Blind Boys Magazine

Blind Boys Magazine describes itself as being bold, new and South Asian. I'm unsure whether these photographers form a collective, or are just a group of photographers who seek an avenue to expose their diverse work to the outside world.

Aditya Kapoor's photographs reveal the lighter side of the often misunderstood Muslim community, Kapil Das' photo essay covers one of the last surviving traveling theater groups of Gujarat, while Akshay Mahajan explores the lives and uncertainties of a old couple in New Delhi’s new urban scape. Ishan Tankha photographs in a camp in Sri Lanka where 94 former child soldiers live with their supervisors, Surya Sen's photographs show us the aftermath of the Bhopal Gas Tragedy, and finally Ruhani Kaur finds Sophie Ashraf, a 21-year-old Muslim girl who raps.

posted "robotically" as I'm in Marrakech

Candace Feit: West African Wrestling

Photo © Candace Feit -All Rights Reserved
Tyson and 50 Cent are the names of the biggest stars in West African wrestling, which according to photojournalist Candace Feit, has become a huge business for wrestlers and sponsors alike. Instead of wrestling to win a bag of rice or a goat, the current monetary prizes are now in excess of $300,000. For many young men in Senegal, it can drag them out of a crippling poverty.

Candace has been featured on many occasions on the pages of The Travel Photographer blog, and her photographs of West Africa appeared in the The New York Times, Le Monde, Le Figaro, The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, and Time magazine, among others. She was based in Dakar, Senegal and now is living in Delhi, India, from where she will most certainly equally produce wonderful photo reportages such as this one and the others which are found on her website.

Other posts on Candace can be found here.

posted "robotically" as I'm in Marrakech

My Gear For The Gnawa Photo~Expedition

Having received questions as to what I normally pack on my photo~expeditions, I thought thought I'd list what I loaded my Domke F-3X Canvas bag with for my Gnawa Photo~Expedition which starts in a few days. In a departure from my usual packing style, I decided this time that I'd go minimalist (sort of) in terms of camera gear, and leave my Canon Mark II (and all its heavy paraphernalia) at home.

The contents of my bag:

* Canon EOS 5D Mark II
* Canon G10 (ideal for unobtrusive street photography)
* Canon 17-40mm f4.0
* Canon 28-70mm f 2.8
* Canon 24mm f1.4
* Marantz PMD 620 Audio Recorder
* Acer Aspire One 8.9-inch Mini Laptop (w/LR2 and SoundSlides)
* A 250gb G-Tech Mini G-Drive External Hard Drive
* Blackberry & an iTouch

and in a separate (but connected to the Domke), a Lowepro lens case with a Canon 70-200mm f 2.8.

I don't intend to carry all this while photographing in the field, as I'll just choose what lens I need (I normally use 1 or at most 2 lenses while working), but I'll report back on what worked and what didn't. Chargers and other stuff will be packed in a see-thru zippered bag in my checked luggage.

posted "robotically" in between London and Casablanca

Think Tank Wired Collection

Think Tank has announced that it will begin shipping a line of bags aimed at editorial photographers whose work includes capturing audio along with still photos, plus photographers who are acquiring the new breed of digital SLRs capable of capturing high-quality video.

The line of bags is called the Multimedia Wired Up Collection consists of 4 belt-mountable pouches and two beltpacks.

I never used Think Tank products, but I am impressed that it's bringing a line of products specifically aimed at multimedia photographers, which means the company keeps its ear to the ground (as it ought to) and reacts to our needs. I'm sure its competitors are also readying new products. I always thought that the Think Tank products were too "boxy", but these new ones are soft-sided and very attractive.

It's always a clever idea to promote a product showing a real life working photographer using the products, and the Think Tank promotional video is one of those, plus it's partially shown in black & white! Can't be more professional than that!

My thanks to Larry Larsen who suggested the link.

For further product pictures and details, visit Rob Galbraith website.

posted from London en route to Morocco

Tyler Hicks: The Battle For Pakistan

Photo © Tyler Hicks/NYTimes-All Rights Reserved
A superb photojournalism feature published by The New York Times of photographs by Tyler Hicks appeared on its website late last night.

