Kuta has traveled from slave port to stardom. This is where modern tourism in Bali all started and it’s still the most happening place of all.
With the building of the airport in Bali, Kuta became a firmly established part of the “Hippy Trail” and the Balinese responded with smiles, homestays and other simple accommodation, and eateries. From this small sleepy village with a white sand beach and good surf grew the Kuta of today which extends 8-10 km northeast of the airport and includes the villages of Tuban, the three villages of Legian, Seminyak, Basangkasa and now Petitenget, with hotels, resorts and restaurants virtually lining the length of the beach.
It’s been fashionable for many years now to decry Kuta for its brashness, crassness and chaos, but the fact remains that the most cosmopolitan and interesting people are to be found here. Like it or not, this is 21st Century Bali, warts and all, without the sanitisation of the more planned areas.
But even in central Kuta you can find quiet hotels and intimate restaurants, and while the beach may be crowded in pockets, most of it is virtually empty, even in peak season. This is where you will find the widest range of accommodation and the best shopping, from trinkets to well-priced designer wear to elegant homewares and exquisitely crafted furniture.
You'll also find the best variety of eating and nightlife: The beachside Hard Rock Café; the tired 24 hour Mamas; the noisy unsophisticated drinking holes such as Sari Club and Flanagans in Central Kuta; the earsplitting beachside 66 (Double Six) Disco; the trendy bars and restaurants of Seminyak; and the air-conditioned cigar bar of KuDeTa restaurant in Petitenget.
Chaos and traffic notwithstanding, the Kuta area has it all. As the parts that make up the whole have their own distinct characteristics we list them going north/west along the beach from the airport. The divisions are not exact but close enough for our purposes.
Saturday, April 5, 2008
Beach Kuta In Bali.
Fashion Photo Shoots: A Thought
I saw a recent post on PDN's Photo Feed about a fashion blog (Jezebel) that considered a photo shoot in Vietnam featured by Marie Claire (a fashion magazine for women) to be in poor taste, since the prices of the dresses being modeled, and shown of the magazine's pages, were far more than Vietnam's average annual per capita income.
So right off the bat, here's what I think. First of all, I'd be ecstatic if I was a photographer involved in similar photo shoots. The photographer of the Vietnam feature for Marie Claire is Raphael Mazzucco, and I'd pay money to be in his shoes...yes, I would. Beautiful women, beautiful locations...and photography. That can't be a job, can it?
Secondly, these photo shoots inject a lot of needed money into the local economies...the photo shoots require accommodations, transport, scouts, guides, local equipment, food supply, etc. We're talking a lot of money for just a few days.
Having said that, I also happen to think that the above photograph featuring a highly-paid model wearing expensive clothes, and a local Vietnamese woman sifting rice ought to ruffle our conscience. The juxtaposing of the two women in the same scene makes me uncomfortable. I'm certain that the Vietnamese woman was paid for her time...but the scene still doesn't really sit well with me. The cost of the model's dress is probably worth what the Vietnamese woman makes a year or two, and it's just a shame that there's nothing anyone can do about it.
So idealistically-speaking, while I agree with the Jezebel blog's socially-minded editors, I'd still be delighted to be the photographer on such photo shoots. Would I have photographed the same scene? Probably....but I would have made sure that the Vietnamese woman was paid for her help. But no matter what...it would have bothered me a little bit.
Whenever I travel for photography, whether on my own or on my photo expeditions, I (like many of you) face similar situations on a daily basis. I'm conscious that I carry gear worth months, if not years, of income for many people in the countries I visit, and that never fails to bother me. We all deal with this in our own way, and I hope the way I do is appropriate.
Friday, April 4, 2008
Christopher Wise: Shangri-La
Five years ago Christopher Wise needed a change from his job as graphic designer in New York, closed his design studio, and moved to Bangkok.
As well as shooting editorial assignments for travel magazines, Christopher has also been pursuing personal stories on the effects of tourism on locations where tourists and locals coexist on an ongoing basis. His images have appeared in Esquire, GQ, Travel+Leisure, Conde Nast Traveller, Gourmet, Departures and Men's Vogue.
