Snowed under with praise

A bustling New York street, perhaps, during a routine winter snowstorm? Well, you're probably more familiar with this particular stretch of road than you might at first think. Taken during the freak blizzard of January last year, the images show a twilit, snowdappled Whitechapel Market, transformed into something altogether more romantic.

These surprising photographs are taken by Philipp Ebeling, this year's winner of the Observer Hodge Photographic Award. Established in 1986 in memory of David Hodge, a 29-year-old photographer who died from injuries sustained while covering the Brixton riots, the prize is an annual award for photojournalists under 30. Each year, it demonstrates the freshness with which the familiar can be retold.

Images of five things that were banned by the Taliban secures James Reeve second prize. The prohibition of weather forecasting, for instance, sees deflated Russian weather balloons heaped roomdeep in an abandoned building at the former National Weather Centre. Kite-flying, education for

girls, bird-keeping and music provide the rich source material for Reeve's other compositions.

The exhibition also includes starker and more disturbing photographs, such as children who care for their sick and dependent parents, teenagers with HIV in Romanian institutions and patients who are kept in chains in a barbaric mental home in Sierra Leone.

Until Sep 10, The Newsroom, 60 Farringdon Road EC1, Mon to Fri 10am to 5pm, Sat midday to 4pm, free.

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The Observer Hodge Photographic Award Exhibition 2004