| We launched In Sight three years ago, and we're grateful for your continued and thriving support. As our readership grows each week, we're introducing a more comprehensive newsletter featuring the latest news from the world of photography as well as insightful analysis of the innovations that are affecting and changing the craft. Everyone likes a cliffhanger and, this year, World Press Photo, which organizes the renowned photojournalism competition, is taking it to the next level. On Feb. 14, instead of revealing the best photograph of the year, like it has done without fail since 1955, the Dutch organization will offer a shortlist of six potential winners. Six nominees who will have to wait until April to know if their photographs made it to the top. The change is a drastic one for World Press Photo, but one it has found necessary to undertake. "Having the Photo of the Year is beautiful and powerful," said managing director Lars Boering in an interview with In Sight's Olivier Laurent. For him, that is the equivalent of sending a rocket in the sky, grabbing the attention of up to a billion people. That spike of interest, though, is often short-lived. It is also too focused on just one photograph, with the 60-plus category winners getting little consideration. "We want to bring more attention to more photographers, start conversations and get people to look at the other work more thoroughly," Boering said. Mads Nissen would welcome such conversations. The Danish photographer won the 2015 Photo of the Year title, thrusting him into the limelight for close to a year. "You cannot compare the first prize of the World Press Photo to any other prize in our business," he said. "It's incomparable. It's a lot of pressure: pressure on the story, on the people in the story and also on you as a photographer." In Nissen's case, that meant being able to use that "massive attention" to promote LGBT causes across Russia and beyond. Yet, he is wary of what it could mean for photographers. "We don't all want to be Hollywood stars," he said. "We're behind the camera, that's where we feel most comfortable." Plus, the motivations behind World Press Photo's decision are not just altruistic. "There's a lot of interest to televise the awards ceremony," Boering told In Sight. "You cannot do that with old news." The organization is still a couple of years away from getting broadcasting partners, but it's actively talking to future partners. In the meantime, Boering's biggest challenge will be to keep the name of the winning photographer a secret until April 12. "We have a stack of nondisclosure agreements ready," he said. "The lawyers like it." | 
Twitter
Facebook
No comments:
Post a Comment