The Photojournalist
Photojournalism is arguably the most powerful form of photography. It’s all about the stories behind the images - the most emotional, exciting, devastating and monumental moments have been documented by photojournalists throughout history. Here you showed us your powerful stories.
David López Fernández
Gear: Olympus
Location: Sabucedo, Galicia, Spain
I took this picture during "A Rapa das Bestas," a traditional celebration in Galicia, in the northwestern region of Spain. There, the horses live in the wilderness. At the beginning of the summer, their owners collect them to brand them, cut their hair and free them of parasites. Since the animals have been living in the wild during the year, they don't know how to behave in an enclosed space, and they fight against their owners and among themselves. The tradition of Sabucedo, the small village where this particular celebration takes place, dictates that no tools or weapons can be used to control the animals. The process becomes a fight between the men, who struggle to keep the horses calm and under control. This celebration has been part of Sabucedo and another parts of Galicia since medieval times.
Jacek Smoter
Gear: Canon 6D
Location: Warsaw, Poland
This picture is a part of series I shot during the Independence Day march in Warsaw, Poland. This annual event gathers thousands of nationalist, far-right patriots showing their affection for the country and, often, dislike for its perceived enemies. There is a lot of hate speech and imagery, including racism and homophobia.
The march itself is dominated by the red flares, with smoke covering all the surrounding streets. The man in the picture can be seen with his face covered in white and red, the colors of the Polish national flag, which he is holding. Faces of multiple participants are covered, many of them are football hooligans and far-right activists.
Getting inside the march as a photojournalist may be somewhat dangerous, with alcohol and aggression involved. However, I believe that it's important to show some of the true side of such an emotionally loaded event - as much, as one photographer can.
Jason Ryan Comins
Gear: Fujifilm X-T3
Location: Khayelitsha, Western Cape, South Africa
I took this image December 2018 in the township of Khayelitsha, South Africa. It was a time I was traveling my home country a lot and I had begun exploring more landscape and street photography in my lifestyle, something I had not yet explored.This image was the result of a meeting with a local pantsula dancer by the name of Steve whom myself and a friend were filming as part of a music video. Before we started filming anything he gave us a tour around the various sections of the township, and while doing so, realized how well known he is throughout the entire place. He explained how new sections of the township were popping up so fast (illegally) due to the growing population that sometimes police would come and destroy the sections, only for the shacks to be built again a few weeks later.
An interesting point regarding this image, it was taken the day after a public holiday in South Africa known as 'day of reconciliation' and as explained by our friend Steve, the majority of the township was hungover from all the party's taking place the day before, "celebrating freedom." The men in the picture were all talking and joking, drinking beer and smoking weed as we passed, we all talked for a short while about khayelitsha and the public holiday, and afterward I asked for their picture, then thanked them and continued on.
Karabo Mooki
Gear: Nikon D300s
Location: Soweto, Johannesburg, South Africa
The focus of this photo-documentation is on the movement of the Punk Rock culture in Soweto, South Africa. Highlighting the unexpected growth of influential youth culture that has been rising from the infamous township of Soweto.
Punk Rock and skateboarding is keeping the youth inspired and unafraid of pursuing their dreams, in an environment that is not receptive to "white music and white sports," without public scrutiny or fear of being stereotyped. This movement is something I have documented through the lives of the gatekeepers of the punk movement in Soweto.
These unlikely role models from the band "T.C.I.Y.F" have influenced their community and outsiders, bridging borders through what many may deem as anti-establishment and non con-formative forms of self expression, similar to the rebellious nature of great South African artists such as, Brenda Fassie, Hugh Masekela and Lucky Dube, who rebelled against the Apartheid regime through their music.
This group of punk-rockers continue to inspire young black children and adults from the townships to the suburbs. Debunking the stereotypes and the misconceived identity the world has shaped what it means to be Punk-Rock, and from its one-dimensional perception as an only white accessible genre.
This photo is of a gathering of African skateboarders playing a game of S.K.A.T.E outside of the punk in Soweto music incubator, while waiting for their favorite band to start the mosh pits and the guitar riffs.
Max Gor
Gear: Canon EOS 5D MK2
Location: Waterloo Bridge, London
This photo was taken during Extinction Rebels protests in London this spring. Rebels had full control over Waterloo Bridge for quite a while and police had to remove them from it. In this photo you can see female police officers moving to their positions to begin clean up operation.
Ata Mohammad Adnan
Gear: Sony ILCE-7RM3
Location: Dhaka, Bangladesh, India
The camp is crowded, with not enough bathrooms or adequate water supply.
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Geneva Camp in Dhaka’s Mohammadpur is a colony of the stranded Pakistanis who migrated to the then East Pakistan from the Indian state of Bihar during the partition of 1947.
The Urdu-speaking Muslims have been living there since the end of the 1971 War of Liberation. The camp, one of the 70 camps all over Bangladesh, is a densely-populated settlement of more than one lakh Biharis where each family with eight to 10 members on average lives in one room, and around 90 people share a latrine.
Geneva Camp, Dhaka.
Emrah Uygun
Gear: Nikon D810
Location: Jaisalmer, India
I took this picture in India in Pushkar city during celebration of Buddha's birthday. Women were praying for Buddha and took fruit to the lake. After a while, I couldn't see any men around but women were still in the water. This woman in a yellow dress stood motionless for a long time and she didn't leave until late.
Marlon E. Villaverde
Gear: fujifilm x-e2 with 35mm 1.4/f lens
Location: Lucban, Quezon Philippines
I was in my hometown documenting the events happening during holy week. I’ve always wanted to capture the beginning to the end of this so-called procession of the “mahal na senyor” or “image of the dead christ,” wherein hopes and promises are the main reasons many people perform these rituals. They believe it will bring luck, success, conceive a child and even cure sickness. As I was looking for the right moment, I saw this group of men on the side of the glass carriage then quickly got my backup camera with 35 mm lens so I could be closer and compose it tightly in the frame. Beyond lighting, composition, aesthetic and expressions, there’s more to it than meets the eye. That moment I knew something extraordinary caught my camera and a year later I am still moved at this image. Perhaps it is the purpose of the rituals that affects me deep within.
Thiago Dezan
Gear: Leica Q
Location: Guerrero State in Mexico
This photo was shot during an official visit of the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights to the state of Guerrero, Mexico. Due to the high number of cartels in the region, it is often advised to travel with protection units through the state.
Andrea Rizzi
Gear: Nikon D700 + Nikon 24-70
Location: International Circus Festival of Italy - Latina, Italy
This photo shows the two Ethiopian acrobats of the "Addis Brothers," during the show of the Icarian games at the International Circus Festival of Italy.
This festival features the best circus artists from around the world. This photo is linked to a series of other photos, a photographic reportage on the circus life that was born in 2011 and continues today.
This collection of photos depict scenes of circus life, from the backstage to the entry of the artists on the scene. My aim is to succeed in bringing the magic of the circus to life, marked by the precise times of the acrobats, and the accuracy of logistics.