2017 World Press Photo Awards

Getty Images Reportage photographers took home three first-prize awards in this year’s World Press Photo contest:

Brent Stirton, Rhino Wars - 1st Prize, Nature Stories

Laurent Van der Stockt, Offensive on Mosul - 1st Prize, General News Singles

Paula Bronstein, Afghanistan - 1st Prize, Daily Life Singles

America’s Syrian Refugees

Nedal al-Hayek plays with his son and daughter outside their new home in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, in July 2015, shortly after arriving in the United States. The family fled Syria after he was beaten and tortured by forces loyal to Bashar al-Assad. The Syrian civil war has created more than four million refugees, most of whom fled to nearby countries and Europe. The United States has admitted comparatively few: under 1,500 in 2015, and just over 12,000 in 2016. On Wednesday, U.S. President Donald Trump was expected to sign an executive order temporarily banning most refugees and suspending visas for Syrians and citizens of six other Middle Eastern and African countries. 

See more photos from this story on the Reportage website.

Last Friday, the Chinese government announced it would end all commercial sales in ivory by the end of 2017, shuttering the world’s largest ivory market, one which has been a driving force for elephant poaching in Africa. Conservation groups are celebrating the sales ban as a massive blow to ivory trafficking and poaching, which have decimated Africa’s elephant populations in the last decade. The shutdown of the market will occur in phases, starting with the closure of legal ivory factories, such as the one run by the China National Arts and Crafts Corporation, photographed here in 2011 by Getty Images Reportage photographer Brent Stirton. This factory was supposedly the world’s largest ivory carving facility, employing more than 20 carvers and processing 750kg in raw ivory annually. After the shutdown, China’s Ministry of Culture will reportedly transfer legal ivory to museums and help industry workers find related jobs.

Meet the Great Britons of Photography (Vol. 1)

In his new book, Reportage contributor Peter Dench profiles a dozen Britons whom he considers to be among the most important and influential photographers working today, a list in which he humbly includes himself. The other 11 luminaries of the lens are:

Jocelyn Bain Hogg Marcus Bleasdale Harry Borden John Bulmer Chris Floyd Brian Griffin Laura Pannack Martin Parr Tom Stoddart Homer Sykes Anastasia Taylor-Lind

The book serves as a celebration of British photography, providing an intimate look into the lives and work of this group of colorful characters.

“All of the photographers featured have shaped me in some way; sometimes professionally, more often, personally,” says Dench. “I view each piece as a collaboration, a written account of our time together, a glimpse into the lives and practices of extraordinary photographers, all of course, with a healthy dose of Dench.”

It’s by turns hilarious and insightful, and always engaging, written with a characteristic wit that was on display in Dench’s longtime column, Diary of a Sometime Working Pro, in Hungry Eye Magazine.

Announcing the Getty Images Reportage Emerging Talent

Getty Images Reportage is pleased to announce the 2016-2017 roster of Emerging Talent. Each year, Reportage editors select a handful of young photographers for a yearlong mentorship and to be featured on our website. This year’s list is:

Ekaterina Anchevskaya, Russia Javier Carbajal, Spain Gabriella Demczuk, USA Alex Flynn, USA Alex Potter, USA Hilary Swift, USA Cengiz Yar, USA

In the coming months, we will profile each of these photographers and their work, but in the meantime we encourage you to explore their portfolios.

Crops In Color

Cassava originated in the Amazon but is today at home across the tropics and is a lifeline for millions of small farmers. As climates change, heat-loving cassava is one of the few crops that is projected to perform even better. This will depend, however, on the different cassava regions continuing to share their diversity to overcome mounting disease and pest threats. 

On assignment for The Crop Trust, Reportage photographers Toby Smith and Juan Arredondo followed cassava’s global networks, showing the importance of crop diversity and why organizations like The Crop Trust are trying to safeguard this common good.

At the Visa Pour l’Image festival for photojournalism in Perpignan, France, Getty Images photographer Brent Stirton (above) presented his exhibition “Ivory Wars,” about the connection between Africa’s terror groups and the illegal ivory trade.