Im view of the current events in Tibet, I chose chose Christopher's photo essay titled Shangri-La which includes images from Tibet, Zhongdian, and Litang in China. However, have a look at the rest of Christopher's galleries which include Angkor Wat and Pattaya. The essay on Angkor Wat in particular delves into "the corrosive effect of tourists on local communities, for the evidence demonstrates that "destinations" in the developing world reap little from tourism."
Christopher Wise's Shangri La
Thursday, April 3, 2008
Ann Johansson: India's Lost Women
Ann Johansson is a freelance photojournalist based in Los Angeles, whose work has appeared in Newsweek, Time, Fortune, BusinessWeek, Stern, Paris Match, The New York Times as well as other publications in the United States and abroad.
In 2004 she was awarded first place in NPPA's Arts category for her backstage photograph of the Kirov Ballet. She is currently working on a project that is taking her around the world photographing for the Klimahaus, a museum that is being built in Bremerhaven, Germany.
Her websites exhibits galleries of Mexico, Palestine and Haiti, but it's her multimedia work on India which I found to be the most powerful. India has a low sex ratio, frequently attributed to female infanticides and sex-selective abortions, and this is the main topic of her QT movies on India's "Lost Women": Vanishing Gender, Quacks & Drugs, Girls Not Wanted, The Wife Trade and Meera's Death.
Wednesday, April 2, 2008
Nikon: New Website
I've already bemoaned the fact that Canon is a laggard as far as updating its website. All its current websites are perhaps functional, but are also eyesores when compared to its competitors' web presences such as Nikon and Olympus.Nikon just announced its new global website to celebrate its 75 years, which will showcase the best work from Nikon professionals across the globe; covering everything from weddings, to travel, sports and more.
Ami Vitale, one of my favorite documentary photographers is profiled in the Nikon site.
ps (03/4/08) Adding insult to injury, it's reported by c|net that Nikon is narrowing its gap with Canon in terms of sales of DSLRs.
Bledug Kuwu In Grobogan.
Bledug Kuwu is one of tourist attractions in Wirosari area in Grobogan Region, Purwodadi, Central Java. Bledug Kuwu is a local name for something that burst in pool. This is rather strange pool that far from volcano. The vapor burst came from carbon dioxide release. The temperature is mild. Visitors might experience a stunning natural occurrence of small, frequent bursts from mud crate with a sound resembling a mount eruption. This natural phenomenon is resulted from geothermal motion inside the earth bed. Witness said that a big burst could even create small quakes that quiver the area.
Bledug Kuwu looks like just another muddy pond. But every one or two minutes, the placid water erupts in an explosion of mud, followed by a plume of white steam. The pond is located just off the alternative road connecting Purwodadi and Cepu in Central Java, on a site measuring some 4.5 hectares. Bledug Kuwu has become a tourist attraction in the area. The visitors can watch the geyser from a distance of between 10 meters and 20 meters. The eruptions of water and mud shift positions from time to time. But there are two spots where the geyser regularly erupts. The locals call the one in the east Mbah (Grandpa) Jokotua and the one in the west Mbah (Grandma) Rodenok. They have given the spots where the geyser erupts names, as they believe that the place is sacred.
Dieng Plateau.
Dieng Volcanic Complex (also called the Dieng Plateau) is a complex volcano. A complex volcano is an extensive assemblage of spatially, temporally, and genetically related major and minor volcanic centers with the associated lava flows and pyroclastic rocks. This is another place worth visiting in Central Java, situated around 2000 m above sea level and 100 km from Borobudur. This area northwest of Yogyakarta is in the volcanic mountains and over 2,000 meters elevation. The name "Dieng" means "abode of the gods." There the visitor can find restarted temples build around year 800, colorful lakes and steaming ones. On the road we will see how the farmer use all the land available by using terraces. It's also fresher up here and we are almost above the clouds. The plateau, located 2,093 meters above sea level, offers two sunrises, the golden sunrise and the silver sunrise. Both are equally amazing natural phenomena. The golden sunrise refers to the first sunrise between 5:30 and 6 a.m. It is said to be golden because of its sparkling golden red color. We can enjoy this sunrise from a viewing post at a height of 1,700 meters above sea level in Wonosobo. The place, located in a mountainous area, is easily accessible because the roads leading to this area are all paved.
