Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2008.

Awarded by the French Association of Female Journalists and supported by le Figaro Magazine
Palais des Congrès
Saturday September 6, 2008

The Canon Female Photojournalist Award 2008 was presented this morning. The panelists were Jean-François Leroy and Caroline Laurent from Visa pour l’Image, Pascal Briard (Canon), Cyril Drouhet (Figaro Magazine), Isabelle Fougère from the French Association of Female Journalists – AFJ), and Axelle de Russé, the 2007 prize-winner. More than just a prize, the award is a grant which helps the winner further her career, said Pascal Briard. Canon, Visa Pour l’Image’s long-standing partner, wants to support committed photographers. “We can be a big company and act in a socially responsible manner”.

The winner this year is Brenda Ann Kenneally, to support her work on poverty and marginalization in the United States. Covering poverty, said Cyril Drouhet, is fraught with danger. It’s so easy to get it wrong, but Brenda pulls it off: her photographs are in no way judgmental, and they show her commitment.

Brenda said she was accepted by the people she photographed, but that it can at times seem like you’re in the way when there are ten children in the kitchen. “It’s much more about what they give me than about what I give them.”

For Brenda, the grant will allow her to reach the widest possible audience. It’s also more than just about the money: the prize will raise awareness about poverty in the United States.