The photographers' story: Part three

A resident gestures during a protest against the death of a man in Pavao-Pavaozinho slum. Residents accused Police Peacekeeping Unit officers of causing the death of a dancer, Douglas Rafael da Silva Pereira, 25, who was found dead inside a school at the community.

Reuters photographer Lucas Landau: “When the shooting began I was at home. The favela is just round the corner, so I saw the police cars in the streets, fire in the slum and the street gradually emptying.

When I arrived at the slum the residents were in one corner and the police in another, both screaming and very tense.

The residents had set fire to the entrance of the slum to stop the police getting in. But the police had guns pointed at them all the time. That's why the man in the picture is opening his arms, to show the police that he is ‘clean’.

After that, the residents left the body, covered in blood, in the middle of the street and the police went in to get the dead man. I was the only one that took these pictures, because I was the first photographer to get there.”

Bystanders react as victims arrive at the Asokoro General Hospital after a morning rush-hour bomb killed at least 71 people at a Nigerian bus station near the capital.

Reuters photographer Afolabi Sotunde: “I had just shot the wedding of the president's daughter in Abuja and was looking forward to a quiet week. On my way home I was listening to the radio and then came the announcement of an explosion in the busy Nyanya suburb.

My heart flashed with panic and anxiety, and I decided to go to the nearest hospital. Gaining access to the premises was a challenge but after a lot of pleading I managed to persuade security to let me in.

The sight was unbearable, and the smell of burnt skin filled the air. The crowd gathered at the hospital was overtaken with emotion and pandemonium ensued. As I was shooting away, there came another siren from the gate. I turned and noticed these women standing by the wall, close to the morgue, breaking down in tears and calling on God to help put an end to senseless killings.”

I turned my camera towards the women and tried to compose the shot carefully, but from my position the vehicle behind which the women were standing was intruding into the frame. There was no way to quickly relocate and recompose the shot, as I did not want to interfere with what was going on. “

Michael Lucarelli runs from the media as he leaves the federal court building after posting bail in the Manhattan borough of New York.

Reuters photographer Carlo Allegri: “I was waiting for Lucarelli when a photographer friend from a local paper stopped by to chat and ask me what was going on. I told him it was a minor fraud case that we were covering. His paper wasn't interested in the case at all and a network TV crew were there covering another story.

Lucarelli looked out the door and saw the two photographers and a TV crew and thought we were all for him. He ducked back inside for a moment, then came back through the revolving door and took off at a full sprint.

He ran away so fast that his sandals flew off his feet, which is what made the photo and caused the other media to run to the story. If he had just walked out, TV and the other photographer would have never sent their images.”

Former French President Nicolas Sarkozy sits on a bench with his wife Carla Bruni-Sarkozy.

Reuters photographer Benoit Tessier: “I was covering the first round of the French municipal elections in Paris and went to a local poll station in a school where Nicolas Sarkozy and Carla Bruni-Sarkozy were due to cast their votes.

After, they exited through the courtyard to avoid the crowds outside and, realising the door was shut, sat together on a bench while waiting for the keeper to fetch the key.

I had stayed behind in a school corridor to send out the photos I had just taken when I spotted the open door.

I then entered the courtyard where there were two other photographers. The couple spotted us so I got only around 15 seconds to take their picture before their security staff stood in front of them.”

Four runners carry Adam Hurst down Boylston Street after his legs locked up during the 118th running of the Boston Marathon.

Reuters photographer Dominik Reuter: “I was near the Forum restaurant in case anything significant happened at the time and place of last year’s second attack.

I heard the crowd starting to make noise and noticed a man I would later learn was Team Hoyt’s Adam Hurst struggling but still standing, legs locked after just having passed 26 miles. The cheers from the sidelines were louder than anything I had heard all day, urging him on, but his body wouldn’t cooperate. That’s when a man, I think David Meyer, stopped his run and offered help.

By the time I ran to a position to make a picture of them, Jim Grove had also stopped and was helping:

They kept moving forward and I fought the crowd down Boylston Street as it seemed the three of them would lose it. They came slowly to a halt, and another man I wasn’t able to identify joined to help, and then another woman. By this time the crowd had grown even noisier, and the four decided to each take one of Hurst’s limbs and haul him closer to the line. They set off faster than I was able to keep up with them on the sidewalk.

Some have pointed out that this sort of moment is almost commonplace in marathons, and that’s partly true. But the moment I was fortunate to witness sums up so much of what I love about this city, this sport, and this event in particular.”