When I was a photography student studying in Florence there was one exhibition I couldn't wait for each year, the World Press Photo awards. At the time it was also a great excuse to head to Rome where the exhibition was held in Museo di Roma in Trastevere (and still is).
Though I moved to Paris six years ago I have always looked forward to the Parisian exhibition as much as I did in my student days when I jumped on the train to Rome. My dear Parisian friend invited me to the opening at the glam Alaia gallery in the Marais. It was a day I was feeling a little emotionally fragile and I knew without a doubt the images would be powerful and thought provoking. I wasn't dissapointed.
This image taken by Jodie Bieber was the overall winner.
This image of a young Afghan woman made the cover of TIME magazine on 09 August 2010. Before publishing it, Time wrote: "Our cover image this week is powerful, shocking and disturbing. It is a portrait of Aisha, a shy 18-year-old Afghan woman who was sentenced by a Taliban commander to have her nose and ears cut off for fleeing her abusive in-laws. Aisha posed for the picture and says she wants the world to see the effect a Taliban resurgence would have on the women of Afghanistan, many of whom have flourished in the past few years."
As a photographer I believe images like these need to be taken and published. They tell a powerful story words never could tell and they continue the fight for equality, humanity and liberty.
Photo by Peter Lakatos of a man suiciding from the turret of the Liberty Bridge in Budapest. Firemen had tried to convince the man for half an hour to come down. His motives were unknown.
Joost Van den Broek's portrait of a 16 year old sailor won second prize. I loved its simplicity and muted colours.
Thomas P. Peschak's award winning photo of a Cape Gannet bird..
My first impression was that this bird had flown directly from the pen of a 'Disney' designer. On closer inspection I marvelled at this incredible photo and the photographer's work.
Cape gannet chicks are facing starvation as a result of overfishing off the west coast of southern Africa. This adult bird with its 2 m wingspan is on final approach to land on Malgas Island, one of the most important breeding colonies in the world. During the breeding season Cape gannets travel up to 450km per day in search of food for their chicks. If however the fish are further away, the adults will not sacrifice their own health by making longer flights. They return with an empty stomach, and the chicks starve to death. Cape Gannet numbers having been plummeting since the 1960s and if this decline is to be halted, conservation efforts have to go beyond protecting the nesting colonies. Fisheries quotas must be reduced to sustainable levels, and possible even curtailed in the birds essential foraging ranges. The survival of Cape Gannet populations is intrinsically linked with the health of Southern Africa’s marine ecosystems.
If you are in Paris please check out the World Press Photo 2011 Exhibition in the beautiful Azzedine Alaia private gallery at 18 rue de la Verrerie Paris 75004. Closes the 21st June
Carla x
