Chasing The Sun

• Prize
  Gold in Special Categories/Smartphone Photography, 2nd Place winner in Special Categories
• Photographer
  Ricardas Jarmalavicius
• Technical Info
  Iphone 15 Pro Max
• Photo Date
  2024

I don’t know this child, but I saw how much joy he found in splashing through the water. He kept looking back to see if his parents were watching nearby. They stood knee-deep, clapping and cheering him on. On the shore waited an old labrador, tired from playing in the sea. A summer evening that the boy will probably never remember. But he’ll carry with him what he received there. He’ll know how to love. I know this because my own childhood memories were different. In them, each of us grew into who we are today.

Ricardas Jarmalavicius is an internationally acclaimed amateur photographer from Lithuania, famous for his vulnerable black-and-white photos, mostly taken with his iPhone. A good photo is not an image but a mirror, says Ricardas. In this mirror, people see their stories, feelings, memories, fears, and expectations. Ricardas’ unique point of view on life is shaped by his childhood in an orphanage, prison guard experience, long-term work in journalism and public relations, books, and a colorful personal life. Ricardas has received more than 130 international photography awards.