World Press Photo Exhibition

Posted on August 15, 2007
Filed Under Algarve Events

I’ve often believed a great story depends on the storyteller, but an image rarely needs more then a few words to describe it. If you are curious about our world as its unfolding and dare to witness both the beautiful and the tragic, this is an exhibit you don’t want to miss.

The following images are used with approval from World Press Photo.

1st prize Spot News Singles
Akintunde Akinleye, Nigeria, Reuters
Man at the scene of petrol pipeline explosion, Lagos, Nigeria, 26 December

A man rinses soot from his face at the scene of a petrol pipeline explosion in Lagos, Nigeria, on December 26. At least 260 people were killed after a punctured pipeline caught fire. Thieves had tapped it to fill tankers with petrol for resale, and hundreds of people had gone to the scene to scoop up leaking fuel in plastic containers. Pipeline vandalism and fuel theft are common in Nigeria, the world’s eighth largest exporter of oil, where most people live in poverty.

My visit to this photojournalism exhibit is something I won’t soon forget. It was a good dose of reality that would rarely show up in a mainstream newspaper. The images are blatant and impactful and often don’t seem real, yet they are. This is very real photography exposing stories that are truly unforgettable.

The World Press Photo exhibit is free of charge and in Portimao, Ribeirinha de Portimao until Aug. 21.07, if you miss it here in the Algarve, try catching it on its next leg in Lisbon, from Aug 17th to Sept 9th at the Museu de Electricidade.

World Press Photo of the Year 2006
Spencer Platt, USA, Getty Images
Young Lebanese drive through devastated Beirut neighborhood, 15 August

Young Lebanese drive down a street in Haret Hreik, a bombed neighborhood in southern Beirut, Lebanon, on August 15. For nearly five weeks Israel had been targeting that part of the city and towns across southern Lebanon in a campaign against Hezbollah militants. As a ceasefire gradually came into force from August 14, thousands of Lebanese began to return to their homes. According to the Lebanese government, 15,000 homes and 900 commercial concerns were damaged.

2nd prize People in the News Stories
Arturo Rodríguez, Spain, The Associated Press
Tourists on Tejita Beach help migrants, Tenerife, Spain, 30 July/3 August

Tourists, security forces, and Red Cross workers attend to African migrants who have landed on La Tejita beach on Tenerife, in the Canary Islands, Spain, on 30 July. Tens of thousands of migrants arrived in 2006, in small wooden boats with up to 150 people on board. They faced a sea journey of some 1,000 kilometers, and many arrived starving, dehydrated, or died on the way. Some migrants are repatriated, others are sent to mainland Spain, but many end up in limbo, unable to gain work papers yet unwilling to go home.

1st prize People in the News Singles
Oded Balilty, Israel, The Associated Press
Settler struggles with Israeli security officer, Amona outpost, West Bank, 1 February

A Jewish settler resists Israeli riot police enforcing a Supreme Court order to demolish nine homes in an outpost of the Amona settlement, West Bank, on February 1. Residents joined by thousands of other protesters raised barbed wire barriers to protect the houses and clashed violently with police. Over 200 people were injured, including 80 policemen. Following hours of confrontation, the settlers were dragged away and bulldozers moved in to begin the demolition.

Any of the above have an impact on you?

Comments

3 Responses to “World Press Photo Exhibition”

Jim on August 17th, 2007 1:56 pm

wow - the “Settler struggles with Israeli security officer” … this picture really grabbed me. The determination of an the elderly woman standing strong for her right vs what looks to be 20+ police officers. Is all that force necessary?
Russell on August 23rd, 2008 3:46 pm

“Tourists on Tejita Beach”… It’s interesting to see, when called upon, who stands in to lead and help, and how many just stand useless and gawking.
jOSÉ on August 11th, 2009 10:10 am

Thanks for the photos! Incredible job!

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