Science

Winners of 2016 World Press Photo Contest (PHOTOS)

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Divers observe and surround a humpback whale and her newborn calf whilst they swim around Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico, 28 January 2015. (Anuar Patjane Floriuk / World Press Photo)

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Divers observe and surround a humpback whale and her newborn calf whilst they swim around Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo Islands, Mexico, 28 January 2015. (Anuar Patjane Floriuk / World Press Photo)

Dramatic images from the aftermath of the April 2015 earthquake in Nepal and stunning photos of Bornean orangutans in a national park in Indonesia are among the winners of the 59th annual World Press Photo Contest.

Daniel Berehulak's coverage of the Nepal earthquake, which included a photo of villagers awaiting a medical drop in Gumda, won the Australian photographer third place in the general news category of the prestigious photo contest. German photographer Roberto Schmidt's series taken at Everest Base Camp during the April earthquake, including a stunning shot of an avalanche, won second place in the spot news category.

In the nature stories category, the series “Tough Times for Orangutans” by Tim Laman won first place. One of Laman’s photos for the project, which covers the lives of wild orangutans, as threats from fires, the illegal animal trade and loss of habitat due to deforestation, shows a Bornean orangutan climbs over 98 feet up a tree in the rain forest of Gunung Palung National Park, West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The series have resulted in many orphan orangutans ending up at rehabilitation centers.

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“This year we had more photographers and more entries than ever in our contest and we see this as a great support of the industry,” said Lars Boering, the managing director of the World Press Photo Foundation. “As an organization, we are delighted by the outcome this independent jury produced, and ready to present an exhibition of wonderful and powerful imagery to a global audience that can trust what they see.”

The winners cover a range of subjects, from Syrian refugees crossing borders to beachgoers relaxing on the sand despite an oncoming storm. The jury of 18 photojournalism professionals gave 41 photographers prizes in eight different categories: general news, spot news, sports, contemporary issues, daily life, people, nature and long-term projects.

There were over 82,000 submitted entries from 128 countries. All the prize-winning photographs will be presented in an exhibition traveling around 100 cities in a about 45 countries over the year. The first exhibition will take place in De Nieuwe Kerk, Amsterdam on April 16, 2016.

Take a look at the above slideshow for a look at selected winners in this year’s contest.

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