Atacama Desert: Multimedia

Here's a lovely combination of photography, audio, interactive maps, and design in a multimedia package that will inspire all of us who see this type of media as being one of the inevitable next steps in photojournalism....and in editorial or documentary travel photography.

It centers on the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, which is the driest place on earth. Stretching 600 miles from Peru's southern border, there are parts where rainfall has never been recorded. However the Atacama is also home to more than a million people who find refuge in coastal cities, mining camps and oasis towns. There are vibrant communities, artisans, toughened workers and a devoted group of astronomers taking advantage of this unique environment.

It's really too long to view in one sitting as it's a comprehensive study of the Atacama desert, so I started off with the section on the people...always the more interesting. The main backing for the project is from the Institute for Science Learning, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Atacama Desert

Newsha Tavakolian: Iran

Image © Newsha Tavakolian-All Rights Reserved
Newsha Tavakolian is a photojournalist working for Iranian press and media. She worked internationally in Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. She has been published in Time magazine, Newsweek, Stern, Figaro and the New York Times.

I chose one of her very interesting photo essays for TTP: Entitled The Day I Became A Woman, it gives us a glimpse into the Shi'a Islam tradition that upon reaching the age of 9, a girl is considered a woman. In Teheran schools, that day is celebrated as Jashne Taklit, or "celebration of responsibility". While it's a largely symbolic celebration, it's from that day onwards that the girls have to wear a headscarf and start daily prayers at school. The girls are called "Angels", and although their parents may be secular or non-traditionalists, it's an important day in the lives of the families and their children.

Newsha Tavakolian's The Day I Became A Woman

Olivier Föllmi : Africa

Image © Olivier Föllmi-All Rights Reserved
Olivier Föllmi is one of my favorite travel photographers, along with Eric Valli. He developed a passion for the Himalayas at the age of 18 and lived there for more than 20 years. Since 2003, he has traveled the world with his wife to capture on film the soul of the people featured in the series Offerings for Humanity.

I wandered along High Street Kensington this afternoon, and visited Waterstone's where piles upon piles of photography books are on display (presumably for the Christmas season). I had the pleasure of leafing through Föllmi's magnificent book Africa, which took the better part of an hour.

I've had the privilege of photographing in the north and south of Ethiopia, and through Föllmi's splendid images of the Omo tribes, and the devout Christian priests and deacons of Lalibela, I relieved that wonderful experience.

The book's 200 or more photographs, from the deserts of Namibia to the grasslands of Cameroon, from the Himba shepherds to the Hamar tribes, this book reveals fascinating cultures and peoples. It's available from online bookstores for $35...a very reasonable price, and much cheaper than here in London!!

Föllmi's website could be improved with higher resolution photographs, but it still holds interesting information about him, his philosophy and his work.

Olivier Föllmi

Origami Flash Diffuser

As my readers know, TTP is ad-free and I only mention or post on products that I've either tested and used myself, or read articles on them in publications that I generally trust. The Origami by Gary Fong falls into the second category. I read about it in PDN's Objects of Desire section, and thought it was an interesting contraption to have in one's pocket when using a flash.

When I do use a flash, I use a white card secured on my flash with an elastic band, and this works reasonably well most of the time...but perhaps the Origami will do better?

The Origami is a diffuser that can be swung into the flash's light path, and is foldable (hence the name), taking virtually no space in one's bag or even pocket. Although I rely on natural light as much as possible, I think I'll order one and see if it lives to its hype. It's currently on sale for $30.

Gary Fong's Origami

Beyond The Frame: Varanasi Widow

Image Copyright © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
While in Varanasi photographing the extraordinary Sufi rituals at the Bahadur Shaheed shrine, I encountered this centenarian who was sheltered in a decrepit building overlooking the Manikarnika ghat, where most of the cremations are performed. Through an interpreter, I learned that Bai Dehi was a widow from Bihar, who lived in the building awaiting her death. She, as other Hindus, believes that if she died in Varanasi she would achieve 'moksha' and freed from the cycle of reincarnation.

Her voice was barely audible, not more than a hoarse whisper, and I seriously thought her to be near death, but I was told she was relatively active, and had lived for years in her small area with her meager possessions. While I photographed her, she sat there patiently as if she had seen it all before...I wouldn't be surprised if she had.

Phil Borges: Abay's Return

Image Copyright © Phil Borges-All Rights Reserved
Three years ago, Phil Borges partnered with the organization CARE to bring attention to the necessity of empowering women in the global campaign to alleviate poverty. He traveled to Africa, Asia and South America to gather the stories of extraordinary women in remote parts of the world who have empowered themselves and their communities.

Abay was born in the Afar region of eastern Ethiopia, into a culture in which young girls are circumcised. However, Abay refused despite being told that an uncircumcised woman would be ostracized and could never marry. She ran away, and returned to her village after 8 years later to work as a CARE station agent.

This is her story.

Abay's Return Video on Phil Borges' website

Abay's Return Video on CARE's website

American Photo: Emerging Artists 2007

Image Copyright © Jehad Nga-All Rights Reserved
American Photo magazine recently published its Emerging Artists: A New Generation of Photo Pioneers, a feature showcasing the work of 15 imagemakers.

From an initial list of approximately 100 nominees, judges for American Photo magazine chose 28 finalists, each of whom was asked to submit 15 images. The five judges were Michelle Bogre, chair of the photography department at Parsons The New School for Design; Brian Paul Clamp, owner of the ClampArt gallery in New York; David Maloney, a representative at the Art Department agency; Deborah Mauro, American Photo's art director; and commercial and editorial photographer Platon.

