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AFP photographer Ronaldo Schemidt wins the World Press Photo of the Year
The 2018 Edition of the World Press Photo has rewarded the work of three AFP photojournalists, with a picture by Ronaldo Schemidt taking the top honour, the World Press Photo of the Year.
Ronaldo Schemidt’s image of a Venezuelan protester turned into a human torch during clashes with riot police was voted Photo of the Year by the jury of the prestigious World Press Photo competition. The annual World Press Photo of the Year honours a photographer “whose visual creativity and skills made a picture that captures or represents an event or issue of great journalistic importance in the last year.”
The same shot won first prize in the “Spot Singles” category.
Ronaldo Schemidt, a Venezuelan national, started working with AFP in 2004 and in 2006 joined the Mexico City bureau where he is now based. He has covered many events for the Agency, including the Copa America in Argentina, the World Cup in Brazil and Mexico’s drugs war.
Two other AFP photographers won World Press Photo awards this year.
Oli Scarff received the first prize in the “Sport Singles” category for a photograph taken at the Royal Shrovetide Football match, an ancient blend of football and rugby played once a year in a town in central England. Based in the Manchester area, Oli Scarff joined AFP in 2014 after working for the Daily Telegraph and then Getty Images. He covers the north of England.
Juan Barreto was also awarded for his coverage of the Venezuelan conflict. His series about the unrest won the third prize in the “Spot Stories” category. The Venezuelan photographer joined the Agency in 1999 and covers current affairs in the region including political crises, presidential elections, the earthquake in Haiti and sporting events. He is based in the Caracas bureau.
About AFP:
AFP is a global news agency delivering fast, accurate, in-depth coverage of the events shaping our world from conflicts to politics, economics, sports, entertainment and the latest breakthroughs in health, science and technology. With 2,400 staff spread across almost every country, AFP covers the world 24 hours a day in six languages. AFP delivers the news in video, text, photos, multimedia and graphics to a wide range of customers including newspapers and magazines, radio and TV channels, web sites and portals, mobile operators, corporate clients as well as public institutions.