TITLE: Eyes of the Amazigh

I captured this shot at the edge of the Sahara near Merzouga. After switching from a van to a Jeep for the final stretch of the journey, I met the Berber man in the photograph—he had been waiting for me before we continued toward the desert together. By then, I had already traveled about 550 kilometers to meet the Berber communities and visit the desert, and I was down to my second-to-last black-and-white roll. I had originally planned to use Ilford FP4 Plus 125, but given the fading light and overcast sunset, Ilford Pan 400 was the more suitable choice. I shot the image on a Nikon F5, using the soft, diffused light to capture the atmosphere of the moment.

AUTHOR: Stefano Ruggiero (Italy)

Stefano is an analog photographer who works primarily in black-and-white film to explore the relationship between people and the landscapes they inhabit. His research focuses on rituals, collective memory, and the invisible ties that shape everyday life and social change. Using his Nikon F5, he develops a distinctly documentary approach aimed at capturing authentic human stories and the subtle transformations of contemporary life. He was shortlisted at the 2025 Sony World Photography Awards in the Street Photography category.