Saturday, August 16, 2008

Jake Price: Riding The Rails

Photograph Jake Price-All Rights Reserved

Jake Price is a documentary photographer who recently published Riding The Rails, an audio photo essay on the BBC website.

The photo essay is of the hundreds of people from South and Central America as well as Mexico's poorest regions who pass through Lecheria, a small factory town just outside Mexico City, on their way to the borders of the United States.

A number of participants in the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop produced similar photo essays: among them is Matt Wright-Steel with his Migrantes multimedia photo essay, and myself with Los Migrantes.

SoundSnap


SoundSnap is a free online sound library and community for sound designers and producers. People can upload sounds and share them with the rest of the public.

It's advertised as being mainly for Sound designers/recordists and music producers, filmmakers, web designer's and video game developers, but since photographers are increasingly getting involved in multimedia, I think we could find SoundSnap useful when needing a specific sound (or loop) for a slideshow. For instance, there are various train sounds in the library which could've been useful to photographers documenting the Central American migrants (see above post).

Is it cheating because it's not ambient sound recorded live by the photographer? Yes, perhaps some will see it this way...others won't.

(Via The Graphic Mac)

Friday, August 15, 2008

TV Host: Photography & Travel

Photograph © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Is this the dream job or what? The travel photography answer to Anthony Bourdain's culinary travels "No Reservations"!

The following post appeared on Lightstalkers:

Host Needed for Television Series: Photography & Travel

Major Television production company seeks Professional Photographer with a passion for travel and cultures to host national television series. In addition to a great photographic eye, professional credentials and portfolio, must have a sense of adventure, fun and a real love of exploring other countries and cultures. Must be male, between the ages of 30 and 50.

Send C/V, samples of work, headshot and video of you on camera to…

Coordinator, Television Editorial Development
Attn: Photo Series Host
1145 17th St. NW
Washington DC, 20036

Oh, and what does my photograph of two brass band musicians in Antigua (Guatemala) have to do with this? Nothing...except that I like the expression on the face of the guy on the right.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

agro west java regency tour

agro west java regency tour
january 17,2007 · filed under travel
queen cape pepper estate
bangka since menemukannya tin mine by dutch ones in the year 1700-an that known menyeantero also not less important for world, shaped white pepper result that rules over commodity primadona and menembus world market.
so that bangka also known at europe with the title pepper island. because the prospect very significant with world market request so that society bangka compete to open effort membidang this pepper estate.
one of the many entrepreneurs interested one of the sekian many entrepreneurs interested mengiventasi the capital memperkebunan this pepper locate at sub-district queen cape village kenanga district sungailiat. because very broadness areal estate (± 100 ha) so that can be one of [the] tour location that interesting to visited because only ± 10 km from downtown sungailiat.
world strawberry
in place this, visitor not just see fruit strawberry but also can pick and enjoy it. stand above farm one hectare, world strawberry be destination agrowisata alternative that reside in area lembang. visitor can enjoy cool climate because existing temperature here around 10 until 25 degrees celcius.
another supporting factor from world strawberry this is because strategic the location at ciater, tangkuban boat and maribaya. more popularize world strawberry as alternative tour destination.
address
jl. canal kiara inclined
walkway parabon iii no. 17
bandung
tel: 022 - 756 7672
faks: 022 - 756 7648
coffee garden jollong
situated moved east ridges muria in height 800m from sea level makes beautiful panorama and cool air.
coffee factory and estate former dutch survival till now still mobile berprodoksi
fascination other that can be met here:
camping, with field facilities, mck, river with clean water and area vast parking.
bebun flower
waterfall
beautiful visible the condition and vinicity nature very beautiful.
to aim to location available footpath
location
village jollong leader district more less 20km from essence city
agro garden tour tlogo
at agro garden tour tlogo this, tourist can enjoy nature scenery with rural district atmosphere begiu calm.
facilities on the market from this tour object, among others:
available home stay
area mancin
restaurant
location
village tlogo
district tuntang
estate sawit mabat
since year 1980-an at island bangka begin to be investor target for development and oil palm estate effort extension.
like pt. sumarco at vast proposition area in its entirety ± 100.000 ha that is divided to be 10 packages and many again companies another that move membidang same, one of [the] company on a large scale managed estate sawit this pt. gml (mount maras everlasting) at mabat district bakam regency bangka ± 20 km from city sungailiat. oil palm estate that begin to clear away throughout island bangka this very potential to made tour object agrowisata, only how does our manner mengemas and know tour objects be a goods very attractive and scarce, so that make added value for that pay a visit
location
20 km from city sungailiat
village mabat
district bakam
free nature tour / bio (bangka island outdoor)
bio (bangka island outdoor) a guidance training place and inwrought counselling education that creats a work investment by somebody because menemukannya return a certain potential insides self which during the time may be not yet conflic well or never dug absolutely. because menempat this really be formed in such a manner so that atmosphere that make ones can return self belief and creat a certain bew matters good to individual self also for another person in the form of vast.
this place resides in village deniang, district sungailiat, regency bangka, . ±16 km from city sungailiat. this area is tin mine survival that formed to free nature activity. tourists can meiaku kayaking, jungle trekking, mangrove walk, alpine tower, mountain cycling and still many again that can be enjoyed
location
16 km from city sungailiat
village deniang
district sungailiat
tour garden pasirmukti
tour garden agro friendly environment with rice field rug panorama between fruit garden and fish pond. lay between village tajur, pasirmukti and gunungsari, district citeureup, bogor, west java. pass tour agro that educate and console, we give identification and agriculture erudition for visitor society especially indonesia the rising generation. tour garden pasirmukti reachable around 45 minutes from jakarta.
orchid park, fishhook pool, garden tambulampot, fruit garden, mud pool arena, hovel minahasa, restaurant bakudapa, arena kamping, wale tonaas tower klabat.

