Press photo of the year in Hesse
The winners of the press photo competition organized by the German Journalists Association, Hesse State Association during the award ceremony in Wiesbaden
Photos: Hans-Hubertus Braune
17.11.2024 / WIESBADEN –
The picture of a chimney sweep over the roofs of Wiesbaden was named press photo of the year by the German Journalists Association, Hesse State Association (DJV Hessen). Photographer Samira Schulz accompanied chimney sweep Hanna Keutner in her third year of training.
The jury describes the “balancing act” on the pointed roof of the old building with the words: “The photographer captured with her camera the ease with which the young chimney sweep moves up here.” State Parliament President Astrid Wallmann (CDU) is the patron of the photo competition.
The prize was awarded in the Hessian state parliament, where the winning photos from the other competition categories were also shown. She congratulates the award winner on this year’s press photo in Hesse: “Samira Schulz has captured a moment in the picture that is special for most of us, but is everyday life for the young chimney sweep. The viewer can always discover something new in this picture. He can be amazed Hold your breath and worry with the chimney sweep that she stays balanced. The jury rightly chose it as the photo of the year.”
Wallmann continues: “Photographs have a decisive influence on how we perceive the world and what we remember. Images do not have to be translated. Within a moment, people can grasp what is happening and the emotional content of photographs, regardless of culture, so that they have a great impact.”
Knud Zilian, state chairman of the DJV Hessen, adds: “Often it’s not just the headline or text that catches our eye, but the images of an event. A newspaper without images would be a pure desert of lead and hard to imagine. And yet Our colleagues often do not appreciate dumping prices, especially in local and regional reporting.”
Importance of professional press photography
In addition, new technologies such as artificial intelligence would put pressure on journalism on a large scale. Astrid Wallmann emphasizes the importance of journalistic photography: “In view of the new technical possibilities of the digital age, in which photorealistic images can be generated by artificial intelligence and the boundaries between reality and fake are hardly distinguishable for the viewer, it is important to guarantee the authenticity of Images are more virulent than ever. Against this background and in view of people’s trust in media reporting, the importance of professional press photography
is committed to truthfulness and upholds professional ethical standards and develops them in a contemporary manner, cannot be valued highly enough.”
With the press photo competition, the DJV Hessen would like to focus on the work of photojournalists that is relevant to journalism and press freedom. The winners of the four other categories, each with prize money of 500 euros, are:
Sports & Leisure: Florian Abs, Frankfurt, with his photo “Powerless”
Country & People: Michael Braunschädel, Frankfurt, with “Project Aurora”
Environment & Climate: Nadine Weigel, Rauschenberg, with “horsepower”
Economy & Mobility: Guido Schiek, Otzberg, with “Kaufhof Scrabble”. (pm/hhb) +++