2025 Photo Contest
The Office of International Programs, in collaboration with the Princeton Institute for International and Regional Studies, is pleased to announce the winners of the 15th annual International Eye Photo Contest. This year, 29 photos were selected from over 375 total submissions.
The contest was open to all Princeton undergraduate students who have studied, worked, conducted research, or volunteered abroad in the past year. The main categories were judged by Jeff Whetstone, director and professor of visual arts, Lewis Center for the Arts. We were also honored to have Emily Taylor, photo editor, Office of Communications, judge the special category, "Travel Chronicles: Faculty and Staff's Memorable Moments"
Entries represent a wide range of international activities including semester and summer study abroad, PIIRS Global Seminars, the Novogratz Bridge Year Program, the International Internship Program, independent research and more. Submissions were taken in nearly 40 different countries and came from students in all seven residential colleges and across 25 different majors.
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Best in Show, 1st Place Landscape/Nature: Timothy Tymecki '26
The Lone Herder – Cusco, Peru
On the perch of Rainbow Mountain, I saw a lone herder traversing the great expanse with 3 horses.
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1st place, Abstraction: Bernice Zheng '26
Buddha Head – Ayutthaya, Thailand
Intertwined between culture and nature: Buddha Head.
2nd place, Abstraction: Anuja Magdum '26
Close-up of the Parthenon – Athens, Greece
The intricate details of the Parthenon’s Doric columns.
3rd place, Abstraction: Andrew Zucker '25
Double Vision –Rennes, France
Taken on a vintage film camera, the roll was messed-up and seemingly caught two images in one giving the perception of a double image or vision.
Honorable Mention, Abstraction: Amalia Lopkin '25
Researcher Behind Science –Tokyo, Japan
An accidental mirror selfie as I took a photo of the National Museum of Nature and Science's exhibit about electricity. I tried to erase myself from my research photo, but even though my face is hidden, I am still there.
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1st place, Architecture / Cityscape: Calvin Kenjiro Grover '27
Padi – Kasepuhan Gelaralam, West Java, Indonesia
The constellation Orion overlooks traditional rice storage barns in Kasepuhan Gelaralam, an indigenous community in West Java, Indonesia. Orion has been used for hundreds of years by the community to determine the optimal time for rice planting. Rice is sacred to the community, who are prohibited from using modern farming and cooking methods, as well as selling it as a commodity, as it must be given for free to any who need it.
2nd place, Architecture / Cityscape: Stephen Padlo '25
Dhaka by Air – Dhaka, Bangladesh
There are over 20 million people estimated to be living in Dhaka, Bangladesh in a city with one of the world's highest population densities due to rapid urbanization and a large influx of people from across Bangladesh. Taken from an airplane, this photo exemplifies the packed urban Dhaka city with buildings closely situated together.
3rd place, Architecture / Cityscape: Marco Wheeler '29
Dakar Looks Back – Dakar, Senegal
The view of Dakar from atop the African Renaissance Monument, while a hopeful yet investigative face questions my presence.
Honorable Mention, Architecture / Cityscape: Chas Brown '26
Kreuzberg Church – Berlin, Germany
The more ornate brick church sat next to a concrete and glass block modernist apartment building, which in turn abuts a leafy tree. I think this close-cropped cityscape nonetheless captures the essence of the city's built environment which blends seamlessly between architecture, landscaping, ornamentation, and pragmatism. One of my favorite things to do in the city was walk around and take photos. One afternoon I was exploring Kreuzberg. Though geographically quite eastern, Kreuzberg was under US occupation after WWII and became a part of West Berlin. The surrounding architecture is varied, with taller, more soviet-influenced apartment towers across the Spree in Friedrichshain, sprawling Tempelhoffer Feld to the south—once West Berlin's only connection to the outside world—and graffiti-filled artist neighborhoods undergoing gentrification in the rest of Kreuzberg.
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1st place, Landscape / Nature: Timothy Tymecki '26
The Lone Herder – Cusco, Peru
On the perch of Rainbow Mountain, I saw a lone herder traversing the great expanse with 3 horses.
