A jury of world-renowned photographers and photojournalists gathered in Turkey's iconic Cappadocia region this weekend to begin reviewing entries for Anadolu Agency's Istanbul Photo Awards 2017.
The penal began to select three winners each across eight different photo categories.
This international news photo contest is sponsored by Turkish Airlines and the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TIKA).
In addition to news and sports categories, the jury will determine the winners in the newly added portraiture and nature/environment categories.
For the first time, a photojournalist under the age of 28 will receive a special Young Photo Reporter award.
This year's jurists include: Paris Match Digital Broadcasting Director Marion Mertens; Noor Agency's veteran photographer Yuri Kozyrev; and Getty Images award-winning sports photojournalist Cameron Spencer.
Other jurists include: Liza Faktor, a famous curator of multimedia works; AFP Photo Deployment and Business Development Director Michel Scotto; Shanghai Photo Center Director and Pulitzer award-winning photojournalist Liu Heung Shing; and photo correspondent and visual media consultant Georges De Keerle.
Anadolu Agency's Visual News Editor-in-Chief Ahmet Sel and Photography Editor Firat Yurdakul return as jury members.
A total of $133,000 will be awarded across the eight different categories and the Young Photo Correspondent section after three days of evaluation.
The winning images will be exhibited at Istanbul's Tophane-i Amire Culture and Arts Centre on April 2.
After the jury's deliberations this week, a photo workshop and a talks evening will take place in Istanbul.
The Istanbul Photo Awards Workshop will be held from Friday to Sunday with the support of Mimar Sinan University.
At this event, Noor Agency photojournalists Yuri Kozyrev and Stanley Greene will share their experiences with participants.
Kozyrev and Greene will also meet participants in the Istanbul Photo Awards Talks to be held on Saturday at 2 p.m. (GMT1100) at Mimar Sinan University.
