The big picture: World Press Photo Exhibition returns to Kenya

Frans Makken, The Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya, launches the exhibition accompanied by World Photo Press Exhibition manager Babette Warendorf and PAWA254 Special Projects Manager Njeri Mwangi. PHOTO | COURTSEY

What you need to know:

  • This is the first time the exhibition has been brought to Nairobi.

  • At the World Press Photo Contest, photographers are recognised and honoured for their best images.

  • It is the world’s leading competition for professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers.

The World Press Photo Exhibition is back in Kenya, with some of best images on public display.

The 14-day travelling exhibition that is ongoing outside the Hilton Hotel shows the winners of the 2017 World Press Photo Contest.

PRIZES

The event, brought to Nairobi with the support of Embassy of Netherlands, PAWA254 and the Hilton Hotel, was officially opened by Frans Makken, The Netherlands Ambassador to Kenya.

“This exhibition is an expression of what many are going through throughout the word,” Mr Makken said.

“It will go along in encouraging Kenyan journalists to be participating in such competitions and share Kenyan stories with the world.”

Echoing the ambassador’s sentiments, Njeri Mwangi of PAWA254 encouraged local journalists to take advantage of the network they have created and share their stories with the world.

“Very few Kenyan photojournalists participate in such competitions. That is why we thought of bringing the exhibition to Nairobi to sensitise Kenyan journalists on such global competitions and above all give them an opportunity to share their stories,” she said.

Photo lovers and enthusiasts at the exhibition at the Hilton Hotel in Nairobi on December 6, 2017. PHOTO | COURTSEY

“There is so much talent in Kenya and should they participate in such, there are many chances of Kenyans winning.”

80,000 IMAGES

This is the third time the exhibition has been brought to Nairobi and the second time it has been curated as a street exhibition.

At the World Press Photo Contest, photographers are recognised and honoured for their best images.

It is the world’s leading competition for professional press photographers, photojournalists and documentary photographers.

The 2017 contest drew entries from around the world—  5,034 photographers from 125 countries submitted 80,408 images.

The jury gave prizes in eight categories to 45 photographers from 25 countries— including Australia, Brazil, Canada, Chile, China, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Hungary and India.

WINNERS

Other winners came from Iran, Italy, Pakistan, Philippines, Romania, Russia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Syria, New Zealand, Turkey, UK, and the US.

The jury of the 60th annual contest selected an image by Turkish photographer Burhan Ozbilici as the World Press Photo of the Year.

Ozbilici’s picture— which also won first prize in the Spot News Stories category— shows how Mevlüt Mert Altıntaş, a 22-year-old off-duty police officer assassinated Russian ambassador to Turkey Andrey Karlov at an art exhibition in Ankara, Turkey, on December 19, 2016.

Ozbilici is a staff photographer for The Associated Press, based in Istanbul.

Kenya Photography Awards winning photos, brought together by PAWA254 & the Photographers Association of Kenya, have been put up alongside the WPP exhibition to showcase the high quality of photography in Kenya.

The aim is to boost interest and participation of photographers and photojournalists in photo contests such as WPP.