coast prigi


sorry, actually coast prigi doesn't reside in region tulungagung, but regency trenggalek (if not given statement like this possible this celebrity brother protests ^). but of so much many coasts at coast beach south at java, coast prigi best. related the distance not too far from regency tulungagung, person tulungagung even far glader to coast prigi than coasts other at regency region tulungagung: coast popoh, sidem, sine, or brumbun.
coast prigi berjarak around 40 km from city heart tulungagung. you can take stripe north: tulungagung - gondang - durenan - bandung - prigi, or via stripe south: tulungagung - boyolangu - campurdarat - bandung - prigi. ashore road this good. hotmix or korean reputedly java.
this coast area is there direct deals with indian ocean, there also that reside in wavy cove cleft enough calm because solved by existing cliffs. person often called it white sands prigi.
my time there yesterday (continuation from coast brumbun), i really luck. sky photogenic. even as one o'clock day even if — moment light too tight for photo — sky stills pretty make memfoto. besides super lens factor wide sigma 10-20 mm hsm very prima. unnecessary many process digital again. you if a landscaper, unnecessary buy nikkor af-s 12-24 mm the price selangit. at the price of half it, you can get quality sigma i am taste more than last for penghobi scenery photography.

Mike Hettwer: Lost Tribes Of The Sahara

© Mike Hettwer Photography-All Rights Reserved

In the last 10 years. Mike Hettwer's travels have taken him to 60 countries and on 6 expeditions. He's a documentary photographer who specializes in archaeology and dinosaur expeditions...in my view, a sort of an Indiana Jones holding a Canon instead of a whip. He has photographed on expeditions to the Sahara and Gobi Desert, as well as in Lake Turkana in Kenya.

His work has appeared in over 1500 magazines, websites, newspaper and books to include The New York Times, The Washington Post, National Geographic, USA Today, The Chicago Tribune, Discover magazine and Science magazine to name but a few.

He also specializes in photographing unique cultures around the world, to include remote hill tribes in Myanmar (Burma), Wodaabbe festivals in Niger, voodoo ceremonies in Haiti, Hizbollah barbecues in Beirut, and the Shuar Indians of the Amazon (inventors of head-shrinking).

The National Geographic Society just announced today that the largest Stone Age graveyard found in the Sahara, which provides an unparalleled record of life when the region was green, has been discovered in Niger by National Geographic Explorer-in-Residence and University of Chicago Professor Paul Sereno, whose team first happened on the site during a dinosaur-hunting expedition. The accompanying photographer? Mike Hettwer.

The website of the National Geographic Society has now published Lost Tribes Of The Sahara, an article on the discovery which includes this:

"Mike Hettwer, a photographer accompanying the team, headed off by himself toward a trio of small dunes. He crested the first slope and stared in amazement. The dunes were spilling over with bones. He took a few shots with his digital camera and hurried back to the Land Rovers.

