World Press Photo Foundation
World Press Photo is an independent non-profit organization, founded in the Netherlands in 1955. Its main aim is to support and promote internationally the work of professional press photographers. Over the years, World Press Photo has evolved into an independent platform for photojournalism and the free exchange of information.

World Press Photo's core objectives find their primary expression in the annual contest and consequent exhibition, and in the various educational programs. The exhibition is the organization's chief means of making the results of the contest known, of making a link between photographers and the public. Education entails directly stimulating the development of photographers themselves.

Contest
Held annually, the World Press Photo Contest creates an overview of how press photographers tackle their work worldwide. There is no entrance fee, making the contest truly open to all.

The jury comprises thirteen picture editors, photographers and representatives of press agencies from different parts of the world, and with widely divergent backgrounds. This brings to the process a breadth of experience, a variety of perception, and a contrast in viewpoint that keeps judging dynamic and bolsters objectivity. The jury acts independently of World Press Photo, and the organization has no influence on its decisions.

The prizewinning photographs are assembled into a travelling exhibition and are presented in a catalogue, which is published annually in six languages. In the 2007 contest, 78,083 pictures were submitted by 4,460 photographers from 124 countries.

Exhibition
The World Press Photo Exhibition is both an annual public showcase for photojournalism and creates a focus and point of contact for members of the profession. The exhibition comprises the year's winning photo, together with award-winning images from each of the ten contest categories. The high quality of photojournalism involved is considered to set a standard in the field. After the opening ceremony during the Awards Days in Amsterdam, copies of the exhibition almost immediately begin to go on tour. As a record of the previous year's events, the exhibition has popular appeal and attracts a significantly wider range of visitors than traditional art and photography exhibitions. Today the exhibition is staged at more than 90 venues in some 40 countries around the world and seen by over two million people.

Education
World Press Photo's mission to promote and support professional press photography can also be seen in the direct involvement with the development of photographers themselves. In response to demand by photographers, World Press Photo began to organize weekend workshops, and later sought subsidies to develop these into more substantial seminars. The organization now helps fill gaps in conventional training by running educative programs both at a basic level for people whose access to further training is limited, and at a more advanced level. The annual Joop Swart Masterclass, held in Amsterdam and named after a former honorary chairman of World Press Photo, is a showcase for the very best young photojournalistic talent worldwide.

World Press Photo receives support from the Dutch Postcode Lottery and is sponsored worldwide by Canon and TNT.

www.worldpressphoto.nl