Spanish documentary photographer and filmmaker Diego Ibarra Sánchez won three awards at the 2026 Istanbul Photo Awards for his work in Syria and Afghanistan.
Sánchez said a photographic story does not begin when the shutter is pressed, and that research, interviews and preparation must be carried out well before the shoot.
The effects of war last for years
In his long-term project Stolen Education, which he has pursued in more than 10 countries for over a decade, Sánchez examines how wars continue to shape children's futures after the fighting has ended.
Sánchez said war does not end with the final bullet or when one side raises its flag, adding that the real issue is the psychological impact left by war and how those effects reverberate over time.
Sánchez said greater attention should be paid to children in conflict zones, emphasizing that they are civilians caught in the middle of war. He said photographs should encourage viewers to leave their comfort zones and reflect on the impact of war on civilians.
Photography begins before the shoot
Sánchez said documentary photography begins long before the shutter is pressed, and that research, interviews and extensive preparation are necessary before starting a story.
Sánchez said he was cautious about describing people living amid conflict as "resilient," noting that civilians are forced to continue their lives because they are under fire and that this situation should not be romanticized.
Respect for those photographed
Sánchez said documentary photographers must respect the people they photograph when conveying stories of suffering and deprivation. He described photographers as people who make visible the faces of those represented by statistics and build bridges between communities affected by conflict and audiences in different parts of the world.
He won three awards
Sánchez won first place in the "Daily Life" series category at the Istanbul Photo Awards for his work Rebuilding Syria.
The photographer also won second place in the "Daily Life" single-image category for Education in Afghanistan and second place in the "Portrait" single-image category for A Lesson in Afghanistan.
Sánchez said the Istanbul Photo Awards provides photographers around the world with an international platform to share their work and personal perspectives, adding that he was pleased to receive awards in the competition. More than 21,000 photographers registered for the competition.
Who is Diego Ibarra Sánchez?
Based in Lebanon, Sánchez aims to address the human cost of conflict through long-term visual storytelling and encourage reflection rather than reproduce stereotypical images.
According to his biography, Sánchez has contributed to The New York Times since 2012. He has also worked for France 24, CNN, Der Spiegel, Revista 5W, NZZ, Diari Ara, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees and UNICEF.