The title of the multimedia feature is The Battle For Pakistan; a title which I find rather exaggerated, as it really is about South Waziristan. Having said that, the area which may well be the toughest challenge for the Pakistani military in its war against an insurgency.

South Waziristan is home to Baitullah Mehsud, who -according to the accompanying article, leads the Taliban in the area and has engineered many suicide bombings in recent years.

The article by Sabrina Tavernise (and Ismail Khan) ends with an ominous quote by a top bureaucrat for the tribal areas, who says: “Militancy is like a monster. Even if only the tail is left, it will grow again from there.”

"7 Alasan Utama Mempromosikan Suatu Bisnis Melalui Internet"

"7 Alasan Utama Mempromosikan Suatu Bisnis Melalui Internet"

Walaupun anda sudah memiliki bisnis 'offline' sendiri,

mempromosikan bisnis anda melalui internet tetap PENTING.



Karena hal ini yang akan membuat anda selangkah lebih maju

daripada kompetitor. Bahkan juga bisa melipatgandakan

keuntungan anda. Mengapa begitu?



Karena internet memiliki kelebihan-kelebihan berikut ini:



1. Siap Sedia 24 Jam

Tidak seperti praktek bisnis offline lainnya yang layanannya

tergantung pada hari kerja dan jam kerja, web site Veselnzva

selalu siap sedia 24 jam serta bisa diakses oleh pelanggan

dari mana saja dan kapan saja.



2. Menjangkau Pangsa Pasar Yang Tertarget

Melalui promosi online, anda bisa secara efektif

memasarkan bisnis berdasarkan pangsa pasar yang ditargetkan. Baik dari

segi area, minat, kebutuhan pelanggan, bahasa, dan lain-lain.



3. Mengangkat Citra Bisnis anda

Dengan memiliki sebuah web site, citra (image) bisnis

anda bisa terangkat. Walau bisnis Veselnzva tidak besar, tetapi

melalui kehadiran secara online, citra bisnis anda akan

terangkat dibandingkan kompetitor lain dan bisa bersaing

dengan perusahaan besar.



4. Biaya Pemasaran Yang Lebih Efektif Dan Efisien

Karena pemasaran melalui internet sangat tertarget dan biaya

relatif lebih rendah dibanding pemasaran offline, sehingga

biaya yang dikeluarkan untuk pemasarannya juga lebih

efektif dan efisien.

5. 'Memposisikan' Bisnis anda Di Masa Depan!

Semakin hari, semakin banyak bisnis yang hadir secara online.

Demikian juga kompetitor anda. Kalau tidak sekarang,

kelak pun mereka akan menghadirkan bisnisnya melalui internet.

Karena itu, kehadiran situs bisnis Veselnzva di internet,

setidaknya telah menolong memposisikan bisnis anda

di masa depan.



6. Mempermudah anda Dalam Membangun Hubungan Baik

Dengan Pelanggan.



Karena internet adalah media yang interaktif, anda dengan

mudah menjalin komunikasi dan menjaga hubungan baik dengan

pelanggan. Baik itu melalui newsletter, kotak saran,

survey/polling, forum,dll. Kelebihan macam-macam perangkat

ini, Anda bisa melayani banyak pelanggan dalam satu waktu.

Lebih hemat waktu, tenaga dan biaya, bukan ?! :-)



7. Sistem Otomatisasi Yang Responsif

Melalui sistem otomatisasi, web site anda bisa memberikan

respon dengan cepat jika datang pesanan atau permintaan

informasi bisnis Veselnzva yang lebih lengkap dari pelanggan.

Di jaman yang serba instan ini, kecepatan layanan adalah

kemutlakan, bukan?! :-)



Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi manfaat berpromosi online Dan

Veselnzva bisa mempelajarinya lebih lengkap dan detil, PLUS

dengan cara berpromosinya, tips, case study dari marketer dunia,

ide-ide bisnis niche market dan strateginya - dengan

mendaftarkan diri Veselnzva di Asian Brain IMC.



