Azernews.Az

Laman Ismayilova

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In recent years, Azerbaijani photography has evolved not only as an integral part of the nation's cultural identity but also as a significant field that serves as a bridge to the international art scene, Azernews reports.

The "Gilavar Photo Club" Public Union, the country's leading photography organisation, plays a special role in this process. The Union actively works on developing photographic art in Azerbaijan by organising photo projects, contests, and exhibitions, supporting photographers in gaining international exposure, and promoting the country's history, culture, architecture, nature, and sports worldwide.

The Azerbaijan Photographic Federation has conducted a statistical analysis of international-level photo contests organised by the "Gilavar Photo Club" Public Union.

Over the past 7 years, the Club has organised a total of 24 photo contests—5 local and 19 international. These international contests, held with special permissions from global photography organisations, have seen participation from photographers representing 101 countries. On average, each competition featured participants from 65 to 70 countries.

A record was set in 2020, when nearly 13,000 photos were submitted by 854 participants in a single competition. In the 2021 contest, photographers from 75 countries took part. In total, more than 4,000 photographers from different continents have participated in these competitions. The submitted works were evaluated by 44 judges from 16 countries.

These figures are more than just statistics—they reflect Azerbaijan's cultural diplomacy, creative potential, and international recognition in the field of art. The growing number of participating countries and photographers each year is turning Azerbaijan into one of the key hubs on the global photography map.

Due to organising international photo contests for five consecutive years, the "Gilavar Photo Club" has twice been awarded the bronze plaque of the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), the only photography organisation recognised by UNESCO.

Since 2015, Azerbaijani photographers have won a total of 941 awards in international contests. These include 278 medals, 422 honorary ribbons, and 241 diplomas and certificates. Among the medals, 145 are gold, 68 silver, and 65 bronze. It is projected that the total number of awards will surpass 1,000 by the end of this year.

The most awarded photographer in international competitions is Honoured Cultural Worker Ilgar Jafarov, with over 300 awards to his name. Other top award-winning photographers include Valeriy Khlyzov (126), Nadezhda Javadova (116), Alexander Firstov (89), Karim Abbasov (55), and Rashad Mehdiyev (43).

The "Gilavar Photo Club" collaborates with more than 10 leading international photography organizations, including the International Federation of Photographic Art (FIAP), the International Association of Art Photographers (IAAP), the Photographic Society of America (PSA), the Global Photographic Union (GPU), and the Asia Photographers Union (APU), as well as various national photo clubs.

As a result of these partnerships, over 10 Azerbaijani photographers have earned international titles and honorary designations from these organisations.

The statistical data clearly show that Azerbaijan's photography scene has taken major steps towards international integration in recent years.

The increasing number of participants and countries each year contributes to the global recognition of photo contests held in Azerbaijan. Thanks to the efforts of the Azerbaijan Photographic Federation and the "Gilavar Photo Club," Azerbaijani photography continues to gain broader recognition on the international stage.