Matt Brandon: Penang's Pulau Tikus

Matt Brandon has been photographing since he was 10 years old with his father’s Cannonet QL Rangefinder, and now specializes in NGO, relief and humanitarian projects. He recently moved to Malaysia, and frequently features audio slideshows on his The Digital Trekker blog.

Here's one of his latest production which he titled The Hands Of Rat Island. This self-assignment was completed over the course of 3 days, and was centered on a small market in Penang called Pulau Tikus or “Rat Island”. Matt decided he'd only feature the hands of the people in that market.

As interesting as hands (almost as faces) are from a visual standpoint, it's also interesting to hear the market hubbub captured by Matt's recorder. You'll also hear the inflections of Hokkien Chinese, one of the most common Chinese languages overseas, which is spoken by the Chinese-Malay.

Having traveled in Malaysia, I still recall the aromatic smells and exotic tastes of the wonderful Malaysian street food, which I've experienced in KL, Malacca and Penang...but I digress.

There are quite a number of posts on TTP on Matt Brandon, and these can be found here.

Home-grown Aibika for Dinner

Yesterday, we have harvested the Aibika leaves from our home garden.

Some of you have never heard "Aibika". It is a green leafy vegetable common in South Pacific countries. It goes very well with chicken & other meat and a "Must" ingredients for coastal people of Papua New Guinea.
I did not know that Aibika flower looks like Hibiscus, because nobody awaits here until the plant is flowering - harvest and eat before the flower blossoms.

We cooked the Aibika with pumpkin & chicken for a Dinner.

If you are next time in Papua New Guinea, don't forget to eat Aibika.

POV: Fate Of A Photo-Expedition Leader?

© What The Duck-All Rights Reserved
This will probably be my shortest POV ever, but is particularly timely as I'm leading the Tribes of South Rajasthan & Kutch Photo~Expedition&trade that starts in about five weeks!

Will this be my fate??? Nah...

(Cartoon strip seen on Bob Krist's Photo Traveler blog.)

Yuri Kozyrev: Yamal Peninsula

Photo © Yuri Kozyrev/NOOR-All Rights Reserved
Coinciding with the global climate talks in Copenhagen, Yuri Kozyrev (among the 9 photographers of NOOR photo agency) photographed climate stories with the purpose of documenting the consequences of global warning. Produced during the last two months, the project named Consequences is being launched during the United Nations Climate Summit, Monday 7 December through Friday 18 December 2009.

The Yamal Peninsula is one of the world's largest wildernesses where the indigenous Nenets people have migrated across for the past 1000 years. It is here that traditional large-scale nomadic reindeer husbandry is preserved. The Yamal Peninsula also holds Russia's biggest natural gas reserves. The Nenets have a shamanistic and animistic belief system which foments respect for the land and its resources.

MSNBC has featured Yuri Kozyrev's photographs as a photo essay titled Russia's Reindeer Herders.

Also check Consequences by NOOR.

Maldives - Top beaches of the world

Maldives is a beautiful island country. It is only a few hundred kilometers from the Indian Territory of Lakshdweep. The largest city is Male which is the capital of Maldives. Maldives is only 1.5 metres above the sea level. It makes it the lowest country on the planet. Although it is the smallest country of Asia, it attracts the maximum number of beach tourists than any other Asian country. It has 1,192 islands of which two hundred are inhabited. Every island has beautiful beaches. The beaches are safe to swim and surf.

 

Maldives probably has THE BEST beaches in Asia. Many of them are unexplored. Because of the lack of direct flights, the American tourists are unaware about this paradise. However, European tourists has been visiting Maldives since hundred years. Maldives has been called paradise for scuba divers. It has the highest level of visibility that one could expect- sometimes exceeds 50 metres.

How to reach – There is no need to apply for a visa. Maldives government grants 30 day on arrival visa to visitors. Please click here to visit the Official website of Maldives Air Company Ltd. To know about the flight schedule, please click -----> Information on direct flights

Where to stay -  The Reethi beach resort and Hotel Fresco are best staying option (Under $115.00 per day) Please click on the link to see the list of best 50 hotels --> List of 50 best hotels

Patong beach Phuket, Thailand - Top beaches of the world

Patong beach is a beach on Thailand's west coast. Phuket's most famous beach and Thailand's best beach. It is a main centre of Phuket's night life. A number of cheap and 5 stars hotel's are located around it. It is known as world’s one of the best diving sites.

