I looked through dozens of pictures on the POY website, and while all of them were emotional, informative, and beautiful, none left as big of an impression on me as the pictures for spot news. One of them, "Orphaned in an Instant," won the catergory for its portrayal of an orphaned Iraqi girl seconds after her parents had been shot by US soldiers. Looking at the picture as a viewer, I was automatically transported to the viewpoint of the girl: the blood on her body, the anguish on her face, the larger than life soldier standing next to her. The photographer perfectly captured the horror of the moment.
From a journalistic perspective, I appreciate the photo even more. It must have taken a lot of guts to be able to take that picture when the situation was so horrible and sad. But it told a story that needed to be told in a way that makes it very real for the reader. The use of light and dark perfectly sets a tone of grief and drama. I think sometimes we are concerned as photojournalists that we are invading people's personal space. Sometimes that might be true, but there are also times when uncomfortable emotions and situations must be captured and shared.
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