Kalau Anda sudah siap bergabung dan mau belajar silakan klik link

di bawah ini untuk mulai belajar:



http://www.asianbrain.com/index.php?aff_code=888999



Jika ada yang ingin Veselnzva tanyakan lebih lanjut, jangan

sungkan

untuk kirim email melalui: www.AsianBrainSupport.com

kami pasti balas !:-)

dukungan untuk ibu prita

sumber By : http://ibuprita.suatuhari.com/

Ibu dari dua balita itu dipenjara sejak Rabu 13 Mei lalu, terpisah dari si bungsu berusia setahun tiga bulan yang masih memerlukan ASI dan si sulung yang baru tiga tahun. Dia menjadi tersangka pencemaran nama baik. Hanya karena e-mail berisi keluhan tentang pelayanan rumah sakit.

ibu mulyasari dan anaknyaDalam batas kemampuannya, seorang ibu menyuarakan keluhannya dengan berbagi pengalaman melalui sarana yang dia pahami dan kuasai. Dia kirimkan e-mail kepada beberapa temannya. Sebuah bentuk komunikasi yang lazim di antara warga masyarakat modern. Kemudian e-mail itu menyebar.

Persoalan tak akan meluas jika pihak yang disebut dalam keluhan itu menyelesaikan persoalan secara bijak, dengan pendekatan yang manusiawi, kemudian mengumumkan bahwa persoalan telah diselesaikan bersama.

Akan tetapi yang terjadi adalah kriminalisasi. Ibu dari dua anak balita itu, namanya Prita Mulyasari, oleh pihak yang dia keluhkan, yakni Rumah Sakit Omni International, Alam Sutera, Tangerang, dihadapi melalui gugatan perdata dan sekaligus pidana. Selama proses persidangan, ibu itu dikurung dalam bui di Lembaga Pemasyarakatan Wanita Tangerang, terpisah dari keluarganya, dari anak-anaknya.

Seorang ibu, yang juga konsumen, dihadapi sebuah korporat dengan segala kelebihan yang dimilikinya melalui pendekatan kekuasaan. Padahal dalam praktik bisnis yang sehat lagi santun, keluhan seperti itu seyogyanya diselesaikan melalui komunikasi. Ada penjelasan, ada proses saling mendengar, ada upaya untuk mendudukkan persoalan melalui pengertian bersama.

Cerita selengkapnya silakan Anda lihat dalam tautan. Persoalan kita sekarang ini adalah menghadapi kesewenang-wenangan sehingga secara bersama kita harus memperjuangkan kebebasan berpendapat.

Kita ketuk nurani para penegak hukum. Kita ingatkan bahwa rasa keadilan melekat pada semua hamba hukum yang bernurani. Lebih baik membebaskan orang yang (belum tentu) bersalah daripada menghukum orang yang tak bersalah.

Kita ingatkan RS Omni International, bahwa upaya penyelesaian seperti ini akan lebih layak jika ditempuh sebagai upaya terakhir setelah serangkaian komunikasi yang penuh pendekatan kemanusiaan telah buntu. Namun yang terjadi, seperti kita tahu, adalah gelar kuasa dalam posisi yang tak imbang.

Kita tularkan dukungan dan perjuangan ini kepada seluruh pengguna internet melalui pemasangan banner dan penyiaran pesan.

Hari ini Ibu Prita. Jika dibiarkan, esok adalah Anda. Padahal sebagai konsumen untuk produk dan layanan apa pun, Anda berhak bersuara.

Pusat Pembelajaran Internet Marketing PERTAMA Dan Terbaik di Indonesia

-------------------------------------------------------
** Asian Brain Internet Marketing Center **

Pusat Pembelajaran Internet Marketing PERTAMA
Dan Terbaik di Indonesia
-------------------------------------------------------


Hello Veselnzva :-)

Hampir semua orang punya cita-cita ingin memiliki bisnis sendiri.
Tapi sering kali, mereka bingung bagaimana memulainya, bisnis apa
yang harus mereka geluti dan bagaimana pula prospeknya.