The beach is 2 kilometer's long. The nightlight is divided between two man areas (1) Bangla road (2) Paradise complex. The Bangla road is for straight people to have fun and the Paradise complex is a heaven for Gay people. The discos charge 100 Baht (Thai currency) as entry fee but entry fee includes drinks as well. The best season to visit Patong is between November to April.

 
How to reach – Thailand is well connected with all major countries by Air. You can directly land at Phuket International Airport  or to The International Airport of Bangkok which is the biggest city and the capital of the country. Bangkok is well connected of all major cities of Thailand. You can reach Phuket by bus or State Railways of Thailand.

Ragnar Axelsson: The Hunters of Greenland

Photo © Ragnar Axelsson-All Rights Reserved
With the advent of the cold snap that's gripping New York these days, as well as the Climate Conference in Copenhagen, I thought it opportune to post The New York Times' feature on the black & white work of Icelandic photographer Ragnar Axelsson.

Ragnar has been traveling to Inuit villages in Greenland’s most remote regions, over the past 25 years, documenting hunting traditions that are some 4,000 years old. He had to spend years hanging around the villages just to gain the trust of the villagers before being allowed on the hunts.

In the most remote regions of Greenland, Inuit hunters spend up to two months out on the ice, seeking narwhals, seals and polar bears. The environment is unforgiving, and temperatures can drop to minus 40.

Ragnar's The Hunters of Greenland, and Showcase: Black & Very White

Ragnar Axelsson is a staff photographer with Morgunbladid, Iceland's biggest newspaper since 1976, and has photographed in Faroe Islands, Greenland, Indonesia, Scandinavia, and Siberia, among others.

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop Istanbul 2010

Eric Beecroft announced the third Foundry Photojournalism Workshop will be held in Istanbul, Turkey on June 20-26, 2010.

The initial roster of instructors, who are giving their time to teach photojournalism to emerging photographers are (at the time of writing) as follows:

Lynsey Addario
Kael Alford
Andrea Bruce
Guy Calaf
Michael Robinson-Chavez
Rena Effendi
Tewfic El-Sawy
David Guttenfelder
Ron Haviv
Eros Hoagland
John Moore
Jared Moossy
Stephanie Sinclair
Anastasia Taylor-Lind
Ami Vitale

Visit the new website to register early and secure a spot in the third annual Foundry Photojournalism Workshop!

LumaLoop: Yet Another Camera Strap

After BlackRapid's success, another strap contender LumaLoop is entering the fray hoping that it can also provide an improved camera strap, one of photography's perennial Holy Grails.

James Duncan Davidson (a photographer) designed and made the LumaLoop, an across-the-shoulder strap with a quick-release lanyard, whose main claims are comfort and flexibility.

Those who have already used the strap report they like how the camera can be used while slung over a shoulder, and can quickly be released by squeezing the buckle. When not in use, the camera dangles at one's waist, and can remain there all day long.

The LumaLoop is $60 and comes in three sizes. Each strap comes with a lanyard.

From what I've seen on its website, LumaLoop uses the same general idea for an across the chest bandolier strap as BlackRapid, with the twist of having a quick release lanyard-to-buckle instead of a carabiner.

Here's a previous post as to how I "readjusted" my BlackRapid straps to avoid any unforeseen accidents.

LumaLoop first seen on The Click.

Sgada Ub-Ubbo Pottery invitation

The SAGADA UB-UBBO POTTERY cordially invites you to the demonstration of the three Sagada
craftsmen on December 28 and 29, 2009 from 9:00 to 11:00 AM and 1:30 to 4:00 PM at Kenmasweng,
Nangonogan, Sagada, Mountain Province, Philippines.

“Ub-ubbo” is a Kankanaey term for bayanihan. And to promote “ub-ubbo,”
the demo is also open to
groups/individuals who may also want to share their knowledge on the different indigenous crafts.

Edward Tambiac
Traditional Rattan (Owey) Weaving

Jaime CapuyanWood Carving.

Lope Bosaing
Stoneware Pottery






For inquiries:
Call 09081774972
Email andrewapekas@yahoo.com.ph

Poll: TTP's Photographer of The Year?

Who Should Be The Travel Photographer's Photographer of the Year?
	Zackary Canepari
	Diego Verges
	Dede Pickering
	Joey Lawrence
pollcode.com free polls

The time of year has come when I normally choose a travel photographer who gets the coveted award of The Travel Photographer's Photographer Of The Year. However this year, I've opted for a more democratic system to elect one of the above four (who were shortlisted by me), and feature this simple poll for my readers to choose the numero uno for 2009.

