Armenia photo takes first place in Washington competition

by Emil Sanamyan

Published: Thursday November 19, 2009

Serli Hacikoglu's winning entry at the 2009 FotoWeek DC competition was taken on the Yerevan-Gyumri road. Serli Hacikoglu

Serli Hacikoglu (on right) with family and friends posing with her photo at the 2009 FotoWeek DC exhibition.  .

Washington - Serli Hacikoglu, an amateur photographer from Bethesda, Md., won first place in the "Student Travel" category at the FotoWeek DC competition held November 7-14. Ms. Hacikoglu, who lived most of last three years in Armenia and whose photo essays have appeared in the Armenian Reporter, was honored for a photo she took on the Yerevan-Gyumri road. 

"A friend at National Geographic, Kara Setian Marston, knew I was very much involved with photojournalism and photography," Ms. Hacikoglu explained in an e-mail. "She contacted me, recommending I submit my work to the FotoWeek DC."

"As I had never submitted work to a photo contest before, I didn't think much of the recommendation. The day submissions were due, I reconsidered with only minutes to spare," she wrote.

A month later, at an award ceremony held at the National Geographic Society, Ms. Hacikoglu's Armenia photo was announced first place winner in the "student travel" category. In all, 16 first-place awards were given, 11 to professionals and five to students, out of more than 3,500 submissions that came from 28 countries.