Images from the war in Iraq and its aftermath dominated the entries for this year’s international World Press Photo competition.
The overall winner was French photographer Jean-Marc Bouju with his image of an Iraqi father comforting his son at a holding centre for POWs at a US Army base camp.
Jury chairwoman Elisabeth Biondi said of the winning image, which was taken for Associated Press: “This picture indicates one truth of war: it shows how war affects life in a terrible way, regardless of why it is initiated. It is a powerful picture, a re-affirmation of the universality of emotions, the love of a father for his son and the instinctive desire to protect him.”
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There were two British prizewinners and one who gained an honourable mention. Nick Danziger won the first prize singles in the portrait category for his black and white image of Tony Blair and George Bush, which appeared in The Times Saturday Magazine. It captured the two in a rare moment without aides, one day before US troops entered Baghdad.
The Daily Mirror’s Mike Moore won second prize for his portrait of Italian football referee Pierluigi Collina, who officiated at the 2002 World Cup final.
Olivier Pin-Fat won an honourable mention for his portfolio that appeared in The Independent on Sunday Review, of Shan State Army recruits in Loi Dai Leng, who are waging armed insurrection against the Burmese military junta.
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A touring exhibition of the entries will be on display at London’s Royal Festival Hall from 7 May to 6 June.
Overall winner Jean-Marc Bouju’s image of an Iraqi father comforting his son at a POW holding centre. Italian football referee Pierluigi Collina by the Daily Mirror’s Mike Moore.
Top, Nick Danziger’s winning singles portrait of Bush and Blair World Press Photo 04 is published by Thames and Hudson Ltd, priced £12.95
By Sarah Lagan
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