Iranian Photographer Wins Top Global Aerial Award
Despite nationwide internet restrictions, Ali Azar’s powerful image of flamingos on a dying lake has been named the best aerial photograph in one of the world’s largest photography contests.
By Living in Tehran (LiT) – When Ali Azar set out to photograph Lake Maharloo — a vast salt lake near the historic city of Shiraz in southern Iran — a technical glitch and a long, exhausting detour almost ruined the day. What happened next became the defining image of his career.
Ali Azar’s photograph Movement of Flamingos in Maharloo Lake has just won the top prize in aerial photography at the 11th edition of 35Awards, one of the largest international photography competitions in the world. This year, more than 460,000 images from 175 countries were entered.
Born in Omidiyeh in Khuzestan province and now based in Isfahan for the past 13 years, Ali holds a master’s degree in photography and teaches at a university. After years of working as a news photographer, he now works independently on documentary and environmental projects, focusing especially on Iran’s ecological challenges.
On the day he captured the winning shot, Ali had already walked several kilometers across the dry, salt-crusted lake bed when his drone’s remote connection failed. He was forced to retrace his steps for more than an hour in search of a mobile signal. By the time he returned, the golden light he had been waiting for was almost gone. Yet that delay proved decisive.
The changing light allowed him to capture the flamingos in motion, their pink forms creating an almost abstract pattern against the cracked white surface of the lake. For Ali, the image is far more than a beautiful composition.
“It’s about the fragility of nature, the water crisis, and those short, unpredictable moments that can change everything,” he told Living in Tehran. The win carries extra meaning. Like a great majority of Iranians, Ali faced a major technical hurdle. The 35Awards competition normally requires photographers to submit the original RAW files for verification. However, Iran has been experiencing a nationwide internet shutdown since February 28, making it nearly impossible to upload large files.
Like a great majority of Iranians, Ali faced a major technical hurdle. The 35Awards competition normally requires photographers to submit the original RAW files for verification. However, Iran has been experiencing a nationwide internet shutdown since February 28, making it nearly impossible to upload large files.
“This recognition gives me hope in difficult times,” he said, hoping that the image will draw international attention to Iran’s environmental challenges while showing the world a more human and authentic side of the country.
