World Press Photo Winners on Show

February 11, 2008: Canon will sponsor an exhibition of the winners of the esteemed World Press Photo contest, which opens at the State Library of NSW on 8 May and then at the Brisbane Powerhouse on 12 June.

The exhibition showcases the very best of photojournalism from around the world and it is the ninth time a display of winners’ images have been brought to Australia. This year’s contest received a record 80,536 images submitted by 5,019 professional photographers from 125 different countries. Single photographs and photo stories were judged in 10 categories: Spot News, General News, People in the News, Portraits, Sports Action, Sports Features, Arts and Entertainment, Contemporary Issues, Daily Life and Nature. The jury comprised picture editors, photographers and representatives of press agencies from across the world.

The photo selected by the jury as the World Press Photo of the Year 2007 was taken by Tim Hetherington of the UK. It shows an American soldier resting at “Restrepo” bunker, named after a soldier from his platoon who was recently killed by insurgents. The 2^nd Battalion Airborne of the 503^rdUS infantry is undergoing a deployment in the KorengalValley in the Eastern province of Afghanistan. The valley is infamous as the site of a US helicopter downing and has seen some of the most intense fighting in the country. Hetherington’s photograph is part of a picture story that was also awarded 2^nd Prize in General News Stories. He had traveled to Afghanistan on assignment for Vanity Fair.

World Press Photo of the Year 2007: by Tim Heatherington, UK for Vanity Fair. American soldier resting at bunker, Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, 16 September.

Australian photographers always feature in the league of award winners and this year is no exception. The Australian winners for 2007 are: Tim Clayton of The Sydney Morning Herald, 1st prize, Sports Action; Andrew Quilty of the Australian Financial Review, 1st prize, Singles Sports Features; and Daniel Berehulak, who works for Getty Images, 3rd prize, People in the News.

Daniel Berehulak of Getty Images won third prize in the People in the News category for his image of Benazir Bhutto at a press conference in October 2007.
The FREE exhibition will be held at the State Library of NSW, from 8 May to 5 June 2008. It will then proceed to the Brisbane Powerhouse, where it will be on show from 12 June – 30 June 2008.