My Work: The Rabari & The Charpoy

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
While in Dasada (in the Little Rann of Kutch) during the The Tribes of Rajasthan & Gujarat Photo~Expedition ™, we stopped by a small Rabari village to photograph. We fanned out to photograph whatever caught our eye, and whoever was willing to cooperate.

The previous evening at the Rann Riders Resort, we were shown a wonderful book of Olivier Follmi's photographs; some of which were of the area. One photograph in particular caught our attention, and it was of a Rabari shepherd asleep on a traditional rope bed called "charpoy". It was a photograph that I (and others in the group) was determined to imitate, provided I found the necessary rope-bed and a willing and able photogenic Rabari.

I easily found the charpoy, but to convince one of the Rabaris to lay or sit on it taxed my very limited Hindi and my rudimentary sign language. After some insistence (as well as having to literally drag him by the hand) on my part, the chosen Rebari cooperated and played his part...however, feeling self-conscious being watched by some of his fellow villagers, it didn't last very long at all.

Photo © Sharon Johnson-Tennant-All Rights Reserved
Sharon Johnson-Tennant, one of the group members who was also photographing this recalcitrant Rabari, captured the moment as I showed him the various photographs.

The Rabari tribals live throughout Gujarat, Punjab, Harayana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan states in India. Some also live in Pakistan, especially in the Sindh. Their principal occupation is raising cattle, camels and goats.

FairPro 2010 Chennai

 
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FairPro is one of the biggest Property Fair that take place in Chennai, Tamil Nadu every year. This is the third edition of FAIRPRO. It takes places from 19 February to 21 February 2010. The venue of FairPro 2010 is Chennai Trade Center, Nandambakkam, Chennai. Over 250 properties by 45 top builders will be show cast in this exhibition. On the spot home loan approval is also available. There are about 53 stalls by 40 developers. It is organized by CREDAI(Confederation of Real Estate Developers Association of India). Fairpro 2009 sold out Rs 100 crores of property...A debate also takes place at Fairpro on February 21 from 3pm on the topic Are Apartments are safer than independent houses by pattimandram king Solomon Pappiah. If you are looking to buy a house for your own then this Fairpro will help you a lot ....

Also India International Sea Food Show 2010 is also taking place in the same trade centre, chennai ... So visit that too...

Eurodance Festival 2010, Day 2

On the second day we had 3 workshops from Mirko Gozzoli (World Champion Standard Professionals) in the Slow Foxtrot, Waltz and Quickstep. The topic of all workshops was swing. Mirko gave us some extremely good exercises to build up this swing and to control compression. We are staying in the hotel Colosseo in Europa Park. The dance evenings are crowded and everyone enjoys the live music.

Op de tweede dag hebben we 3 workshops gevolgd van Mirko Gozzoli (Wereldkampioen Standaard Professionals) in de Wals, Slow Foxtrot en Quickstep. Het onderwerp van alle lessen was swing. Mirko heeft ons enkele zeer goede oefeningen aanbevolen om onze swing op te bouwen en compressie te controleren. We verblijven in het Europa Park hotel Colosseo. De dansavonden zijn druk bezocht en iedereen geniet van de live band.



Previous Major Ballroom Event article: Eurodance Day 1, Major Ballroom Event
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Eurodance Festival 2010, Day 1

On our fist day we had 3 workshops from Pia David. Pia was 5 times German Ballroom Champion. We had a workshop in the Slow Waltz, Tango and Slow Foxtrot. We learned a lot and enjoyed all lectures.

The evening shows were fantastic and we will try to share this with you by adding some videos on this blog. Benedetto Ferrugia & Claudia Köhler (World Champions Modern Amateurs) and Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis (World Champions Latin Professional) both gave a show of 5 dances. It was unbelievable.

Op onze eerste dag hebben we 3 workshops gevolgd van Pia David. Pia was 5 keer Duits kampioen ballroom dansen. We hebben les gehad in de langzame wals, de tango en de slow foxtrot. We hebben veel bijgeleerd en genoten.

De avondvoorstelling was fantastisch en we zullen proberen dit met u te delen via videos op deze blog. Benedetto Ferrugia & Claudia Köhler (Wereldkampioen Standaard amateurs) and Michael Malitowski & Joanna Leunis (Wereldkampioen Latin Professionals) hebben beiden een demo van 5 dansen gebracht.

All video recording allowed by the organisation of Eurodance Festival 2010













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Rajibul Islam: The Rohingya

Photo © Sheikh Rajibul Islam-All Rights Reserved
The Rohingya, a Muslim ethnic group of the Northern Arakan State of Western Burma, are denied citizenship and suffer persecution and discrimination in Myanmar. Hundreds of thousands have fled to Bangladesh. An estimated 25,000 unregistered Rohingya refugees are living in the Kutupalong makeshift camp in Bangladesh, and are being forcibly displaced from their homes, in an act of intimidation and abuse by the local authorities. Few have been granted refugee status. The majority struggle to survive, unrecognized and unassisted in Bangladesh.

