As I think back at 2016 there are a few images that jump to mind. This is by no means an extensive year in review, simply a handful of images I personally found impactful and meaningful. So in no particular order:
This image of Usain Bolt makes me smile every time I see it. There's a great backstory on how photographer Cameron Spencer captured it in Rio at the 2016 Summer Olympics. This photo is a perfect example of the power the still image. As video shares became more and more prevalent in 2016, this image resonates because it is a frozen moment in time. The video of Bolt smiling as he smokes his fellow competitors is compelling, but it's Spencer's still image that creates the enduring visual.
"Powerful" is how photographer Jonothan Bachman described protester Ieshia Evans. I find this image powerful on so many different levels. The more I look at the image the more I find, the more I examine, the more I question, which is exactly what the most powerful photography does.
Evans is detained by law enforcement as she protests the shooting death of Alton Sterling near the headquarters of the Baton Rouge Police Department in Baton Rouge, La., on July 9, 2016.
Mark Peterson's work on the 2016 campaign trail is amazing. There are many great images in Peterson's Political Theater project, but it is the overall body of work that had a lasting impact as it unfolded throughout 2016.
Nadav Kander is one of the greatest working photographers today. He is a master of the craft. His portraits are a constant inspiration for me. And his portrait of president elect Donald Trump for Time Magazine's Person of the Year is a tour de force. It's subtle but impactful. It's subversive message is well chronicled. I found his own words describing the controversy and image insightful and humble.