"I found some bones," Hettwer said, when the team had regrouped. "But they're not dinosaurs. They're human."


I recommend you not only set aside time for the Lost Tribes of The Sahara, but also explore Mike Hettwer's various galleries...his People & Places gallery has excellent photographs of his various travels.

Asia Geographic: Photo Contest 2008


ASIAN Geographic magazine announced that it's looking for special photographs from photographers who have captured a striking image of Asia's land, people, architecture or wildlife. One winner and runner-up will be selected from each category.

An overall Grand Prize will be awarded to the best overall picture as judged by the magazine's panel of editors. The top photographs will be exhibited as part of an “Asia Without Borders” photography exhibit scheduled to be held in December, 2008

Terms and conditions of the Asian Geographic's Asia Without Borders Contest.

Note: As a general comment, and as in the case of all similar contests, make sure you carefully read the terms and conditions, especially since misunderstandings between organizers and contestants can sometimes occur.

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

Epson's New P-6000 and P-7000


Epson announced two new generation multimedia photo viewers designed with photographers in mind. The P-6000 and the P-7000 offer photographers the opportunity to download and view their photos on a 4-inch, 640x480 (VGA) resolution LCD screen.

The hard drive capacities are 80GB (P-6000) and 160GB (P-7000), and both come with a 4-inch LCD with new, exclusive Epson Photo Fine Premia technology, which displays over 16.7 million colors, encompassing 94 percent of Adobe RGB color space for superior color accuracy. Epson claims that these new models have faster download speed , of up to 35 percent faster than previous ones. Also included is a zoom function for closer inspection of images, and RAW and JPEG file support.

The new models will be available in September for an estimated street price of $599.99 (P-6000) and $799.99 (P-7000)

I'm not yet sure whether these models' new improvements over my P-4000 warrant the price, but it's an item that I might eventually pencil in on my Santa's list.

David DuChemin on his Pixelated Image blog has just written about three backup harddrive/viewers which include the Epson P7000, and tells us that he chose the Hyperdrive Colorspace O.

My thanks to Bob Krist, the legendary travel photographer, who emailed me making the important point that the newer models of the Epsons have the ability to back up onto another USB device (like a small hard drive). However, a FAT 32 formatted USB harddrive, and a small AC Adapter for the hard drive, are needed. This setup could mitigate the need for a laptop.

Bob has also written an article on this very topic in Outdoor Photographer.

Bali Dance, Music, and Theaters

Dance, music, and the theater of wayang are other forms of expression laden with religious connotations. The Trance Dance, for example, is performed when a village is suffering, say from an epidemic or bad harvest. The dance is intended to appease the gods and goddesses, with the hope that they will bless the village. Other dances also manifest the great complexity of Balinese daily lives which are never detached from their religious beliefs. Throughout the year, you can regularly find scheduled dance performances, especially the Balih-balihan or entertainment dances.



Dances

Along with the Hindu religion, the Indian influence in Balinese dances is also significant. Balinese strong identity adapts these various influences with indigineous religion of animism and folklore traditions, creating an expression distinctively flavored by Balinese ethnicity.

Much like the training of gamelan orchestra players, dance training begins when one is still very young. The teacher will stand in front of the children and start dancing. The children will follow her every movement. Once the teacher feels that a child understands the basic sequence, she will stand behind the child, and direct the child by holding her wrists. Practicing with a gamelan orchestra will only happen when the dance is considered to have entered the student. The dancer must learn to fully express the character that she is dancing for; self expression is not a known concept.

Based on their religious functions, Balinese dances can be categorized into three:

