I’ve had my fill of the news oriented best pictures of the year lists so I wanted to create my own but I’m a little too lazy to do all the research (the bohemian would agree). Maybe you could give me a hand.
I’ll start off with two amazing covers. Peter Yang’s photo of Obama for Rolling Stone (here) and Platon’s cover of Willie Nelson for Texas Monthly (here). It’s so rare that a great photograph is made into a cover that these really had an impact on me.
Brent Stirton’s Gorilla killing story was one of those pieces that kept popping up everywhere and seems to win an award in every contest it was entered: http://www.brentstirton.com/feature-gorillas.php
Pieter Hugo’s hyena men is another incredible subject executed perfectly by a great photographer: http://www.pieterhugo.com/nigeria/index.html
Damon Winter deserves an award for breaking out of the pack of heavy political coverage this year. His Obama pictures for the NYTimes are stunning: slideshow here
Roger Ballen is of course an incredibly talented and original photographer but it was his performance/talk at the NY photo festival that had everyone buzzing.
Who else deserves recognition?
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Probably the photo of the Olympic games was taken by Heinz Kluetmeier of Michael Phelps winning the 100 meter butterfly. It’s not just a pretty action photo with great light, but a historic sports photograph captured at the exact moment, with an incredible angle, all completely planned with a pinch of luck. Kluetmeier remains one of sports brilliant photographers.
http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2008/olympics/2008/writers/richard_deitsch/08/19/heinz.qanda/index.html
Yes, those are some great ones.
I’d like to add:
Phillip Toledano’s http://www.dayswithmyfather.com
Nina Berman’s “Marine Wedding” http://ninaberman.com/index3.php?pag=prt&dir=marine
and “Purple Hearts” http://ninaberman.com/index3.php?pag=prt&dir=imagesph
and Robbie Cooper’s “My Game Face” http://www.nytimes.com/slideshow/2008/11/18/magazine/20081123-games_index.html
Platon’s photo of Kareem Rashad Sultan Khan grave and his mother Elshba Khan. It helped the American people look at Muslims in a different way, at least Colin Powell.
my favourite summary of the olympic games by kenneth jarecke is also one of my favourite galleries of 2008. man, would i love to see those pictures printed in a magazine.
http://kennethjarecke.typepad.com/photos/beijing_olympics/index.html
Eric Thayers coverage of Iowa was excellent. My (peculiar) fave;
http://www.photoshelter.com/img-show/I0000XrBXN8Y9DLo
Though I agree wholeheartedly with Darrell re: Colin Powell & Platon
Seamus Murphy
The Unsettled South (for Newsweek)
http://www.newsweek.com/id/150605
Platon did a lot of great work this year. I love the willie nelson shot. His photos of Obama http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20071210,00.html and Putin http://www.time.com/time/covers/0,16641,20071231,00.html are among my favs.
Awesome story of the Hyena Men!
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JD
- http://www.jdittmarphoto.com -
Hendrik Kerstens
Bag
http://www.hendrikkerstens.com/
Jeff Riedel’s portrait series for GQ of politicians was stunning.
@Emma,
Completely agree. I was going to list this one as a favorite series as well.
I think that Dominic Nahr is worth checking out. Especially his shots from gaza.
http://www.dominicnahr.com/
@Ryan Marr, and his new stuff from the congo.
@Ryan Marr, absolutely. I was his editor on the Gaza project. Outstanding project by a courageous and intelligent young photographer.
This picture gets my vote. The Times had the good sense to run it huge. It was an amazing show, too. http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/17/arts/music/17youn.html?_r=1
Bilal Hussein
Jeff Riedel created timeless portfolio for GQ!
Chris Anderson and Mitt Romney…
He turned my brain upside-down by using what I had always considered bad technique (blasting with on-camera flash) to make something quite remarkable and new.
http://www.magnumphotos.com/archive/C.aspx?VP=XSpecific_MAG.StoryDetail_VPage&pid=2K7O3RHT8GXT
I think this image by David J. Phillip-Pool/Getty Images, of the devastation of hurricane Ike, stuck with me the most last year.
http://cache.boston.com/universal/site_graphics/blogs/bigpicture/ike_09_15/ike11.jpg
Main link on Boston.com http://www.boston.com/bigpicture/2008/09/the_short_but_eventful_life_of.html
James Nachtwey’s story on extremely drug-resistent tuberculosis (XDR-TB)
http://www.xdrtb.org/
@Picture This, I second that emotion.
Mike Goldwater
I really liked his series on coal mining in China
http://www.mikegoldwater.com/pm/pages/imagegroup.public.display.php?igId=100
@Jodi, And some of the portraits from that series are really nice too:
http://www.mikegoldwater.com/pm/pages/imagegroup.public.display.php?igId=95
I second Todd’s Olympic mention, beautiful timing and execution.
I will second Ken Jarecke’s Olympics work.
I do not think this photo got enough play out there.
http://kennethjarecke.com/#/Portfolio/Beijing%20Games/16
Gilles Peress’ work in Ohio should be mentioned too.
http://inmotion.magnumphotos.com/insightamerica/full-swing-state
Platon. Service.
http://www.newyorker.com/online/2008/09/29/slideshow_080929_platon
@Clif Page,
REAL photography.
James Frost
http://www.ateaseweb.com/2008/07/10/camera-free-house-of-cards-video-premieres/
Let us not forget Jill Greenberg’s shots of john mccain!
I liked Shehzad Noorani’s set Children of Black Dust . The idea that from computers to flashlights, the batteries in these things, today, are being handled are ” recycled” by human hands, leads me question how technologically advanced we really are.
Someone want to show these to someone at Duracell or Energizer? Not to throw something in their face but help engineers realize people open these thing around children. Can’t they build a battery filled with candy or baby formula?
http://www.flickr.com/photos/81504640@N00/sets/72157605348907561/
I like Kevin German’s take on the Olympics called Outside the Rings it provides a different perspective featuring photos of chinese citizens watching the games on T.V. security guards, and life, rather than action images. http://www.kevingerman.com/ Check it out.
Mark Holthusen in San Francisco won multiple awards in 2008 as he continues to churn out eerie and thought provoking images. His album artwork for American Music Club’s latest record comes to mind first. http://www.markholthusen.com
I would like to nominate Vanessa Winship’s Sweet Nothings:
http://www.vanessawinship.co.uk
Lars Tunbjork’s Vinter:
http://agencevu.com/stories/index.php?id=575&p=80
And I was very pleased to discover the work of Jeffrey Silverthorne, if you’d allow some kind of Lifetime Achievement Award:
http://www.agencevu.com/photographers/photographer.php?id=213
When I came across Miles Aldriges Book “Acid Candy” I was fascinated by the use of color, its like a different type of ice cream you never tasted before. So he should be mentioned: http://www.milesaldridge.com
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