2001 Infinity Award: Photojournalism

Luc Delahaye’s brother gave him his first camera at age 17, but for years he kept it hidden under his jacket. “I was incapable of taking a photo,” he said, “I didn’t feel legitimate.” This shy phase well behind him, Delahaye is now internationally known for his coverage of global conflict for major news magazines. In the winter of 1998, accompanied by Russian journalist Nikolai Vishnievsky, Delahaye traveled from Moscow to Vladivostok over a four-month period, photographing people in their homes. His images take an intimate look into the moral and social crises of a country in transition, undergoing a harsh economic and cultural decline. Delahaye said, "I came out of this voyage somewhat transformed. I had the impression of being larger. Like Russia itself.” Winterreise, the book documenting the journey, was published by Phaidon in 2000. The title refers to a Schubert song cycle about travelers on a winter journey.

Born in Tours, France in 1962, Delahaye began photographing for Sipa in 1985, and became a full member of Magnum Photos in 1998. He received the Robert Capa Gold Medal in 1993, and was twice the recipient of the World Press Photo Prize and the Paris Match Prize. He received the Oskar Barnack 2000 Award for Winterreise.