2nd place, Landscape / Nature: Lilia Burtonpatel '27
Lilyfield – Ninh Bình, Vietnam
A woman stands in a lily field beneath rising cliffs in Ninh Bình, Vietnam. Behind her, travellers wander the flowers and enjoy the fading light of golden hour.
3rd place, Landscape / Nature: Isabel Irwin '27
A rice paddy in Pokhara –Pokhara, Nepal
This is a rice paddy that I came across while cycling around some remote hills in Pokhara. The famous Pokhara lake can be seen in the background.
Honorable Mention, Landscape / Nature: Osman Bayazitoglu '26
The Cats of Istanbul –Istanbul, Turkey
As anyone who has visited Istanbul will attest to, thousands of cats wander the streets. Local Turkish hospitality provides food and sustenance, enabling the cats their nomadic way of life. Trekking the diverse terrain of Istanbul, they must find resting spots, and in this instance enjoyed the comfort of a mattress and rubble resultant of a demolition and construction project in Beşiktaş.
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1st place, People: Nsebong Adah '26
Cape Town – Cape Town, South Africa
Beneath the nose of Table Mountain and overlooking the Cape Peninsula is the historic District Six neighborhood. Or at least what remains of it. The once multiracial hub of community and culture was torn down in the heights of apartheid, reduced to the label of "slum" by the nationalist Afrikaner government. Yet the streets of District Six have welcomed new residents since its unconstitutional destruction. Golden Arrow buses line up along Heere Street beginning at 9am, double parked in wait for the return of their drivers at the end of the work day. These are not the bright red tourist buses of the city center. Instead, these are the green, white, and orange stripes that make the city run. The empty buses keep each other company along with the two security guards that are tasked to keep out unwanted guests. The remaining seats wait until 1 to be filled by the thousands of black workers that must make their commutes out of the city center. The rhythms of labor call the workers home to rest, before they must begin again at dawn.
2nd place, People: Calvin Kenjiro Grover '27
The Boss – Kasepuhan Gelaralam, West Java, Indonesia
Abah Ugi, the traditional leader of Kasepuhan Gelaralam, a large indigenous community in West Java smokes a cigarette after we finished interviewing him. Visible in the background are awards given by the Indonesian government to celebrate the achievements of the village, as well as evidence of Abah Ugi's many interests. In addition to his main responsibility of interpreting the will of the ancestral spirits that guide the community, he is a hobby musician, and serves as the electronics repairman for the area.
3rd place, People: Arnold Jiang '26
Cliff on Kowloon Peak – Hong Kong, China
Looking out to the cityscape of Hong Kong.
Honorable Mention, People: Evelyn Umezinwa '26
Hyperrealistic Mural – Ciudad Monumental de Caceres, Spain
A mural showcases the side portrait of a woman. This mural is located in the historical landmark of the Old Town of Cáceres, in Southern Spain.
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1st place, PIIRS Global Seminar: Jillard De Fiesta '27
小菅村の美しさ (The Beauty of Kosuge) – Kosuge, Japan
As the sun dips behind the peaks of Kosuge, the mountains glow with a quiet beauty. Before the sunset’s final embrace, nature whispers its timeless serenity.
1st place, PIIRS Global Seminar: Nina Montes '25
Sunset in Konitsa – Konitsa, Greece
Taken of the sunset in Konitsa, Greece located in the Greek northern mountains.
3rd place, PIIRS Global Seminar: Kaylee Kasper '26
Commercial Cat – Bengaluru, India
Vibrant view of shops, rickshaws, and a curious cat from a sidewalk on Commercial Street in Bengaluru, India.
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1st place, Learning Across Borders: Lilia Burtonpatel '27
Bếp Vân Hồ (The Van Ho Stove) – Vân Hồ District, Sơn La Province, Vietnam.
As a member of the media team for local Vietnamese conservation non-profit PanNature, it was my job to capture the use of new fuel-saving stoves that had been installed in villages in Van Ho, Son La province. These had been implemented by my organization to reduce deforestation while improving local community health. Travelling there with my supervisor and her family to meet the people whose lives we were working to impact was an incredibly valuable experience, teaching me methods for sustainable intervention with respect to local communities. These images became part of media I created to advertise this initiative both nationally and internationally, spreading its message and reach.
