Rotary magazine’s 2023 Photo Awards
Writing in this magazine in 1946, Paul Harris remarked that “travel is a good corrective for … mental near-sightedness.” The same holds true for photography, especially if, like Rotary itself, the photographer takes a global perspective. To verify that observation you need look no further than this issue of Rotary magazine, where we reveal the finalists in this year’s Photo Awards. Including the cover, there are a dozen photographs that carry us from Egypt to Idaho, from Nigeria to Taiwan. Along the way we see everything from an intimate moment as a medical team prepares for surgery to a sweeping nightscape illuminated by an aurora borealis. Though they are shot in different parts of the world, employ distinct palettes, and evoke different emotions, all of these photographs have in common an unseen beauty. These days we’re constantly bombarded with images — and in an era of AI and CGI, it can be difficult to know if what we’re seeing is real. But in these 12 photos we have the privilege of standing in the photographers’ shoes and experiencing an honest understanding of a particular moment. That generosity of spirit is another Rotary trait. By sharing their pictures, the photographers enable the rest of us to join them on their journey. — Jacqueline Cantu, art director, Rotary magazine