1. Wali (sacred) Dances

These dances are considered sacred, and must be performed in the inner court of the temple.
  • Rejang
Danced by females, Rejang dance is a procession of those who have just barely learned to walk to those who can barely walk, moving in a slow and stately fashion towards the altar, twirling fans or lifting their sashes. Their costumes range from a very simple attire to an elaborate dress complete with headdress as you would likely find in Tenganan.
  • Baris
Literally means warrior formation. Baris is a warrior dance usually danced by men. The movements are dramatic. It is hard to distinguish whether it is the dancer that follows the orchestra, or the other way around. You could say that they both go off into their own dimensions, yet at certain well-defined times meet to create an astounding tapestry. The dancers wear elaborate head decoration, from a gold-colored head band to leaves and strings of cempaka blossoms. Variants of this dance are sometimes danced by children and women. You can find this dance performed in Sanur, Tabanan, and Ubud.
  • Pendet
This dance is usually performed by married women, moving in very dignified and elegant way to carry and present offerings to the gods and the goddesses.
  • Sang Hyang Dedari (Trance Dance)
This dance is normally performed to entertain the gods and the goddesses to appease them or to ask for their blessings. A bad harvest or an outburst of an illness may warrant such a dance. The preparation for this dance may take months, as prepubescent girls who have never danced are trained to relax their mind to be able to get into a trance state. Day after day they visit the priest at the local temple to receive their lessons. When the priest concludes that they are ready, and the time is right, the dance will be performed in the court of the temple. Dressed in elaborate attire and immersed in the smoke of burning incense, the two young girls slowly dance as the accompanying chant of the village women gradually relax them to get into trance. The gods and the goddesses will enter their bodies as they enter trance, and they will dance with movements that they have not mastered in their normal state. They may act and sound like a horse or a monkey; at times, they end up dancing while balancing their back on a piece of bamboo supported by two men on both ends. When they collapse, the village women will chant to ask the gods and the goddesses to peacefully leave the bodies of the young girls. If they refuse, dancing will continue until they agree, at which point the girls will simply collapse.
  • Barong
Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is also another story-telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality. Wanna know the story?

2. Bebali Dances

These dances are ceremonial, and usually performed in the middle court of a temple. In the spectrum of sacred and secular, these dances fall in the middle.

  • Gambuh
Gambuh is a danced drama. It tells the courtly story of a Javanese prince in his quest for a beautiful princess.

3. Balih-balihan Dances

These dances are often considered secular and entertaining. They are performed in the outer court or even outside the temple.
  • Janger
Janger is performed by young girls. Peacock crown shaped headwear made from intricately woven gold-colored, dried coconut leaves rests gallantly on their heads. The girls are open shouldered, dressed in a piece of cloth wrapped around the chest, and a batik wrap on the waist down. Most of the dances are performed sitting down, with highly coordinated hand, shoulder, and eye movements.
  • Kebyar
Kebyar is usually danced by two women with beautiful, long, shiny black hair, accentuated at the top by a band of cempaka blossoms. Fans on one hand, they move dramatically. Feet are strongly grounded, and hands and feet move abruptly.
  • Legong
The dance of legong tells a story. It is the most feminine dance. It is usually danced by two females before they reach puberty (in fact, they must retire by the time they reach puberty).
  • Kecak
Kecak is a spectacular dance usually performed at night, surrounding a bonfire. The westerners called this dance The Monkey Dance, for the movements may remind us of monkey's movements. There can literally be one hundred or more bare chested men, sitting down on the ground surrounding the bonfire, led by a priest in the middle. The only music to accompany them are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, their thighs, or other parts of their bodies, or their claps, rhythmically accompanied by shouting and chanting.

The dancers move in unison, creating a spectacular choreographic performance. Either hands stretched out, pulled in, rested on the shoulder of the next person, or waists gyrated left and right, etc.

Regularly scheduled performances of these dances, especially the Balih-balihan dances, can be found throughout the year.

Bali Dance, Music, and Theaters

Dance, music, and the theater of wayang are other forms of expression laden with religious connotations. The Trance Dance, for example, is performed when a village is suffering, say from an epidemic or bad harvest. The dance is intended to appease the gods and goddesses, with the hope that they will bless the village. Other dances also manifest the great complexity of Balinese daily lives which are never detached from their religious beliefs. Throughout the year, you can regularly find scheduled dance performances, especially the Balih-balihan or entertainment dances.



Dances

Along with the Hindu religion, the Indian influence in Balinese dances is also significant. Balinese strong identity adapts these various influences with indigineous religion of animism and folklore traditions, creating an expression distinctively flavored by Balinese ethnicity.

Much like the training of gamelan orchestra players, dance training begins when one is still very young. The teacher will stand in front of the children and start dancing. The children will follow her every movement. Once the teacher feels that a child understands the basic sequence, she will stand behind the child, and direct the child by holding her wrists. Practicing with a gamelan orchestra will only happen when the dance is considered to have entered the student. The dancer must learn to fully express the character that she is dancing for; self expression is not a known concept.

