16 Photos that changed the way we see the world

Photojournalism has the power to change the world. It brings the world to audiences, showcasing tragedies and holding countries to account. It serves as a document of history, a record of the past and of humanity, a document to those who will come after. The best photojournalism changes the way we see the world, and how history is remembered. In honour of its power, we have complied a list of the best images captured by photojournalists across the globe.

Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima (1945)

The best photography leaves a mark upon the world, it embeds itself into the culture and becomes a symbol for generations to come. That is exactly the case for Joe Rosenthal’s iconic image, Raising the Flag of Iwo Jima (1945). This image of six soldiers desperately working to hoist an American flag became a symbol of struggle and perseverance against adversity. It decries hope, struggle and success, banding together as a community to achieve feats that wouldn’t be possible on your own. The powerful imagery of the photo captured the imagination of the US, becoming embedded in the American psyche. Rosenthal’s photo is held in such regard it was the basis for the United States Marine Corps War Memorial.

The Burning Monk (1963)

The Vietnam War was a turning point in photojournalism. Called the ‘first television war’ the media were able to show uncensored and unbiased coverage of the conflict in Vietnam. As such, Western audiences were exposed to some of the most emotional and confronting images of war ever seen. One of the most iconic of these, was The Burning Monk by Michael Browne. This photo depicted one of the first acts of self-immolation by a Vietnamese monk, an act of extreme protest against the US-backed Vietnamese government. A photo defined by juxtaposition, the frenetic energy of the surrounding scene is contrasted by the absolute calm of the flaming monk. The disjunct presented by a flaming man in total calm creates an image that is shocking and arresting in equal measure.

Blue Man (2003)

Ben Lowy startling image Blue Man captures the moment an Iraqi man jumped off a lamp post and into the Tigris River in Baghdad. The photo, captured on 13 May 2003, less than a month after the US occupation of Iraq, holds a unique place in the conflict. Focusing not on fighting, but on civilians, Lowy is able to capture a rare moment of enjoyment within the midst of a horrific conflict. The figure appears silhouetted against a blue sea, tranquil, and meditative in nature, a spot of calm in a thunderstorm. His suspended body appears almost to defy gravity, seeming to transcend the reality of his dire situation. It is a deeply symbolic work that offers an insight into moments of peace within war zones, even if they are only for the briefest of moments.

Lowy showcased this image as part of the Head On Photo Festival in 2014.

Abdullatif

Cairns-based photographer Brian Cassey has spent his career focusing on the livelihoods of people in the Oceanic region, documenting grief, struggle, and joy in Papua New Guinea, Indonesia, Thailand, Myanmar and his own Australia just to name a few. He explores narratives of resilience, looking at how individuals and communities respond to conflict and change.

Iraqi asylum seeker Abdullatif Almoftaji, shows the scars of a beating by Manus Island PNG security guards and police. Abdullatif was 17 when incarcerated on Manus Island by Australia in 2012. He was later allowed to work in PNG in the city of Lae. There he was beaten by locals, paid little and feared for his life. He returned to Manus preferring the perceived relative safety of the detention centre and other asylum seekers.

However, following a drunken escapade on the local brew ‘steam’, Abdullatif was arrested, beaten and thrown into a Manus police cell where I found him wearing just torn shorts. Abdullatif faced several charges and was soon deported back to Iraq by
Australian authorities. “I still keep in touch with Abdullatif. When I last heard he was back in war torn Basra Iraq, an experience he described as “living in hell”. “There is nothing in Basra, only destruction, problems and killing for everything.” he said

This work was exhibited as part of the Head On Photo Festival (2020). Find out more about his exhibition.