Kebetulan "INC" -media bisnis terkemuka di Amerika- belum lama ini
merilis informasi penting bagi para pebisnis yang ingin mengetahui
bisnis yang prospeknya paling menjanjikan hingga lebih dari 10
tahun mendatang. Mereka adalah:

=> Internet Bisnis, data processing dan jasa informasi lainnya
=> Sistem komputer dan jasa yang berhubungan dengannya
=> Sofware
=> Jasa ketenagakerjaan
=> Konsultasi: management,science, dan teknis
=> Home Health Care
=> Jasa penasihat keuangan pribadi
=> Jasa perawatan anak
=> Seni, hiburan dan rekreasi
=> Fim/video

Dari data tersebut, terlihat bisnis nomor SATU yang paling
menjanjikan hingga lebih dari 10 tahun mendatang adalah internet
bisnis

Revolusi informasi memang tengah berjalan. Seperti juga ketika
mobil yang merevolusi kereta kuda, kamera digital yang mulai
menggantikan kamera manual dan kini INTERNET juga telah mengubah
kebiasaan masyarakat dalam mencari informasi dan berbisnis.

Dan sekarang kita atau setidaknya anak muda sekarang yang menjadi
future market- semakin sering mendengar kata-kata seperti ini,
'Lihat di internet aja' atau 'Cari di internet aja'.

Apapun, mulai dari membandingkan harga gadget, booking tiket
pesawat, lihat berita terkini, lihat iklan penjualan rumah atau
mobil, beli macam-macam barang, dan masih banyak lagi. "Apapun
bisnisnya", internet tempat jualannya :-)

Internet memang tempat menjadi pemasaran produk dan jasa yang
paling menjanjikan saat ini. Karena jangkauan yang luas,
ke seluruh dunia. Selain itu juga karena pasarnya yang tertarget
dan sistem otomatisasinya, membuat pemasaran jadi lebih efektif
dan efisien dari segi biaya, waktu dan tenaga.

Sebenarnya masih banyak lagi kelebihan-kelebihan dalam memasarkan
suatu bisnis melalui internet. Di Asian Brain IMC,
Veselnzva akan belajar semua seluk beluk bisnis di Internet.

Jika Veselnzva ingin belajar bagaimana memasarkan produk
dan jasa di Internet lebih lengkap dan detil lagi PLUS
dengan strategi, tips, wawancara dengan internet marketer kelas
dunia, dan ide-ide bisnis niche market - , kami sarankan jangan
ragu lagi...!

Segera daftarkan diri Veselnzva menjadi anggota
Asian Brain Internet Marketing Center sekarang juga!

Ini linknya untuk bergabung:
http://www.asianbrain.com/index.php?aff_code=888999

Engga akan rugi kok :-)

Karena ada masa garansi 10 hari. Jadi engga ada salahnya dicoba
kan?! Apalagi inget lho, internet bisnis adalah bisnis yang
paling menjanjikan untuk lebih dari 10 tahun mendatang. :-)

Bila ada yang kurang jelas, jangan sungkan untuk menghubungi kami
lewat : www.AsianBrainSupport.com kami pasti balas ! :-)

Atau Veselnzva juga boleh telpon kami pada jam kerja
di: (022) 5944-999, 5945-999 atau 5946-999

Itu semua nomor hokinya Ahira katanya! hehe..

Anyway, kami tunggu keikutsertaan Veselnzva di Asian Brain IMC!

Dijamin, Veselnzva tidak akan menyesal! :-)

AsianBrain.com Support Team

p.s. Lusa kami akan mengirim email yang akan membahas tentang:
"7 Alasan Utama mempromosikan Bisnis Anda Melalui Internet"


-------------------------------------------
PT. Asian Brain Internet Marketing Center
Jl. Bojong Sereh No. 668 Bandung 40376
Jawa Barat - INDONESIA

Tlp. (022) 5944-999, 5945-999, 5946-999
Fax (022) 5947-999
HP. 081.320.6888.98 (Asri, Asisten Ahira)


Untuk unsubscribe Anda dapat klik langsung ke link berikut ini :
http://www.asianbrain.com/index.php?pg=unsubscribe&em=3135766573656c6e7a76613837407961686f6f2e636f6d61626364&cl=1

