Results of last week's highly scientific poll featured by The Travel Photographer:
Totally Digital: 72% of readers
Totally Film: 15% of readers
Some Digital: 4% of readers
Some Film: 9% of readers
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Daniel Pepper: Haiti
Daniel Pepper studied philosophy and Middle East studies at the University of Chicago. After graduation, he worked as writer and photojournalist focusing on human rights and justice issues. His work appeared in Time, Newsweek, Fortune, NYT magazine, Sunday Telegraph and MSNBC.com among others. He currently resides in New Delhi.
I chose Daniel's work on voodoo in Hati for his powerful images, and dynamic colors. The photograph above is one of my favorites for its saturated colors and the sense of motion that I'm so partial to.
Voodoo is the name attributed to a traditionally West African spiritual system of faith and ritual practices, and its intent is to explain the forces of the universe, influence those forces, and influence human behavior. Voodoo's oral tradition of faith stories carries genealogy, history and fables to succeeding generations. Adherents honor deities and venerate ancient and recent ancestors.
Daniel Pepper
Friday, September 28, 2007
News Update: Myanmar (Burma)
The images from Burma of a Japanese journalists as he lay dying after soldiers opened fire on thousands of anti-government protesters have shocked the international community. The above photograph shows Kenji Nagai held his camera above his head to continue taking photos even as a soldier pointed a gun at his chest. He was one of at least nine people who were killed when troops opened fire after ordering the protesters to move on. Another 11 were reported injured.
The military regime is clamping down on the protestors, has shuttered down most monasteries with barbed wire preventing monks from leaving and have significantly curtailed internet acces and communications.
AP reports: "Soldiers clubbed activists in the streets and fired warning shots Friday, moving decisively to break up demonstrations in Myanmar before they could gain momentum. Troops occupied Buddhist monasteries and cut public Internet access, raising concerns that the crackdown on civilians that has killed at least 10 people was set to intensify."
Incredible India: Seema K. K.
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.Seema lives in Trivandrum, Kerala in southern India, and is a graphic designer who recently took up photography with the aim of specializing in the field of cultural and documentary photography. Her keen eye and color sense is amply demonstrated by her exuberant photograph of a Theyyam dancer.
Theyyam is a popular ritual dance of north Kerala, south India, particularly presented in the Kannur and Kasargode districts. It originates from centuries old traditions, rituals and customs, and as such embraces almost all castes and classes of Hindu religion in this region. The term Theyyam is a corrupt form of daivam or God. It is a rare combination of dance and music and reflects important features of a tribal culture.
Seema's other photographs can be seen here
Incredible India: Prabir Purkayastha
During the past fourteen years, Purkayastha traveled through the wilderness of Ladakh, which lies at the northern tip of India, and captured powerful images of the last bastion of ancient Tibetan culture, and says that “Ladakh connects with me at a very emotional and spiritual level. I can spend a lifetime in there."
He's an Indian photographer who exhibited in New Delhi and at the Photokina in Cologne, Germany. His photographs have been published in leading newspapers and magazines in India. He also won the National Habitat Award for Best Photography Exhibition for 2002. In the summer of 2005 he published his picture book Ladakh.
I attended a photo talk by Prabir at the Rubin Museum of Art in NYC a couple of years ago, where he described how he gilded a selection of his photographs of Ladakhi murals using a technique suggested to him by the monks themselves.
Prabir Purkayastha
Thursday, September 27, 2007
NY Times: Myanmar (Burma) Unrest
The NY Times has published a slideshow depicting the latest photographs of the unrest in Rangoon. The photographs are by various news agencies, and not attributed to specific photographers.The government's security forces cracked down today on nationwide protests, firing shots and tear gas, and raiding at least two Buddhist monasteries, where they beat and arrested dozens of monks. A monk at the Ngwe Kyar Yan monastery, pointing to bloodstains on the concrete floor, said a number of monks were beaten and at least 70 of its 150 monks taken away in vehicles.
