AUDIO: STEPHEN MAYES KEYNOTE LECTURE AT WORLD PRESS PHOTO AWARDS 2009

Stephen Mayes, who has served as World Press Photo Jury Secretary for the past six years, gave a keynote lecture during which he shared his personal observations, reflections and concerns about "how the media processes images" as well as his insights on the grueling but efficient behind-the-scenes workings at this most important award in photojournalism.

You can listen to Stephen Mayes' entire 49-minute presentation, including an introduction and closing remarks by Michiel Munneke, Managing Director of the World Press Photo Foundation, in this audio recording at Lens Culture.

You can also view a high-resolution slideshow of many of this year's winning images in Lens Culture.

Lens

Lens is the photojournalism blog of The New York Times, presenting the finest and most interesting visual and multimedia reporting — photographs, videos and slide shows.

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The Bhopal tragedy ... after 25 years

The Bhopal industrial disaster killed about 4,000 people in the early hours of Dec. 3, 1984. A few days later the death toll had doubled. Over the next few years, the lingering affects of the poison nearly doubled the toll again, to about 15,000, according to government estimates. Local activists say the real numbers are almost twice that. A quarter-century later, thousands like are still grappling with the affects of exposure to the deadly gas as it winds its way through generations not even born when the disaster struck. Rights groups say toxic waste from the plant still contaminates the soil and groundwater in nearby neighborhoods.

Photos: Daniel Berehulak / Getty Images