45 Most Powerful Photos of 2011

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DjLukeW

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http://wwwSPAMfeed.com/mjs538/the-most-powerful-photos-of-2011

Some truly stunning images. Well worth a look
 
Agreed some great stuff there amongst the crap American political stuff.
 
there are some cracking good shots in there, but it is way too US centric
 
Too many throwaway snapshots.

Numbers 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 cannot be classed as 'great photographs'. Especially number 26??? It's a weather station photo for Gods sake.

Best for me is the very last one.
 
Harriers9 said:
Too many throwaway snapshots.

Numbers 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 cannot be classed as 'great photographs'. Especially number 26??? It's a weather station photo for Gods sake.

Best for me is the very last one.
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Agreed to a point,but I would not say their snapshots No4 :shrug:,their a lot of good photos in their.
Can we have a look at some of yours over the year :D
 
We should do a uk version. I'll have a think overnight
 
Harriers9 said:
Too many throwaway snapshots.

Numbers 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 cannot be classed as 'great photographs'. Especially number 26??? It's a weather station photo for Gods sake.

Best for me is the very last one.
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A photo from space is still a photo. The title is Most Powerful, not most technically beautiful or something. Irene was a huge and rare event, that fortunately didn't end up as bad as it was first predicted. That makes it quite a powerful photo.

Same goes for most of the other shots you've listed. If you don't recognise the significance of the moments pictured, did you read the captions?

Still, very US centric as said above.
 
My favourites:

10 - The Haboob is awesome

14 - The Isolated girl and her dog

17 - The mother and son

25 - The couple kissing on the road

30 - Just so sad to see

Dont agree with Harriers9. I can see why he says 'snapshots' but that's missing the point in terms of the what these images are. All tell a story and (in keeping with the title) are powerful images.
 
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Harriers9 said:
Too many throwaway snapshots.

Numbers 4, 7, 8, 11, 12, 13, 15, 16, 17, 20, 21, 23, 26, 28, 29, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42 cannot be classed as 'great photographs'. Especially number 26??? It's a weather station photo for Gods sake.

Best for me is the very last one.
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Totally disagree with you there. Their subjects alone carry them, yes they aren't classically composed according to 'How to Take Photos 101' but they're powerful nonetheless.
 
Jayst84 said:
A photo from space is still a photo. The title is Most Powerful, not most technically beautiful or something. Irene was a huge and rare event, that fortunately didn't end up as bad as it was first predicted. That makes it quite a powerful photo.

Same goes for most of the other shots you've listed. If you don't recognise the significance of the moments pictured, did you read the captions?

Still, very US centric as said above.
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I disagree, it could be any photo of any hurricane from any year, we've all seen loads and they all look a bit like that one, it might be a most powerful thing and very destructive but as for a powerful photo, no, its been seen a million times and It totally needs the statement to have any useful meaning or context.

I agree with Harriers, the same lack of context applies to many of the shots, without the words they're just good snaps. (some of them are excellent, but the majority are lacking for me)

The Reuters thread recently had a similar lacking for me (although that was more about the stories from the photographers as well (and some of them had me in tears)...However too may shots needed the words to make them interesting...

Its like the photo journalist market is now swamped with the average photographer and all the good ones that actually tell the story with the photo have retired.

:shrug:

Maybe I've just become too choosy...
 
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these were great, don't be mistaken that this is a list of the best technical photos etc. but the timing and newsworthy impact of them comes into account. There seems to be a theme about pepper spray throughout though!

number 20 brought a tear to my eye
 
OK some thoughts: based on the Guardians Eyewitness series of images :

Anders Breivik returning to the crime scene
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2011/aug/15/norway

The woman leaping from the burning building during the London riots
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2011/aug/09/eyewitness-mayhem-london-riots

Mogadishu drought
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/pic...omalia-mothers-drought-eyewitness-photography

Chillian volcanic eruption and lightning storm
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/picture/2011/jun/07/chile-volcanic-lightning


There should probably be something about the last shuttle flight also.
 