The government told Japan’s Embassy in Rangoon that a Japanese national was killed, and reports indicate that he appeared to be a photographer.
To me, the above photograph (Reuteurs) in the slideshow is representative of the current situation...a monk defying the security forces. It's not really iconic but is a photograph that tells the story in its simplicity. However, it's cropped...the horizontal version (at least part of it) is here
It appears that tourist visas are still issued by some embassies of Myanmar...but at a slower pace and with greater scrutiny, while some photojournalists and journalists do not seem to have been given visas.
The whole slideshow is here: Burma's Unrest (Registration may be required)
NY Times: Delhi's Garbage Collectors
The New York Times features a slideshow of Manwara Begum, one of the garbage collectors working in Delhi. More than 95 percent of New Delhi has no formal system of house-to-house garbage collection, so it falls to the city's ragpickers - one of India's poorest and most marginalized groups - to provide this basic service.
In the above photograph, Manwara hauls a garbage cart along her morning collection route in Netaji Nagar, blowing her whistle to notify residents of her arrival. It's backbreaking work, and Manwara earns about 40 rupees rupees a day, roughly a dollar. The NYT refers to Manwara as Ms Begum...which is incorrect. Manwara is Muslim and the name Begum is a honorific, not a surname.
Delhi's Garbage Collectors (Registration may be required)
Incredible India: Sanjit Das
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
Sanjit's work addresses social issues in the backdrop of changing economic and political scenario in India, which reflects the changing India through the lived experiences of people, especially women and children. His work is published in books, book covers, newspapers and journals in India and overseas, and he has exhibited his work in galleries in India and France. He has worked for various international newspapers, magazines, corporates, UN agencies and NGOs.
This photograph is of a Varanasi boatman rowing on the Ganges.
Wednesday, September 26, 2007
Washington Post: Myanmar
Here's a slideshow of recent photographs of the current events in Myanmar as published by the Washington Post. In this photograph a monk uses a large megaphone to speak to the crowd gathered in Yangon on Sept. 25. At first the monks simply prayed and chanted "democracy, democracy." As the public joined, demonstrators demanded dialogue between the government and opposition parties, freedom for political prisoners, and adequate food, shelter and clothing.
The Washington Post's Burmese Protestors Defiant (Registration may be required).
Incredible India: Sohrab Hura
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
Sohrab Hura was born in 1981 in India, and studies for a masters degree in economics at the Delhi School olf Economics. Although he has no formal training in photography, he's been photographing since 2001.
He takes inspiration from the work of many photographers...such as " James Nachtwey's endeavour to illustrate social injustice, the perfect moments captured by McCurry, the photos of kids by Fransesco Zizola, the contrast between Raghu Rai's works on "Mother Teresa" and "The Bhopal gas tragedy" and at the same time their similar deep impact; all of it has inspired me. I 've chosen to start my work with underprivileged children because they are closer to my age group and childhood is a phase that I've already been through; I hope to capture moments that tell us about their dreams, despairs, and joys. I intend to slowly extend the subject of my work in the future..."
I chose Sohrab's photograph of two brothers completing the last rites for their deceased father. "On asking them how they managed to remain so calm even after they had lost their father, they said that it was because they had fulfilled their dying father's last wish to be cremated in Benares. "
Sohrab's work was suggested to me by Claude Renault...a fellow Indiaphile and a talented photographer.
Tuesday, September 25, 2007
News: Nepal
Nepal's (nominal) king Gyanendra missed his annual blessing from a virgin "goddess" breaking a tradition seen as crucial for the Himalayan monarchy's survival. The Royal Kumari festival is a 250-year-old tradition the king of Nepal needs to attend in order to remain the country's undisputed leader.
The Kumari is a pre-pubescent girl selected from a Buddhist community in Kathmandu valley and taken from her family to live in an ornate palace in the centre of the capital's ancient quarter. She is worshiped as the living incarnation of a Hindu goddess, and her annual blessing is considered a spiritual seal of approval for the palace in the conservative Hindu-majority nation.
