The first Silver Camera contest was run in 1949 by the Dutch Association of Press Photographers (NVF). The competition was intended to enhance the quality of work by the association’s own members. In 1955 the Silver Camera contest engendered an international version of itself: the World Press Photo competition. Today, the Silver Camera is the most prestigious prize for press photography in the Netherlands and winning photographs of the past are engraved in the public’s memory: who in the Netherlands does not remember the shocking photo of Pim Fortuyn lying dead after he was shot, or the poignant image of athlete Ellen van Langen crossing the finishing line practically in a trance to win gold at the 1992 Olympics? This year sees a revolution in the judging of the contest. In each category, a professional jury will now pick the top three entries during a preparatory selection round. In the final round, to be held on 20 January in the Hague Museum of Photography, the chairs of all the professional juries will meet together under the chairmanship of Bert Janssen to select the single best news photo of 2007. The winners of two other Dutch photography awards will also be announced in the course of a festive evening presented by cabaret artist and television personality Wilfried de Jong: Press Photographer of the Year 2007 and the Canon Young