Observing, documenting, bearing witness and inviting the public to see the realities of life continue to motivate photojournalists to be diligent in exercising their duties.

This is done by presenting visual records - sometimes obtained at risk or danger, but always with the hope that readers will find something that resonates within an image.

In this spirit, the Indonesian Photojournalists Association (PFI) has been striving to maintain and offer the best journalistic pictures taken by its members to elegantly frame the nation’s history.

Drawing on senior and leading figures from the world Indonesian photojournalism as judges, the PFI selected the best works from more than 5,000 images submitted between 2013 and 2014 by members from all over the country for the Indonesian Photojournalist Awards (APFI).

Soar: Evoking the Garuda Pancasila, a pigeon flies over the Angke Apartments in Tambora, West Jakarta, in 2013. Occupants were ordered to vacate as their apartments were renovated. (Antara/Zabur Karuru)

The winning photos, slated for an exhibition to run from February 28 to March 15 at the Grand Indonesia Shopping Town in Jakarta, as well as at pop-up events in several major cities in Indonesia, will hopefully enrich Indonesian visual culture and inspire the nation’s future advancement.

The PFI also granted two senior photojournalists posthumous Lifetime Achievement Awards for their integrity and inspiration: Kartono Riyadi from Kompas daily and Alex Lumi from The Jakarta Post.

Some of the outstanding pictures chosen as winners of the PFI Awards are presented here.
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The writer is former chairman of the Indonesian Photojournalists Association.

Risky business: A man kicks burning coconut husks during the “Mesabatan Api” ritual ahead of Nyepi, the traditional Balinese Hindu day of silence. (JP/Agung Parameswara)

Raid: Police officers release underage children employed in a nightlife entertainment center at Tamansari, West Jakarta. Ten children were taken to the Social Affairs Ministry and eventually returned to their parents. (Angga Yuniar/MI)

Warming up: Indonesian women’s weightlifter Sri Wahyuni Agustiani covers her body with towels to maintain her temperature while waiting to compete in the Asian Games in 2014. Sri Wahyuni won a silver medal with a lift of 187 kilograms. (Kompas/Totok Wijayanto)

Not again: Floods inundate several cars in 2013. This picture was taken from the top floor of the Laguna apartment in Pluit, North Jakarta.(Hendra Permana)

Observing, documenting, bearing witness and inviting the public to see the realities of life continue to motivate photojournalists to be diligent in exercising their duties.

This is done by presenting visual records - sometimes obtained at risk or danger, but always with the hope that readers will find something that resonates within an image.

In this spirit, the Indonesian Photojournalists Association (PFI) has been striving to maintain and offer the best journalistic pictures taken by its members to elegantly frame the nation'€™s history.

Drawing on senior and leading figures from the world Indonesian photojournalism as judges, the PFI selected the best works from more than 5,000 images submitted between 2013 and 2014 by members from all over the country for the Indonesian Photojournalist Awards (APFI).