Three Australian photographers have taken out major awards at this year's World Press Photo event with Warren Richardson, Daniel Berehulak and Rohan Kelly taking out four of the contest's top prizes.
Freelance photographer Warren Richardson was awarded the highest honour of the competition with his image 'Hope for a New Life' named World Press Photo of the Year 2015.
The World Press Photo of the Year honours the photographer whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in the last year.
Richardson’s picture – which also won first prize in the Spot News category – shows a man and child crossing the border from Serbia into Hungary, near Horgoš, Serbia, and Röszke, Hungary. The image, taken on the night of 28 August 2015, was part of a larger movement of people trying to get into Hungary before a secure fence on the border was completed.
August 28, 2015. A man passes a baby through the fence at the Hungarian-Serbian border in Röszke, Hungary. 'Hope for a New Life,' by Warren Richardson. World Press Photo of the Year 2015, Spot News, first prize singles.
"I camped with the refugees for five days on the border," explained Richardson, a freelance photographer currently based in Budapest, Hungary. "A group of about 200 people arrived, and they moved under the trees along the fence line. They sent women and children, then fathers and elderly men first. I must have been with this crew for about five hours and we played cat and mouse with the police the whole night. I was exhausted by the time I took the picture. It was around three o’clock in the morning and you can’t use a flash while the police are trying to find these people, because I would just give them away. So I had to use the moonlight alone."
Francis Kohn, chair of the general jury, and photo director of Agence France-Presse, praised the simplicity and strength of Richardon's image.
"Early on we looked at this photo and we knew it was an important one. It had such power because of its simplicity, especially the symbolism of the barbed wire. We thought it had almost everything in there to give a strong visual of what’s happening with the refugees. I think it’s a very classical photo, and at the same time it’s timeless. It portrays a situation, but the way it’s done is classic in the greatest sense of the word."
December 5, 2015. Chinese and Russian Antarctic base crew travel back in a snowmobile together after having attended a welcoming party for the arrival of new team and the departure of the old team. From the series, "An Antarctic Advantage" by Daniel Berehulak, The New York Times. Daily Life, first prize stories.
Sydney native Daniel Berehulak won first prize in the 'Daily Life, Singles' category for a series of images documenting the lives of Chilean, Chinese and Russian researchers in Antartica looking to explore commercial opportunities once the treaties protecting the continent expire. He also won third prize in the 'General News, Stories' section for a series recording the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake. Both series were commissioned by The New York Times.
November 6, 2015. A massive 'cloud tsunami' looms over Sydney as a sunbather reads, oblivious to the approaching cloud on Bondi Beach. 'Storm Front on Bondi Beach,' by Rohan Kelly, Daily Telegraph. Nature, first prize singles.
Closer to home, Daily Telegraph photographer Rohan Kelly won first prize in the 'Nature Singles' section with a dramatic photo of a storm front off the coast of Sydney's iconic Bondi Beach.
Following last year's controversies, which saw a number of entries eliminated for 'excessive digital manipulation' and Contemporary Issues winner Giovanni Troilo disqualified for staging an image, this year's contest has so far been relatively trouble free.
"We had a new code of ethics for the photo contest and a transparent and rigorous verification process," said Lars Boering, managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation. "This resulted in many more entries being checked, but fewer problems than last year being found. In 10 days we will be releasing a detailed technical report reviewing the verification process, and we will then lead the public conversation on these issues. Today, we celebrate the incredible and important work of all our prizewinners, especially Warren Richardson’s photograph."
The 2016 contest drew entries from 5,775 photographers from 128 countries with prizes awarded in eight categories to 41 photographers from 21 countries.
See the full gallery of award-winning images here.
April 29, 2015. In the aftermath of the 2015 Nepal earthquake flames rise from burning funeral pyres during the cremation of victims at the Pashupatinath Temple on the banks of Bagmati River. From the series 'An Earthquake's Aftermath' by Daniel Berehulak, The New York Times. General News, third prize stories.