In pictures: Oskar Barnack Award

1 of 8 This year's Oskar Barnack Award has been won by Andrea Hoyer for her photo project, Places of memory.

2 of 8 The award is presented annually for photos which convey man's relationship to his environment.

3 of 8 Since 1998 Hoyer has been travelling across the former Soviet Union photographing moments of loneliness.

4 of 8 She pictures Russians set against monuments of the former Soviet Union...

5 of 8 ...using stark black and white landscapes to portray a people struggling to find an identity...

6 of 8 ...and where traditional ceremonies take place under the watchful eye of Stalin's legacy.

7 of 8 Yet at times a new Russia can be seen. Here models are preparing for a photo shoot...

8 of 8 ...though more often the photographs are a reflection of Hoyer's mood and sensitivity.