Photos that thrill, chill and fulfill us

By Wang Jie  |   2008-7-5  |     NEWSPAPER EDITION

Spectacular winning photo, works by Ilienko Olena from Ukraine is on display in Songjiang Art Museum. More in photo gallery

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AN enthralling showcase of the best in international photography unfolds in Thames Town in suburban Songjiang District. Thousands of pictures capture the light, the dark and everything in between, writes Wang Jie.

The art of light in all its splendor is celebrated at the 9th Shanghai International Photographic Art Exhibition and the International Photographic Week.

Spectacular images from all over the world, iconic snaps of the May 12 Sichuan earthquake and personal dreamlike photos are all on offer.

Pictures fill the entire Songjiang Art Museum; 46 exhibits, including solo shows, unfold throughout the area. Some exhibits are top shows on loan from Gettyimages, Reuters and World Press Photo.

The biennial Shanghai International Photographic Art Exhibition has been certified by the Photographic Society of America, the Royal Photographic Society and the Federation Internationale de l'Art Photographique.

The jury includes Martin Lewis Blackwell, creative director of Gettyimages and senior vice president of Getty, and Barry John Senior, president of RPS. "It is rather a tough job to select 600 winning photos from 12,000 entries," says Blackwell.

Photographers are from 42 countries and regions. Photojournalism prints, pictorial prints, electronic images and color slides are displayed.

Many Chinese photographers are represented, including Shanghai Daily photographer Wang Rongjiang and Mianyang Evening News photographer Yang Weihua who won the gold medal for photojournalism for "Salute of Life" - a rescued boy saluting soldiers in the Sichuan earthquake.

The exhibitions thrill, enthrall and make us reflect.

Different cultures, people, landscapes, stunning moments, quiet moments, dreams, wars and natural disasters are all there.