The World Press Photo Exhibition 2011 came to Kuala Lumpur recently. The exhibition showcased the winning images from those submitted by photo journalists around the world last year to this non-profit organisation.
There were various categories from news to sport and entertainment and each photograph made an impact in its own way. As usual (which is sad to say) some tragic events featured a number of times in the winning images, such as the devastating earthquake in Haiti and the oil spill off the Gulf of Mexico.
The 2011 Photo of the Year, a portrait of Bibi Aisha, an 18-year-old girl who had her ears and nose sliced off as punishment for fleeing her abusive husband, was powerful in its confrontational nature and the dignity of the subject.
Another that I found particularly moving was a series of photographs showing a Chinese firefighters engaging in clean-up operations following an oil spill in northeast China - one of them, Zhang Liang, is caught in an undercurrent and drowns, and a memorial service is later held for him. The image of his colleague in tears at the funeral is heartbreaking.
These things always make me think though - why didn't the photographer get in there and do something instead of just snapping away? Perhaps I don't understand the point of photo journalism, but surely there are situations where trying to help is better than trying to tell the story?
The World Press Photo exhibition was free and held at the KL Convention Centre. It travels around the world throughout each year, so if you find it heading your way, do check it out.
For more information visit www.worldpressphoto.org and the 2011 winners page http://www.worldpressphoto.org/winners/2011
No comments:
Post a Comment