Don't Look Away: A Review of the World Press Photo 2015 at the State Library of NSW 

When the World Press Photo Contest began in 1955, the first winner was Mogens von Haven’s image of a motorcyclist flung from his bike, his leg jerked-up in the air surrounded by clouds of brushed-up dust.

You will no doubt recall other winners, all icons of tragedy with shock-value: Eddie Adams’ image of a man in Saigon, wearing a checkered-shirt with a gun to his head moments before his execution (1968); a monk on fire photographed by Malcolm W. Browne (1963); Nic Ut’s image of a running naked girl in a Vietnamese town struck by a Napalm explosion (1972). The unfortunate events of circumstances and the callousness of humankind are exposed through the witnessing, photographic eye.

More than ever, today we are viewing, processing and discarding saturated visual content rapidly, as we receive images from global channels through intertwined digital portals. We access information with the click of a button, and discard images with the swipe of a screen. The challenge for photojournalists today is to create a lasting impression; to effectively bring to life the reality of a news story and to transform the viewer into a witness.

Rather than making an impression through shocking, high-impact images (however, this is applicable in some circumstances), many photographers now approach reportage with a new strategy – of subtlety and detail.

As the renowned photojournalist Lynsey Addario states, “I am always trying to figure out how to make people not turn away.”[1] This balance of subtlety – of intriguing images with loud messages – is most evident in this year’s winner, Mads Nissen’s shadowy image of an intimate moment between a gay couple in Russia.[2] Chosen from 97,912 photographs submitted by 5,692 photographers, the full effect of this image is like a candle slowly burning – its impression has a longevity that far outweighs a single explosive sight.

The standout images in the World Press Photo 2015 are subtle and striking in their considered composition and delicate lighting. In regards to news events, the display of Jérôme Sessini’s series on the MH17 plane crash treaded lightly – but without hesitation – around sensitive details. Because of the obscured composition of Sessini’s photographs, we are required to investigate the scene ourselves and strain to see details. Rather than stark shock, this interaction leaves us with a more lingering contemplation and sadness. 

Darcy Padilla’s 21-year documentation of Julie Baird – who suffered from HIV/AIDS, sexual abuse and drug abuse – also stands out. Padilla documented Baird’s life through her relationships, child rearing and eventual death. The monochromatic series is intimate – uncomfortably so at times – and carves a sensitive portrait of Baird.

Over the past 60 years, the finalists chosen for the World Press Photo contest have represented the most notable occurrences in our world, as well as the most effective visual ways to document them. This year, we see a successful shift in the documentary vernacular to include more delicate images that do not only seek to shock, but rather they seek to engage.

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/11480087/War-photographer-Lynsey-Addario-on-tragedy-pregnancy-in-warzones-and-being-played-by-Jennifer-Lawrence.html

[2] LGBT people have faced social discrimination and hate-crimes in the midst of rising conservatism in Russia.