World Press Photo Exhibition 2018

Overview

The World Press Photo Foundation is a global platform connecting professionals and audiences through raw visual journalism and storytelling. The organisation was founded in 1955 when a group of Dutch photographers organised a contest to expose their work to an international audience. Since then the contest has grown into the world's most prestigious photography competition and global travelling exhibition.

The 61st edition of the World Press Photo Exhibition will touch down in Sydney this month and will be on display at the State Library of NSW from May 26 until June 24. The winners from this year's contest were chosen by an independent jury that reviewed more than 73,000 photographs by 4548 photographers from 125 countries.

The one that took top honours for 2018 is Ronaldo Schemidt's frightening image of José Víctor Salazar Balza who was set alight at a protest in Caracas, Venezuela when the gas tank of a motorbike exploded. This will be on display alongside other finalists, including Adam Ferguson's portrait of a 14-year-old Boko Haram suicide bomber and Patrick Brown's devastating shot of Rohingya refugees after the boat in which they were attempting to flee Myanmar capsized.

Further categories on show will include contemporary issues, environment, general news, long-term projects, nature, people, sports and spot news.

Image: 'Venezuela Crisis' by Ronaldo Schemidt (cropped).