One of the best for me is 25 of the couple kissing while laying where they have just been knocked down. ... To me its a super rare and an absolutely fascinating snippet off mixing emotions within a very complexed situation with lots of context provided to make sense of it all.

38 was in the Reuters spread also, why this is a good shot is beyond me, it may as well be a dead fox in the street being shot on a mobile phone. ... Pointless shot, no context, no story nothing but the fanciful ideas of the publisher just because it a bloody ipad in some desert. ...so what!
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
38 was in the Reuters spread also, why this is a good shot is beyond me, it may as well be a dead fox in the street being shot on a mobile phone. ... Pointless shot, no context, no story nothing but the fanciful ideas of the publisher just because it a bloody ipad in some desert. ...so what!
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well, i think the point is the penetration of technology and its use.
 
Some don't affect me in the same way as others - the shot of Obama and crew as Bin Laden is being tracked doesn't do anything for me, neither does the phone hanging off the hook in Wall Street - but there are some brilliant moments captured; the boy kissing his girl, the couple sat on their steps and the dust storm in Arizona.

But nonetheless, it shows how moments that are relevant to us as individuals can be captured. Also, the context of each shot helps massively to give deeper insight into what/where/why/who/when etc....
 
Some great ones there but last night I sent an hour looking at the Reuters 100 and reading all the blogs. Some extremely powerful stuff there.
 
"Too many throwaway snapshots."

Totally understand where your coming from, but, these snaps are telling a story; capturing a moment. This is worth more than composition, in fact composition is merely a bonus and we are lucky a cam was there to capture the moment. This is what a camera is all about imho :)
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Obviously Joe yes ...Some aid worker got an Ipad...wow. :gag:

If it had been a Masai Warrior it might have made the grade.
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you can simplify it like that if you like.

Or you could see it the way I suggested. each to their own.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I just agreed with you view by saying 'yes obviously' :shrug:

Its not your suggestion Joe ...its the photographers. ;)
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my suggestiion was how to interpret the image, you gave the impression that you don't think it did that very well given by the smilie and the next sentence.

or have I interpreted what you are saying incorrectly and you do feel that it conveys the message well?
 
joescrivens said:
my suggestiion was how to interpret the image, you gave the impression that you don't think it did that very well given by the smilie and the next sentence.

or have I interpreted what you are saying incorrectly and you do feel that it conveys the message well?
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Yes I think you have. I agree with the photographers intended story to convey the message, and yes it does work I agree.

But for me its just a bit weak, and not at all a powerful photograph. It would have conveyed the same message much more strongly if the guy had been say, a Masai Warrior.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
Yes I think you have. I agree with the photographers intended story to convey the message, and yes it does work I agree.

But for me its just a bit weak, and not at all a powerful photograph. It would have conveyed the same message much more strongly if the guy had been say, a Masai Warrior.
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thats true, although there may not be a masai warrior in the world who owns an ipad :lol:
 
joescrivens said:
thats true, although there may not be a masai warrior in the world who owns an ipad :lol:
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:D

Though Id just have a quick Google for one just in case ...close but not yet. damn! ;)

AMB%2520Single%2520Masai%2520on%252.jpg
 
specialman said:
Some don't affect me in the same way as others - the shot of Obama and crew as Bin Laden is being tracked doesn't do anything for me, neither does the phone hanging off the hook in Wall Street - but there are some brilliant moments captured; the boy kissing his girl, the couple sat on their steps and the dust storm in Arizona.

But nonetheless, it shows how moments that are relevant to us as individuals can be captured. Also, the context of each shot helps massively to give deeper insight into what/where/why/who/when etc....
Click to expand...

It's funny that, for me, this told an interesting story and made me think "the bloke sitting quietly in the corner is the most powerful man in the world and he is sitting watching a live feed of the most wanted man in the world being executed on his orders". Photographically speaking of course, it's just a snapshot of a load of unremarkable people in a room.
 
specialman said:
Some don't affect me in the same way as others - the shot of Obama and crew as Bin Laden is being tracked doesn't do anything for me, neither does the phone hanging off the hook in Wall Street - but there are some brilliant moments captured; the boy kissing his girl, the couple sat on their steps and the dust storm in Arizona.

