08.02.2008
Following today’s 51st annual World Press Photo Contest announcement in Amsterdam, the Scottish Parliament is delighted to announce that it will host the World Press Photo (WPP) exhibition for the third year running.
From Friday 8 August until Saturday 30 August 2008 inclusive, the Parliament will display the exhibition, drawn from this year’s winning entries. The winning photographs were selected from 80,536 images submitted by 5,019 photographers from 125 countries.
The exhibition will travel to 100 cities in 50 different countries but the Parliament is once again one of only two locations in the United Kingdom and the only Parliament in the world to display the winning photos.
Speaking of the exhibition, Presiding Officer Alex Fergusson MSP said: “The exhibition has proved itself to be a huge draw, attracting more than 70,000 visitors during the past two years. We are absolutely delighted to be welcoming it back again and look forward to viewing the images it contains, which never fail to be both stunning and thought provoking.”
The exhibition will form part of this year’s Festival of Politics, which will run from Wednesday 20 to Saturday 23 August inclusive. The full programme of the Festival will be launched later in the year.
This year’s winning image is by UK photographer Tim Hetherington and depicts an American soldier resting at bunker, Korengal, Afghanistan. UK photographer Vanessa Winship won first prize in the Portrait Stories category .
Background
The WPP contest is open to all professional press photographers. Judging took place between 26 January and 7 February. The jury comprised: Chair: Gary Knight (UK), photographer and chairman VII Photo Agency
Members:
- Jodi Bieber (South Africa), photographer Noor
- Oliver Chanarin (South Africa/UK), photographer Adam Broomberg and Oliver Chanarin
- Erin Elder (Canada), photo editor The Globe and Mail
- Craig Golding (Australia), photographer Sydney Morning Herald
- MaryAnne Golon (USA), director of photography Time magazine
- Maria Mann (USA), managing editor European Pressphoto Agency
- Enric Martí (Spain), regional photo editor Latin America & Caribbean, The Associated Press
- Michael Nichols (USA), photographer National Geographic Magazine
- Simon Njami (Cameroon), independent curator
- Swapan Parekh (India), photographer
- Stephan Vanfleteren (Belgium), photographer
- Sujong Song, (South Korea), freelance photo editor
Secretary:
Stephen Mayes (UK), chief operating officer, the Americas, Image Source