Independent media photographer Phandulwazi Jikelo flew South Africa's flag high after making it to the top five in the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest Online Vote.
The press photo competition is organised by the Rossiya Segodnya media group and the Commission of the Russian Federation for UNESCO and aims to support young photographers and to draw public attention to the challenges of photojournalism in today’s world.
Jikelo was named in the top five of the amateur photography section, along with Shashi Shekhar Kashyap, India, Anna Pantelia, Greece, Yury Smityuk, Russia, and Tabyldy Kadyrbekov, who went on to win the section.
Kadyrbekov, whose winning photo was 'Candy Floss Lady', will receive a certificate like the contest winners that will be announced by a professional jury on August 7 2017.
Speaking of the online vote was Alexander Shtol, head of the Rossiya Segodnya's photo directorate, who expressed happiness over the results.
“We are happy about the results of the online voting, which demonstrates the popularity of modern photography among viewers.
"The photos for which the amateurs voted are distinguished by their precision in conveying candid scenes from daily life and brightness of colors.”
Adding to this was winner Kadyrbekov, who describes how his winning photo, ‘Candy Floss Lady’, came about.
“There was a snowstorm in the street. To be honest, I was reluctant to go out when the editor told me to make a photo report. But in the process of taking photos I really got into it, and I no longer felt cold and stopped hiding from the snow. It was interesting to see how residents of Bishkek responded to the snowstorm. I was about to finish my photo session in the capital when I saw a granny selling candy floss. I took a photo of her from behind but it seemed to me that something was missing. I walked around her and took a couple of pictures. She smiled and I took this picture. She asked me: “Why are you taking pictures of me?” I said: “As a memento.”
In 2017, the Andrei Stenin International Press Photo Contest received about 5,000 photos from 76 countries in four categories: Top News, Sports, My Planet, and Portrait: A Hero of Our Time.
Winning photographs have been exhibited in Moscow, Istanbul, Cape Town, Shanghai, Beijing, Cairo, Berlin, Rome, Maribor and Ljubljana.