Based on their religious functions, Balinese dances can be categorized into three:

1. Wali (sacred) Dances

These dances are considered sacred, and must be performed in the inner court of the temple.
  • Rejang
Danced by females, Rejang dance is a procession of those who have just barely learned to walk to those who can barely walk, moving in a slow and stately fashion towards the altar, twirling fans or lifting their sashes. Their costumes range from a very simple attire to an elaborate dress complete with headdress as you would likely find in Tenganan.
  • Baris
Literally means warrior formation. Baris is a warrior dance usually danced by men. The movements are dramatic. It is hard to distinguish whether it is the dancer that follows the orchestra, or the other way around. You could say that they both go off into their own dimensions, yet at certain well-defined times meet to create an astounding tapestry. The dancers wear elaborate head decoration, from a gold-colored head band to leaves and strings of cempaka blossoms. Variants of this dance are sometimes danced by children and women. You can find this dance performed in Sanur, Tabanan, and Ubud.
  • Pendet
This dance is usually performed by married women, moving in very dignified and elegant way to carry and present offerings to the gods and the goddesses.
  • Sang Hyang Dedari (Trance Dance)
This dance is normally performed to entertain the gods and the goddesses to appease them or to ask for their blessings. A bad harvest or an outburst of an illness may warrant such a dance. The preparation for this dance may take months, as prepubescent girls who have never danced are trained to relax their mind to be able to get into a trance state. Day after day they visit the priest at the local temple to receive their lessons. When the priest concludes that they are ready, and the time is right, the dance will be performed in the court of the temple. Dressed in elaborate attire and immersed in the smoke of burning incense, the two young girls slowly dance as the accompanying chant of the village women gradually relax them to get into trance. The gods and the goddesses will enter their bodies as they enter trance, and they will dance with movements that they have not mastered in their normal state. They may act and sound like a horse or a monkey; at times, they end up dancing while balancing their back on a piece of bamboo supported by two men on both ends. When they collapse, the village women will chant to ask the gods and the goddesses to peacefully leave the bodies of the young girls. If they refuse, dancing will continue until they agree, at which point the girls will simply collapse.
  • Barong
Barong is probably the most well known dance. It is also another story-telling dance, narrating the fight between good and evil. This dance is the classic example of Balinese way of acting out mythology, resulting in myth and history being blended into one reality. Wanna know the story?

2. Bebali Dances

These dances are ceremonial, and usually performed in the middle court of a temple. In the spectrum of sacred and secular, these dances fall in the middle.

  • Gambuh
Gambuh is a danced drama. It tells the courtly story of a Javanese prince in his quest for a beautiful princess.

3. Balih-balihan Dances

These dances are often considered secular and entertaining. They are performed in the outer court or even outside the temple.
  • Janger
Janger is performed by young girls. Peacock crown shaped headwear made from intricately woven gold-colored, dried coconut leaves rests gallantly on their heads. The girls are open shouldered, dressed in a piece of cloth wrapped around the chest, and a batik wrap on the waist down. Most of the dances are performed sitting down, with highly coordinated hand, shoulder, and eye movements.
  • Kebyar
Kebyar is usually danced by two women with beautiful, long, shiny black hair, accentuated at the top by a band of cempaka blossoms. Fans on one hand, they move dramatically. Feet are strongly grounded, and hands and feet move abruptly.
  • Legong
The dance of legong tells a story. It is the most feminine dance. It is usually danced by two females before they reach puberty (in fact, they must retire by the time they reach puberty).
  • Kecak
Kecak is a spectacular dance usually performed at night, surrounding a bonfire. The westerners called this dance The Monkey Dance, for the movements may remind us of monkey's movements. There can literally be one hundred or more bare chested men, sitting down on the ground surrounding the bonfire, led by a priest in the middle. The only music to accompany them are the beats of their palms hitting their chests, their thighs, or other parts of their bodies, or their claps, rhythmically accompanied by shouting and chanting.

The dancers move in unison, creating a spectacular choreographic performance. Either hands stretched out, pulled in, rested on the shoulder of the next person, or waists gyrated left and right, etc.

Regularly scheduled performances of these dances, especially the Balih-balihan dances, can be found throughout the year.

European Tour of Bali Art and Culture

BaliThe Gigir Manuk Cultural Dialogue in cooperation with the Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism, the Bali Tourism Authority and the Bali Tourism Board are conducting a road tour of Balinese Art & Culture to Europe from November 11-27, 2006.

