Photographer resumes career after winning World Press Photo award

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A Portuguese photographer, who was forced to sell his equipment because of poverty, resumed his career after winning the first prize in the Daily Life category of the World Press Photo contest.

Daniel Rodrigues used to be a freelance photographer for Global Imagens as well as for a Portuguese newspaper. However, he lost his job after the photo agency had decided to reduce the number of freelancers. No job meant no money therefore he was forced to make a painful decision: to sell his camera gear.

The photographer explained that he needed to sell a camera, three lenses, a flash gun, a tripod, and his gear bag, in order to pay rent, utilities, and to have money for food.

football-in-guinea-bissau-daily-life-world-press-photo Photographer resumes career after winning World Press Photo award Exposure

“Football in Guinea-Bissau” won the “Daily Life” category of the World Press Photo Awards. Credits: Daniel Rodrigues.

World Press Photo award gave the photographer a chance to get back in business

However, his luck changed thanks to the latest World Press Photo contest. Although he did not win the Photo of the Year award, Rodrigues won the first place in the Daily Life category of the prestigious World Press Photo Awards.

The photo is called “Football in Guinea-Bissau”. It was taken in Dulombi, Galomaro, Guinea-Bissau, while the photographer was performing humanitarian duties in the African country.

African children were playing football on a precarious pitch, which once served as military barracks. Daniel had taken the photo on March 3, 2012 and then he submitted it to the competition.

First prize brought a complete professional photographer’s gear to Rodrigues

The photographer has been unemployed since September 2012, but his luck changed after winning World Press Photo’s Daily Life category. For his achievement, a Portuguese bank and Canon have offered a 5D Mark III DSLR, three lenses, a flash gun, and a backpack to carry the equipment.

Rodrigues is currently working with the Portuguese government in Lisbon. However, the project will be over soon. The 26-year-old photographer said that he is planning to return to Guinea-Bissau. He will pay a visit to the children who helped him win the World Press Photo award and offer them a copy of the image.

The World Press Photo competition is one of the most popular photo contests across the globe. The 56th edition had been won by Swedish photographer, Paul Hansen, who captured a stunning photo of the bodies of two children and their father being taken to a mosque in Gaza City, as a part of their funeral.

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