UNICEF Photo of the year 2011

[paulo_fonseca1]

<p>http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/germany_61135.html<br /> The winning photo can be seen at: http://www.kailoeffelbein.de.<br /> Awesome picture!<br /> The curiosity is that the boy is wearing the FC Barcelona (Visca el Barça!) jersey with the UNICEF logo. I also love the 3rd place photo.<br /> Enjoy!<br /> PS1. BTW: Nikon D700 with 35mm f/2 shot in Aperture Priority at f/2.5 1/2500sec ISO 200 ;-)<br /> PS2. I posted this message yesterday in the Photojournalism thread but I can't see it anywhere except in my workspace, so I post it again here. I apologize if this is a double post or if this is not the correct forum.</p>

[richard_john_edwards]

<p>Great documentary images.</p>

[ken_jeanette1]

<p>When I see photos like that, I'm sickened by the state of our world. One would think that by now, with moon landings, all the inventions, and the sheer technological prowess of our century that we could eradicate scenes like that. I've seen a lot of the public TV offerings about ancient aliens being the progenitors of our species, and my only comment is that if they did it, then it was a failed experiment, and they have left us to sink or swim, and unfortunately, the water is up to our collective chins.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>The fact the boy was wearing clothes with a UNICEF logo, raises questions as to whether the photo was posed. Even though UNICEF acknowledges the "coincidence", the possibility the photo was posed diminishes the effect of it and all their other photos. Do they really represent the truth? </p>

[MichaelChang]

<blockquote>

<p><em>" One would think that by now, with moon landings, all the inventions, and the sheer technological prowess of our century that we could eradicate scenes like that."</em></p>

 

</blockquote>

<p>Ken, I think the existence of an underclass in third world countries is a prerequisite to making modern technological progress possible in first world countries because most consumer items will likely be unaffordable if the real cost of consumption was factored in. </p>

<p>Great pictures, Paulo. Thanks! </p>

[leslie_cheung]

<blockquote>

<p> I think the existence of an underclass in third world countries is a prerequisite to making modern technological progress possible in first world countries...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>+1</p>

<blockquote>

<p>When I see photos like that, I'm sickened by the state of our world...</p>

</blockquote>

<p>Maybe that's the very reason why most don't see these type of photos much, if at all?</p>

[MichaelChang]

<p>Alan, this photo shows the photographer interacting with locals:<br>

<a href="http://www.kailoeffelbein.de/#1980896/news">http://www.kailoeffelbein.de/#1980896/news</a></p>

<p>I don't think the photographer's ability to be an impartial observer is tarnished even if he was hired by UNICEF to promote its cause and clothing was given to raise awareness of the organization's efforts. </p>

<p> </p>

[Norma Desmond]

<p>Alan, posing doesn't mean a photo doesn't tell the truth. Think about all the plays you've seen that tell very significant and real truths. The actors, in almost all of them, have rehearsed their poses on stage. Truth is more related to genuineness, authenticity, internal relationships, and message than it is to whether a photo is posed or candid. A pose can do precisely what you're questioning . . . it can represent the truth.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>Fred: Posing can also represent a falsehood. It was stupid of UNICEF to publish a photo that has the appearance of being posed. It leaves a question in many people's minds that they're dressing up the problem to increase contributions. People are sensitive to the fact that many charities are unfortunately shams.</p>

<p>Michael: The picture must stand on its own. Most people, myself included, will not go looking around web pages to see other pictures of what the photographer did. In any case the other pictures only prove that he was there, and not that he didn't pose the shot inquestion. Since the photographer or someone apparently gave this kid UNICEF clothes, how do you know he also didn't "encourage" the kid to go to the dump and stand their with a TV over his head and the smoky fire in the background for a dramatic shot. I don't believe the photographer just caught this kid with the TV over his head. I think it was staged. This picture is Photojournalism and should not be staged or have any appearance of being staged. </p>

<p> </p>

[Norma Desmond]

<p>Alan, you're fabricating a problem where there is none.</p>

[AlanKlein]

<p>Fred: I work in government and see what really goes on. Maybe I'm more cynical then you.</p>

[Norma Desmond]

<blockquote>

<p>Maybe I'm more cynical then you.</p>

</blockquote>

<p>I have my moments, too. But, at least for this thread, you seem to be.</p>

<p>Hey, btw, I hear Fox News is upset with UNICEF over a recent ad the Foxers think took a shot at Santa.</p>

[paulo_fonseca1]

<p>Well, staged or not, the image is great! The blaugrana uniform really stands out in an otherwise almost monochromatic scene. I am quite naive as such matters go so I didn't even think about the authenticity of the shot when I first saw it (and I still think it is the real deal) but, yeah, I admit the UNICEF logo might raise some suspicion, although I am not sure as whether people that don't know it beforehand would recognise the logo. Anyway, I do not think this affects the credibility of UNICEF or its cause whatsoever.<br>

Another observation: I think the tilted horizon really works in this image. It conveys a sense of imminent loss of balance caused by the weight of the CRT raised above the boy's head at the exact moment he's about to invert the movement to throw the object away. I thought it to be really genius! However, at first I was also a bit intrigued by the rather tight framing up and down the image, specially with the boy's right foot being cropped away. Then, looking at the EXIF I saw that this was shot with a fixed 35mm lens and, well, in this case we don't always have the time to step back and adjust framing. In a sense, this and the tilted horizon also confers more spontaneity to the image. However, later I realised that the image might have been rotated in post-processing and that this caused the tight cropping... anyway, I'm probably over-thinking... great picture!</p>