EISA MAESTRO WORLD PHOTOGRAPHY AWARDS 2025-26
EISA’s Maestro’s international photography contest results are out for 2025-26. These awards recognise photography talents from across the globe. This year’s theme was ‘Street Life’, and it saw enthusiastic participation from India. Smart Photography congratulates all the winners. The winning images will be published in the September issue of Smart Photography.
Category : SINGLE Maestro 2025
1st – MARCIN ZAJDA – (POLAND)
Taken on 15 July 2023, at Długi Targ in Gdańsk with a Canon EOS 500D, Sigma 17–70mm lens, and NDx4 filter. The scene, an elderly woman in a wheelchair amid a blurred crowd, was captured on impulse. I quickly attached the filter to highlight her stillness, contrasting with the indifferent motion around her.
MARCIN ZAJDA
“My photography journey began 18 years ago with my first digital camera, and since then I’ve been exploring and refining my skills. I enjoy experimenting, from landscapes and long exposures to street and wildlife photography. Black and white remains my favourite.
Instagram: @photochamsin
Category : SINGLE Maestro 2025
2nd REBECCA ELLIOTT – (UK)
REBECCA on her image
“I made a rare visit to London and decided to visit Leadenhall Market, where I had never been before, to try some street photography. It was midday, and City workers were enjoying a ‘liquid lunch’. The beautiful reds and golds created an atmospheric setting, but I was also drawn to the juxtaposition of the shoe-shine man and the shiny, well-polished shoes of the two men engaged in conversation. I loved the apparent Victorian nature of the scene, punctuated by obvious signs of modernity. It’s an image that could only have been taken in London and is one of the reasons I love photographing in the city. There are so many layers of history, and I like it when I can capture a sense of that in an image.
I spent a while taking various images from different angles, but I really wanted to capture the shoe-shine man with the beautifully golden-lit window behind him. I had to wait for a clear shot, but it was only during editing that I noticed the shadowy figure in the window with their hand outstretched.
Due to the low light level at Leadenhall Market I used a wide aperture and a slower shutter speed than I would ordinarily use for street photography. Although my Nikon Z8 is good at shooting at high ISOs, I still prefer to keep to a maximum of 3200. I took the image with my Z 24-120mm f4 lens, which I’d chosen for my day in London as an all-rounder lens, but it’s quite a hefty set-up for street photography. I’m hoping to be able to afford a much lighter set-up at some point!”
flairtranslations@gmail.com
Category : SINGLE Maestro 2025
3rd NIKOLAOS KARAMPETAKIS – (GREECE)
Traveling through a book
The image, for me, is a testament to the human spirit’s ability to create warmth, purpose, and even moments of personal solace – as evidenced by the figure engrossed in a book – in the most unexpected and challenging public environments. It speaks to the universal drive to connect, to provide, and to find meaning, even when surrounded by solitude. This scene, both stark and profoundly human, encapsulates the enduring power of resilience and the unexpected beauty found in everyday acts of perseverance that define ‘Street life’ in all its forms.
Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm f/4 S, ISO-280, F-Stop : f11, Exposure time : 1/320 sec, Focal Length 34mm, Date : January 3, 2025
Short CV
My involvement with photography began as a hobby in 2016 and continues to be a hobby – a sweet escape from my work as a Professor in the Department of Mathematics at Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH), a role I also deeply love.
My journey into the world of photography has been supported by the Photographic Centre of Thessaloniki (FKTh), the Phototopos group at AUTH, and the Efodos group based in my hometown, Drama.
I have participated in photography exhibitions and competitions, receiving several distinctions. My work has also appeared in multiple editions of the “Readers’ Gallery” section of Photographer magazine, as well as in local publications in Drama, Greece.
Social Media Display Name : Nikos Karampetakis
Website : My website (https://people.auth.gr/karampet/) has no relation with photography since I am not a professional photographer.
Instagram : https://www.instagram.com/nikos_karampetakis/
Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/karampetakis
Category : SERIES Maestro 2025
1st OTTO LOUTER – (NETHERLANDS)
On the Road
Getting lost in the city, that’s something I love to do. It allows me to observe life on the streets, with my camera always at hand to capture it. For this Street Life series entitled “On the Road”, I went in search of people finding and following their way through the vast urban landscape of concrete, stone, glass and metal. People, captured in light and darkness, in shadow and form, in colour and contrast, their destination usually unknown to those around them.
Open your eyes, use your imagination and let yourself be carried away on a journey to a beautiful destination, it costs nothing!
About OTTO LOUTER
I am a Dutch based photographer with passion for people and street photography. As a photographer, I find my focus on the street, constantly looking for magic. My journey into photography began as a casual hobby during holidays. The love for (street) photography has grown considerably in recent years. Going out with my camera in the city is one of my favorite activities. Doing good research beforehand and having a plan helps to be able to work purposefully. However, sometimes going out without any plan yields unexpectedly good results.
Instagram: @ottolouter
Website: www.ottolouter.com
Category : SERIES Maestro 2025
2nd GURU RAJU – (INDIA)
GURU RAJU about the images – As I navigated the bustling fish market, my lens sought stories hidden in the grit — where currency mingles with catch, and survival is priced by the kilo. The crumpled notes amid the fish spoke of hard-earned livelihoods, while the traders’ weathered faces reflected resilience shaped by tides of fortune and labor. Amidst rusted shipwrecks, I found a young gaze peering through decay — a symbol of defiance and dreams amidst ruin. Each frame I captured revealed contrasts of life: decay and pride, struggle and grace, all coexisting in the chaos of the street. My camera became a quiet observer of these raw, unscripted truths.
About GURU RAJU
I am Guru Raju, a passionate and professional photographer based in Hyderabad. With a deep-rooted interest in visual storytelling, I specialize in diverse themes including wildlife, street, and abstract photography, each offering a unique lens to capture the world around us.
Why Street Photography?
Street photography has been one of my favourite themes as it captures raw, unscripted moments that reveal the soul of everyday life. It celebrates spontaneity, cultural narratives, and the beauty hidden in the ordinary. Each frame becomes a timeless story of the world as it truly is.
Category : SERIES Maestro 2025
3rd A. RAMJEAN – (UK)
ADAM RAMJEAN on his image
Notting Hill Carnival is arguably the biggest street event of the year and one I’ve attended more than any other, even before I seriously took up photography. I’ve always loved Carnival and my plan to document it from my own perspective; not of the parade itself but of what goes on in and around the side streets. I shot using two cameras: a Fujifilm X100F and a Ricoh GR III. I would generally start the day with the X100F, using the viewfinder to slow me down and focus more on composition but as the day progresses and the streets get more packed, the slightly wider Ricoh GR III would come into its own.
adamramjean@hotmail.com