The blog posts highlighting the work of these four extremely talented photographers are as follows:

Zackary Canepari
Diego Verges
Dede Pickering
Joey Lawrence

The poll will be closed on December 20th. Have fun...!!

Note: This poll was picked up by the Outdoor Photographer Editorial Blog.

Marc Wattrelot: Balochistan

Photo © Marc Wattrelot-All Rights Reserved
Here's a timely feature brought to us by Foto8 showcasing the work of photojournalist Marc Wattrelot titled Divided Desert: Balochistan.

The blurb that accompanies the slideshow informs us that Balochistan extends over 350,000 square kms (approximately the size of Germany) and is the largest province in the Pakistan Federation. About 7 million people live in Balochistan; a mixture of consists Iranians, Pakistanis and Afghanis.

It's the often-heard story: a region rich in natural resources, its people among the poorest, the Punjabi central government rife with corruption and nepotism, give rise to a resistance movement striving for autonomy.

It's timely because the remnants of Al-Qaida may well migrate to the hinterlands of either Pashtunistan and Balochistan. All the ingredients for major trouble exist in this region in the coming months and years to come, so as I said, a timely feature. I don't always agree with Robert D. Kaplan's political slant, but he has penned a thought-provoking article on the Baluchi issue in the May 2009 issue of The Atlantic, which explains the volatility of this region.

Interesting photographs, but irritatingly repetitive audio...!!!

Foto8 describes itself a space to share, comment and debate photography.

NGS: Results of Photo Contest 2009

The National Geographic has selected the winners in its Fourth Annual Global Photography Contest from more than 200,000 submissions.

Each country held national contests and, in the final round, sent one photo from each of the three categories to National Geographic's Washington headquarters for judging. Judges were National Geographic staff photographer Mark Thiessen; design editor of the international editions of National Geographic magazine Darren Smith; and photojournalist Maria Stenzel.

While the first prize went to Debra Jansen of the US for her picture of a 97-year-old woman waiting for a bus in her Sunday best in Georgia, I thought that the above picture by Arie Yudhistira of India (honorable mention) was visually more compelling.

Canon 7D: It May Be Rugged After All!

I've just stumbled on the interesting ( and certainly one for your bookmarks if Canon is what you use) website Canon Field Reviews (CFR) authored by Pro Nature Photographer Ole Jørgen Liodden of Norway who tests Canon gear under extreme real life conditions.

Liodden took his Canon 7D on a three and a half week week photo expedition to Antarctica, and put it through extreme and hard use under prevailing bad weather conditions, and reported that it performed flawlessly. He chose to use the camera with a battery grip for better handling, and it (the grip) seemed tighter and better sealed than the one that fits the Canon 5D Mark II. He reports that his 7D had absolutely no problems with snow, rain and water (sea spray). He also used a Canon 1Ds Mark III with no issues at all (as expected from such a camera).

His conclusion:

"The 7D performed as I had hoped, surpassing 10,000 exposures without a problem. I must admit that the 5D Mark II surprised me as well with its build quality. The 1DS Mark III camera is the most rugged and best weather sealed, but the 7D and 5D Mark II (without battery grip) performed 100% in my opinion."

Hmmmm.

China: Portraits of 56 Ethnic Groups

Photo © Chen Hai Wen-All Rights Reserved
Here's an interesting "ethno-photographic" gallery by Chinese photographer Chen Hai Wen (all the information was translated from the Wen Xue City news website using Google Translator) who has recently published large scale photographs in what seems to have been titled as Harmonious China depicting groupings of 56 ethnic groups in China.

From what I gathered from the rather awkward translation, Chen Hai Wen led 14 other photographers across China on photo-shoots which took over one year to complete. It seems the total number of photographs made during this massive undertaking was 5.7 million!!

The "family" photographs are technically perfect, and showcase each different group in its traditional dress. The poses are stilted for the most part...and they are all obviously painstakingly staged...but it's certainly a monumental tour de force.

The last portrait is of the Han ethnic group, to which the largest percentage of Chinese belong to. It's also interesting that ethnic minorities of Taiwan are included.

Aksaray Province, Cappadocia Turkey

Ihlara valley

Aksaray offers the traveller unique journeys into one of nature's showcases. It boasts beautiful geological formations and a rich history. It is a charming town at the heart of the Cappadocia region.

