POWERFUL PHOTOS
Submitted by Nick Measures on June 24, 2008 - 10:58pm.
At the risk of sounding bossy I just wanted to say you just must get down to the current photo exhibition at the 6th floor of Zen in their occasional gallery space. This is where you will find both the World Press Photo and the Thai Press Photo Exhibition which runs until the 6th July.
As the names suggests the exhibition consists of some of the very best images taken by photojournalists from around the world in the process of covering the stories that made the press in 2007 and 2008. These are then further broken down into different categories with the three top ranked images in news, sports, nature etc… It’s certainly not an easy exhibition to view many of the photos are extremely harrowing, haunting and often quite graphic. From the very first shot of a wounded giant silverback gorilla spread-eagled on a makeshift litter to the scenes of violence in Kenya and Zimbabwe it can be a very sobering experience.
There are also stories of hope within but perhaps the most striking photo for me was of the former Russian President Vladimir Putin – just a straight head shot I found it simply chilling to stare into his ice cold blue eyes. 
Of course some photos are a little weaker than others and to be honest the actual layout is a little confusing meaning it can be difficult to know which way you proceed. It also didn’t help visiting when it was full of a gang of students who to be honest seemed to have actually no interest in actually looking at the images and thinking about their symbolism but instead were simply desperate to record the accompanying texts – a sign of the Thai education system perhaps?
Anyway, the last gripe was simply bad timing and the others were tiny trifles and for the most part this is a simply stunning collection of amazing images. It’s also important not to hurry through the Thai photo exhibition which follows it. Featuring winners of the Isra Amantakul Awards there are numerous images recording some of the major political and social events in Thailand. From the political troubles in the South to the recent celebrations for HM the King the quality and strength of the images is extremely high and highly moving.
So, anyway all I wanted to say is get down there it’s free and I guarantee there will be at least one photo that will take your breath away. For more information visit http://www.pressphotoinfocus.com/