Africa's elephants have long been vulnerable to hunters in pursuit of ivory. In recent years, several of the continent's terrorist groups have turned to poaching as a source of funding: the border-hopping Lord's Resistance Army, the Seleka of the Central African Republic, the Janjaweed of Sudan, and FDLR rebels inside Virunga National Park. This reportage shows the toll of the violence on the elephants, the surrounding communities, and the brave but meager forces charged with protecting the creatures

Getty Images Reportage at Visa Pour l’Image 2016

This weekend kicks off the 28th Visa Pour l’Image festival in Perpignan, France, a celebration of today’s best photojournalism. Several Getty Images Reportage photographers will have their work screened and exhibited this year, and are participating in some of the week’s public talks.

“Ivory Wars” - Brent Stirton

Africa's elephants have long been vulnerable to hunters in pursuit of ivory. In recent years, several of the continent's terrorist groups have turned to poaching as a source of funding: the border-hopping Lord's Resistance Army, the Seleka of the Central African Republic, the Janjaweed of Sudan, and FDLR rebels inside Virunga National Park. This reportage shows the toll of the violence on the elephants, the surrounding communities, and the brave but meager forces charged with protecting the creatures.

Exhibiting at the Eglise des Dominicains

“Born Into Conflict” - Juan Arredondo

Juan is the winner of this year’s Humanitarian Visa d’or award, sponsored by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), for his work about child soldiers in Colombia. Over the past two years, Juan has been photographing child soldiers in that country, some of them demobilized and others still active. It is estimated that approximately 6000 children have been with illegal armed groups in Colombia.

Exhibiting at the Palais des Corts

“The Price of Vanity” - Paolo Marchetti

Paolo’s work, recently published in National Geographic, shows the animal farming process behind the fur, feathers and leather used in Europe’s fashion industry. The volume of business alone amounts to millions of euros a year and includes many famous brands: Gucci, Hermès, Cartier, Burberry, and many more. Italy and France alone are responsible for half of all European demand. Paolo shows mink farms in Poland, Caiman breeding in Colombia, and other abattoirs around the world.

Screening in the Campo Santo on Thursday, Sept. 1, at 9:45p

“The ‘Hijacked’ Life of African Migrants in Johannesburg” - Jonathan Torgovnik

Jonathan’s project shows the harsh living conditions of African migrants in Johannesburg’s inner city, where many live in so-called 'hijacked' buildings, abandoned by white owners in the post-apartheid era and now run by unauthorized slumlords. Recent years have seen a rise in xenophobic attacks on migrants to South Africa, a particular threat to residents of these buildings, who come from Malawi, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, Zambia and beyond.

Screening in the Campo Santo on Friday, Sept. 2, at 9:45

“Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear” - Paula Bronstein

In her new book, Paula, one of the world’s leading female photojournalists, presents a powerful portrayal of daily life in war-torn Afghanistan, offering the most complete visual narrative history of this pivotal Middle East country currently in print.

Screening in the Campo Santo on Friday, Sept. 2, at 9:45p

“Dallas” - Peter Dench

In the summer 2015, Peter was unleashed to photograph the iconic city of Dallas, Texas. Dench’s journey took him across the vast urban landscape capturing the color and characters he met along the way. His forensic eye reveals a place far removed from the fantasies of film and television, a contrasting metroplex of baseball caps and cowboy hats, horsepower and horses. His photos are a saturated slap about the senses, a sideways glance at a fully loaded, remarkable American territory.

Screening in the Campo Santo on Friday, Sept. 2, at 9:45p

“Black and White Photography: Only for Festivals?”

Reportage’s Brent Stirton joins National Geographic photo editor Patrick Witty and the photographer Stanley Greene to discuss the respective merits of black and white and color photography.

