Rest of World is pleased to announce the winners of the 2026 photo contest. We received over 300 entries from photographers in over 40 countries who captured everything from historic wood carving tools to the latest gadgets.
To select a winner, our visuals team reviewed every entry and spoke with the finalists. We looked for images that evoked beauty, sparked our curiosity, and approached our themes thoughtfully.
We sought out entrees in three categories.
For Inherited Innovation, we called for images that showed how once-cutting edge technology becomes dated over time. For Surprising Screens, we sought photos that captured our global fascination with smartphones. The screens we saw appeared in the hands of toddlers and grandparents, in remote locales and quiet domestic scenes.
Finally, over 70 Rest of World members voted on their favorite images for the Member’s Choice category. These images expanded our definition of technology.
Congratulations to all of the winners!
Winner, Inherited Innovation: Luciana Demichelis, Argentina
Luchiana Demichelis is a professional photographer based in Argentina. After completing her studies in Spain, she returned to her home country where she often photographs bands and businesses. This image was taken at a friend’s house in the country, and is part of a larger series she’s working on about technology in the region.
With its striking pink tone and compelling juxtaposition of the night sky dotted with satellite trails against an outdated satellite dish, the image jumped out at us.
In the text accompanying her entry, Demichells pointed out that North American companies have sent thousands of satellites into space. Her country, has only sent out a handful.
Honorable Mention, Inherited Innovation: Emman Foronda, Philippines
Emman Foronda is an architect who lives in the Philippines. He is a self-taught photographer who has been practicing photography as a hobby for a decade.
He enjoys taking pictures of people and their livelihoods, and this image fit the Inherited Innovation category well. The image combines age-old practice of sun-drying of fish with the modern practice of charging devices, providing an elegant comparison.
“Solar-powered chargers provide farmers in remote locations with reliable access to electricity, “ Foronda said during a call with Rest of World. “Enabling them to preserve their products, communicate with buyers, and coordinate transportation more efficiently.”
Winner, Surprising Screens: Ali Yazdi, Iran
Yazdi is a photographer based in Iran. After submitting to our contest, he endured missile strikes and 20 days without internet access as Iran was plunged into war with Israel and the United States. Reached by email, he writes that this image was taken during a recent trip to Afghanistan that changed his life and made him want to engage more thoughtfully both with photography and the wider world.
“The small screen becomes a shared space for connection, entertainment, and temporary escape,” he wrote to Rest of World.
Honorable Mention, Surprising Screens: Amitava Chandra, India
Amitava Chandra said that his grandfather gifted him a camera when he was still in school in the early 1970s. That sparked his passion for photography. Throughout his career in civil service, he’s taken his camera with him.
At first glance, our team didn’t notice the phone in this image.
“My [photo] takes me back to my younger days in the physics lab when we had a tuning fork for sound. I recall the U-shaped rod with a handle,” Chandra said in a call with Rest of World. His phone shows the chord played when he plucks the string. This felt like a testimony to the wide, and often creative, use of phones.
Winner, Members’ Choice: Arindam Bhuyia, India
Arindam Bhuyia is a self-taught photographer who manages a tea warehouse in Kolkata, India. This image shows his nephew returning from school and posing with an air mask. Bhuyia says that air quality is poor in the area, and many locals wear air masks. This portrait was a clear favorite on our team, and we were pleased that Rest of World members agreed.
“The image symbolizes the harsh impact of pollution and industrialization on children’s lives, highlighting how environmental degradation forces even youngsters to protect themselves from toxic air while still pursuing education,” he said in a statement accompanying his entry.
Honorable Mention, Member’s Choice: Subhadip Biswas, India
Subhadip Biswas is a software developer in Kolkata, India. He took this image in Varanasi, a city that he loves to visit and photograph as the light and mood of the city changes day by day. This image captures the evening Ganga Aarti, a devotional ritual of fire performed to Goddess Ganga.“In a modern evolution of “Darshan” (the act of seeing the divine), the worshippers are no longer just witnessing the ritual with their eyes, but are creatively using mobile technology to “capture” and preserve the sacred flame,” Biswas said in a brief interview with Rest of World. This scene was especially striking to him. He sees photographing as a form of meditation, and a way to be present in the moment.