After savoring the beauty of the double sunrise, a natural phenomenon perhaps found only on Dieng Plateau, we could still enjoy the beauty of the surrounding nature. Walk about 10 minutes over a distance of some two kilometers to the southeast of the temple where there is a colorful lake. From the top of a hill the lake reflects a greenish yellow color, the reflection of the sulfate acid that the lake water contains. Beside this colorful lake there is another lake with pristine water. Locals call it the mirror lake because the water is very clear. The surface of the lake water also reflects sunlight. Unfortunately, this beautiful morning panorama is slightly impaired by the rampant felling of trees around the lakes. Unless the tree feeling is checked, this beautiful panorama will soon vanish for good.
Beside the beautiful panorama above, there is also small monuments, which are not more than 50 feet high stand on a crater floor amidst sulfurous fumes and underlined by the presence of a few of the starkest Shivaite temples at an elevation of more than 6.000 feet, are impressive. The site is located four hours from Semarang. In this site, the visitor will see some of the oldest Hindu temples of Java. On the way to the Dieng Plateau, visitors will pass through tobacco plantations and beautiful mountain scenery. This area can reach about four hours from Semarang, the site of some of the oldest Hindu temples on Java. These 50m-foot high monuments stand on a crater floor amidst sulfur fumes. The road to the Dieng Plateau passes through tobacco plantations and beautiful mountain scenery.
Gedong Songo Tample.
This is a resort on the slope of mount Ungaran, about 900 meters above sea level. Gedong Songo (nine buildings), a group of small 8th century Hindu Javanese temples, can be reached either by car or on horseback from the town. Built at about the same time as the temples of the Dieng complex, Gedong Songo is one of the most beautifully sited temple complexes in Central Java and the views alone are worth the trip. Gedung Songo ('Nine Buildings') belong to the earliest antiquities of Java, they follow up the temples on the Dieng Plateau directly, for what about time. They were also built high in the mountains in an area full with volcanic activity; and they were also from Hinduist origin. But where the temples on Dieng Plateau are somewhat squeezed into a foggy valley, Gedung Songo are spread over the higher parts of the mountains, which guarantee a splendid view. On clear days, the horizon is one long row of volcanoes, from mount Lawu in the east, towards mount Sumbing, mount Sundoro and Dieng Plateau in the west.
The temples were built between 730 and 780, the first temple excepted, which could have been built some 30 years later. Gunung Songo is not the original name and also doesn't point at the number of structures. The number nine has a special meaning in the Javanese culture, in which there is a strong attachment to numbers. The temples are located at about the same distance from each other (100 meters, 200 meters) on a naturally formed terrace of edge of a mountain.
Bengawan Solo In Surakarta.
This longest river in Java flows along the eastern edge of the town from its source in the lime stones hill of the south, near East Java border to its mouth nearby Surabaya, on the Java sea. Regretfully, the river is now shallow it is not navigable anymore. But in the past it was an important link between Solo and the north cost of East Java. It length is 600 km flowing in 2 provinces which are Central Java Province and East Java Province with the irrigation width 16.000 km2, was the biggest and the main river basin area. It rises on the slope of Mount Lawu volcano (10,712 feet [3,265 m]) and the southern limestone range (Sewu Mountains) and flows north, then east to discharge into the Java Sea at a point opposite Madura Island, northwest of Surabaya. In recent 30 years development of irrigation facility at the Bengawan Solo river area have reach a significant level of development. This was mark by the completed of irrigation building, which still in progress or even have been built such as reservoir, dam, dike, irrigation net, and others. Investment have been spent to reach this development level is very big. Those buildings have functions as a flood controller, Hydraulic Power Generator, water supply for farming, industry, drink water, fishery, and others.
There is a well-known song 'Bengawan Solo' composed by Mr. Gesang. In the central Javanese city of Solo, a statue of Gesang Martohartono looks over the gently flowing Bengawan Solo, or Solo River. It was the famous Indonesian singer-songwriter Gesang, who composed the celebrated Indonesian melody "Bengawan Solo" during World War II -- when the country was under Japanese occupation. The song describes the legendary river in a poetic and nostalgic way, that it is surrounded by mountains, its sources are near the city of Surakarta, that it ends in the sea, and that the merchant class always makes use of it. It is in the local Keroncong style, a popular folk style with influences from Portuguese. The Japanese, who occupied the country during World War II, brought the song with them to Japan after returning from the war. There, and also in the rest of Asia and later worldwide, the song became very famous.