The Terror of War (1972)

The most powerful images of war focus, not on the battlefield itself, but on the civilians affected by conflict. Perhaps the most well-known image of this is Nick Ut’s 1972 photograph The Terror of War. In it, Ut documents a group of people running away from a napalm strike. In the centre, a naked 9-year-old girl stands screaming from the pain of the burns. This image was incredibly shocking, a young girl, who had no relation to the conflict, was being murdered by it. More shocking, was that Ut’s photograph was documenting an event caused by the US. It struck and confronted North American audiences, causing many to rethink their perceptions of the United States foreign policy, and highlighting the extremes of the catastrophe at hand.

Panama (1989)

The work of Ron Haviv has left an indelible mark on the history of photojournalism. His unflinching examinations of war, conflict, and peril have shone light onto some of the darkest points in human history. In 1989 whilst documenting the political instability in Panama, Haviv captured an image of then Vice President Guillermo Ford being attacked by supporters of Manual Noreiga. The graphic image shows Ford, covered in blood, as he attempts to evade the blade being swung at him. The image was published on the cover of Newsweek around the world, shocking global audiences. Indeed, it was so extreme that then US President Bush cited it as one of the reasons for the later 1989 invasion of Panama by the United States of America.

Ron Haviv’s series Lost Rolls showed at the Head On Photo Festival in 2015

Lunch atop a Skyscraper (1932)

Captured during the great depression as a publicity stunt for the skyscraper being built, Lunch atop a Skyscraper is perhaps the most well-known meal break in the world. Depicting a series of construction workers on a beam, silhouetted against the New York skyline, the image has become one of the most viewed, reproduced, and reinterpreted pieces of media in modern history. There is a humorous quality to the photo, playfully contrasting the extreme danger of the fall against the mundane enjoyment of having lunch. It has become an acknowledgement of the fun inherent in humanity, a celebration of friendships, and of the joy that can be found in even the most boring of actions.

Falling Soldier (1936)

Robert Capa’s Falling Soldier is a brutal confrontation of war and tragedy. It captures a soldier in the moment of his death, falling backwards as a bullet hits his head. It has been lorded as one of the most iconic and evocative depictions of the horrors of war, showcasing firsthand the violence of murder. Another reason for its extreme prominence can be attributed towards the controversy surrounding its authenticity. In the 1970s, disputes about whether the photo was genuine or not began to occur. Some accused the photographer of staging the shot for effect, as was common in the period. Though fiercely contentious as a topic, it has only helped to heighten the image as the ultimate evocation of war.

9/11 (2001)

On September 11, 2001, some New Yorkers gathered in a Brooklyn park across the river from the World Trade Centre. Though the group didn’t know it, they were about to become etched into the American psyche. As the Twin Towers fell, photographer Thomas Hoepker documented the group in conversation, in a world utterly separated from the carnage behind them. In many ways it has become the definitive symbol of 9/11; its vague nature and separation from the physical event offers the audience a metaphorical reflection upon the event itself. On one level, there emerges a callousness of the subjects to sit and talk whilst tragedy unfurls. On another, there is a sense of helplessness, the bystanders are too far away to do anything but watch. Hoepker’s shot encapsulates, not just the event, but the feelings of the onlookers; it allows audiences to insert themselves back into the tragedy in their own eyes, to contemplate disaster as bystanders who could do nothing but watch.

Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear (2018)

American photojournalist Paula Bronstein has documented Afghanistan over 15 years of war and conflict. Focusing on the impacts the fighting has had on families, Bronstein seeks to capture the humanity within those who are caught in the crossfire of armed forces. One such example of this is her work from Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear (2018) in which a mother cradles her child on a hospital bed. The anguish that she so clearly holds is emblematic of the trauma caused by conflict. She simultaneously clutches herself and her child, trying to keep her life going in the face of the potential death of one of the most important parts of her life.

Paula Bronstein showcased Afghanistan: Between Hope and Fear at the 2018 Head On Photo Festival.

