- Title: Award winning photos in the frame in Amman
- Date: 21st November 2016
- Summary: AMERICAN AMBASSADOR TO JORDAN ALICE G. WELLS LOOKING AT PHOTOS
- Embargoed: 6th December 2016 13:21
- Keywords: Photography World Press Photo Awards Jordan Amman
- Location: AMMAN, JORDAN
- City: AMMAN, JORDAN
- Country: Jordan
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment
- Reuters ID: LVA00559DXRV9
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The migrant crisis, the raging war in Syria, and a storm front on an Australian beach are a focal point of an exhibition at the Dutch Embassy in Amman.
The photographs have been taken by award winning photographers - winners of the World Press Photo Awards.
The award celebrates the work of photojournalists from around the globe, with the exhibition kicking off in the Kingdom on Friday (November 18).
Visitors have the chance to catch a glimpse of the photographs first hand, offering a window into an unfamiliar situation.
Among the photographs on show is an Islamic State (IS) Fighter being treated at a Kurdish Hospital. A doctor rubs ointment on the burns of Jacob, 16, in front of a poster of Abdullah Ocalan, the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, at a YPG hospital compound on the outskirts of Hasaka August 1, 2015.
According to YPG fighters at the scene, Jacob is an IS fighter from Deir al-Zour and the only survivor from an ambush made by YPG fighters over a truck alleged to carry IS fighters on the outskirts of Hasaka. Six IS fighters died in the attack, 5 of them completely disfigured by the explosion.
The World Press Photo Foundation was established in 1995, by a group of Dutch photographers.
Rawan Daas works at the country's Embassy in Jordan.
"The exhibition of the World Press Photo is one of the most important exhibitions that deal with issues related to journalism and documentary photography. It is one of the competitions that is highly paid attention to by the journalism community and the international community in general. It's a great honour, the Foundation has been existence since 1959 in Holland so as a Dutch embassy it was very important for us to bring this exhibition to Jordan. We know the situation with regards to the people here, and how much of an interest they have in the subject of photography, especially the young ones,'' she said.
Thousands of photographs were submitted from more than 120 countries, with photographers from Syria, Turkey, South Africa and Iran among the winners.
For some attending the exhibition it's also an opportunity to learn about the craft of visual storytelling.
"For me this exhibition is one of the inspirational exhibitions that takes place and it is a huge event to have here in Amman. What I am interested in this exhibition is that there are many themes tackled during the exhibition either in sports, wars or presenting daily life for some people either from professional photographers or photojournalists,'' said exhibition visitor Mustafa Hashem.
Amman is just one of the stops where the exhibition will be going.
The prize-winning photographs are being taken to 45 countries, and are expected to be seen by an estimated 4 million people.
A book of all the snaps is also compiled and translated into several languages.
Winners of the photo contest also receive a diploma and Golden Eye Award which is presented at an annual awards ceremony held in Amsterdam.
The exhibition in Amman runs until December 1. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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