When the photo became the story in 2015
Photos can resonate in an instant, galvanize attention, or even symbolize a larger news event. But there are certain stories that simply could not be told without the picture. One image suddenly becomes the centerpiece, the keystone that captures it wordlessly.
Here are the shots throughout the past year when a photo said more than words could. These are the 15 images we talked about the most in 2015.
1) The grimmest photo of the year:
A lifeless child washed ashore became a harrowing symbol of the brutal migrant crisis.
Paste BN does not typically publish graphic images of dead bodies. It decided to use this photo because it illustrates the significant horror of the situation as thousands of migrants risk their lives seeking refuge in Europe. Paste BN believes the news value of the photo outweighed the usual reluctance to publish such pictures.
2) Peace for Paris: After coordinated terror attacks in Paris killed 129 people and wounded more than 350, a simple illustration of the Eiffel Tower as part of a peace symbol went viral. French graphic designer Jean Jullien’s creation was retweeted 20,000 times, and it was shared nearly 7,000 times on Facebook.
3) Bill Cosby’s alleged victims and an empty chair:
35 women spoke to New York Magazine about being allegedly assaulted by Cosby. The explosive image is a composite of posed portraits in black and white. The magazine’s website was hacked the morning after the Sunday release, which led staff to share the story, images and videos on social media.
4) #LaquanMcDonald video release:
Dash-cam footage from Oct. 20, 2014, was released by Chicago police in November — more than a year later, showing a white officer shooting a black teen 16 times. Laquan McDonald was shot by Officer Jason Van Dyke, who was charged with first-degree murder.
5) WDBJ-TV journalists murdered live on air:
Reporter Alison Parker and photographer Adam Ward were in the middle of a live TV broadcast when a former co-worker killed them on Aug. 26. Viewers heard gunshots and screams as the camera dropped to the ground. The woman being interviewed, Vicki Gardner, was wounded but survived. The gunman, Vester Flanagan, posted his own videos of the fatal shooting to his Facebook and Twitter accounts. Police closed in on him as he crashed his car and shot himself.
6) Dramatic footage of plane tipped sideways over road:
A TransAsia Airways flight crashed into a river in Taipei shortly after takeoff with 58 passengers on board. Dashcam footage from cars on a bridge beside the river captured the plane angled sharply above the roadway as it went down. At least 31 people died, and another 12 were missing.
7) “Call me Caitlyn.”
Those three words emerged as a trending hashtag for discussing Caitlyn Jenner's official coming out as a transgender woman. The portrait by iconic photographer Annie Leibowitz drew praise as an elegant way for Jenner, formerly known as Bruce, to reveal her new look on the cover of Vanity Fair.
8) THE DRESS:
This simple photo of a dress separated families and couples. The divisive question: Is it black and blue or gold and white? Technically, it’s a back-lit photo of a dress in fluorescent light, and that dress happens to actually be black and blue.
9) Up, close and personal with the dwarf planet:
New Horizons spacecraft captured detailed color photos of Pluto. The probe was the icy planet’s first visitor from Earth, making the long trip to the far reaches of our solar system.
10) American Pharoah wins the Triple Crown:
It was one of the rarest feats in American sports. American Pharoah swept the Kentucky Derby, Preakness and Belmont Stakes — the first horse to clutch the Triple Crown in 37 years.
11) The knockout kick that took down Ronda Rousey:
The image captured the stunning KO that defeated UFC powerhouse Rousey. That win started the reign of bantamweight champion Holly Holm.
12) The Zuckerberg family photo:
Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook, used the platform just like the rest of us — to share baby photos. Earlier this year, Zuckerberg was open on Facebook about his family’s struggles with infertility and that made the photo of the young family all the sweeter. The couple is clearly delighted with their new bundle of joy, daughter Max.
13) The spectacular supermoon eclipse:
Full moon, supermoon, blood moon — all applicable terms, according to scientists. It made for glorious photos of the hazy red moon, as it fell into Earth’s shadow. The next chance to see one will be in 2033.
14) Portrait of baby Princess Charlotte:
Americans have long held a fascination with the British royal family. When the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge take photos, we take note. Even better when a baby princess is purely joyful in front of a camera.
15) Miss Colombia getting her crown and title taken away:
She was only Miss Universe for a few minutes. Steve Harvey mistakenly switched the runner-up and the winner. Harvey quickly owned up to it, and Miss Philippines received the crown, taken directly from Miss Colombia’s head. It could be the worst televised moment of 2015.
What images struck a chord with you this year? Share using #photobecamethestory.