The final status of the monarchy is to be decided after elections in November for a body that will rewrite Nepal's constitution....that promises to be interesting since the current government seeks to abolish the monarchy, and for Nepal to become a republic. Few, if any, will miss King Gyanendra.
One of the possible destinations for my 2008 photo expeditions is Nepal and the Kathmandu Valley so I'll be watching these developments with interest.
News Update: Myanmar
As a follow up to my post on September 19 : the Associated Press now reports that thousands of Buddhist monks and sympathizers defied orders from the military junta by protesting today in the country's two biggest cities, Yangon and Mandalay. Soldiers, including an army division that took part in the brutal suppression of a 1988 uprising, converged on the capital.
Today's actions increase the pressure on the junta to either crack down on or compromise with a reinvigorated democracy movement. The monks have taken their traditional role as the conscience of society, backing the military into a corner from which it may lash out again. However, the military is restrained by China which has considerable investments in this country. The recent announcement by the Bush administration that more economic sanctions are to be placed on Myanmar is only political theater to claim that it plays a role in the current upheavals. When will we learn that sanctions are never effective, and that only home-grown democratic impulses work?
The military government has just banned assemblies of more than five people and imposed curfews in Myanmar's two largest cities. However, China has quietly set up some behind-the-scenes diplomacy asking junta envoys to reconcile with opposition democratic forces, and to consider releasing the leading opposition figure, Aung San Suu Kyi.
There's no question in my mind that civil upheavals are bound to happen shortly...a number of top photojournalists are on their way to Myanmar to cover the anticipated events.
Update 9.26.07: A dissident radio station says five monks have been killed, while the AFP agency puts the figure at three. Around 80 monks were arrested at Rangoon's Shwedagon pagoda and others were beaten as they tried to enter the building complex. One exiled dissident group said 300 monks had been arrested across the city.
Incredible India: Altaf Qadri
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
Altaf Qadri is a photojournalist based in Kashmir, who has been covering the conflict in Kashmir for several years.. His photographs and stories from events in Kashmir have appeared all around the globe including Time, The Guardian, New York Times, International Herald Tribune, Washington Post and The Times among others.
The above photograph is of a Kashmiri Muslim woman looks into the sanctuary of a shrine in Pakharpura, some 50 kms from Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian held Kashmir.
Incredible India: Gaddi Tribe
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
The Gaddis reside in the Mandi, Kangra and Bilaspur districts near Dharmasala in Himachal Pradesh. Gaddis are not fully nomadic since they live in villages with stone houses. Although the origin of the Gaddis is unclear, they believe that their ancestors fled from persecution of the Mughal emperor Aurangzeb.
The Gaddi women wear colourful dresses that are spun in their homes, and their ornaments include semi precious stones, little mirrors in their necklace and peacock feather. These two women were thrilled to pose for photographs, and proud to display their dresses and silver jewelry.
Monday, September 24, 2007
Incredible India: A Kite's View
Nicholas Chorier's aerial photographs provide wonderful perspectives of familiar Indian monuments and vistas, which are photographed using large kites. A camera (a Canon 5D) is mounted on a rig that hangs below the kite, and is operated by remote control from the ground.
Chorier feels a deep gratitude for India for giving him the opportunity to show his work.
“In a sense, I feel like I am giving something back to the country— that I didn’t, like the colonialists of yore, simply ‘steal’ without giving back anything.”
It's because of this statement that I include Nicholas on TTP's pages this week.
For a short slideshow (courtesy of the BBC): A Kite's Eye View
Nicholas Chorier's website
Incredible India: Ran Chakrabati
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
Ran Chakrabarti is a lawyer and graduate of the London School of Economics, and has worked with the United Nations in New York and Reuters in New Delhi. He has exhibited his work in Singapore, London and publishes occasionally in the Times of India and the UK quarterly travel magazine, Traveller. The above photograph is of the Khuri Sand Dunes, near Jaisalmer, Rajasthan.