But nonetheless, it shows how moments that are relevant to us as individuals can be captured. Also, the context of each shot helps massively to give deeper insight into what/where/why/who/when etc....
Click to expand...

Wookee said:
It's funny that, for me, this told an interesting story and made me think "the bloke sitting quietly in the corner is the most powerful man in the world and he is sitting watching a live feed of the most wanted man in the world being executed on his orders". Photographically speaking of course, it's just a snapshot of a load of unremarkable people in a room.
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I think it's the one out of the 45 that is most likely to be remembered and revisited in years to come. All the rest are generic, seen something similar before, fairly unremarkable photos.

A fascinating photo IMO, partly as a document, but also as a comment on censorship due to the pixelated element (which is clearly visibly in the full size version that is available on Flickr - http://www.flickr.com/photos/whitehouse/5680724572/sizes/o/in/photostream/). The fact that the full size version is available for all to view on Flickr is also an interesting side to it.
 
Forbiddenbiker said:
I disagree, it could be any photo of any hurricane from any year, we've all seen loads and they all look a bit like that one, it might be a most powerful thing and very destructive but as for a powerful photo, no, its been seen a million times and It totally needs the statement to have any useful meaning or context.
Click to expand...

But it isn't. And it hasn't been seen before, well, not for a long time, that's the point.

Forbiddenbiker said:
I agree with Harriers, the same lack of context applies to many of the shots, without the words they're just good snaps. (some of them are excellent, but the majority are lacking for me)

The Reuters thread recently had a similar lacking for me (although that was more about the stories from the photographers as well (and some of them had me in tears)...However too may shots needed the words to make them interesting...
Click to expand...

Documentary photographs need captions and context, otherwise they're pointless and open to interpretation.

Forbiddenbiker said:
Its like the photo journalist market is now swamped with the average photographer and all the good ones that actually tell the story with the photo have retired.

:shrug:

Maybe I've just become too choosy...
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There are dozens, most likely more, of world-class photojournalists working today. And most of them put the time, effort and research into their work to be able to present it with supporting text, without which even the best photograph is less powerful and useful than it could be.
 
Jayst84 said:
But it isn't. And it hasn't been seen before, well, not for a long time, that's the point.
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Its powerful because its rare then, I can't see it that way myself. Can we agree to disagree on this one then.


Jayst84 said:
Documentary photographs need captions and context, otherwise they're pointless and open to interpretation.
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If the title of the article had been powerful photographic documentary Id be with you. But as it was 45 Most Powerful photographs of 2011 surely the emphasis is on the photograph to be powerful?

Splitting hairs but hey!

Jayst84 said:
There are dozens, most likely more, of world-class photojournalists working today. And most of them put the time, effort and research into their work to be able to present it with supporting text, without which even the best photograph is less powerful and useful than it could be.
Click to expand...


I'm sure your right, my comment was flippant but I was just pondering why some of the shots we're a bit weak.... I'm pretty sure world class photojournalist shots would blow my head clean off....some of these shots haven't got anywhere near that. :shrug:
 
Not too sure I agree it is too US centred. I guess if a UK website did a list there would have been more than 20 out of 45 that were UK releated.

I think many are far to emotionally charged to really comment on, everybody will see each one differently.

But i will say. some made me sad (1, 20), some awe inspired (10, 13, 18), and the one of Hermione Grainger getting pepper sprayed made me chuckle.
 
The shot I like best is the girl knocked down on the floor during a riot with her boyfriend kissing her. Great composition and really captures the mood.
 
My kind of photography, and I'd rather see a hundred more of these shots than another perfectly exposed 10-stopper of a beach scene... but hey, that's just me and I understand that we all find different goals and end points to photography.
 
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