Photographer and TNT contributor Ivan Kashinsky’s striking image of the Palisades Fire was recently recognized with an award of excellence in the category “Science and Natural History Singles” by POYi—Pictures of the Year International, a program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute, one of the oldest and most prestigious photojournalism contests.
“I first saw the “pink houses” on social media,” Ivan writes. “But by the time I drove out to Mandeville Canyon, the firefighters had washed all the fire retardant off. As dusk set in and I assumed that I had missed the photo, I began chatting with a fireman. ‘There’s a house around the corner with a pool that looks like it’s filled with Pepto-Bismol,’ he told me. It’s always a good idea to stay a little longer and dig a little deeper…”
Ivan, a Topanga resident, adds that the fire was in incredibly intense time, as he struggled to evacuate but also to document the disaster. “I was trying to grab my animals and belongings as well as document the disaster.”
The POYi is extremely competitive, and this award was well earned. Congratulations, Ivan!
The award-winning photo was published in @smithsonianmagazine and here at TNT. Ivan’s compelling photoessay on the fire can be viewed in its entirety at topanganewtimes.com/2025/02/07/a-photo-essay-by-ivan-kashinsky
