Felipe Dana was born in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1985.

He started his career as an assistant photographer when he was only 15. He later pursued a degree in photography at a university in his hometown, all the while working as a commercial photographer and contributing to various local and international news agencies.

Battle for Mosul
Spot News, third prize singles
November 16, 2016

A car bomb explodes next to armored vehicles belonging to Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) as they advance towards territory held by the Islamic State group (IS), in Mosul, Iraq.

The convoys progress was slow, while a bulldozer and tank constructed roadblocks along the route as a buffer against car bombs. The joint offensive by ISOF and allied militias to regain control of Mosul, seized by IS in June 2014, had begun a month earlier and was considered key in the military intervention against IS.