Land Under the Rainbow

The cultural program, entitled "Land Under the Rainbow", will form the backdrop for a series of cocktail receptions hosted for the international travel industry, during which art & cultural performances by the renowned Bajra Sandhi Group will be presented during visits to the following European cities:

  1. Brussels and Antwerp,
  2. Belgium Den Haag, The Netherlands
  3. Luxemburg
  4. Paris, France
  5. Aachen, Germany

Bajra Sandhi Performance Troupe

Founded in 1991, the Sanggar Seni Kreativitas Bajra Sandhi, more commonly known as Bajra Sandhi, is a group of Balinese artists who emphasize the spiritual connection between God and the arts. Striving for purity, truth and beauty through the arts - the troupe is comprised of 14 performers who alternate roles as dancers, musicians or singers " depending on the number being presented.

Past performance have brought the group to Athens, Greece where they performed in events paralleling the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games; to Hanoi where they helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam; and to numerous performance venues across Indonesia.

Among the highlights of the coming European tour, the group will present:


  1. Gender Wayang - Music normally reserved as the accompaniment of a shadow puppet performance or for performance at a Balinese rites of passage - the Gender is based on a technically demanding rhythm motif, blending intertwined melodies with lively contrapuntal movements. Resonations created give a shimmering and vibrating quality, extremely rich in overtones, emanating from bronze keys struck with bare wooden mallets utilizing the pentatonic 'Slendro' tuning.
  2. Baris Tunggal Dance - Inspired from the original Baris "Warrior" Dance, the name of this dance derives from the word "baris" meaning rows but also meaning troops of soldiers. With its recent development into a solo performance, the dance now describes the strength and grace of heroic movements of a soldier marching off to war.
  3. Legong Keraton Dance - By legend, the Legong is the heavenly dance of divine nymphs. Of all classical Balinese dances, it remains the quintessence of femininity and grace. Girls from the age of five aspire to be selected to represent their community as Legong dancers. Foremost among the Legong repertoire is the Legong Kraton - formerly reserved for presentation only at Bali's royal courts. Highly stylized, the palace version of the dance enacts a drama performed by three dancers: the 'condong' - a female attendant of the court, and two identically dressed Legong dancers who adopt the roles of royal persons.
  4. Jauk Dance - Taken from Bali's rich tradition of masked dance, the Jauk depicts a crooked and wicked giant king.
  5. Sutasoma - A Balinese tari drama or dance-drama, the Sutasoma tells the story of the birth of Jinapati " the pure soul that arrives on earth with the birth of each newborn baby. Deriving his power from wisdom and peace, Sutasoma defeats the evil giant Purusadha through goodness and enlightenment.
The musical accompaniment in the dance drama derives from the rhythms of traditional lullabies for babies and children, where it at the same time also serves as a divine summon for the unseen 'good' forces to guard the infantile pure souls in this chaotic world.

Bali Gallery Art

European Tour of Bali Art and Culture

BaliThe Gigir Manuk Cultural Dialogue in cooperation with the Indonesian Department of Culture and Tourism, the Bali Tourism Authority and the Bali Tourism Board are conducting a road tour of Balinese Art & Culture to Europe from November 11-27, 2006.

Land Under the Rainbow

The cultural program, entitled "Land Under the Rainbow", will form the backdrop for a series of cocktail receptions hosted for the international travel industry, during which art & cultural performances by the renowned Bajra Sandhi Group will be presented during visits to the following European cities:

  1. Brussels and Antwerp,
  2. Belgium Den Haag, The Netherlands
  3. Luxemburg
  4. Paris, France
  5. Aachen, Germany

Bajra Sandhi Performance Troupe

Founded in 1991, the Sanggar Seni Kreativitas Bajra Sandhi, more commonly known as Bajra Sandhi, is a group of Balinese artists who emphasize the spiritual connection between God and the arts. Striving for purity, truth and beauty through the arts - the troupe is comprised of 14 performers who alternate roles as dancers, musicians or singers " depending on the number being presented.

Past performance have brought the group to Athens, Greece where they performed in events paralleling the opening of the 2004 Olympic Games; to Hanoi where they helped celebrate the 50th anniversary of diplomatic relations between Indonesia and Vietnam; and to numerous performance venues across Indonesia.

