World Press Photo 2010

First published on 8 Jun 2010. Updated on 5 Apr 2011.

The annual exhibition of the world's best photojournalism shines a light on the dark corners of the planet, says State Library photographic curator Alan Davies.

Alan, what is World Press Photo?
World Press Photo is an organisation based in Holland that runs a competition amongst newspaper and freelance photographers to display their best work. This is the 53rd annual contest. Something like 100,000 images are submitted by 6,000 photographers of 128 nationalities.

What are the winning images like typically?
Always amazing. Many of the photographs are confronting. Of course, there are fascinating images that aren't involved in war: the nature photographs are just wonderful every year. But the fact of the matter is, pretty horrible things happen around the world constantly, and photographers get into these places and bring us out those images. They're able to show us things that you wouldn't see on your television news.

How long has the State Library hosted the show?
For ten years now. I remember when it was first mooted I was asked what I thought about the pictures. I thought they were pretty confrontational. That evening I was walking home and I got onto the station platform down at Martin Place and in those days they used to have television screens showing clips from that day's news. The news comes on and it was like whales in Sydney Harbour, the interest rate up half a per cent, and Prince Charles kisses Camilla Parker Bowles! And I went to work the next day and said, "We need this show."

Any general thoughts on what makes for a great press photo?
A great press photograph has to show you something you've never seen before. And it should make you think.

I'm looking at Australian Adam Ferguson's first prize Spot News Singles shot from Kabul.
Right - that's the one where a bomb exploded in a hotel and you see two guys in military uniform taking away this elderly woman. You see all that tension and anguish on everyone's face and there's this fire in the background and all the buildings are on higgledy-piggledy angles. It's very dramatic, and it's just that moment that tells you what's going on.

Another chilling image is by Swedish photographer Kent Klich.
It's a hole in the roof of that room [in Gaza]. A shell has gone straight through that roof and it's like an unwanted skylight. Then you learn from the caption that the family had moved out but the father had gone back to fetch clothes for his children and was killed when it went through the roof. It's a seemingly simple picture and then you look around the room and realise what's happened.

There would have been thousands of photos of Barack Obama taken at his inauguration. What makes Charles Ommanney's a prize winner?
Obama's standing there, pausing before he goes out to be sworn in. His eyes are closed. He seems to be trying to get a moment of clarity before he walks out into the accolades. It's a very interesting picture of a man in his own thoughts.

And you're right - the nature photos are marvellous.
You cannot go past that first prize - that kingfisher diving into the water. I studied that picture for ages trying to work it out. You're under water looking up, and this bird is ploughing down with fish around it. It actually has a special third eyelid that protects his eye but is slightly transparent so it can follow its prey. And there's no way anyone would have seen a picture like this before.

And finally there are sports images such as Pat Murphy's.
I wouldn't want to be that jockey! His horse has fallen at a jump, and obviously he was in the lead because the entire field is coming over on top of him. He's looking up and I imagine he's mildly worried. If I was that jockey I'd make sure I had this picture on my wall. Nick Dent