Looking directly into the camera with the confidence and
beauty of a model, a migrant in Libya demands our immediate attention in Ahmed
Jadallah’s striking image. I asked myself, does the red line in the background
detract from the picture? For me, no. As soon as I try to look away the red
line draws me back into these piercing eyes that seem to hold so many
questions.
A migrant arrives at a naval base in Tripoli after he was
rescued by Libyan coastal guards off the coast of Libya, November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Ahmed Jadallah
A combination of strong, simple shapes, primary colours and the
visual surprise of a man’s head popping up from a sea of red make this picture
irresistible. Immediately, we want to know what is going on in Khaled
Abdullah’s eye-catching picture. Is this man being swallowed by a giant pillow?
Why does he have a rifle? And why does he have a picture on a stick poking out of
the barrel of his gun? It’s only the caption that saves us from a lifetime of
frustration.
A Houthi follower emerges from a gap in a flag as he attends
a rally organised to show support for the Palestinians in Sanaa, Yemen,
November 6, 2017. REUTERS/Khaled
Abdullah
I love pictures that immediately raise questions in our
minds. We just want to know what is being said to President Mugabe by his wife
Grace in Philimon Bulawayo’s wonderful picture, and at the same time we want to
know what he’s thinking. The temptation might be to crop this even tighter to
just the lips and eyes but then we’d lose the bright yellows of their matching
berets, which would be a shame. There is temptation also to use this picture in
a speech and thought bubble caption competition, but that would only cheapen
this great image.
President Robert Mugabe listens to his wife Grace at a rally
of his ruling ZANU-PF party in Harare, Zimbabwe, November 8, 2017. REUTERS/Philimon Bulawayo
South Sudanese refugee Simon Wani holds up a picture of his
son who he claims was killed by rebels in South Sudan when he returned in
search of food from Palorinya settlement in Moyo district, northern Uganda
October 25, 2017.
REUTERS/James Akena
The conflict in Libya is far from the front pages but the
struggle for power by different political and militant factions rages on. Esam
Omran Al-Fetori’s front line pictures as the Libyan national army battles
Islamic Militants are very powerful so I can’t select just one. I will say no
more as they speak for themselves. To see more click here.
Members of the Libyan national Army take position during
clashes with Islamic militants in Khreibish district in Benghazi, Libya
November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran
Al-Fetori
A member of the Libyan national Army runs during clashes
with Islamic militants in Khreibish district in Benghazi, Libya November 9,
2017. REUTERS/Esam Omran Al-Fetori
On occasion a spectacle itself is enough to make great
pictures. Crowds of worshipers descending to worship at a shrine is one such
example. Abdullah Dhiaa al-Deen photographed the commemoration of Arbaeen and went
a step further to make one of the most eye-catching pictures of the week. Looking
through an archway of red tiles and light, we are drawn into a seemingly
endless crowd, for me, with a complete sense of awe. The celebrations are estimated
to be twice the size of the Hajj pilgrimage, with 22 million people expected to
converge on the holy city of Kerbala.
Shi’ite pilgrims pray at the Imam al-Abbas shrine during the
commemoration of Arbaeen in Kerbala, Iraq, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Abdullah Dhiaa al-Deen
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