In 1989, photographer Jean-Francois Leroy organized the Visa pour l’Image festival as a yearly event where his colleagues could get together and discuss professional subjects. At the time, Leroy has recalled, no one supported him; everyone was sure the endeavor wouldn’t be a success. 26 years later it is considered one of the top photography festivals in the world . This year the press service of Visa pour l’Image registered 3,000 participants and 280 news agencies from 50 countries.
The festival’s exhibits traditionally occur beneath an open sky throughout the streets of Peripignan, and also in the medieval castle Campo Santo. This year, more than 25 projects by photojournalists will be presented at Visa pour l’Image, among them Sebastian Liste, Sean Sutton, William Daniels.
The festival’s works are selected in two stages. First, photo editors from various countries nominate the best news reports and projects, published, as well as non-published, that were shot during the last year. After that the festival’s jury selects the best of those works. This year’s top prizes, in the amount of 8,000 euros, were awarded to Tyler Hicks (USA), Guillaume Herbaut (France), and Meeri Koutaniemi (Finland).
Nairobi, Kenya. Sept. 21, 2013.A woman attempts to shield a child from the bullets of Somali fighters who engaged in a shootout in the Westgate shopping center, which resulted in more than 70 deaths. Tyler Hicks was taking photos from the top floor, where his safety was ensured by police.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Tyler_Hicks_001.jpg”,
“alt”: “Tyler Hicks”,
“text”: “© Тyler Hicks / The New York Times ”
}
Independent photojournalist Meeri Koutaniemi earned an award for a series of photographs dedicated to illuminating the problem of female circumcision in Kenya. The series was published in the newspaper Helsingin Sanomat. This photo depicts two 14-year-old girls from the Maasai tribe the day before their operation. The circumsision is performed by a local woman using common razors for shaving.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/taken-1.jpg”,
“alt”: “Meeri Koutaniemi”,
“text”: ” © Meeri Koutaniemi / Helsingin Sanomat”
},
{
“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/taken-3.jpg”,
“alt”: “Meeri Koutaniemi”,
“text”: ” © Meeri Koutaniemi / Helsingin Sanomat”
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Kyiv, Ukraine. Dec. 9, 2013. Kyiv, Khreshchatyk. Two сossacks man the barricades set up by the Maidan protesters.
{
“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Herbaut-Ukraine_002.jpg”,
“alt”: “Guillaume HERBAUT”,
“text”: ” © Guillaume Herbaut / Institute”
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In Central African Republic a relative grieves for Sept-Abel Sangomalet, a 20-year-old Christian killed by a rebel Muslim group who broke into the family home and stabbed Sangomalet as he slept.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Daniels-RCA_001.jpg”,
“alt”: “William Daniels”,
“text”: ” © William Daniels / Panos Pictures”
}
Washington, D.C., U.S.A. December 1990. Eugene Richards earned a lifetime achievement award from the magazine Figaro. This photograph depicts a father, Jim Vogt, kissing his wife Sarina, who just gave birth to their child, whom they named Zachary.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Eugene_RICHARDS_001.jpg”,
“alt”: “Eugene Richards”,
“text”: ” © Eugene Richards”
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Kyiv, Ukraine. Feb. 19, 2014. Berkut special forces regroup after a nightlong clash with protestors on the Maidan. More photographs from Ukrainian photographer Maksym Dondiuk are published with this interview with the project’s author.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Dondyuk-Ukraine_002.jpg”,
“alt”: “Maxim Dondyuk”,
“text”: “© Maxim Dondyuk, winner of the Rémi Ochlik Award 2014”
}
The Pierre & Alexandra Boulat Award was given to Kosuke Okahara for his project on the warring drug-dealing gangs in Colombia.
The Pierre & Alexandra Boulat Award was given to Kosuke Okahara for his project about warring drug gangs in Medellin, Colombia. A gang member depicted in this photo said he gained his scars from fights with a competiting gang. When drug baron and long-time mafia boss Don Berna was extradited to the U.S. in May 2008, Medellin plunged into chaos. A war began between small gangs for control of the city and its drug trade. Crime levels in Medellin more than tripled.The resulting 2,000 murders over a yearlong period made the city one of the most dangerous places on Earth. By 2011, the level of crime declined, but the war between two drug barons — Valenciano and Sebatian — continues.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/Kosuke_OKAHARA_002.jpg”,
“alt”: “Kosuke Okahara “,
“text”: “© Kosuke Okahara”
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The National Association of Iconographers (ANI) annually selects 300 photograhs and its own jury determines the best authors, who are given the Pixpalace Award of 5,000 euros. This year, Frederik Buyck won the award for his optimistic series about the life in Brazilian slums several months before the start of the world football championships.
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“img”: “/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/FredericBuyck_001.jpg”,
“alt”: “Frederik Buyck”,
“text”: “© Frederik Buyck”
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