World Press Photo of the Year 2008 - made with a Leica

[veraikon]

The World Press Photo of the Year 2008
http://www.worldpressphoto.org/inde...sk=blogsection&id=19&Itemid=223&bandwidth=low

was shot by Anthony Suau on March 26, 2008 near the end of his two-day ride-along with a sheriff's officer. He used a Leica film camera loaded with Kodak TRI-X black-and-white film.
In the picture, Detective Robert Cole of the Cuyahoga County Sheriff's Department aims a gun into a room as he clears a house for eviction. An elderly couple had lived there and the husband had apparently died, Suau says.
http://www.pdnonline.com/pdn/conten...lism/e3i6a1d515f274b8d4e507e605b40b8d538?pn=1

 

[marknyc]

If you have not already clicked the link to the word press photos (in the posting above) and browsed the winners -- highly recommend it. Some really great shots here, even if most of them are not rangefinder shots.

 

[monochrome_joy]

Heh, thats pretty cool. I read some disparaging remarks somewhere about changing your photo to B&W and adding some post-process grain to win a World Photo comp or POYi. Funny to read that the guy actually shot Tri-X.

I recently asked a pro photog about me switching to an M8, he suggested sticking with the M6 and film for as long as I can. Nice to see film isn't being totaly kicked to the way-side.

 

[photogdave]

THAT is the best photo of the year?
Not saying it's a bad pic but there were certainly more powerful images.

 

[ishpop]

THAT is the best photo of the year?
Not saying it's a bad pic but there were certainly more powerful images.

Agreed, I take these types of awards with a grain of salt sometimes...

🙂

 

[TJV]

More a sign of the current world economic situation and the significance it has for nearly all of us.
Tend to agree, though. Not exactly Capa's dying soldier.

 

[Keith]

I too was a bit non-plussed by the image but didn't want to say anything in case everyone else liked it ... it's not that it's a crap pic or anything I just would have imagined something with a little more visual impact!

 

[Ben Blacket]

I agree, it's a fairly ordinary photo that appears to be staged.
Not until reading the caption did I realise what the photo is about - a great photo doesn't need a caption.
The trouble with photo awards is that they're judged by photographers.

Millions of really awful photos - also taken with a Leica.
It's not what you use................

 

[Baldadash]

Technically the winner's photo is a very good image, but it lacks the visual impact as some of the others. The Spot News 3rd prize singles winner's photo visually had the most impact for me. A very disturbing bit of reality with a man holding his brother's body. There is no description needed. I couldn't imagine accepting an award for a photo that affects someone else's life in such an overwhelmingly negative way.

 

[photogdave]

Technically the winner's photo is a very good image, but it lacks the visual impact as some of the others. The Spot News 3rd prize singles winner's photo visually had the most impact for me. A very disturbing bit of reality with a man holding his brother's body. There is no description needed.

My thoughts exactly.

 

[Pickett Wilson]

To bad the poor guy can't find work, what with that Pulitzer and all.

 

[Tuolumne]

More a sign of the current world economic situation and the significance it has for nearly all of us.
Tend to agree, though. Not exactly Capa's dying soldier.

But at least he did have a gun!

/T

 

[BillBingham2]

There are some really good shots there, but the winner was missing that WOW factor. For me I think that winning New Shots tell more of a dramatic story completely. It's fine as part of a story but standing alone she's not everything I would look for.

B2 (;->

 

[Nando]

The Spot News 3rd prize singles winner's photo visually had the most impact for me. A very disturbing bit of reality with a man holding his brother's body. There is no description needed.

Many people believe that particular photograph was staged. Take a look here:
http://russia-insider.livejournal.com/25329.html

 

[monochrome_joy]

The photo had pretty strong impact for me, and actually I'm happy they didn't choose a conflict photo. The idea of an armed police officer searching my house to evict me and my family horrifies me.

There are actually a lot of people who are disappointed in this choice and the forums have been raging across the 'net.

I've been watching the POYi judging process and it is really fascinating. At first you can't believe the photos and stories they "out", after a while you begin to see the pattern and how a distracting element or a weak photo in a series ultimately kills the photo/story.

Personally, rather than rant on the choice, I'm going to be satisfied that film is still a viable option even for regular non-super-famous photographers shooting news. Also, I'm happy to observe and learn from the choices and know that I don't have to throw myself in front of bullets to win a major photo award.

 

[Gabriel M.A.]

There are some really good shots there, but the winner was missing that WOW factor.

I don't think the judges were going for WOW Photo of the Year. Those are often awarded by consumer magazines which often sell WOW to keep in circulation.

I agree that the winning photo doesn't have the immediate effect of the others, but it is the only one that makes you think really what's going on, and the disconcerting look of a war scene in the most powerful military country in the world.

I think they voted with their brain which included something other than the hypothalamus.

Leica shills.

 

[photogdave]

The photo had pretty strong impact for me, and actually I'm happy they didn't choose a conflict photo. The idea of an armed police officer searching my house to evict me and my family horrifies me.

There are actually a lot of people who are disappointed in this choice and the forums have been raging across the 'net.

I've been watching the POYi judging process and it is really fascinating. At first you can't believe the photos and stories they "out", after a while you begin to see the pattern and how a distracting element or a weak photo in a series ultimately kills the photo/story.

Personally, rather than rant on the choice, I'm going to be satisfied that film is still a viable option even for regular non-super-famous photographers shooting news. Also, I'm happy to observe and learn from the choices and know that I don't have to throw myself in front of bullets to win a major photo award.

You make some good points here. I wouldn't say I am disappointed with the choice, and the subject is fascinating, but I do believe there were stronger images.
I also think the fact the image was made on film is more interesting than that it was shot with a Leica.

 

[larmarv916]

Ok..I looked at the "prize" winner and..Boring. Many photos almost looked staged. It is clear that the "photog"was present when the officer moved thru the room. Even the gun aspect is not effective. You do not even see a sense of danger in the officers face. The fact that is is film based is nice to know. But nothing here to say...a good shot...let alone best of 2008. Please

 

[varjag]

Many people believe that particular photograph was staged. Take a look here:
http://russia-insider.livejournal.com/25329.html

If by "many" you mean a handful of Great Russia chauvinists, then yeah.

 

[luketrash]

I saw the photo of the year and immediately thought about my sister's house in Cedar Rapids Iowa. The water was 8 feet deep and her house moved off of its foundation and is now unfit for inhabitance. Meanwhile, the city won't condemn it, and she's stuck paying her mortgage on a ruined house since they don't make 500 year flood plane insurance.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/luketrash/2905819723/

Not quite the same subject matter (foreclosure evictions) but it definitely wasn't a good year for Iowans with the floods either.