Borobudur Tample In Magelang.
Buddhist marvel of stone standing in the garden of Java, Indonesia
The Borobodur Temple complex is one of the greatest monuments in the world. It is of uncertain age, but thought to have been built between the end of the seventh and beginning of the eighth century A.D. For about a century and a half it was the spiritual centre of Buddhism in Java, then it was lost until its rediscovery in the eighteenth century.
The structure, composed of 55,000 square meters of lava-rock is erected on a hill in the form of a stepped-pyramid of six rectangular storeys, three circular terraces and a central stupa forming the summit. The whole structure is in the form of a lotus, the sacred flower of Buddha.
One of the ninety-two Dhyani Buddha statues enclosed in stupas
For each direction there are ninety-two Dhyani Buddha statues and 1,460 relief scenes. The lowest level has 160 reliefs depicting cause and effect; the middle level contains various stories of the Buddha's life from the Jataka Tales; the highest level has no reliefs or decorations whatsoever but has a balcony, square in shape with round walls: a circle without beginning or end. Here is the place of the ninety-two Vajrasattvas or Dhyani Buddhas tucked into small stupas. Each of these statues has a mudra (hand gesture) indicating one of the five directions: east, with the mudra of calling the earth to witness; south, with the hand position of blessing; west, with the gesture of meditation; north, the mudra of fearlessness; and the centre with the gesture of teaching.
Devotional practice of circumambulate around the galleries and terraces.
Besides being the highest symbol of Buddhism, the Borobodur stupa is also a replica of the universe. It symbolises the micro-cosmos, which is divided into three levels, in which man's world of desire is influenced by negative impulses; the middle level, the world in which man has control of his negative impulses and uses his positive impulses; the highest level, in which the world of man is no longer bounded by physical and worldly ancient desire.
It is devotional practice to circumambulate around the galleries and terraces always turning to the left and keeping the edifice to the right while either chanting or meditating. In total, Borobodur represents the ten levels of a Bodhisattva's life which he or she must develop to become a Buddha or an awakened one.
Prambanan Tample In Jogja - Klaten.
Prambanan Temple
Prambanan Temple is located some 17 km from Yogyakarta. Tourists can't miss the temple because it is only a hundred meters off the main street. The Sanjaya Dynasty built this 47 meters high Hindu temple in the 9th century. It consists of three courtyards. The main temple is located in the inner courtyard and surrounded by several small temples called "perwara" temples. Local chieftains, as a token of their acquiescence to the king, contributed some of these.
As a Hindu temple the main temple has three shrines, dedicated to the Hindu trinity. Ciwa, Vhisnu, and Brahma. Each of these shrines is facing a smaller shrine for their vehicles. The cow Nandi is the vehicle of Ciwa the Destroyer God. The eagle Garuda is the vehicle of Vhisnu the Guardian God. And the swan Angsa is the vehicle of Brahma the Creator God.
Entering the main temple from the north, one will find a statue of a very beautiful princess, Roro Jonggrang. According to the legend, Roro Jonggrang was the daughter of King Boko, which was cursed into a statue. The legend also says that a young powerful man named Bandung Bondowoso wanted to marry Roro Jonggrang. Since she doesn't love him, Roro Jonggrang tried to avoid the marriage by asking Bandung Bondowoso a present. She would only marry him if Bandung were really a powerful man. To prove the power Bandung was asked to build a thousand temples in one night. Having supernatural power, Bandung has almost successfully finished his task, but Roro Jonggrang prevents this excellent achievement. Jonggrang asked the maidens of the east village of the temples to burn the hay and pound the rice in order to cause the situation like dawn time for sunrise.
So when the cocks begin to crow, all the supernatural beings flee away because they think it was already dawn. Being unable to control his anger, Bandung Bondowoso curses Roro jonggrang into a statue that now completes the temple. The relief carved around the foot of Civa Temple depicts heavenly creatures, symbolizing the cosmic system. Entering the temple from the east and walking around the sub base of the temple with the main shrine on the right (Pradaksina). Tourists will see the whole relief of the story of the Brahma Temple. The story of Kresnayana, which tells the childhood of Prabu Kresna, can be seen on the balustrade of the Vishnu Temple.
