A quick recommendation…
Whilst on a last-minute trip to London yesterday, I found myself in and around the South Bank area. It was whilst visiting the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall that I took the opportunity to have a quick look at this year’s World Press Photo 2011 contest exhibition.
What is this contest? In the words borrowed from the World Press Photo website…
“For over 55 years the World Press Photo contest has encouraged the highest standards in photojournalism.
The contest creates a bridge linking the professionals with the general public. As the announcement of the winners makes headlines around the world, so the inspirational role of photojournalism is highlighted to an audience of hundreds of millions.
All the prize-winning photographs are assembled into an exhibition that travels to 45 countries over the course of a year, and published in our yearbook. Over two million people go to a hundred different venues to see the images, and our yearbook is published in seven languages and distributed worldwide.
The contest is judged by leading experts in visual journalism who represent various aspects of the profession. The composition of the jury is changed from year to year, they operate independently, and a secretary who has no vote safeguards our fair and balanced judging procedure.
Our archive of winning images is not only a record of more than half a century of human history, but a showcase of successive styles in photojournalism.”
For me, as a photographer, it is so important to take in other people’s work, to be inspired and to push myself to create stronger work of my own. One person who made an impression in this year’s exhibition was Andrew McConnell, whose pictures I am sure to research further. I just loved his use of lighting when documenting the Saharawi people of Western Sahara (which helped him bag 1st Prize Portraits Stories).
Sadly, I only had time to see half of this touring exhibition and would dearly love to find the time to revisit before it finishes in London on the 29th November 2011. But even if I don’t, at least I’ve now seen some more striking imagery which will fuel my own development as a photographer.
The World Press Photo exhibition is open daily between 10.00 and 22.30 at the Southbank Centre, Royal Festival Hall, Belvedere Road, London. For a list of where it is also showing around the world (up until March 2012, taker a look at this page).
