Glimpse - Your Stories from Abroad

Runner-Up
[Hyderabad, India] – India’s Pongal festival celebrates the rice harvest and typically takes place in January. My friends and I were at a fair, on our way to a kite fight, when this lively bunch of entertainers seemed to appear out of nowhere and began performing magic and comedy routines.

Photo by Jordan Keenan

Runner-Up
[Prague, Czech Republic] – Walking in the bitter cold, I heard what sounded like folk music emanating from Prague’s main square. I caught the last 30 seconds of the performance and got the shot just in the nick of time. About five minutes later, the sky went gray and it started to snow!

Photo by Morgan Harris

Runner-Up
[Auckland, New Zealand] – A young Tuvaluan woman twirls around during a storytelling dance from Nanumea, her atoll of origin. Her performance is part of Celebrate Pasifika, a month of performances in March to pay tribute to Pasifika culture. Over 175,000 Pacific Islanders live in the Auckland region, and the Pasifika festival attracts crowds surpassing 200,000.

Photo by Carolyn Barnwell

Runner-Up
[Bethlehem, Israel] – Separated from Israel, the city of Bethlehem thrives on tourists determined enough to pass through the security checkpoints at the barrier. As tourists hustled through the small doors of the Church of the Nativity, a violinist played quietly outside. Using his toe to bow a self-made violin, he played for hours at a time, with such focus and intensity that he barely acknowledged me when I took his picture.

Photo by Leah Cowen

Runner-Up
[Quito, Ecuador] – On my way back from an afternoon of shopping at the Mercado Artesanal de La Mariscal, I heard the sounds of a fiddle playing a traditional Andean melody. As I rounded the corner, this man came into view. He was playing his heart out, and I got the distinct impression that it was less for the coins in his dish than for his overwhelming love of the music.

Photo by Kathy Kaufman

Runner-Up
[Barcelona, Spain] – I was exiting Antoni Gaudí’s Park Güell when I noticed two off-duty human statues drinking beers and chatting on the sidewalk. After a long morning of entertaining the park’s constant stream of tourists, these two statues apparently decided it was time for a break. Laughing, I quickly snapped a photo—it was just one of those moments begging to be captured.

Photo by Eric Baumann

Runner-Up
[Edinburgh, Scotland] – During the Fringe festival, which takes place in August, performers from all over the world gather along the Royal Mile to showcase their talents. This performer was walking around passing out fliers for his show later that afternoon. I had just snatched his picture when he turned and peered right into the lens.

Photo by Christina Spensley

Runner-Up
[Miyajima Island, Japan] – While visiting Japan’s Itsukushima shrine, I noticed a large crowd of laughing tourists. They were gathered around a monkey, who was walking on stilts and riding a bicycle. Here, he finishes with a traditional Japanese bow, the ojigi.

Photo by Miko Walczuk

Runner-Up
[Barcelona, Spain] – Street performer “Beto” bounces a soccer ball on his head atop a ladder on Barcelona’s famed La Rambla. Being the soccer fan that I am, I watched his routine four times through. He climbed up the ladder, took off his shirt, and then descended the ladder—all while bouncing the ball on his head!

Photo by Eric Baumann

Runner-Up
[Athens, Greece] – I had started taking photos of this colorful performer when I noticed a Greek Orthodox Priest walking toward me. I was able to back up just in time to get both the priest and the performer into the same shot.

Photo by Chad Blank

Runner-Up
[Fianarantsoa, Madagascar] – While on a village home-stay in Madagascar, I often attracted crowds of local children. One evening, I brought out my camera, and they all started vying for my attention. These children juggled limes while singing a little song.

Photo by Emily Wilbert