Editor's Choice Pictures of the Day - February 10, 2012 - World Press Photo Contest Winners
The international jury of the 55th annual World Press Photo Contest has selected a picture by Samuel Aranda from Spain as the World Press Photo of the Year 2011. The picture shows a woman holding a wounded relative in her arms, inside a mosque used as a field hospital by demonstrators against the rule of President Ali Abdullah Saleh, during clashes in Sanaa, Yemen on 15 October 2011. Samuel Aranda was working in Yemen on assignment for The New York Times. He is represented by Corbis Images.
A selection of some of the winning photos are highlighted here.
WORLD PRESS PHOTO OF THE YEAR
Samuel Aranda
People in the News
1st prize singles
2012
A woman holds a wounded relative in her arms, inside a mosque used as a field hospital during clashes in Sanaa, Yemen.
Child Brides
Stephanie Sinclair
Contemporary Issues
1st prize stories
2012
Child marriage is outlawed in many countries and international agreements forbid the practice yet this tradition still spans continents, language and religion.
Danish and Iranian Culture
Laerke Posselt
Portraits
1st prize singles
2012
The 27-year-old Iranian-born actress Mellica Mehraban grew up in Denmark, but debuted as an actor in Iran in 2011.
Brent Stirton
Contemporary Issues
1st prize singles
2012
Maria, a drug addict and sex worker, in between clients in a room she rents in Kryvyi Rig, Ukraine
On Revolution Road
Yuri Kozyrev
Spot News
1st prize singles
2012
For weeks, rebels held out against Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi with the hope that the world would come to their aid.
Mubarak Steps Down
Alex Majoli
General News
1st prize singles
2012
Protesters cry, chant and scream in Cairo’s Tahrir Square.
North Korea
Damir Sagolj
Daily Life
1st prize singles
2012
A picture of North Korea's founder, Kim Il-sung, decorates a building in the capital Pyongyang.
Scrum half
Ray McManus
Sports
2nd prize singles
2012
Action from a rugby match between Old Belvedere and Blackrock played in heavy rain in Dublin, Ireland.
Sochi Singers
Rob Hornstra
Arts and Entertainment
1st prize stories
2012
The Russian city of Sochi lies on the Black Sea and attracts predominantly Russian holidaymakers. Every restaurant employs a regular live musician blasting popular Russian songs.
World Swimming Championships
Adam Pretty
Sports
2nd prize stories
2012
The World Swimming Championships in Shanghai, China.
Cliff-Climbing Polar Bear Attempting to Eat Seabird Eggs
Jenny E. Ross
Nature
1st prize singles
2012
A male polar bear climbs precariously on the face of a cliff above the ocean at Ostrova Oranskie in northern Novaya Zemlya, attempting to feed on seabird eggs.
Tomasz Lazar
Wow!
Posted by: Donna Cote | 02/10/2012 at 10:43 AM
Amazing pictures, real art... Every one initiates a storm of emotions.
The picture of child brides sent shivers down my spine.
The picture of a sex worker from the Ukraine, my homeland... Sadness.
Polar bear hunting for eggs... Amusing and grand picture of nature where one beautiful creature has to eat another one in order to survive.
A picture of Kim Il-sung highlighted on the wall of faceless grey buildings where faceless poor people live, made me reflect upon our past in the USSR ( and that it never seemed to be quite as grim as they have it in North Korea )
Every single picture is amazing and well deserving the prize.
Olga
Posted by: Olga | 02/10/2012 at 10:49 AM
artful captures!
Posted by: toronto_mom | 02/10/2012 at 11:18 AM
WONDERFUL PICTURES..OF TIME...2011.
KS BADHAN
Posted by: kuldipbadhan | 02/10/2012 at 12:26 PM
Haunting, beautiful photos. Thank you for sharing these with us!
Posted by: dawn | 02/10/2012 at 01:05 PM
why these pictures are taken in poor area of the world? or why those poor areas in the world can be a focus of lens? how those problems reflected on the pictures are caused? Think, think, and just think!
Posted by: sherry | 02/10/2012 at 05:08 PM
The polar bear one seemed the most heartbreaking, because she/he's in that dangerous situation because of us humans.
Posted by: A Muggle | 02/11/2012 at 11:43 AM
Amazing photos and well deserved awards.
@Dawn .....Dublin, Ireland; New York, USA; Shanghai, China; Sochi, Russia are not poor areas of the world. And a Polar bear on a mountain......not poor either. As for the other photos they do indeed stimulate thought.
Posted by: Iain | 02/11/2012 at 08:33 PM
Sorry Dawn, The post I was reffering to re poor areas of the worldwas by Sherry. My apologies
Posted by: Iain | 02/11/2012 at 08:35 PM