For three days, Leitz Park Wetzlar was once again the scene of living passion for photography. The celebration of photography began on October 11 with numerous tours in the Leica headquarters and at other important Leica stations throughout Wetzlar. To discover was also the Leica ZM 11, the new watch from the Ernst-Leitz-Werkstätten. On the evening of October 12, the "Celebration of Photography" included the award ceremonies for this year's Leica Oskar Barnack Award (LOBA) and the announcement of the Leica Hall of Fame Award and the Leica Picture of the Year.

In a special ceremony, Bangladeshi photographer Ismail Ferdous and Chinese photographer Ziyi Le were honoured for their LOBA series. At the same time, the Leica Galerie Wetzlar opened its doors for a large exhibition of Leica Hall of Fame winner 2023 Elliott Erwitt. Another highlight during the awards on the evening of 12 October was the recitation by British poet and author Hussain Manawer.

The supporting programme concluded on the morning of 13 October with a panel discussion entitled "A Commitment to the Truth: Photojournalism in Crisis?" LOBA winner Ismail Ferdous discussed the rapidly changing conditions in current photojournalism with shortlist candidate Laetitia Vançon and photo editor and curator Lars Lindemann.

Popular poet and Leica lover: British poet and author Hussain Manawer also did the honours at this year’s Celebration of Photography, with a recitation. Among the most successful young poets of the international scene, Manawer’s image-rich texts find their visual counterpart in his work with Leica cameras; he is currently photographing with a Leica Q2. He has now captured his intense relationship with Leica in a very personal poem titled “Welcome To Wetzlar”, into which he has woven the experiences and encounters he had during the CoP. Listen and see for yourself; share his experiences. 

Since 2021, Leica Camera AG has dedicated the Leica Picture of the Year to outstanding Leica photographers who have been inducted into the Leica Hall of Fame. To date, twelve renowned photographers have been honoured with the award for their life's work. To share a piece of this success with all Leica enthusiasts, a Leica Picture of the Year is selected each year. The Leica Picture of the Year is offered exclusively by the 27 Leica Galleries worldwide. This gives all collectors and Leica friends the opportunity to build up a unique collection of great Leica photographs with the limited editions.