Michael Kamber: Hard Lessons in Somalia

"It is also important to keep a low profile when you’re moving through dangerous areas where kidnapping risks are high. Try to find vehicles with tinted windows. Long sleeves, beards, hats and local dress all help. Don’t be embarrassed to wrap a scarf around your head or put on local garb. From a distance, this makes you less visible. It may save your life."-Michael Kamber (from LENS-New York Times)

Michael Kamber is a well-known photojournalist, and is currently working on a book on photojournalism and war photography. He was nominated three times for the Pulitzer prize. He has covered conflicts in Iraq, Afghanistan, Liberia, Cote D'Ivoire, Sudan, Somalia, Haiti, Israel, the Congo and various others.

He shares some of the hard lessons he learned while working in Somalia on The New York Times LENS blog.

posted from London en route to Morocco

Book: Within The Frame: David duChemin

If there's one book on photography I must have with me if I'm ever marooned on a desert island, it'd be David duChemin's Within The Frame.

If there's one photography book I'd recommend to all the photographers of varying levels of proficiency who join my photo~expeditions, it's David du Chemin's Within The Frame.

If there's one photography manual I'd have with me when teaching my photography courses to emerging photographers and photojournalists, it'd be David's Within The frame.

Yes, it's that good.

Within The Frame is David's opus...a 'from the heart and soul' of a travel photographer who genuinely likes his craft and is justifiably proud of his work. It's a book of color, of light, of exotic locations, of people, of humanity and of valuable recommendations.

Here's David in his own voice:

"Anyone can take a picture of poverty; it's easy to focus on the dirt and hurt of the poor. It's much harder -and much more needful- to pry under that dirt and reveal the beauty and dignity of people that, but for their birth into a place and circumstance different from our own, are just like ourselves. I want my images to tell the story of those people and to move us beyond pity to justice and mercy".

Is there a better way to say what many photographers believe and live by?

Another brilliant photographer, Sebastião Salgado, said as much: "If you take a picture of a human that does not make him noble, there is no reason to take this picture. That is my way of seeing things."

Within The Frame is well worth adding to one's library of photography books; almost 250 pages of sound advice and suggestions as to how to improve your photographic vision, along with scores of David's lovely photographs. I recently heard that David wondered if creative vision can be taught. If it can, then this book is one of its manuals.

Within The Frame is available from Amazon or B&N. David duChemin's photographic vision can be seen on his website here.

posted from London en route to Morocco

Sponsorsip pariwisata jember

En Route: The Gnawa Photo Expedition

I'm on my way to Morocco to lead the Photo~Expedition: The Gnawa Festival In Essaouira, which begins in Casablanca on June 19.

In Casablanca, I will be meeting (all for the first time) the 8 photographers who are joining me on this exciting adventure, exploring the souks of Marrakech, the fabled city of Ouarzazate and the famous port city of Essaouira, where the Gnawa music festival is to take place.

During the coming 12 days or so, my postings may not be as frequent as usual but I've set up some robot posts, and hope to be able to upload a couple of posts from Morocco during the photo~expedition itself. It all depends on time availability and accessibility of the internet.

Khaled Hasan: The Stone Crushers

Khaled Hasan was born in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and joined Pathshala (the South Asian Institute of Photography) and completed a workshop in Chobimela IV (2006). He was inspired by Shahidul Alam and Reza Deghati. He worked as a freelancer for several daily newspapers in Bangladesh and for the photo agency Majorityworld. His photographs have been published in the Sunday Times Magazine, American Photo, National Geographic, Better Photography, Saudi Aramco World and The New Internationalist.

The Stone Crushers of Bangladesh also appeared on GlobalPost, the excellent online news organization, and documents the working community of Jaflong in the northeastern part of Bangladesh. The Piyain River, which flows from India through Bangladesh, washes rocks and pebbles from India into the Jaflong area, where thousands of laborers collect the stones and crush them. The crushed stones are then sold for making roads and at construction sites. A backbreaking job for little pay and no security.

Gritty documentary work by yet another talented photographer/photojournalist from Bangladesh!