From May-October, at full moon, the Story of Ramayana is usually presented in the evening from 19.30-21.30. Being a traditional dance, it is performed on an open-air stage to the west of the temple.
Kike Arnal: The Yanomami
Kike Arnal is a photographer and videographer from Venezuela, now based in New York City. He covered stories in the Americas, the Middle East, Asia and Europe, and his photographs have been featured in The New York Times, Life, and Mother Jones, among other publications. His website galleries include his work on Bethlehem Christians, the Zapotecs, Afghanistan after the war, and Morocco.
For TTP, I chose Kike's video work on the Yanomami. He directed and produced video documentaries, including a film for the Discovery channel titled Yanomami Malaria about a malaria epidemic among populations of indigenous people in a remote area of the northern Amazon. A trailer can be seen on his website (just click on "Documentaries" on the menu)
The United Nations is hosting an exhibition of his photographs starting this Thursday. (Thank you Sara!).
Kike Arnal
Tuesday, April 1, 2008
Candi Mendut (Mendut Temple) In Magelang.
Candi Mendut (Mendut Temple) is 3 kilometers eastward from Borobudur Temple. It is a Buddhist temple, built in 824 A.D. by King Indera of Cailendra dynasty.
There are three big statues inside, they are:
Cakyamuni sitting in cross legged pose with dharma cakra mudra (= turning the wheel of dharma hand pose)
Awalokiteswara, a bodhi satwa as human being helper.
Awalokiteswara is a statue with Amitabha on her crown, Vajrapani. She is holding a red lotus and put on her palm.
Maitreya, a savior of human beings in the future.
There are stories for children on its walls.
Candi Mendut (Mendut Temple) is frequently used to celebrate the Waisak day every May full moon and the pilgrims from Indonesia and all parts of the world come to this ceremony.
It is older than Candi Borobudur. Its architecture is square, and having an entrance on its steps. Its roof is also square and terraced. There are stupas (= bell-shaped structures) on it.
original link : http://www.yogyes.com/en/yogyakarta-tourism-object/candi/mendut/
Tourism Waduk Gajah Mungkur In Wonogiri
Waduk Gajah Mungkur located in 35 km to south from Solo direction, precisely in wonogiri regency. Territorial water of this artificial lake finish region for the width of 7 subdistrict. Start builded in end of 1970 and start to operate on 1978. Ex of Resident which their palce used for this lake removing with transmigration " Bedhol Deso " to Sitiung, regional of bengkulu Provinsi . Representing one tourism object pledge of Wonogiri. Waduk Gajah Mungkur width is 83 km2 and used to accomodate overflowing water of the rain every year, as well as as source to irrigate rice field. Experienced view around the Waduk Gajah Mungkur is very beautiful. There are recreation water in this location likes fishing, jet propulsion ski, tourism boat and surfboard . The Others all of that, you can also enjoy to sport float to drape ( Gantole). In Waduk Gajah Mungkur there a hill which is by citizen of Wonogiri referred as " Bukit Hollywood ".
‘Visit Indonesia Year 2008′ In The Works
In a concrete effort to finally do something to improve the country’s tourism fortunes, the government is set to stage a “Visit Indonesia Year” in 2008.
As part of the drive to improve visitor numbers, improvements will also be made to basic infrastructure in some of the country’s top tourist destinations.
The official announcement of the campaign, the second that will be held by the country after an earlier one in 1992, will be made next month, and will kick off a months’ long promotion campaign, the Culture and Tourism Ministry’s director general of marketing, Thamrin B. Bachri, said Tuesday.
Throughout 2008, the country will stage 100 international-scale events and cultural festivals, with the “visit Indonesia” campaign being timed to coincide with the World Culture Forum 2008.
“We have held meetings with the provincial administrations to outline our plans and ensure that their regions are ready for the events,” Thamrin said.
The ministry, he said, was encouraging them to develop tourist attractions in their respective regions by improving facilities and access to the attractions.
