British photographer Tim Hetherington is the winner of World Press Photo of the Year 2007. His image of a US soldier, resting in a bunker in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, was chosen from a total of 80,536 images. This year, a record 5,019 professional photographers from 125 countries submitted images. Hetherington will receive a cash prize of €10,000 from World Press Photo at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam on 27 April. An exhibition of the prize-winning World Press Photo images will be shown from 29 April to 22 June in the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam.

Canon UK Press Release

Canon congratulates World Press Photo of the Year winner

United Kingdom / Republic of Ireland, 12 February, 2008: Canon congratulates British photographer Tim Hetherington, winner of World Press Photo of the Year 2007. His image of a US soldier, resting in a bunker in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley – taken on a Canon EOS 5D – was chosen from a total of 80,536 images.

Now in its 51st year, the World Press Photo Contest is universally acknowledged as the world’s most prestigious competition for photojournalists. This year, a record 5,019 professional photographers from 125 countries submitted images – an increase of 12.5% from last year. Canon has been a global corporate sponsor of World Press Photo since 1992.

“Canon congratulates Tim Hetherington and all the winners of the 51st annual World Press Photo Contest,” said Mogens Jensen, Head of Canon Consumer Imaging, Europe. “At a time when the internet allows every photojournalist’s work to reach a global audience, the competition is of greater importance than ever. We are proud of our ongoing association with World Press Photo, which has proved invaluable in helping us to understand the needs of photojournalists.”

The international jury of 13 picture editors, photographers and press agency representatives – chaired by Gary Knight of the UK’s VII Photo Agency – deliberated for two weeks before awarding prizes in 10 theme categories to 59 photographers of 23 nationalities, with one image being selected as World Press Photo of the Year 2007.

The winning image was taken by Tim Hetherington on 16 September 2007. It shows a US soldier resting at Restrepo bunker – a base in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, named after a platoon member killed by insurgents. This is the seventh consecutive year that a photographer relying on Canon EOS equipment has won the award.

Hetherington will receive a cash prize of €10,000 from World Press Photo at an awards ceremony in Amsterdam on 27 April. In addition, Canon Europe will donate Hetherington an EOS-1Ds Mark III camera. An exhibition of the prize-winning World Press Photo images will be shown from 29 April to 22 June in the Oude Kerk, Amsterdam, and will subsequently travel to some 100 cities in 50 countries around the world.

This year’s contest was the second for which entries could be submitted through the internet – ensuring easy access to the competition for digital photographers across the globe. Overall, 80% of participants submitted their images via the internet – almost double the percentage in 2006.

Canon’s EOS range has already secured the major share of photojournalism and sports photography worldwide, with the world’s leading wire agencies such as Reuters, Getty Images and AFP choosing Canon professional products for their photographers.

Further information about World Press Photo is available at http://www.worldpressphoto.nl

Photo Credit: World Press Photo of the Year 2007
Tim Hetherington, UK, for Vanity Fair
American soldier resting at bunker, Korengal Valley, Afghanistan, 16 September

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