects, and then in post-production, I recovered the color and removed the blue from the water.”

Lastly, we were curious about what the significant achievement of winning the reFocus competition in the Sports category means to the photographer. Gabriel kindly shared: “It was a complete surprise to me. Winning first place is always very satisfying in an international competition, and for my career, it’s extremely important. When I was editing this image, I felt something special, so I asked Camilo Díaz, the 2017 Sony World Photography winner, for his opinion. He’s a reference for me, and I trusted his vision. He gave me some advice, and I submitted the image to 6 international competitions, from which I’ve received 4 recognitions: 1st place in Sports at the reFocus Awards, 3rd place in Underwater at the reFocus Awards, 1st place at the Chromatic Awards, 3rd place at the ND Awards, and Honorable Mention at the BIFA Awards. All of these recognitions add to my professional career, but the most important thing is being able to give visibility to underwater hockey in my country.”