First place photo competition winner Roberta Vagliani took this image in a school in Zanzibar, where there are no desks, chairs or school supplies. All these little girls own is a notebook and their memory. Knowledge is passed on to them by a single master.

Véronique De Viguerie captured a young couple on their wedding day, presenting what might have been a traditional wedding portrait, were it not for the stark backdrop of the devastated cityscape of Mosul, Iraq. A poignant depiction of love and war encapsulated within a single frame was the second place winner.

Lieven Neirinck captured a decisive moment in this striking black and white street shot taken in Sanaa, Yemen. In the frame, two men identically dressed in white walks away from us, about to disappear into the shadows of an alley. The skillfully arranged lines in this image contribute to its perfect composition, for third place in the competition.

Joseph-Philippe Bevillard was asked by the family to photograph an 8 year old girl’s holy communion and captured a behind the scenes look at Aunt Doreen putting socks on Ellie-Jean in an Irish kitchen before the ceremony in Galway. The niece gazes at the photographer, seemingly displeased with being caught in a moment of being treated like a child.

There are so many more exceptional photos in this run of winners. See them all here.

The six expert judges were: Clare Freestone, Curator Photography Department National Portrait Gallery, London UK; Ann Jastrab Executive Director, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA; Klavdij Sluban,Photographer, Founder Le Masterclass; Dewi Lewis Publisher, Fellow of the Royal Photographic Society; Priyo Widdi, Photographer, Winner All About Photo Awards 2023 and Sandrine Hermand-Grisel Photographer, Founder & Editor of All About Photo, have evaluated thousands of entries from all over the world