The father who was said to be “dead” found his relatives after 44 years, a wonderful story. The award-winning photos were taken in 2021 when he got the chance to access the war zone in government-controlled areas after a brief window of relative peace. He was faced with the devastation and chaos of the immediate aftermath. He got the chance to tell the stories of the civilians directly affected, to show the hope-infused pain in their eyes, the remnants of a war they did not sign up for. ” I was mainly focused on the people’s reaction to the war. That’s how I documented the war times. After a few weeks there I was allowed to document the military activities as well; how they are determined to face and stand for what they believe in. That also gave me a few ideas on how to document it.” he said. Great photojournalism is a strange sort of art. Many of its creators disagree that they may be producing marketable works of art and instead regard themselves as truth-tellers. Amanuel, who regards himself as a storyteller, says he always tries his best to tell stories through his photos. “I love facing challenges when I am out there shooting and engaging with the community and understanding the situation firsthand. It makes me more comfortable to know the story behind what I am shooting,” he adds.
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