Journalism as freedom, photos as an expression of this and visual storytelling that now a day has become the predominant form of information. Photos because the world has the right to see what is going on, for a “global audience that seeks fresh insights and new perspectives, and celebrate the highest standards of visual journalism.” Photos to create a “positive future for reliable, high-quality reporting”.
This is what the World Press Photo Foundation is about. An association created in 1955 that has its headquarters in Amsterdam, awarding every year the best photographers and photography within eight categories.
This year’s 59th edition of World Press Photo of the Year has been won by Warren Richardson, a freelance photojournalist working currently Eastern Europe, with the photo ‘Hope for a New Life’.
No need for description, the photo speaks for itself. The story is there and no word is able to say it better. Francis Kohn, chairman of the jury said “Early on we looked at this photo and we knew it was an important one. It had such power because of its simplicity, especially the symbolism of the barbed wire. We thought it had almost everything in there to give a strong visual of what’s happening with the refugees. I think it’s a very classical photo, and at the same time it’s timeless. It portrays a situation, but the way it’s done is classic in the greatest sense of the word”.
Photography through times
Photography through times changed so much, with the help of new cameras and techniques. Also, if before photography was something that just a few could afford, now it is easy and cheap to buy a camera, not to talk about modifying it. And if one of the major changes has been switching from analog to digital photography, now even the resilient ones appreciate the technological development, embracing the new techniques to create works of art, to produce information. The World Press Photo is also this, a testimony of something that keeps going through changes, opened to more and more people. In 1955, 310 photos made by 42 photographers from 11 countries were presented and this year, 82.851 photos by 5.775 photographers from 128 countries have been presented to the jury… Sometimes numbers, as pictures, speak for themselves.
Exhibition in Milan
Every year, the winning pictures are the protagonists of a worldwide tour, that is currently hosted in the city of Milan for the 22nd time at the Carla Sozzani Gallery in Corso Como, 10. From the 7th of May till June the 5th it will be possible for everyone to stop by and check out the photos of all the 41 award winning photographers. I imagine the gallery will be very loud, with all the pictures telling out loud their stories… but we need to be ready to listen.
Giulia Baroni
Vivo in una nube, non solo come scelta digitale ma anche come scelta di vita. A volte torno sulla terra e adoro realizzare che viviamo in un mondo globalizzato, ecco perché sono sempre curiosa e pronta ad imparare da culture differenti. Vivi per imparare ed impara per vivere.
