Stepan Rudik on World Press Photo

In the last few years we've seen many manipulations on photography that have appeard in the main newspapers in the world, in contests, in exhibitions, albums, etc... it is though the story of political propaganda in past. But now it's even more "common", because it's so much easier to manipulate - just few clicks in the computer.
This year in the World Press Photo Contest was revealed the manipulation. Stepan Rudik, the winner of the third prize in essay in Sport category was disqualified for removing a little object from one of the photos awarded.
Michiel Munneke, managing director of World Press Photo said: "After careful consideration, we found it imperative to disqualify the photographer from the contest. The principle of World Press Photo is to promote high standards in photojournalism. Therefore, we must maintain the integrity of our organization even when the outcome is regrettable."
More official info here.
Whole story with an interesting discussion and original picture: here.

Stepan Rudik, from the series "Antisport"

I’ve asked Stepan Rudik few questions about WPP and here are his answers:

j: How you feel about your disqualification? Does this little foot of your stands the level of copy and paste some items, or erasing whole figure we know from the history?

Stepan Rudik: I believe what I did can be equated to retouching, as if it were a defect of a film.

j: I'd like to know your attitude and the way you work. When does the final form (to have it in narrow frames, black and white, grainy, dark and dramatic) of an essay start? While working, while inventing the subject, after all pictures are done - as the final touch?

Stepan Rudik: I understood that I wanted to process the pictures in the way I did when the series was ready and I looked at it as a whole.

j: Which one submission of yours was "Antisport" to WPP contest?

Stepan Rudik: It was for the second time that I submitted to the contest this year.

j: Who are your heros in photography?

Stepan Rudik: Josef Koudelka and James Nachtwey

j: To make "Antisport" was your idea or was it the assignment from some newspaper ? How you find your topics?

Stepan Rudik: The idea was mine. I photograph life, different aspects of life, and I am interested in all subjects except the boring ones.

Stepan Rudik, from the series "Antisport"

invited by joanna