Among the highlights of the coming European tour, the group will present:


  1. Gender Wayang - Music normally reserved as the accompaniment of a shadow puppet performance or for performance at a Balinese rites of passage - the Gender is based on a technically demanding rhythm motif, blending intertwined melodies with lively contrapuntal movements. Resonations created give a shimmering and vibrating quality, extremely rich in overtones, emanating from bronze keys struck with bare wooden mallets utilizing the pentatonic 'Slendro' tuning.
  2. Baris Tunggal Dance - Inspired from the original Baris "Warrior" Dance, the name of this dance derives from the word "baris" meaning rows but also meaning troops of soldiers. With its recent development into a solo performance, the dance now describes the strength and grace of heroic movements of a soldier marching off to war.
  3. Legong Keraton Dance - By legend, the Legong is the heavenly dance of divine nymphs. Of all classical Balinese dances, it remains the quintessence of femininity and grace. Girls from the age of five aspire to be selected to represent their community as Legong dancers. Foremost among the Legong repertoire is the Legong Kraton - formerly reserved for presentation only at Bali's royal courts. Highly stylized, the palace version of the dance enacts a drama performed by three dancers: the 'condong' - a female attendant of the court, and two identically dressed Legong dancers who adopt the roles of royal persons.
  4. Jauk Dance - Taken from Bali's rich tradition of masked dance, the Jauk depicts a crooked and wicked giant king.
  5. Sutasoma - A Balinese tari drama or dance-drama, the Sutasoma tells the story of the birth of Jinapati " the pure soul that arrives on earth with the birth of each newborn baby. Deriving his power from wisdom and peace, Sutasoma defeats the evil giant Purusadha through goodness and enlightenment.
The musical accompaniment in the dance drama derives from the rhythms of traditional lullabies for babies and children, where it at the same time also serves as a divine summon for the unseen 'good' forces to guard the infantile pure souls in this chaotic world.

Bali Gallery Art

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Personal Loans

I thought you if I was pregnant the first thing, if I can able to provide all the necessities that my child would need after he was born. We have a lot of bills that we need to pay plus those extra personal loans that we need to pay in time. But i thought thanks to the Unsecured Personal Loan they just came in right on time. Now I don’t need to think about it.

Apply using our short and secure online application form and save yourself the trouble of searching for a personal loan.

NOUVEAU RICHE UNIVERSITY

Gain better success with professional education that you can get in Nouveau Riche University. You surely want to enjoy a luxurious car, living in a large house or maybe share your belongings to the poor. Get a proper job and get wealthy, but before that you should make sure that you have enough education. Go to the website at GraduateRiche.com and get to know more about Nouveau Riche and its facilities along with the learning system.

With the education provided in Nouveau Riche you will experience professional training so that you will get more skills to be implemented in the real business world. After getting the useful education there you can start your own business and be the next person to write success story. Be just like them who already gained high profit from their business. You will find many useful things to be applied especially in real estate business.
By studying in Nouveau Riche University you can also experience adjustable schedule. If you have busy schedule in your business or anything else, you can choose to study on the weekend or get the online learning system. Visit the website now and find many useful articles about real estate investing, the steps toward success, and more.

National Geo's International Photo Contest


I must've been asleep at the switch since I had forgotten about the 2008 National Geographic's International Photo Contest. The contest is open only to legal residents of the fifty (50) United States and the District of Columbia, United Kingdom, Canada (excluding the province of Quebec), Australia, Republic of Ireland, India, South Africa, and New Zealand.

The Categories for entries are: (1) People, (2) Places, and (3) Nature. National Geographic's lawyers must've had fun preparing the legal documents required from contestants, including PDFs of Personal Release, Artist's Release and Location Release. Sarcasm aside, these are useful documents to have just in case one needs them whether entering the contest or not, and are available from the contest's Rules section.

Note: As a general comment, and as in the case of all similar contests, make sure you carefully read the terms and conditions, especially since misunderstandings between organizers and contestants can sometimes occur.

Photographers in Focus: Colin Finlay


The monthly Photographers in Focus video interviews by LiveBooks feature photographers who share their personal vision, inspiration and beliefs. According to LiveBooks, these "enrich the photo community by providing a means for one photographer to share knowledge with others."

This month’s interview is with documentary photographer and photojournalist Colin Finlay.

A self-taught photographer, Colin Finlay is a four-time “Picture of the Year” award winner who has photographed wars, conflicts, genocide, famine, environmental issues, disappearing traditions, and has filmed several television documentaries. He’s circled the globe 27 times seeking compelling images that make a difference. When doing photojournalism, he often shoots with two camera bodies, using a 28mm lens on one and a 35mm lens on the other. He uses a Canon 1DS Mark II lately, along with Canon EF lenses, 35mm f/1.4L, 50mm f/1.2L, 24mm f/1.4L, and occasionally a tilt-shift lens.