2nd place, Learning Across Borders: Marco Wheeler '29
Answering the Call – Dakar, Senegal
From among the crowds of Layenne worshipers gathered for their annual celebration/pilgrimage l'Appel (the call), I felt I was answering. Only from within, as I looked up at the beachside mausoleum of founder Seydina Limamou Lahi while waves of the Atlantic quietly crashed against my feet, did I truly learn the Senegalese Sufi Islam brotherhood I live among's history, the significance of their rituals and sites, and their place in the wider Islamic and national context.
3rd place, Learning Across Borders: Jessica Wang '26
Uncharted Waters – Barro Colorado Island, Panama
Floating on the emerald waters of a cove, I scan the forest in search of birds. This was my first fieldwork experience, studying the behavior of a neotropical cuckoo in Panama. I still remember the thrill of skimming over rippling waters at sunrise, discovering nests in new territories, and hearing distant howler monkeys roar in the forest.
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1st place, Tigers Abroad: Faith Ho '27
Sky's the Limit – Rila 7 Lakes, Bulgaria
On the weekends, I would explore the country of my IIP with the other interns. We took a half-an-hour cable car up to the top of the mountains. To me, this image captures the feeling of freedom that accompanied us all summer: a new world dizzily unveiling itself to us, the world of enclosed classrooms and dorms opening up to sky, giddily running towards limitless possibility.
2nd place, Tigers Abroad: Calvin Kenjiro Grover '27
To Sail Beyond the Sunset – Majene, West Sulawesi, Indonesia
My filmmaking partner Nivan Dhamija '27 sets up a shot onboard a small fishing vessel in the pre-dawn darkness off the coast of Majene in West Sulawesi, Indonesia.
3rd place, Tigers Abroad: Akuei Yuang Machot Garang '29
climbing to the top – Kedougou, Dakar
This is a picture of me climbing to the top of the rock just in front of the waterfall. I placed my phone on the ground, set the timer, and climbed up. It took me 15 minutes to get this picture!
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1st place, Travel Chronicles: Shahreen Rahman, Director, International Internship Program, OIP
Miles for a Blanket – Comilla, Bangladesh
Elderly community members between the ages of 60-80 received free blankets for the winter, but had to come from further distances in the village without any transportation.
2nd place, Travel Chronicles: Sebastian Quiroz, Fellowships Coordinator, OIP
the woman in white – Guatape, Colombia
I took this picture the first time I visited Guatape, a small town about an hour away from Medellin. It's a region deeply scarred by a history of violence and tragedy. It also contains great beauty. While walking around the town, I was struck -- as I often am when I return to my home country -- by the vibrancy of the colors, the culture and the people. I remember standing in front of this door, mesmerized by the cacophony of colors, clashing and harmonizing in unexpected ways. Many people, locals and tourists alike, walked past me, some puzzled by my unblinking attention, others taking no notice of the returned ex-pat. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the small woman -- a nun, by the looks of it -- approaching the door, speaking on the phone. Dressed in white, a near-universal symbol of peace, the sun shining on her, she moved along with her day, reminding me that we all must beat on.
3rd place, Travel Chronicles: Jamie Saxon, Arts and Humanities Writer, Office of Communications
Groenerei Canal – Bruges, Belgium
As a writer, I consider myself a story hunter. I see stories everywhere. But before this trip, I felt depleted, tired, empty of creativity. Then, while walking down a tiny street in Bruges, I turned a corner and saw this remarkable canal, with its story-book bridge, houses hugging the time-worn stone walls, thick with wisteria and carpeted by deep moss, and trees whose leafy branches fluttered quietly, framing this tiny corner of the world I knew had been here for hundreds of years. I stood there for a very long time, imagining all the people who lived there over the centuries, navigated their small boats along the water, raised families, loved and lost, hoped and feared, stumbled and risen, woken each morning and fallen asleep in their beds each night. I’d never know their stories but I left knowing I still had many stories inside me to tell — and that was a gift.
Honorable Mention, Travel Chronicles: Kristian A. Kauker, Assistant Manager of Logistics and Customer Service / AV ServicesFrozen Wave – Jökulsarlon Glacier, Iceland
Always remember to look behind you. You never know what you'll see.