Honorable Mention

Abush
DESCRIPTION
I encountered Abush in the town of Jinka, Ethiopia, where he faced challenges due to being born with Waardenburg syndrome, a melanin gene mutation affecting eye color development; ostracized by some for his unique blue eyes, he eventually ended up living on the streets. AUTHOR
Self-taught photographer and traveler, Thibault Gerbaldi has self-published seven books across five continents. His work earned top honors at Siena, PX3, TPOTY, Monovision, and more. In 2025, three of his images were selected for Leica’s centennial exhibit in Wetzlar, chosen from over one million submissions. Featured in LFI, All About Photo, and LENS Magazine, his photography captures emotion, resilience, and the quiet strength of everyday life. A board member since 2019, he funds solidarity projects through donations linked to the dissemination of his books and photographic prints, outside of any commercial framework.