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Every World Press Photo Contest Winner from 1955 Through 2011

 

Every World Press Photo Contest Winner from 1955 Through 2011 wppwinners mini

Buzzfeed has published a gallery showing every winning photo from the World Press Photo contest from 1955 to the present. It’s a powerful set of photos that paints a pretty grim picture of humanity.

Every World Press Photo Winner From 1955-2011 (via kottke.org)

 
 
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  • http://www.minusmanhattan.com Minus Manhattan

    Amazing imagery, pretty heartbreaking.

  • will hall

    yea gods, yet another reminder of the depressingly horrendous things that the human race is capable of. A moving collection that barely scratches the surface.

  • Anonymous

    Is the World Press Photo contest about capturing us at our worst and saddest moments? It is a remarkable and depressing collection to be sure.

  • Anonymous

    That was the one thing I thought, could this get more depression. I must have missed 2010 as dear god that made me gulp. Some underrated winners.

  • J.L. Williams

    “It’s a powerful set of photos that paints a pretty grim picture of humanity.”

    … or at least, a pretty grim picture of what the World Press Photo judges consider award-worthy.

    Interesting that in the older years, the judges apparently were at least willing to consider subjects that don’t involve violent death: a muddy football match, a little girl being reunited with her released-POW father, and of course Tank Man insistently but politely defying armored troops who, equally politely, declined to run over him.

    In more recent years, though, the awards seem increasingly to have stressed shock value and the opportunity to promote specific editorial positions, sometimes to the exclusion of photographic value. An especially good example is the 1995 award winner, which simply depicts a kid looking out the back window of a bus. The picture, evidently, is nothing more than a vehicle for the caption: “A bus on the road leading to Grozny during fighting between Chechen independence fighters and Russian troops.”

  • http://www.facebook.com/john.kantor John Kantor

    What it mostly shows is the simplistic liberal propaganda of the news media.

  • http://twitter.com/anthonylukefoto Anthony Luke

    You are an idiot John Kantor

  • Jason Banks

    It’s quite sad that the best, is the worst.  The worst of humanity.  There is power in a provocative image, but is there no joy in the world?  I have always felt that people seek out the worst.  Even the nightly news, the primary focus is on the terrible.  Perhaps its because with outrage comes reaction.  Nothing will get done if everyone is smiling.

  • http://500px.com/jnhPhoto/photos JnhPhoto

    I am emotionally exhausted after viewing this portrayal of humanity 

  • Boby

    Dear John, by the photo of the naked behind of a women you have as your icon, one can only judge how you can make a commit such as this. ‘ liberal media’ you say??? whats liberal about it? as I assume that almost 40% of those pictures are atrocities directly and indirectly relating to US involvement in it. only right winged self righteous little ignorant trailer trashed white men, would say such a thing, you should have continued by saying, ‘God, Guns, Country’ you F****IN MORON

  • http://www.facebook.com/mijonju Mijonju Jones

     totally agree, with you I was wondering if there would be at least 1 or 2 “happy” photos in the collection, but non, sigh