From their selections came the 15 photographers featured in Emerging Artists 2007.

There's no question that for me it is the work of Jehad Nga that is the most impressive. His beautiful work is full of shadows, with areas of brightness contrasting with areas of darkness. I posted his work a few times on TTP, and I'm pleased that American Photo has chosen him as one of the top 15.

American Photo magazine's Emerging Artists 2007

National Geographic Photo Contest

Image Copyright © Sergio Andreozzi-All Rights Reserved
The results of the National Geographic Magazine's annual photography contest were announced on Friday.

Four photographers were chosen from 148,203 images submitted to the International Photography Contest.

Four photographers are chosen from over 24,000 images submitted to the English Language portion of the International Photography Contest.

The other remaining categories are Honorable Mentions in the Animal, Landscape and People galleries.

In the Photography Essay contest, the winner is Tian Li, a photographer from China who submitted an essay on China's ways of life. Other winners are Jean Claude Louis, Howard Sheridan, Larry Louie, Ceren Karacayir and Sergio Andreozzi, among others.

I think that Larry Louie's black & white photographs of Tibet are remarkable, and deserve being published in any world-class magazine. However, it is Sergio Andreozzi's photograph of an impromptu scene of women going from window to window (above) that really captured by eye. The reddish dress matching the building's wall color and the movement of the women are perfect visual components. The electrical cable doesn't spoil the scene, because it's reality, and this is really what travel photography is all about.

I don't know where it was photographed (the caption doesn't provide the information), but from their dress, I would guess its in a Muslim community in India. (Update: Sergio emailed me to confirm that it was photographed in Jaipur).

My hat's off to the photo editors of the National Geographic Photography Contest...well done.

National Geographic Photography Contest

TTP: Recap of The Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (November 24- December 1) most popular posts on TTP:

NPR: Thai Tattoo Tradition
One Shot: Anoop Negi
Flickr Places: Useful For Scouting?

Sunday Rant III

I've been itching to rant about the absurdity of the so-called "teddy bear affair' in the Sudan, and on the plight of this unfortunate English teacher. Yes, I know...it has nothing to do with travel or editorial photography, but it has a lot to do with being opinionated as I am.

The events in Khartoum are absurd and insane, and if it wasn't for Gillian Gibbons being in a scummy Sudanese jail for a week or so, it would be farcical. The thought that naming a teddy bear Mohamed (which, by the way, was done by Ms Gibbons' students) would insult Islam is just risible and ridiculous. This is not comparable to the publication of caricatures of the Prophet of Islam in a couple of Danish - followed by a few European- newspapers. That incident was insulting, demeaning and certainly done with the intention of fomenting hatred against Muslims in Europe. In that case, Muslims were right in protesting and demonstrating, as well as boycotting Danish products (which badly damaged Danish exports). In the case of the "teddy-bear", the Sudanese government and its ignorant cohorts have accomplished nothing but bring ridicule to Islam...it is they who are blasphemous by tarnishing Islam with this ignorant behavior, not Ms Gibbons nor her students. I'm sure that 99.9% of Muslims feel the same way.

Here's the real reason for the Khartoum farce...the Sudanese government has its ongoing problems in Darfur, is facing threats of sanctions from the West and from the United Kingdom, and felt it needed to extract revenge to show its people that it had teeth after all. Nobody said that the Sudanese government was bright or respectable...but the unfortunate Ms Gibbons walked right into the mess.

It's sad to see the Sudanese government's success in provoking a bunch of illiterate ruffians to call for the punishment (and even execution) of Ms Gibbons, and by doing so, has heaped ridicule on a world religion....their own. I know that the Muslim leaders in Britain are voicing their disgust and some have acted at this inanity, but where are the voices and actions of the leaders of the well-known Islamic institutions in Egypt, Saudi Arabia and other Arab countries? Where is the voice of the clerics at Al-Azhar University in Cairo...the repository of Islamic thought and theology? Why don't they travel to Khartoum and put some sense in the Sudanese? Wouldn't that show the world what Islamic leadership ought to be? And while they're at it, they should tell the Sudanese government that its repugnant actions in Darfur are un-Islamic.

And to think that the Muslim world was once one of the most intellectually fertile regions of the world!

I owe my primary and secondary education to teachers from the UK like Ms Gibbons, and I'm sorry she's going through this horrible experience. Hopefully, she will return home to her family safely and promptly.

Update on 12/03/07: It's been reported that Ms Gibbons was granted a "pardon" from the president of Sudan, and was flying home.

Candace Feit: Nigeria's Islamic Nigeria

Image Copyright © Candace Feit/NY Times-All Rights Reserved
The New York Times has just published the work of one of my favorite photographers, in a slideshow feature entitled Islamic Nigeria.

Candace Feit's photographs are always luminous, and well composed. I've blogged about her work a few times on TTP and she always succeeds in impressing me. She's a photojournalist based in Dakar (Senegal) and her work appears in the New York Times, Washington Post, Le Monde, Chicago Tribune to name but a few.

The accompanying article reports that the Islamic "revolution" that was supposed to transform northern Nigeria has now waned and gone in another direction, and as Lydia Polgreen writes "...the practice of Islamic law, or Shariah, which had gone on for centuries in the private sphere before becoming enshrined in public law, has settled into a distinctively Nigerian compromise between the dictates of faith and the chaotic realities of modern life in an impoverished, developing nation.

This is a topical article in view of what's going on in the Sudan at the moment.

By the way, it was originally titled "Humane Shariah" but that was later changed to "Islamic Nigeria"...was that because of an editor's decision to use a more "politically correct" title?

The New York Times' Islamic Nigeria