Human has a long relationship with his emotions. Expressing an emotion is not so difficult, but perfectly capturing that moment in camera is far more difficult than it looks. This might be one of the reasons why ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’.
In this collection, we’ve listed some of the most powerful photographs of the 21st century that perfectly capture the human emotion related to the love, innocence, despair, loss, action, and undying perseverance within all of us. We’ve compiled this collection by taking into account cultural significance, news value and overall aesthetics.
“when a man is prey to his emotions, he is not his own master, but lies at the mercy of fortune.”
-Spinoza
The Most Powerful Photos Taken In The 21st Century
#01. Barack Obama and Government staff watch as commandos conduct a raid, which ends with the killing of Osama bin Laden [2011]
Unknown
#02. Live images of the Chilean miners trapped in a mine for 21 days. [2010]
Unknown
#03. A fireman rescues a koala during Australian bushfires. [2009]
Unknown
#04. Steve Jobs introduces the first revolutionary music device iPod [2001]
#07. The Christian world mourns the passing of Pope John Paul II [2005]
Unknown
#08. US Airways Flight 1549 floats on the Hudson river after crash landing, miraculously, everyone survived [2009]
Unknown
#09. A young member of the choir of “Sinfonia por el Peru” vomits before performing with Peruvian tenor Juan Diego Florez at Lima’s National Theatre. [2014]
#10. People gather water from a huge well in the village of Natwarghad in the western Indian state of Gujarat. More than 1 billion people still lack access to clean drinking water. [2003]
#20. Lesleigh Coyer, 25, of Saginaw, Michigan, lies down in front of the grave of her brother, Ryan, who served with the U.S. Army in both Iraq and Afghanistan [2013]
#25. Sikhs wield swords during their clash inside the complex of the holy Sikh shrine, the Golden Temple, in the northern Indian city of Amritsar. [2014]
#26. Kevin Berthia is talked out of jumping off the Golden Gate Bridge by police officers. He has since become an advocate for suicide prevention and has started a family. [2005]
#31. Dzhokar Tsarnaev, one of the brothers behind the Boston Marathon bombing, on the boat where he was eventually caught, with sniper lasers on his forehead. [2013]
Unknown
#32. Kiev’s Independence Square before and after the revolution [2014]
#40. A Ukrainian woman places carnations into shields of anti-riot policemen standing outside the presidential office in Kiev. Ukraine, during the 2004 Orange Revolution. [2004]
#43. Pope Francis embraces Vinicio Riva, a man scarred by a genetic disease. This was one of many progressive acts that the new leader of the Church made. [2013]
#48. Four of the last seven Northern White Rhinos in the world are airlifted from a zoo in the Czech Republic to a park in Africa in an attempt to save their entire species. [2009]
#49. A police officer pepper-sprays Occupy protesters at the University of California [2011]
Unknown
#50. Hhaing The Yu, 29, holds his face in his hand as rain falls on the decimated remains of his home after a cyclone stroke Myanmar’s capital of Yangon. [2008]
#51. U.S. Navy Hospital Corpsman HM1 Richard Barnett, assigned to the 1st Marine Division, holds a child after she was separated from her family during a firefight [2003]
#52. Barack Obama wins the 2008 election, becoming the first African American President. [2008]
Unknown
#53. New York firefighters, many of whom lost friends in the 9/11 attacks, learn of Osama bin Laden’s death [2011]
Unknown
#54. Wall Street on the midst of the Global Financial Crisis [2008]
Unknown
#55. Norwegian citizens hold a flower march after terrorist attacks by Anders Breivik killed 77. [2011]
Unknown
#56. Michael Phelps celebrates after winning his 14th gold medal, setting the all-time record for most Olympic gold medals. [2008]
Unknown
#57. A month and a half after the invasion began, U.S. Marine Kirk Dalrymple watches as a statue of Iraq’s President Saddam Hussein falls in central Baghdad. [2003]
#58. An indigenous woman holds her child while trying to resist the advance of Amazonas state policemen in Manaus who have been sent to evict natives. [2008]
#67. The Middle East sees snow for the first time in over 100 years [2012]
Unknown
#68. Tanisha Blevin, 5, holds the hand of fellow Hurricane Katrina victim Nita LaGarde, 105, as they are evacuated from the convention center in New Orleans. [2005]
#70. Pearl Harbor survivor Houston James of Dallas embraces Marine Staff Sgt. Mark Graunke Jr. who lost a hand, leg, and eye while defusing a bomb in Iraq. [2005]
#78. Phyllis Siegel, 76, and Connie Kopelov, 84, are finally able to get married in New York. In the past decade, 17 US States, alongside 15 countries have legalized gay marriage. [2011]
#79. Elite runner Jaqueline Kiplimo helps a disabled Chinese athlete drink during the 2010 Zheng-Kai marathon. She stayed with him for several miles, costing her the 1st place finish and the $10000 prize. [2010]
Unknown
#80. A couple kisses on the pavement during the Vancouver Riot [2011]
#85. Vladimir Putin shirtless while vacationing and hunting in Siberia. The now Russian President is a judo black belt. [2009]
Unknown
While compiling this, it’s always a possibility that we missed some other powerful 21st century photographs. Feel free to share it with us.
Like it? Share it.
Meet the Author:
Anders Ross
I'm one of the co-founders of iShift as well as a freelance designer and a web addict from Frankfurt, Germany. I spend too much time in front of the computer and when I actually manage to get away for more than 10 minutes, I am usually reading books, traveling or shooting photos. Check the latest updates of iShift @instantShift.
very great stuff.
Thanks for that gallery!
Oh, my god. These photos made my day. I’ll bookmark this post. I’ll share this post with mu friends. Interesting.
That was amazing…luv looking @ that…EPIC!!!…totaly sharing this!
nice photos with precise stories