by Claire O'Neill

The first Pulitzer Prize for photography was awarded to Milton Brooks for his photograph of a strike at Ford Motor Co. in 1943. In 1968, the award was split into two categories: the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography and the Pulitzer Prize for Breaking News Photography. This year's winners were announced yesterday.

The respective recipients were Damon Winter of The New York Times,for his series on the Obama campaign, and Patrick Farrell of The Miami Herald, for his coverage of the destruction in Haiti caused by Hurricane Ike. Take a look at some of Winter's photos below.

  • Sen. Barack Obama, drenched, during a rally at Widener University in Chester, Pa.
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    Sen. Barack Obama, drenched, during a rally at Widener University in Chester, Pa.
  • Rapt but cold Obama supporters at a campaign rally at Widener University in Chester, Pa.
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    Rapt but cold Obama supporters at a campaign rally at Widener University in Chester, Pa.
  • A crowd of children waits behind a fence on the track at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, as Obama arrives to speak.
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    A crowd of children waits behind a fence on the track at Duncanville High School in Duncanville, Texas, as Obama arrives to speak.
  • Supporters in Chicago's Grant Park cried and cheered on election night as it became certain that Barack Obama would be the next president.
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    Supporters in Chicago's Grant Park cried and cheered on election night as it became certain that Barack Obama would be the next president.
  • The serving staff watches from the back as Obama greets customers and workers at the Deli Den in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
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    The serving staff watches from the back as Obama greets customers and workers at the Deli Den in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
  • Obama speaks at the Izod Center at the Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.
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    Obama speaks at the Izod Center at the Meadowlands, East Rutherford, N.J.
  • Obama buys tickets for food and rides at the Sombrero Festival in Brownsville, Texas.
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    Obama buys tickets for food and rides at the Sombrero Festival in Brownsville, Texas.
  • Not all is serious or momentous at an Obama rally in Jacksonville, Fla.
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    Not all is serious or momentous at an Obama rally in Jacksonville, Fla.
  • Secret Service agents tug at the hands of a supporter as she hugs Obama at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla.
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    Secret Service agents tug at the hands of a supporter as she hugs Obama at Legends Field in Tampa, Fla.
  • Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia join his wife, Michelle, at a campaign rally in Springfield, Mo.
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    Obama and daughters Sasha and Malia join his wife, Michelle, at a campaign rally in Springfield, Mo.
  • Obama waits backstage before a rally at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va.
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    Obama waits backstage before a rally at the Richmond Coliseum in Richmond, Va.
  • Obama at a campaign rally in Pueblo, Colo., the Saturday before the election.
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    Obama at a campaign rally in Pueblo, Colo., the Saturday before the election.
  • A show of hands at a rally at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla.: "Who makes under $250,000 a year?" Obama asked.
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    A show of hands at a rally at Ed Smith Stadium in Sarasota, Fla.: "Who makes under $250,000 a year?" Obama asked.
  • Shadrick Johnson, 6, wandered off the line outside the Columbia Convention Center in South Carolina, where Obama would soon be speaking.
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    Shadrick Johnson, 6, wandered off the line outside the Columbia Convention Center in South Carolina, where Obama would soon be speaking.
  • Early on: Obama after a meeting with veterans in San Antonio in March.
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    Early on: Obama after a meeting with veterans in San Antonio in March.

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Images (c) Damon Winter, 2008, The New York Times.

View a gallery of Patrick Farrell's Haiti photos on the Pulitzer site. Other notable finalists include Carol Guzy of The Washington Post for her coverage of child birth in Sierra Leone, Sonya Hebert of The Dallas Morning News for her portrait of hospital care for the terminally ill, and Carolyn Cole of the Los Angeles Times for her coverage of political violence in Kenya.

And check out more photos by past Pulitzer winners on the Newseum's Web site.