The photo `Burning Man` by photographer Schemidt won the 2018 Press Photo of the Year award. Photo: AFP.
Ronaldo Schemidt, photographer for AFP, on April 12 won the Press Photo of the Year award for his photo of a protester wearing a gas mask, his back on fire during a clash with Venezuelan anti-armed police in
At that time, Schemidt was in charge of covering protests in Venezuela for AFP.
`I felt an explosion behind me and heat rushed in. At that moment, I turned around and quickly took the photo without even seeing what was happening,` Schemidt recalled.
Salazar ran, the flames like a crimson cloak covering him.
`This is a typical press photo, capturing the moment of movement and color very well. The image is full of power, making me explode with emotions,` commented jury president Magdalena Herrara.
`The photo is iconic. The man in the photo is wearing a mask. He not only represents himself burning, but also brings the message that Venezuela is also burning,` Whitney C.Johnson,
Venezuela is going through one of the worst crises in history due to a sharp drop in oil prices.
Bulent Kilic, another jury member, currently AFP’s photo director in Turkey, emphasized a small detail in the photo.
Venezuelan photographer Schemidt.
Schemidt said it was `very touching, and also very exciting` to win the award.
`The moment I took the photo, I didn’t think I would win any award. I was just shocked by what I was seeing, because I had never witnessed such violence,` he said.
`For me, the photo represents the state of Venezuela. The arrest of people forced to go out to protest due to deprivation is a humanitarian crisis. It is a portrait of Venezuela a year ago, now
In addition to the crisis in Venezuela, images of the Rohingya migration crisis in Myanmar, the war in Iraq and terrorist attacks in London, were also honored in the 2018 World Press Photo Awards. The jury was
The World Press Photo Award is considered the most prestigious press photo award today, and is also the only international award with the participation of news agencies and photographers around the world.
Hannah