Incredible India: Kathputli Puppeteers
As no emerging photographic talent from India is being promoted during the Incredible India @ 60 extravaganza in New York City, "Incredible India on TTP" is a week-long series of posts in a small effort to redress this oversight by showcasing unknown, under represented or emerging Indian photographers, as well as some of my own photographs of this amazing country.
I photographed this husband and wife team of puppeteers at the Kathputli Colony, a slum beneath the bridge of Shadipur Depot in South Delhi. Kathputli Colony is what's called a tinsel slum, with some 800 families of artists such as magicians, acrobats, mime artists, puppeteers, jugglers, folk singers, snake charmers, bear handlers, monkey trainers and other street performers.
Kathputli also refers to string puppets of Rajasthan. As seen in the photograph, these are doll-like figures made of mango wood, usually without legs and feet. The word Katha means story, while the word Putli means puppet. The puppeteers are traditionally from the Bhatt community. The main puppeteer is the sutradhar and is accompanied by the bhagavat (narrator-singer), an assistant, and musicians for the drums, cymbals and the harmonium. A reed-like bamboo instrument that emits a shrill sound is peculiar to Kathputli.
Sunday, September 23, 2007
Incredible India @ 60
India's 60th anniversary of independence is being observed with a week-long celebration in New York City starting today, Sunday September 23rd. The celebrations are sponsored by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) and India's Ministry of Tourism, as well as other Indian entities.Among the events is an exhibit of photographs by Steve McCurry at the Bryant Park Hotel (40 West 40th Street in NYC). I attended the opening event on the hotel's 25th floor this morning, and came out of the exhibit with a sense of disappointment and dejection...and here's why...
I would think that the Government of India should use the celebration of its independence from foreign colonialism by promoting its own artists. It is true that Steve McCurry is a talented and famous photographer, and perhaps that will come as a shock to the Ministry of Tourism, but he is not Indian. Why can't the Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Culture exhibit photographic works by young emerging Indian photographers, instead of McCurry's? Why can't these unimaginative bureaucrats shrug off their inertia and promote indigenous talent? I know of a dozen of Indian photographers who would be proud -and thrilled- to exhibit their work in New York City. If the bureaucrats wanted established glitz and fame instead of promoting young talent, why not exhibit Raghu Rai and Raghubir Singh then? I just don't understand the logic. Why can't the Indian Ministries of Culture and Tourism give their emerging and talented photographers a break...rather than promoting those who are already at the peak of their careers and who hardly need the exposure.
To celebrate India's 60th as an independent nation, TTP will post over the coming week the work of emerging and unknown photographers from India. If India's bureaucrats do not have the imagination to promote them, I shall.
That being said, I attended the exhibit that consisted of about 25 photographs by McCurry. All of these were of Indian scenes and portraits...most of which have been already published in one way or the other. There's no question that the photographs are beautiful...but that's hardly the point I'm making. McCurry himself was giving an interview to a TV station at the time, so I didn't get a chance to shake his hand. Had he been an emerging talented Indian photographer, I would've waited until he was finished.
Incredible !ndia's website
Carolyn Drake: The Lubavitch
Carolyn Drake is a Brown University graduate who worked as a concept designer and producer of multimedia projects in New York before deciding to become a photographer. She studied at the ICP and obtained a masters in Visual Communications. She was chosen by Magenta Foundation as one of the emerging photographers in 2007. Carolyn currently lives in Istanbul. This is the second time I feature her work on TTP...the first was on her work on the Uighurs.
The Chabad-Lubavitch is one of the largest branches of Hasidic Judaism and one of the largest Jewish movements worldwide, especially in the United States, the Former Soviet Union, Europe and Israel. The word "Lubavitch" is the name of the town in Russia where the movement was based for more than a century.
The above photograph of the Lubavitcher holding the Torah appealed to me because of Carolyn's choice of a wide aperture, focusing on the book and hands and blurring the rest. The photto essay was also featured on National Geographic.
The slideshow photo essay is flash-based...just click on each photo to move to the next.
The Lubavitch
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