Celebrating the 2025 IPA Awards in Athens
I’m still carrying the excitement of this year’s International Photography Awards in Athens.
I attended the IPA for the first time in 2024, when Feels surREAL received 1st Place. This year, I returned with Ancomfortable Truths, which received 3rd Place in the Professional Special / AI-Generated Images category and was selected for the Jury Top 5. Coming back with a new project and receiving recognition at the Professional level feels like a meaningful step in my creative journey.
From October 2 to 5, the IPA Photo Fest filled Athens with photography. The programme included the Best of Show exhibition at the House of Lucie, artist talks, portfolio and peer reviews, and discussions that gave photographers opportunities to meet and exchange ideas. That chance to connect is one of the things I value most about being there. You get to see the work, but you also get to meet some of the people and hear the stories behind it.
The awards ceremony took place on October 5 at the Benaki Museum. It was a beautiful evening and a celebration of photographers from around the world. After last year’s experience, being back in that room felt both familiar and entirely new.
Ancomfortable Truths explores addiction through the quieter moments and the weight of what remains. I’m grateful that the series found its place among this year’s recognised work, and I’m leaving Athens inspired to keep making images that approach difficult subjects with care.
Thank you to the IPA team for another thoughtfully organised event, and to the photographers I had the pleasure of meeting. I’m so glad we got to celebrate together in Athens again.
— Eleanna Tavlikou | Ennoia