Knight Foundation Journalism Program Associate Jose Zamora recently won a Worldwide Photography Gala Award for the following image:

Zamora’s photo of graffiti in the Wynwood Art District of Miami won 1st prize in the September Pollux Awards category of non professional single image for Environmental Issues.

According to Zamora: “The shot juxtaposes the graffiti, which appears to depict a nuclear catastrophe, and a young child. The thematic composition conveys a grim present, but also hope in future generations.”

The photo’s title “Spring” refers to the nuclear catastrophe that took place in Japan in the Spring of 2011, but also more broadly to the ideas of rebirth, renewal and regrowth that come from the elements in the picture.

The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards provides juried competitions for professionals and amateur photographers from around the world to help them further their careers.

The Pollux Awards are juried by David H. Wells, photographer and editor of The Wells Point and Photo Synesi.