In the first Visit Indonesia Year in 1992, the country boosted foreign tourist arrivals by more than 20 percent to 3.1 million from 2.5 million the previous year.
Thamrin did not say how many visitors were expected to visit Indonesia during next year’s campaign.
For this year, the ministry is hoping to attract 6 million foreign tourists — expected to generate around US$5 billion in foreign exchange earnings — through its “tourism acceleration program”.
Last year, foreign tourist arrivals stood at 4.8 million.
To support the acceleration program and prepare for next year, the ministry has requested additional funding of Rp 158.4 billion (US$17.6 million) from the revised 2007 budget, which is currently under deliberation in the House of Representatives.
The original 2007 budget allocated Rp 982 billion to the ministry.
Of the additional funding, the acceleration program — which includes overseas promotional campaigns and improvements to basic infrastructure, such as roads, and electricity and telephone access in tourist areas — will get the lion’s share of Rp 153 billion.
The planned overseas promotional campaign includes advertising on international television channels, said Culture and Tourism Minister Jero Wacik.
“Advertisements on such TV channels are one of the most effective ways of attracting foreign tourists,” he said, adding that other countries, such as Malaysia and Thailand, spent vast sums on such advertising.
“We will be out of sight of the rest of the world if we don’t take effective and immediate action to raise awareness among overseas tourists that Indonesia is a safe and attractive place to visit.”
Malaysia is targeting 20 million foreign tourists this year through its “Visit Malaysia Year” campaign. The country hosted 17.5 million overseas tourists last year.
Source: www.thejakartapost.com
Palani Mohan: Vanishing Giants
Vanishing Giants - Elephants of Asia is a collection of images by Palani Mohan, who devoted 6 years and traveled to 11 Asian countries to create this intimate glimpse into the world of the Asian elephant, a creature which (even as its African cousin flourishes) is threatened as never before.
It's been described as "a tale of two species; that of the elephant, and the humans with which it shares its abodes. It's a love story, and a war story, a history of animosity and attraction, a study of shattered symbiosis. For all through Asia, it seems, a love-hate relationship thrives where elephants and humans co-exist.
Palani was born in Chennai, India, and moved to Australia as a child. His photographic career started at the Sydney Morning Herald newspaper, and since then he has been based in London, Hong Kong, Bangkok, and now Kuala Lumpur. Malaysia.
Palani Mohan's Vanishing Giants slideshow.
Michele Westmorland: Papua New Guinea
Following my post on Karen Huntt yesterday, here's one about her expedition partner, Michele Westmorland.
Michele is a freelance photographer who specializes in underwater photography as well as in wildlife, landscape and culture of exotic locations. She's been published in numerous national and international publications. She has been traveling to Papua New Guinea since 1991, and joined with Karen in the Headhunt Revisited, the project retracing the four-year sojourn taken by portrait artist Caroline Mytinger and her companion Margaret Warner in 1926 in the South Pacific.
Michele's work is generally more slanted toward the commercial side of travel photography, as well as underwater photography. There's no question that her photographs are technically superb, and she includes pictures of her clients photographing tribespeople during a Papua New Guinea 2007 photo tour which, in my view, is a shame as it commercializes the rest of her photographs.
Here's Michele Westmorland's website
Monday, March 31, 2008
EDIROL R-09HR Recorder
There's a new kid on the block as far as handheld digital field recorders are concerned. The R-09HR by Roland Corporation is described as a professional, high-definition recorder that is light but performs like a heavyweight. With 24/96 fidelity, the R-09HR is the new flagship of EDIROL’s award-winning R-series recorders.Amongst its features are a built-in high-grade, high-sensitivity stereo condenser, it records to SD or SDHC memory card, a built-in preview speaker, a wireless remote controller, and is powered by 2 AA batteries. It should be available in a few weeks at a MSRP price close to $500, however it's unclear what the street price will be.
See it here or here.
I'm still using the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Pocket Digital Recorder, however its plug-in T-microphone was damaged, so I just bought the Sony ECM-DS30P Microphone to replace it. This allows me to wait out the inevitable price drop in digital recorders.
Karen Huntt: Papua New Guinea
I'm really glad to have found Karen Huntt's website to start off this week!
