The Power of Photography Set to Impress

The Power of Photography Set to Impress

Wellingtonians and visitors to the Capital are about to have their eyes and hearts opened to the vast array of human and natural events from 2014, with the arrival of the acclaimed World Press Photo Exhibition.

The exhibition portrays remarkable photographic images portraying both tragic and celebratory world events, hope amid despair, the natural world, and human experiences from relationships to sport, all in the purist form of photography.

In its 58th year, the exhibition is the result of a worldwide annual contest in press photography that aims to recognise outstanding visual storytelling and contains about 130 photographs. It is organised by World Press Photo, based in The Netherlands, and judged by an independent, international jury of 17 members with images across nine categories and hundreds of entries from 131 countries.

The event is once again being hosted by the New Zealand Netherlands Foundation, and its Chairman, Theo Muller says this year’s exhibition is special and yet again, a ‘must see’.

‘Not only was 2014 a year of significant news events such as the ebola outbreak, an aircraft disappearance and crashes, and the emergence of the international refugee crisis, to name just a few, but the competition was pushed right to its boundaries as World Press Photo in the Netherlands kept a tight rein on its integrity,’ says Mr Muller.

Photographs entered into the exhibition must be unaltered, with minimal retouching, and this year, a last minute discovery by judges that a selected winner had altered his image led to its withdrawal.

‘In an era where anyone can take a photo, apply a range of applications to enhance it and then publish it, these images are all the more remarkable for their un-doctored status,’ says Mr Muller. ‘With the prestige of the competition and the ever increasing quality of photography across the board, it seems the temptation to tinker is sometimes too great for some.

‘We can safely say, WPP is keeping ahead of the game, and these images are genuine moments in time. They are very precise moments and expertly manage to convey entire stories from that split second shot. This is a very special medium and all the more impressive as we are so used to live video footage streaming in from around the world continuously. These still images allow us to pause and actually digest the story.’

Exhibition Manager Terri van Schooten says it is a privilege to have the exhibition back in Wellington again. Coinciding with both the school holidays and World of Wearable Arts, she is hopeful many people will have the opportunity to visit it.

‘We have visitors returning year after year and I know they will be looking forward to it. This year, with the changed month, I am sure others will have more chance to visit and become enthusiastic regulars too,’ says Ms van Schooten.

‘It’s an incredible chance to see such a high quality exhibition. The content is often challenging, but it brings home to us how lucky we are to live in Wellington and enjoy the relative peace, health and great opportunities we have here.’

The exhibition opens at the Academy of Fine Arts, 1 Queens Wharf, Wellington on 19 September and closes 11 October.

Supporters and sponsors include The NZ Netherlands Foundation, Wellington City Council, Randstad, Canon and Dutch Postcode Lottery

ENDS

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