Greek photographer Angelos Tzortzinis won what many consider to be, one of the most prestigious photography prizes in the world, having been selected as TIME Magazine’s Best Wire Photographer of 2015.
The 31-year-old Tzortzinis clinched this year’s prize with his series of gut-wrenching images of how natives of his country of Greece dealt with the the domestic financial crisis, as well as the refugee crisis that made international headlines all year long.
In announcing the prize, TIME Magazine writes: “Tzortzinis was born in November 1984 in Egaleo, a poor neighborhood in Athens’ suburbs. That difficult experience, one enriched with the knowledge that nothing can be taken for granted, has informed his career. He had no aspirations to become a photographer, but was very focused on finding “a way out” of that life. In 2006, he joined the Leica Academy of Creative Photography in Athens, after which he realized that the camera could be that path.”
Mikko Takkunen, who edited a photo essay featuring Tzortzinis’ award-winning work, is the International Photo Editor at TIME.com. Click here to see the essay.