Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Award 2024 winner announced

Posted on Jul 1, 2024

Nikon has announced that Italian photographer Isabella Franceschini has won the Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Award 2024

Franceschini’s photo series, ‘The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying’, documents the decommissioning of Italy’s largest thermoelectric plant in Polesine Camerini, which is set to be converted into an eco-friendly tourist site.

The project, initiated in 2015, captures the environmental challenges faced by the region, illustrating how the industrial site has both benefited and exploited its surroundings.

Through her photographs, Franceschini envisions a future where human activity and nature coexist harmoniously, offering new possibilities for sustainable development.

Three men in protective clothing and gloves working with large fishing nets and water hoses, likely involved in fish farming or net cleaning operations, under a partly cloudy sky.

The fishing valleys of the Delta | Taken from the project: The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying © Isabella Franceschini

The Marilyn Stafford Fotoreportage Award, valued at £2,500, is sponsored by Nikon UK and facilitated by FotoDocument.

It is awarded annually to a professional female photographer for a documentary photo essay addressing a significant social, environmental, economic or cultural issue. The award aims to support female photographers in creating impactful narratives that can drive social change.

This year’s submissions were reviewed by an international panel, including photojournalist and Nikon Ambassador Andrea Bruce, and Lina Clerke, daughter of the late Marilyn Stafford, who served as an honorary judge.

Honourable Mentions were awarded to Andrea Hernández Briceño, Jennifer Carlos, and Lys Arango for their notable contributions.

View Franceschini’s project in the gallery below, or visit the website for more information.

Gallery: The Leap of Fish that Dream of Flying