Control Gesture

• Prize
  Bronze in Editorial/Political
• Photographer
  Yana Raaga
• Photo Date
  12.09.2024

It was my first time photographing a presidential visit, unaware of rules such as not capturing the president leaving the car or using flash. In this frame, the layers reveal their own story: the blurred hand of security in the foreground, raised as if to block the lens — a gesture of prohibition and control; the calm presence of the president of Latvia and officials in the middle ground; and, in the distance, photographers documenting the moment. The image becomes a metaphor of power, access, and the boundaries of visibility.

Yana Raaga is a photographer based in Aluksne, northeastern Latvia. Since 2016, her practice has focused on sustained observation of everyday life, exploring attention, time, and the subtle relationships between people, places, and the ordinary. Working across street, landscape, and documentary photography, she develops long-term projects that investigate perception through repeated observation. Her work has been exhibited in Latvia and recognized internationally through publications and photography awards.