It’s impossible to walk through the Annenberg Space for Photography’s new exhibit without realizing just how irreplaceable skilled photojournalists are in our media landscape — not to mention the world in general.

On Friday, the world’s best documentary photographers gathered at the Annenberg to celebrate “The Year,” a photography collection recognized by Pictures of the Year International (POYi).

The featured artists had their own journeys to tell, but those narratives combined uniquely to tell the story of 2009. Barack Obama meditating before his inauguration speech. Children showing their medical deformities as a result of chemical warfare. A basketball team laughing in a locker room. Fans honoring Michael Jackson. These, and many other historical moments, defined both the end of a tumultuous decade and the men and women who witnessed it with their cameras.

Each photograph in the show is also placed in an annual POYi competition: Winning photographers and some of their close friends enjoyed an opening reception, viewed the collection and attended an auction for exclusive prints of the photographs featured.

“It’s fascinating to be in an event where you’re touching history,” said Ben Rauls, who bought one of the auctioned prints. “It’s exciting to be here with those who lived it.” —Marchae Grair