The Ihlara Valley is a wonderful example of nature, people, history and art being bound togother in one place. The innermost secrets of it come slowly to light when you begin to explore.

The first civilisation at Aksaray on the volcanic tufa-rock lands of Cappadocia was at Asikli and dates from 8.000 years B.C. At Asiklihoyuk (mound) is the oldest village belonging to the Neolithic Period in Anatolia and the Near East.

In its long history Aksaray has been the cradle to various civilisations. From 3000 B:C. to 2000 B.C. the Hatti tribes lived in Anatolia. During this period Assyrian merchants traded in this area.

Towards the end of the period of colonisation, the Hittites coming from the Caucasus around 1700 B.C. founded small city-states and made Anatolia into a military state.

In the 1st C. A.D. St Paul and the disciples began to spread Christianity provoking the polyheistic Romans. For the sake of safety the early Christians started to seek out less confrontational places to settle. Also many religious men seeking solitude came to this region.

Aksaray came under Seljuk sovereignity in 1142 during the reign of Kilicaslan II. At this time palaces, madrasas, lodged and caravanserais were built. Kilicaslan II. built a palace and changed the name from Arkhelais to Aksaray (lit. pure palace) and it became a virtual second capital city. The city did not allow bad people to enter. And because of this it was known as "Sehr-i Suhela" meaning the place where goog people live. Aksaray became part of the Ottoman Empire in 1470 when it passed to Ishak Pasha. After the conquest of Istanbul the city was under populated and many Aksaray people were resettled in Istanbul, which is the reason that there a district of Istanbul named Aksaray.

In 1920 Aksaray became a province. In 1933 that status was annulled and it became of the province of Nigde. On June 15th, 1989 it became a province once more. The region has been home to different religious artefacts found here belonging especially to the Islamic and Christian periods. Of hundreds of examples 29 have been chosen as being especially valuable from the point of view of religious tourism. Of these eight are Islamic, each a masterpiece in its own right that attract hundreds of thuosands of visitors. The examples are:
Ulu Mosque, Egri Minaret, Tapduk Emre Turbe, Seyh Hamid-i Veli Turbe, Kilicaslan Turbe, Yunus Emre Turbe, Selime Sultan Turbe and Kaya Mosque.

Konya Province, Cappadocia Turkey

Ivriz Rock relief - Konya

The early permanent settlements in and around Konya go back to prehistoric times. The cultures of the Neolithic, Paleolithic and Early Bronze Age can be found within this period of time.

The mounds within which the early settlements are burled are within the borders of Konya. The findings of the Neolithic period have been dug-out during Catalhoyuk excavations. The diggings made in Catalhoyuk revealed that Konya has been an old city of civilization since people started to run a settled life in 7000 B.C. The existence of Ivriz Rock relief, Eflatunpinar, Glistra, Sille St. Elena church is another point which shows that Konya is a centre of hitory and culture.

The Hittite settlements were at Karahoyuk, which lies on the outskirts of Konya today. The archeological excavations have given light to the way of living of those people who lived on this land in those days. The Phrygians, who ended the Hittite domination on Asia Minor, were the migrating tribes form the Thrace. The findings from Aleaddin mound, Karapinar, Gicikisla and Sizma belong to the seventh millennium B.C.. Konya (Cavania) was invaded by the Lycian, Alexander the Great and the Romans. The Roman domination all over Asia Minor was long-lasting and Konya was Iconium then (25 A.D.)

Saint Paul, who landed at Antalya and made his way to the inner parts of Central Anatolia, made her a land of the Ottoman Empire. From there, passed through Antiochia (Yalvac) and came to Iconium. In those days Lystra, Laodica and Sille were the predominant Byzantine settlements. The penetration of Islam into Asia Minor brought the Arabian raids, which were made through Konya. After the Battle of Malazgirt in 1071 a large part of Anatolia including Konya was captured by Seljuk Turks and the dominance of the Eastern Roman Empire began to disappear. Suleyman Shah, the Anatolian Seljuk Sultan, declared Konya the seat of his crown in 1076. In 1080 Iznik was made the capital and in 1097, once more Konya was declared the capital of Anatolian Seljuk Empire staying that way until 1277. Karamanoglu Mehmet Bey took the rule of the Karamanogullari State. The Ottoman Sultan Murad II. captured Konya in 1442 and ended the Karamanogullari rule. Konya enjoyed many estimable years and made herself a notable reputation during the Ottoman reign. Konya was the halting place of Yavuz Sultan Selim during his campaigns to Egypt a Persia. Suleyman the Magnificent and Murad IV. halted in Konya on their way to Baghdad.

