Another year, another chance to look back at the perfect moments, best news and most memorable discoveries of 2013. From selfies to voices from beyond, here are our 11 favourite photography-related moments this year.
Best moments in photography 2013: 1. Obama’s selfie
Not only did ‘selfie’ become an actual word that you can look up in the Oxford dictionary, the genre was embraced by the President of the United States, the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the State MInister of Denmark in a group photo that sparked speculation and countless columns and comments on the silly, (some said flirty) behaviour of three state leaders at the funeral of Nelson Mandela.
Best moments in photography 2013: 2. Sacked photographers rehired
If you sack 28 full-time photographers and replace them with iPhones you can expect angry reactions worldwide, as the Chicago Sun-Times found out earlier this year. But it turns out you can also expect a fight from the photographers’ union, in this case the Chicago Newspaper Guild, which has managed to get four of the sacked photographers reinstated. It’s not a full victory, but it’s a very important accomplishment at a time when the perceived value of photography seems to be forgotten by the media that is supposed to uphold it.
Best moments in photography 2013: 3. David vs. imaging Goliaths 1:0
Taking AFP and Getty to court over copyright infringement is a big task for a single photographer, but David Morel successfully fought the two imaging Goliaths and won $1.2m after it was established that his image taken in Haiti after the earthquake in 2010 had been used without permission. Let that be a lesson to all editors out there, and a reassurance to freelance photographers.
Best moments in photography 2013: 4. Robert Capa’s voice found on Ebay
Almost 60 years after he passed away, a radio recording of the legendary photojournalist Robert Capa’s voice appeared on Ebay. it is thought to be the only radio interview Capa ever gave, as part of publicity for his book, Slightly Out of Focus, and it’s now available to the public.
Best moments in photography 2013: 5. New old Nikon Df
Those of us who yearn for a vintage Nikon FM2 but want to stay in the digital age were given an early Christmas gift on the form of the Nikon Df (see our Nikon Df review). It’s far from the first retro looker on the market, but it packs a fantastic combination of D4-standard innards and ultra chic nostalgia, and it is compatible with vintage f-mount lenses, giving you a true fusion of old and new. Yay!
Best moments in photography 2013: 6. Photography Show rescued
A highlight in many photographers’ diaries, the annual Focus On Imaging show in Birmingham nearly came to an end when Mary Walker announced its closure in May and maintained it was not for sale. But it didn’t take long for a new show to appear in its place, promising a stellar line-up of top photographers and exciting new gear. Digital Camera World’s publisher, Future Publishing, has launched The Photography Show, set to take place at the NEC from 1 to 4 March 2014.
Best moments in photography 2013: 7. Photographers get a reality show
We’ve had to sit through everybody else’s reality show, from models to master chefs, so it was great to learn that Back to Front TV is auditioning for a reality show for photographers. The show will see 12 aspiring fashion shooters compete under the spotlight, complete with tears and tantrums, to produce a new generation of iconic style imagery. Pass the popcorn, please!
Best moments in photography 2013: 8. Perfect moments
There is nothing better than a perfect photo taken at just the moment when all elements conspire to produce a funny situation. 2013 didn’t disappoint on that front. This ingenious soccer image is just one of many fantastic shots that have brightened our days and distracted office workers all over the world:
Best moments in photography 2013: 9. Viral Photobomb
How do you turn your wedding picture into an internet sensation? Try an accidental celebrity photobomb, like the one Sascha Reinking caught of Scrubs actor Zach Braff interfering in this wedding shoot, Braff retweeted it to his 1.3 million followers, Reinking got a viral boost of media attention and the rest of us got a good giggle.
Best moments in photography 2013: 10. The Rubber Duck controversy
On the 24th anniversary of the massacre on Tiananmen Square, the Chinese Government’s attempt to censor all talk and image sharing around the event was countered by the creativity of bloggers and photographers on the Chinese social media platform Weibo. This modified version of Jeff Widener's famous ‘Tank Man’ photo went viral, causing the phrase “big yellow duck” to be added to the Chinese authorities’ censorship list. But not before the world had seen it.
Best moments in photography 2013: 11. Epic Rant
“Why is it that every time it snows, we whip out photos of snow-covered garden furniture like it was baby photos of our kids. Is that really the best we can do?” Asked a Denver TV news anchor in a rare rant on 9News. Although the rant was targeted at the citizens of Colorado, where cold winters and beautiful nature ought to inspire some really great pictures, it was a welcome message for people and news outlets in many other parts of the world too. It’s time to up our game, take some beautiful winter photography and stop bothering the BBC and our local newspapers with lazy snaps of our patio.
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