Lee Miller in Hitlers bath (1945)

In 1945, David Scherman documented fellow photographer Lee Miller having a bath. Though, at first, this seems like an ordinary image, the truth is anything but. Consider, for example, that the pair were US war photographers, documenting the front line of the American occupation of Germany, that the photo was taken on the same day Hitler committed suicide, and that the aforementioned Nazi leader is in a framed photograph next to said bath. This results in one of the most powerful images of the second world war, a symbol of American victory against Germany, and of triumph over fascism. Miller is covering Hitler’s most private space in the muck and grime of the United States push into Berlin, she is declaring herself as triumphant.

Kate Geraghty is one of Australia’s most acclaimed photojournalists. Having won 5 Walkley awards, she has documented war and conflict across the globe for over 20 years. Her photography is both shocking and deeply human in equal measure, providing the space for civilian narratives and the effect that conflict has upon bystanders. This human-centered approach can be seen in her image of Abdulrahman, a young boy in a hospital bed. Lying still, covered in casts and with gauze over the face, his figure takes on an almost statuesque quality. The extent of their trauma has rendered them unrecognisable, distant, kept apart from us by a silvery veil. The image conjures up iconography of death and the ‘veil of life’, the life of the civilian shattered by the destruction of war.

Kate Geraghty’s work has been a finalist multiple times in the Head On Photo Awards, most recently in 2023. Find out more now.

Korengal Valley (2008)

One of the most respected war photographers of the modern era, Lynsey Addario is not to be trifled with. She has confronted major modern conflicts across the globe, being kidnapped twice in the process. It is this dedication to her craft that resulted in her intimate and harrowing depictions of the US military in Afghanistan. This work from her 2008 series, Korengal Valley, depicts the body of a US sergeant being carried to a landing zone. Addario’s image captures the loneliness of war, surrounded by people but constantly isolated, it is easy to question if anything is worth it. This questioning at the heart of her work is what makes Korengal Valley stand out as a unique depiction of war and death.

Putin (2007)

It is a hard task to photograph one of the most polarising and dangerous figures in the world, but in 2007 that is what British photographer Platon achieved. His 2007 portrait of Putin, depicting the Russian leader sat upright in a leather chair, staring down at the camera, has become the definitive portrait of the politician. Putin holds a position of total dominance, as if sitting on a royal throne gazing upon subjects. However, the furnishings of royalty have been replaced with business, a clean suit and a desk chair. The simple, sparse nature of the photograph centre’s Putin as a modern leader, a powerful executive who controls the world through cutting-edge technology. It perfectly separated him from the heads of the USSR and cemented his power as the leader of a modern Russia.

Gough Witlam and Vincent Lingiari (1975)

Potentially Australia’s most powerful photograph, Mervyn Bishop’s capture of Prime Minister Gough Whitlam pours soil into the hands of traditional land owner Vincent Lingiari, Northern Territory (1975) has become a symbol for indigenous lands rights. The photograph captures an important moment, documenting Whitlam’s action to give back the Gurindji people their land. The British invasion of Australia saw the land declared Terra Nullius, voiding the aboriginal rights to their own land. This policy was carried forward over a century, removing aboriginal Australians from their heritage and identity. By giving the sand back to Lingiari, Gough looked to right this wrong, passing the Australian land out of the whitefellas hands, and into its rightful custodianship. It has become an instantly recognisable image of indigenous struggle, and of an equality still yet to be achieved.

Ahmed Shah Massoud, Afghanistan (1998)

Underneath the fuzzy, surreal beauty that is first found within Stephen Dupont’s work lies an eerie contradiction. In 1998, whilst on assignment for Le Figaro, Dupont got access to photograph the Afghan warlord Ahmed Shah Massoud up close. The photo, captured in an orchard at sundown, presents the Warlord in a vulnerable light. He ceases to be the feared and dangerous rebel, and shifts into a man, staring at the sky. It is a beautifully touching photo that highlights the oft overlooked side of powerful figures.

Dupont showcased this image in Paper Tigers, as part of the Head On Photo Festival in 2022. Find out more

Can you think of any iconic photography moments we may have missed? Why not let us know! If we get enough we may even write a part two from your comments.