Karen is a freelance photographer and photo editor, who returned from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in 2005. Her experiences and photographs are being incorporated in a book, a documentary film and an exhibit about the project, Headhunt Revisited, due to launch in 2009. The project involved retracing the route of artist Caroline Mytinger (another remarkable individual) to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and was featured in the April 2006 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. She won countless awards, and is a founding member of ILCP—International League of Conservation Photographers, a former chapter president of American Society of Picture Professionals, and a member ASMP, NPPA and the Explorers' Club in NY.
Karen tells us: " My earliest inspiration for photography was Life magazine. I grew up in the "Golden Age" of photojournalism, and was influenced by compelling image essays from the world's best photographers. My interest in anthropology naturally has led me to document indigenous cultures, but I feel it's important to value people for the way they choose to live today, and to not expect them to be frozen in amber the way they might have been 100 years ago."
Karen's fabulous photographs are here: Karen Huntt
Also visit Headhunt Revisited, the website dedicated to Karen Huntt's and Michele Westmorland's thrilling expedition retracing the four-year sojourn taken by portrait artist Caroline Mytinger and her companion Margaret Warner in 1926 in the South Pacific.
TTP Recap of the Week
For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 24-30, 2008) most popular posts on TTP:Talking To The Taliban.
Nevada Wier's Blog: A Thought
Sunday Rant: The Selfish Photographer
Sunday, March 30, 2008
PROFIL JAWA TENGAH.
Provinsi Jawa Tengah, sebagai salah satu wilayah tujuan wisata, Indonesia menawarkan berbagai macam tujuan wisata seperti pemandangan alam, budaya atau barang-barang kerajinan.
Tepat berada di tengah Pulau Jawa, disebelah barat berbatasan dengan Jawa Barat, bagian timur berbatasan dengan Jawa Timur dan bagian selatan terdapat Daerah Istimewa Yogyakarta.
Dataran rendah berada di sepanjang pantai utara sedangkan dataran tinggi di sebelah selatan. Dapat ditemukan deretan pegunungan dari barat ke timur seperti Gunung Slamet (3,428 m), Gunung Perahu (2,585 m), Gunung Sindoro (3,135 m), Gunung Sumbing (3,321 m), Gunung Merapi (3,142 m), Gunung Ungaran (2,050 m) dan Gunung Lawu (3,265 m) di perbatasan Jawa Timur serta terdapat Gunung Muria (1,602 m) sebelah utara.
Daerah pegunungan yang sejuk dengan panorama yang indah sangat bagus untuk dinikmati yaitu Baturaden, Dataran Tinggi Dieng , Bandungan, Kopeng, Tawangmangu dan Colo.
Sungai terbesar adalah Sungai Serayu yang bersumber dari Dataran Tinggi Dieng dan Sungai Bengawan Solo.
Administrasi
Dipimpin oleh Gubernur secara administratif terdiri dari 35 kabupaten dan kota, masing – masing secara berurutan dipimpin oleh Bupati dan Walikota.
Kabupaten dan kota dibagi lagi menjadi kecamatan yang dipimpin oleh Camat. Kecamatan dibagi lagi menjadi desa sebagai tingkatan administratif yang paling rendah yang dikepalai oleh Kepala Desa.
Iklim
Temperatur rata – rata antara 21o - 32oC dan mempunyai 2 musim, yakni musim hujan (Oktober – Apri ), dan musim kemarau (April – Oktober)
Agama
Kebebasan menganut agama dilindungi oleh pemerintah, diantara lima agama yang diakui (Islam, Protestan, Katolik, Budha, dan Hindu).
Bahasa
Walaupun sebagaian besar masyarakatnya mempergunakan Bahasa Jawa dengan berbagai dialek, Bahasa Indonesia tetap sebagai bahasa utama.
Penduduk
Orang Jawa terkenal akan keramahan dan kesopanannya. Tahun 2000 populasi penduduk adalah 30,7 juta (896 orang per km2). Dengan mata pencaharian sebagai petani, pedagang, pegawai negeri. Selain suku bangsa asli, ada pula beberapa suku bangsa asing hidup di Jawa Tengah seperti bangsa Arab, China, India dan Pakistan. “Kebaya“ merupakan pakaian khas yang dipakai oleh kaum wanita.