However, he maintains, “the 35mm f/1.4L is how I see the world.”

Monday, August 11, 2008

The Um Kulthum Cafe (Baghdad)

Andrea Bruce/The Washington Post-All Rights Reserved

The Washington Post features a short slideshow of photographs taken in the Um Kulthum Cafe in Baghdad by Andrea Bruce. Unfortunately, the number (and choice) of photographs is insufficient to give the viewers the "feel" of an Arab cafe...the raucous atmosphere, the sense of family between the regular patrons, the sound of dominoes and backgammon, the smoky atmosphere, etc.

However, the most grievous omission made by whoever produced the slideshow is in not clarifying that Um Kulthum, the nightingale of the Arab world, was Egyptian. As it stands, the impression is left that since the Iraqi cafe is named after her, that she was an Iraqi...and that is blasphemy! Almost like saying that Elvis was Canadian...or English...or Australian...etc.

The few captions in the slideshow do not mention that Um Kulthum, the singer, was the unifying voice in the Arab world in an era of ardent nationalism. I recall that when Um Kulthum held her concerts, Cairo (and possibly the rest of Egypt, and indeed the Arab world) would come to a standstill.

Imagine how much this slideshow would improve if the producer & photographer got their facts right, had the sense of adding more pictures and a snippet or two of Um Kulthum's singing??? Too bad. A neophyte could have done much better.

Note: My thanks to Mike Morones for pointing out an accompanying article by Andrea Bruce which gives some background to the Um Kulthum Cafe slideshow, and which does mention that the singer is indeed Egyptian.

Brian Sokol: Asia & Nepal

Photograph Brian Sokol-All Rights Reserved

Brian Sokol is a photojournalist who's documenting Asia for more than a decade. Based in New Delhi, he's a fluent Nepali speaker and has covered various conflicts in the Himalayan regions.

His photographs appear in publications such as The New York Times, Time, Stern, and Der Spiegel. He is the recipient of National Geographic Magazine’s 2007 Eddie Adams grant and was recognized as one of PDN’s 30 Emerging Photographers to Watch in 2008.

Apart from his photo essays, his website features his Singles portfolio, which I encourage you to visit. His portraits, some candids and others more like environmental portraits, have a photo journalistic "flavor" to them...the one above of Nepalis makes a lovely use of shadows.

Brian Sokol was also featured in Geoffrey Hiller's excellent blog: The New Breed of Documentary Photographers.

Sunday, August 10, 2008

My Show Off: Dochu La Pass

Photograph Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Dochu-La (3,088m/ 10,130 ft) is a vital pass from western Bhutan to its east, and although the chortens were built a few years ago, it's an extraordinarily beautiful place. The chortens, mani wall and the prayer flags give the site serenity and an air of sanctity.

When the skies are clear, the many mountain peaks can be seen from this pass such as Masagang (7,158m), Tsendagang (6,960m), Terigang (7,060m), Jejegangphugang (7,158 m), Kangphugang 7,170 m), Zongphugang (7,060 m), and Gangkar Puensum, the highest peak in Bhutan at 7,497m. The impressive Himalayan range can be seen in my above photograph. (Click on it to see it in a larger size).

Dochu-La is an important transition stop on The Land of the Druk Yul photo-expedition's itinerary which I'm leading from October 3 to October 17, 2008.

Tatiana Cardeal: Prestes Maia Exhibition


Social documentary photographer Tatiana Cardeal is opening her solo exhibition of images made during the Prestes Maia occupation of a building in Sao Paulo from 2005 to 2007.

The site was considered the largest vertical occupation in Latin America. The building was an old textile factory abandoned more than 20 years ago, and the owners owe millions in taxes to the municipal government. Some 2.000 people were living there, members of the Downtown Homeless Movement, which is led by 10 women from various occupied sites in the city.

Solo Exhibition: Prestes Maia:
Opening August 9, 2008: 6pm to 8pm
August 9 to October 3 2008

Alegria Gallery
2737 W Sunset Blvd
Los Angeles, CA 90026
323.454.4200
9 to 5 MF

My previous post on Tatiana Cardeal and her social documentary photography is here, and some of her images from the exhibition can be found here