Photojournalism: When Pictures Speak Volumes
I remember a book that we had on our coffee table when I was growing up, 100 Photographs That Changed the World. Compiled by Life Magazine’s editors, it contains far more than just pictures. The book feels more like a time-capsule than anything else. Each photo transports the reader to an impactful moment, illustrating the feeling and essence of the person, place, or event featured. Some of the photos are joyful; others are heart-wrenching. Others are more neutral, but contribute a narrative all the same. As the saying goes, a picture is worth a thousand words.
Carpe Global selected three resources regarding global-minded photojournalism that will help you improve your own photography while expanding your knowledge of world issues.
The first one is the World Press Photo. WPP is an outlet for journalism through photography. They feature everything from photo contests to digital storytelling. Their photo contests capture and comment on contemporary issues, nature, and everything in between. Their Photo of the Year award in 2018, for example, was won by Ronaldo Schemidt (seen below with his award), who captured a striking and deeply emotive photo of a protester on fire as he ran down a street in Venezuela.
If you are interested in photojournalism and the stories underlying it, we suggest a look at Medicos Del Mundo and their Luis Valtuena International Award, which aims to encourage photography in humanitarian issues. Every year, they award prizes and funding for the selected photographers in the contest. In addition to the award, they also provide grants and funding to support humanitarian projects.
Another enriching resource is offered by Reuters. The international media source offers grants for those pursuing photojournalism as students or professionals. The grants are a way of supporting photo assignments and projects that will further advance the recipients’ experience, skills, and ability to tell stories. In addition, recipients’ work is featured on Reuters’ platforms, and they are mentored by professionals such as Yannis Behrakis, an award-winning photojournalist who was Senior Editor at Reuter’s Special Projects division. His work on the 2016 European migrant crisis resulted in the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography.
One of the most fascinating things about the human experience on this planet is that we have unique world perspectives, life experiences, cultural backgrounds, and values. With such an overwhelming diversity of worldviews, photography and photojournalism become powerful tools to communicate and share life interpretations around the world.
Photo by Daniel Ochoa de Olza – Crossing the Last Border at Tijuana (Mexico)
Connect, explore, and become even more worldly at Carpe Global, where you can learn about great resources and opportunities like those shared above! Sign up for our newsletter and follow us on social media @carpeglobal.
Eden Ballard
Eden Ballard is a former Carpe Global Associate.
