Pioneering American photographer William Klein to get Sony achievement honours Tate Modern curator Simon Baker said: "As his photographic practice shows, Klein has always been brilliant, exacting and uncompromising, with a unique and unmistakable critical vision of 20th century life. His Outstanding Contribution to Photography Award from the World Photography Organisation is recognition of a body of work of incredible diversity, depth and individuality. Klein was trained in graphic design. He became a filmmaker and fashion photographer - a favourite at Vogue magazine for many years from 1955. However, he made his name with his book 'Life is Good & Good for You in New York'. A photographic diary of instant snapshots taken in eight intensive months of photographing the streets of the city from 1954-5, the book helped break the mould of traditional street scenes with his idea of "intervention." In his own words he was "very consciously trying to do the opposite of what Cartier-Bresson was doing. He did pictures without intervening. He was like the invisible camera. I wanted to be visible in the biggest way possible. Among his most celebrated images is a closely-framed snapshot of a two boys, one of them returning the "shoot" of the camera by pointing a toy gun at the lense. Klein was today described as one of the "true great forces of the 20th and 21st century" by his London gallerist Marcus Bury from HackelBury Fine Art. The Sony World Photography Awards Exhibition at Somerset House runs from 27 April - 20 May.