SINGAPORE - The pain of a child being separated from her mother by US border officials, the anger and passion behind the protests in Hong Kong, and the devastation caused by El Nino and climate change are among the stories told through images and videos at a photo exhibition organised by The Straits Times.
Called Through The Lens, it showcases more than 250 provocative and compelling images captured by local and international photojournalists in the past two years.
The display at the National Museum of Singapore opens on Saturday (Oct 5) and ends Oct 27. Admission is free.
The exhibition celebrates the best in news photography and comprises The Straits Times Photo Exhibition and the World Press Photo Exhibition.
The Straits Times Photo Exhibition will showcase 100 photos and 38 videos produced by ST's photojournalists and video team in 2018 and 2019.
These span seven categories: News, Features, Sports, World, Climate Change, Home in Focus and MyhomeSG.
One highlight is a picture of a protester smashing a glass panel at the Legislative Council building in Hong Kong on July 1, the 22nd anniversary of the city's handover to China.
The image was captured by ST photojournalist Lim Yaohui, who spent 17 days in Hong Kong in June and July covering the protests.
The World Press Photo Exhibition, which is in Singapore for the fifth year, features 157 prize-winning photos from the non-profit organisation's annual competition. This year's edition drew 78,801 entries from 4,738 photographers around the world.
The winning image shows Honduran toddler Yanela crying as she and her mother Sandra Sanchez are taken into custody by United States border officials in McAllen, Texas, on June 12 last year. The shot was taken by Getty Images senior staff photographer John Moore.
Speaking at the official opening of the exhibition on Friday, Minister for Communications and Information S. Iswaran said the exhibition is an opportunity to appreciate the art of photography and its power as a medium to tell stories.
"So whether it is the awesome power of nature, the pain of poverty or privation, the jubilation of victory in war or the agony and ecstasy that we see in sporting events, photos have a provocative way of capturing these moments in a manner that leaves these moments deeply inscribed in our memories," he said.
ST editor Warren Fernandez, who is also editor-in-chief of Singapore Press Holdings' English/Malay/Tamil Media Group, said: "Visual journalism is very much a part of our day-to-day work and the products that we are developing, and we've tried to bring this to life in the exhibition."
Members of the public will also be able to attend talks and panel discussions at the museum.
The talks include one on the Hong Kong protests by ST photojournalists Chong Jun Liang and Lim Yaohui and another on climate change by ST environment correspondent Audrey Tan and photojournalist Mark Cheong.
Those interested in the talks can go to http://str.sg/J4c9 to register.
Free guided tours will also be available every Saturday at 11am and 1pm. For more information, visit www.straitstimes.com/ttl2019
