The two giants of Northern Irish politics, Sinn Feins Gerry Adams and the Democratic Ulster Unionists’ Reverend Ian Paisley.
Both men, bitterly opposed to each others beliefs, stamping their unmistakable personalities throughout the history of the recent troubles. In the Jean Claude Delmas picture, Paisley denounces Pope John Paul II during the Pontiffs speech to the European Parliament in Strasbourg for which Paisley was expelled and dragged out of the assembly by stewards and other members. In Mike Browns picture Adams does what he does best, captivating a large crowd, this time at Vinegar Hill in Enniscorthy, Co Wexford at a commemoration of the Irish rebellion of 1798.

In Dan Chungs picture Adams the master photo opportunist plays football outside a polling station in 1998, guaranteeing his picture in the next day’s paper and simultaneously putting a huge grin on every waiting photographers face. Paisley, in this picture I shot at the recent local assembly elections, is just as adept at giving the ever present photographers that little something to brighten their file.

Now that Northern Ireland appears to have a much brighter future, the real picture every photographer wants is the two men together. As Paisley once said I will never sit down with Gerry Adamshed sit with anyone. Hed sit down with the devil. In fact, Adams does sit down with the devil.. Independent, February 13 1997. 
This has made our job even more difficult and so every opportunity there has been over the past 15 years to photograph both men even in the same vicinity as each other has been seized, with varying degrees of success. That Crispin Rodwell managed to get both men in the same frame in the above pictures, was an achievement in itself.

Paul McErlane then succeeds in shooting a picture during peace process talks that shows both mens faces clearly and that they are almost within touching distance of each other. Then only a matter of weeks ago the Press Associations Paul Faith is given the pool opportunity to shoot Paisley and Adams sitting together at the Parliament Buildings at Stormont. But for some this is not enough. Having taken this long for history to get these two men together, appetites will not be satisfied until there is a handshake.

As David McKittrick of The Independent eloquently stated Ian Paisley and Gerry Adams did not shake hands yesterday: they had no need to, since their manner of signalling they are ready to go into government together produced an even more telling and forceful image.

Kieran Doherty is a Senior Photographer working in London
 

He had to have known it was at least a possibility. Theres no way the President of the United States could expect to sit in the front row as the West African Dance Company performed in his backyard and hope that enthusiastic clapping would be enough to keep him safe.

But, when the inevitable happened and he was led on stage he looked surprised and made a valiant effort to boogie along with the Senegalese dancers.

Of course Reuters photographer Jason Reed and his colleagues made the most of the opportunity. The resultant images are full of fun; the President appears a good sport without looking undignified, which is a great result for all concerned, photographers, President and the organisers of the Malaria Awareness Day event at the White House rose garden.

By complete contrast Stephen Hird caught British Prime Minister Tony Blair looking distinctly unamused as he waited on the doorstep of 10 Downing Street for the arrival of the Georgian President. Not much chance of any dancing in the Downing Street rose garden then.

Contributors to the You Witness News site are building an impressive collection of images covering a wide range of subjects. Fire seems to be one which produces excellent results and there is a particularly good series by Brad Petersen from the beginning of the year of a fire at a condominium construction site in the best of the week for 1/23/07.

A very useful general view by Whitney Tipton of bushfires blazing over Los Angeles beautifully complements an excellent set of pictures shot much closer to the action by Patrick Gookin which would be right at home in any news layout from the selection of the best of the week for 4/5/07.

I don’t know how quickly these images were moved to You Witness but to have real news value they would need to be in our hands within an hour or two of being shot. Speed is of the essence, news is served hot and even pictures which are not hard news are more readily used on the day they were produced.