The city grew larger a developed rapidly after 1923. The considerably rich background of Konya has been enough to make her to be considered as an open air museum with numerous historical sites and a large number of works of art. Karatay, Meram and Selcuklu districts are up the Konya Metropol.

Central Anatolia

The central Anatolia plateau forms the heartland of Turkey: ochre-hued, cleft by ravines and dominated by volcanic peaks. The boldly contoured steppe has a solitary majesty covered with wheat fields framed by ranks of poplars.

Cappadocia, Central Anatolia

The central Anatolia plateau was also cradle of human civilization. At Catalhoyuk, remains of settlements as old as the eight millenium BC have been unearthed. Here in the homeland of many civilizations and the historic battleground between East and West, the Hattis, Hittites, Phrygians, Galatians, Romans, Byzantines, Seljuks and Ottoman all fought for their sovereignty and established their rule. In the 11th century, migrating Turks from the east made the plateau their own. During its turbulent history, Central Anatolia has endured invasion by great conquerors, such as Alexander the great and Tamerlane. In the course of ten millennia of habitation, the denizens of the area have reflected in their art the dramatic contours of the surrounding landscape, from the vigorous paintings of Catalhoyuk and the confident lines of Seljuks architecture, to more recently, the impressive modern from of Ataturk's mausoleum.

The most important city of central Anatolia is Ankara. Ankara is capital of Turkey. The city of Ankara lies in the center of Anatolia on the eastern edge of the great, high Anatolian Plateau, at an altitude of 850 meters. The province is a predominantly fertile wheat steppeland, with forested areas in the northeast. It is bordered by the provinces of Cankiri and Bolu to the north, Eskisehir to the west, Konya and Aksaray to the south, and Kirikkale nar Kirsehir to the east.Mevlana Museum, Konya

The region's history goes back to the Bronze Age Hatti Civilizaion, which was succeeded in the 2nd milliennium BC by the Hittites, in the 10th century BC by the Phrygians, then by the Lydians and Persians. After these came the Galatians, a Celtic race who were the first to make Ankara their capital in the 3rd century BC. It was then known as Ancyra, meaning "anchor" one of the oldest words in the language of the sea-loving Celts. The city subsequently fell to the Romans, and to the Byzantines. Seljuks Sultan Alparslan opened the door into Anatolia for Turks at the victory of Malazgirt in 1071. Then in 1073, he annexed Ankara, an important location for military transportation and natural resources, to Turkish territory.

Kayan Tadian, Saggas Rescue

The Saggas Team in Action

Kroo Bay: Anna Kåri and Guilhem Alandry

Here's a humanitarian project produced by Anna Kåri and Guilhem Alandry, both photojournalists, titled Kroo Bay, and commissioned by and created for Save the Children It's an interactive panoramic multimedia, which adds a tactile feel to the project by its viewers...it's as if one was there. It's remarkably well done, and uses panoramas, videos, audio and stills.

Kroo Bay is an informal housing settlement located on the coastline in central Freetown, the capital of Sierra Leone. It has an estimated population of about 6000 people. Residents of Kroo Bay lack adequate access to sanitation and health services, and their settlement is treated as a garbage dump by the rest of the capital city.

Guilhem is a French London-based photographer, videographer and multimedia producer. His use of 360-degree documentary technique won him awards and has been used both in print, interactive projects, exhibitions and TV.

Anna Kåri is a photojournalist based in West Africa and London. Her work centres around issues of human rights and animal rights, migration, refugees and identity. She travels and works extensively in the Balkans, West and Eastern Africa. Anna's work has been published by the TIME, Sunday Times Magazine, Le Monde 2, the Guardian, Politiken and many others.

My thanks to photographer Jonathan Adams for the heads -up.

CPN: Editor's Choice Selection

Canon Professional Newtork (CPN) is featuring Volker Lensch, the photo editor at Stern magazine, who has picked images from the photographs submitted to the fourth edition of Editor’s Choice - an entry that showcased the talents of emerging photojournalists and the power of black and white imagery.

CPN produced an audio-visual presentation, in which Lensch describes his editing approach on a daily basis, and explains in detail his choice of the photographs.

If the above link doesn't work for you, try this one: CPN

It is an interesting insight in how photo editors choose photographs...to me, it sounds more like a personal and instinctive reaction to the submissions.