Suau picked up the top award at the 62nd World Press Photo contest with his black-and-white image of an armed policeman entering a house in Ohio following mortgage foreclosure and eviction. “He needs to check that the owners have vacated the premises and that no weapons have been left lying around. Officers go in at gunpoint as a precaution, as many houses have been vandalized or occupied by squatters or drug addicts,” explains the description of the picture.

The cutting-edge U.S. photographer was involved into a ten-year project entitled ‘Beyond the Fall’, which focused on the historic transformation of the former Soviet Union.

In 2004, Suau released a book of his photographs entitled ‘Fear This: A Nation at War’, featuring ‘America throughout the buildup to the war in Iraq.’

“I finished my project in Russia and went back to America. I started working on my project in the United States when George W. Bush was inaugurated and have been working on it up until now. It’s been an incredible experience to see my country now go through some of the problems that Russia went through 10 or 20 years ago.’

The photographer says he will continue to work in the United States while his work, along with up to 200 photos by other participants of the World Press Photo, will be on display at Moscow’s Krasny Oktyabr art venue till July 27.

“I think it’s a great exhibition. Everybody should come and see it. Not only does it involve and contain images of important moments in history, but also some great photography by some great photographers from all around the world,” Suau concludes.

Valeria Paikova, RT