Wednesday, 11am, at the Palais des Congres

Getty Images Editorial Grant Announcements

In the run-up to World Photo Day on Aug. 19, Getty Images Reportage is highlighting five Instagrammers previously featured in a #ReportageSpotlight roundup. Today’s is Elena Hermosa (@hermoseando), a Spanish photographer based in Ireland and New York City. Focusing on social justice issues, Elena has collaborated on photography and video projects with several NGOs, and her work has appeared in the New York Times, Huffington Post, Irish Times and elsewhere. She graduated in 2015 from the Documentary Photography program at the International Center for Photography.

In this photo, indigenous Guatemalans attend the trial of General Efraín Ríos Montt, a former president who was convicted in 2013 of genocide and crimes against humanity. However, ten days later the guilty verdict was annulled by the Constitutional Court of Guatemala, but the trial remains the first time in the world that a former head of state was prosecuted for genocide in a national court. It was the first time anywhere in the Americas that the genocide of indigenous peoples was put on trial.

See more of Elena’s images by following @hermoseando.

Students in the program “Na Ponta dos Pes” (”On Tiptoe”), a ballet class in Rio de Janeiro’s Complexo de Alemão, one of the city’s most dangerous favelas. Tuany Nascimento, a former rhythmic gymnast who represented Brazil in international competition, founded the program in 2014 to give her students a sense of hope and identity, according to Getty Images Reportage contributor Sebastian Gil Miranda, who has photographed the class several times. CNN Photos recently profiled the class and Sebastian’s images:

In 2010, the Brazilian government launched a military operation to clear the favela of drug traffickers. Following the deployment of troops, special police units were sent to Alemão as part of a "pacification" program designed to restore order.

But Miranda said the favela is more dangerous than ever.

"I've never seen a situation like now," he said. Dancing in an open basketball court exposes the group to violence, and they often have to stop classes because of a nearby shooting.

In the run-up to World Photo Day on Aug. 19, we’re highlighting five Instagrammers previously featured in a #ReportageSpotlight roundup. Today’s photographer is Ravi Mishra (@ravimishraindia), who lives in New Delhi, India. A native of Mumbai, Ravi received an undergraduate degree in mass communication and journalism, and for the last ten years has worked a photographer and producer on assignments throughout his country. For the last five years, he has been working on a project about illegal coal mining and its social and environmental costs.

Above, Roshni, 5, and her brother Shamu, 9, stand next to a coal stove to keep themselves warm, as they stand outside their temporary camp in Angar Pathra. Around 45 families lost their homes and almost all their belongings, as their houses collapsed in a massive land subsidence in Katras region, injuring more then 10-12 people, who were admitted in a private nursing home. See more of Ravi’s work by following @ravimishraindia.

In the run-up to World Photo Day on Aug. 19, Getty Images Reportage highlighting five Instagrammers previously featured in a #ReportageSpotlight roundup. Today’s photographer is Eric Mencher (@emencher), an American who in recent years has divided his time between Mexico and Guatemala. Previously, he was a photojournalist for 22 years at The Philadelphia Inquirer, a paper with a strong emphasis on photography. Nowadays, he works on his own projects and freelance assignments, but, most importantly, he photographs every day on the street, trying to tell compelling stories through single images. Of his photographic style, Eric says he hopes that the best of his photos combine moment and mood with a strong aesthetic sensibility. See more of his work by following @emencher.

In the run-up to World Photo Day on Aug. 19, Getty Images Reportage is highlighting five Instagrammers previously featured in a #ReportageSpotlight roundup. Today’s photographer is Elnaz Amini (@elnaz__aminii) of Karaj, Iran. Elnaz is a materials engineer who took up photography as a hobby and now practices it professionally. For six years, she has done studio and industrial photography and has recently started working in cinematography as well. Her favorite photographic styles are street photography and documentary, which constitute much of what she shares on @Instagram. We encourage you to view @elnaz__aminii’s photography.

In Caracas, Venezuela, Bendiré peers from the window of an apartment she shares with six other families. She does not go outside after 5pm for fear of crime in her neighborhood.

Getty Images Reportage photographer Alvaro Ybarra Zavala visited the country recently for TIME Magazine, capturing a nation in free fall. Visit Time.com to read the report and see more of Alvaro’s photos.