World Press Photos of the year

[Walsingham]

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/picturegal...ar-contest.html

 

I thought I'd post this because the photos are great. But also ebcause they might spark debates in and of themselves. What, if any, are the themes the judges resonded to? Do these themes constitute an agenda?

Edited February 14, 2009 by Walsingham

[Humodour]

A lot of the pictures coming out of the Victorian bushfires last weekend were absolutely amazing.

 

Firestorms the size of 5 storey buildings, cars that had been melted into the ground with their tyre axles dribbling out from the car like wax on a candle, blood-red suns, landscapes that look like what you'd see during a full moon at night because all colour had been burnt to white-grey ash leaving only tree skeleteons.

 

Here's an amazing NASA image of the surface temperature deviation of Australia on February the 7th 2009, based on the average temperature for this period in the years 2000 to 2008.

 

While Victoria (the south) was hit with a 45+ Celsius inferno-fueling heatwave, about 80% of Queensland (the north) was suffering from flash floods triggered cyclones.

 

 

A car:

 

The army is called in for logistics support:

 

Some building. You can see the silver ling coming from the car. That's melted metal.

 

Looks like a pine plantation:

 

Some flattened houses:

 

Some of these firestorms travelled between 100 to 200 km/h, meaning many people died in their cars trying to escape, and that towns like Marysville (which no longer exists) didn't even get an evacuation warning.

 

And they had a 'lethal radius' (zone where no oxygen exists, nevermind the heat) of 200meters, which is 4 times normal.

 

The sun in the middle of the day:

 

Farmland (NOT black and white):

 

It was about 40 degrees here on the day (a week ago). Now it's 10 degrees and we've been receiving flood warnings. Apparently the amount of energy released on Saturday was roughly equivalent to about 500 Hiroshima nukes.

Edited February 14, 2009 by Krezack

[Tigranes]

But they probably couldn't pick those yet.

 

There was a fantastic one when the South Gate in Seoul caught fire earlier last year, with massive watersprays falling on the burning structure...

 

The top photo is pretty odd, why would you be prowling with a gun out at an evicted home?

[Rosbjerg]

 

Cthulu anyone?

 

 

That aside I definitely think that this is the best picture.

"John Kolesidis, a Reuters photographer based in Greece, has won the second prize of the People in the News Singles category with this photo of anti-government riots in Athens"

[Humodour]

Oh, and on a lighter note, girl managed to save her puppy:

[Hell Kitty]

I read that as "Worst Press Photos of the year" and wondered why anyone would do such a thing.

 

Anyway, clearly the judges have a pro Cthulhu agenda.

[Hurlshort]

The top photo is pretty odd, why would you be prowling with a gun out at an evicted home?

 

Gotta be ready for angry squatters and the like.

[Gorgon]

You gotta remember every Tom **** and Harry could have a 357. Magnum under the bed in the US, and being thrown out of your home is bound to be very emotional for anyone.

Edited February 14, 2009 by Gorgon

[Walsingham]

I read that as "Worst Press Photos of the year" and wondered why anyone would do such a thing.

 

Anyway, clearly the judges have a pro Cthulhu agenda.

 

That was how I saw that volcano lightning picture.

 

I just wonder where the good old 18th century picures are of peasants being crude? Irving Welsh style.