Eisa Maestro 2025: The 1st prize for photographers Marcin Zajda and Otto Louter

This year and for the first time, the Maestros took place in two rounds with the possibility of offering a photo or a series of photos. Here is the record in the two categories with the street, the street.

Category single (only one image)

1 Poland, Marcin Zajda

Who is Marcin Zajda : My photographic journey started 18 years ago with my first digital camera and, since then, I have continued to explore and refine my skills. I like to experiment, whether landscapes, long exhibitions, street photographs or wild life. Black and white remains my favorite.

2 UK, Rebecca Elliott

About the photo : During a rare visit to London, I decided to go to the Leadenhall Market, where I had never been before, to try to do street photography. It was noon and city workers were taking a “liquid lunch”. The magnificent red and gold created an atmospheric setting, but I was also attracted by the juxtaposition of shoes and shiny and well -waxed shoes of the two men engaged in a conversation. I liked the apparent Victorian nature of the scene, punctuated by obvious signs of modernity. It is an image that could not have been taken until London and it is one of the reasons why I like to photograph in this city. There are so many strata of history, and I like when I can capture a meaning of that in an image.
I spent some time taking photos from different angles, but I really wanted to capture the shoe shine with the window beautifully lit by the golden light behind it. I had to wait to get a clear snapshot, but it was only at the time of the edition that I noticed the shaded silhouette in the window, with its outstretched hand.

Due to the low brightness of Leadenhall Market, I used a large opening and a slower shutter speed than that which I would normally use for street photography. Although my Nikon Z8 is able to take photos to high ISOs, I prefer to limit myself to a maximum of 3200. I took this photo with my Z 24-120 mm F4 lens, which I chose for my day in London as a versatile lens, but it is a fairly heavy configuration for street photography. I hope to be able to offer me much lighter equipment one day!

3 Greece, Nikolaos Karapetakis

About the image : “For me, this image testifies to the capacity of the human mind to create warmth, objectives and even moments of personal comfort – as evidenced by the character plunged into a book – in the most unexpected and difficult public environments. It evokes the universal will to create links, to provide and to find a meaning, even when one is surrounded by solitude. Resilience and unexpected beauty of daily acts of perseverance that define “life in the street” in all its forms.
Technical details: Nikon Z6, Nikkor Z 24-70mm F/4 S, ISO-280, F-CHP: F11, Exhibition time: 1/320 sec, Focal length 34mm, Date: January 3, 2025

Qui est nikolaos karampetakis; “My involvement in photography began as a hobby in 2016 and continues to be a hobby-a sweet escape from my work as a professor in the Mathematics Department of Aristotle University in Thessaloniki (Auth), a role that I like so deeply.
My trip to the world of photography was supported by the Thessaloniki Photographic Center (FKTH), the Authotopos group of Autht and the EFODOS group based in my hometown, Drama.
I participated in exhibitions and photography competitions, where I received several distinctions. My work was also published in several editions of the “Readers’ Gallery” section of the photographer magazine, as well as in local publications in Drama, Greece. “

Series category

1 Netherlands, Otto Louter

About the series : Losing me in the city is something I like to do. This allows me to observe life in 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 who find and follow their way in the vast urban landscape of concrete, stone, glass and metal. People, captured in light and darkness, in the shadow and form, in color and contrast, their destination being generally unknown to those around them.
Open your eyes, use your imagination and let yourself be carried away on a trip to a beautiful destination, it costs nothing!

Who is Otto Louter? “I am a Dutch photographer passionate about people and street photography. As a photographer, I focus on the street, constantly looking for magic.
My career in photography began as an occasional hobby during the holidays. The love of photography (street) has developed considerably in recent years. Going out in town with my camera is one of my favorite activities. Doing good research in advance and having a plan helps me work in a targeted manner. However, it sometimes happens that outputs without plan give unexpected results. “

2 India, Raju Teacher

A proposed series : “By sailing in the animated fish market, my goal has sought hidden stories in the dust – where the currency mixes with the catch, and where survival is paid by the kilo. The crumpled tickets in the middle of the fish speak of hard -won subsistence, while the worn faces of the merchants reflect a resilience shaped by the tides of fortune and work.
In the middle of the rusty wrecks, I found a young look that scrutinized the decomposition – a symbol of challenge and dreams in the middle of the ruin. Each image that I captured revealed the contrasts of life: decrepitude and pride, struggle and grace, all coexisting in the chaos of the street. My camera has become a silent observer of these raw and unwritten truths. “

Who is Guru Raju? “I am Guru Raj, a professional and passionate photographer based in Hyderabad. With a deep interest in visual narration, I specialize in various themes, including the photography of wild life, the street and abstraction, each offering a unique objective to capture the world around us.”

3 UK, A. Ramjean

About the series : “The Notting Hill carnival is undoubtedly the biggest street event of the year and one of those I attended most often, even before I seriously put myself in photography. I always liked the carnival and I intended to document it from my point of view, not on the parade itself, but on what is happening in the secondary streets and around. Ricoh Gr III. I was generally starting the day with the X100F, using the viewfinder to slow down and focus more on the composition, but as the day was advancing and the streets were filling up, the Ricoh Gr III, slightly worse, took its place. “

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