LEGENDA CINTA BATURRADEN.
Kawasan Lokawisata Baturaden terletak kurang lebih 15 Km arah utara kota Purwokerto, tepat di kaki gunung slamet. Nama Baturraden diambil dari kisah cinta seorang pembantu (batur) dengan putri (Raden) seorang adipati. Konon kisah cinta mereka tidak direstui oleh sang adipati yang mengakibatkan mereka pergi meninggalkan kadipaten. Dalam pelariannya mereka berhenti disuatu tempat. Tempat mereka berhenti dirasa cocok bagi mereka. Maka keduanya memutuskan untuk menetap disana. Tempat tersebut kemudian dikenal dengan nama Baturraden, yang berarti Batur dan Raden.
Budaya Kirab Pusaka In Solo.
Acara Kirab Pusaka berlangsung di Kraton Kasunanan dan Pura Mangkunegaran, diselenggarakan untuk menyambut datangnya Tahun baru Islam(Hijriah)/Jawa (1 Muharam/Suro) tepatnya pada tanggal 9 Januari 2008. Di Pura Mangkunegaran, acara berlangsung pada jam 19.00 WIB dalam bentuk arak-arakan/prosesi prajurit Mangkunegaran yang berpakain tradisionil dengan membawa pusaka-pusaka, berjalan mengelilingi komplek Mangkunegaran. Sedangkan di Kraton Kasunanan, prosesi kirab pusaka dilakukan pada jam 24.00 WIB dan diikuti oleh seluruh keluarga Kraton Kasunanan. Hal menarik dalam prosesi tersebut adalah keikutsertaan seekor kerbau bule, binatang piaraan Raja yang bernama Kyai Slamet. Masyarakat setempat mempercayai bahwa kerbau tersebut adalah binatang keramat yang dapat memberi keberuntungan.
Dith Pran
The New York Times reports that Dith Pran, a photojournalist whose gruesome ordeal in the killing fields of Cambodia was re-created in a 1984 movie that gave him an eminence he used to press for his people’s rights, died in New Brunswick, N.J. on Sunday. One of the most poignant moments in The Killing Fields movie was when Sydney Shanberg (Sam Waterston) and Al Rockoff, a photographer (John Malkovich), fail to save Dith from the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Dith's greatest hope was to see leaders of the Khmer Rouge tried for war crimes against his native country.
(Photo The New York Times)
Sunday Rant: The Selfish Photographer
I haven't really ranted for a while now...but yesterday's post about Katie Orlinky's work amongst the Muxes of Juchitan reminded me of an itch that needs to be scratched.Before going for a week's vacation in Oaxaca late February, I posted on the Lightstalkers photo forum asking for advice as to what and where to photograph. The suggestions I received from many working photographers (both travel and photojournalists) were generous and useful... and I dutifully wrote everything down so I could follow these through while in Oaxaca. One of most intriguing suggestions was to photograph the Muxes in the city of Juchitan, roughly a hundred miles south of Oaxaca city. I was given the email of photographer who had already published a number of photo essays on the Muxes culture, and encouraged to solicit that photographer's help.
I did exactly that, asking for advice as to how to get to Juchitan, and whether there were any names I could contact. I received nothing in response except for a curt brush-off. Thinking the photographer had misunderstood my questions, I clarified what I needed, but never got a reply.
Now, here's a photographer who already published all there was to publish on the subject...as far as that photographer was concerned, the subject was done...was in the can...and was published (and presumably paid for) a few times already. No danger of meaningful competition here, and yet, the reaction was to brush-off an inquiry from a fellow photographer.
Do I expect too much from people? I don't think so. There will always be some photographers who selfishly (and in my view, sometimes illogically) guard their perceived "fiefdoms"...but, from experience, they are a minority in an industry that frequently relies on mutual assistance. I have no difficulty whatsoever in sharing whatever knowledge I have...whether this is done during my photo-expeditions, photo critiques or by answering frequent questions about my photo destinations, techniques and photographs.
So what I have to tell this selfish photographer is this: what goes around comes around. As for the Muxes, I did not have the time to travel to Juchitan, but I now know people who will take me there when I return to Oaxaca. And when I do, I'll send some of the resulting photographs to the selfish photographer.
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