Precious little on Sheikh Rajibul Islam's background is available on the internet, although he is listed on Lightstalkers as a Bangladeshi documentary photographer and film maker. Rajibul has also worked with Benjamin Chesterton of duckrabbit in Dhaka, where they have been working on a documentary about the effects of climate change on Bangladesh.

In my view, Rajibul and his powerful work belong to what I call the Bangladeshi "school" of photography...the dark and brooding style, which showcases social issues which need to be addressed. He's in good company: G.M.B. Akash, Sumit Dayal, Munem Wasif, Andrew Biraj, Tanvir Ahmed, Abir Abdullah, Monirul Alam, Shehzad Noorani, Saiful Huq Omi, Khaled Hasan, Murtada Bulbul, Mohammad Kibria Palash and Azizur Rahim Peu...and so many other talented photographers.

The Rohingya photo essay is showcased by the excellent Social Documentary. Social Documentary is a website for photographers, NGOs, editors, journalists, lovers of photography and anyone else who believes that photography plays an important role in educating people about our world.

Thanks to Benjamin Chesterton of the incomparable duckrabbit for bringing Rajibul Islam to our attention.

Charlotte Rush-Bailey: Tribes of Raj & Gujarat

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey- All Rights Reserved
Charlotte Rush-Bailey is the second group member of The Tribes of Rajasthan & Gujarat Photo~Expedition ™ whose work is being showcased here on TTP.

As demonstrated by her photographs here, and by those on her impressive website, Charlotte's quest to explore the unknown and learn from it has always been with her. Her career covered three decades of marketing and communications positions in a variety of global industries including energy, financial services, media, conservation, technology and professional services. This gave opportunities to work with people all over the world, and to learn to appreciate cultural nuances and the influences of socio-political forces.

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey-All Rights Reserved
This is no idle claim by Charlotte. I saw her engage people in the remote villages of Kutch and in the warrens of the walled city in Ahmedabad with an incredible ease, which led her to have no difficulty obtaining the photographs she wanted.

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey-All Rights Reserved

Charlotte immersed herself in her passion of photography, and attended numerous workshops including those at the Palm Beach Photographic Workshops and Santa Fe Photo Workshops. She traveled to more than 90 countries, with a camera as a constant traveling companion. She believes that it was this that gained her more intimacy with people, places and nature.

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey- All Rights Reserved
Charlotte's statement on her website reads:

"These explorations have enriched my life beyond imagining. Most important is the confirmation that humans – regardless of race, creed or tradition – share core values that far outweigh the differences that are so often the cause of conflict. The importance of family, community and spirituality are universal. Beyond humanity, nature has taught me complete humility and reverence. Nothing we humans do can repeal the laws and forces of nature; nothing we create can compare with the beauty, elegance and resilience of the natural world."

She's absolutely right.

Carnaval De Nice 2010 France

Its carnival time... Carnivals are taking place all around the world. Carnaval De Nice also known as the Nice Carnival is now taking place in Nice, France. This carnival is also equivalent to the Brazilian carnival and the Venice Carnival... It takes place every year during the month of February... Nice Carnival 2010 started on 12 February and will continue till 28th of February 2010. Anastasia was elected as the Carnival queen for this year and you can see her in the Flower Parade. Schedule of events in Carnaval De Nice 2010
 February 20th, 2010 - Flower Parade(Timings 2.30PM) and Parade of Lights at 9 PM
 February 21st, 2010 - Carnival Parade at 2.30 PM
 February 23rd, 2010 - Parade of Lights at 9 PM
 February 24th, 2010 - Flower Parade at 2.30 PM
 February 27th, 2010 - Flower Parade(Timings 2.30PM) and Parade of Lights at 9 PM
 February 28th, 2010 - This is the closing day of the carnival. Carnival Parade at 2.30 PM and from 7pm Closing festivities followed at 9 pm by the incineration of the King and fireworks

Parade of Virtual 3D floats will also be a highlight of this carnival


To know the rates of the tickets to parade at carnaval de nice and to book tickets online visit the official website..... 

Photos of Carnaval De Nice 

You can catch lot of videos of Nice carnival in you tube

Tribes of Rajasthan/Gujarat Photo Group

Photo © Kantilal Doobal-All Rights Reserved
Kantilal Doobal is the Bhuj-based photographer/guide who accompanied us on our forays in the tribal lands of Bhuj area. He photographed alongside us, and emailed us this group photograph at a Wadha village on the last day in the Kutch.

From left: Sharon Johnson-Tennant, Colleen Kerrigan, Sandy Chandler, Tewfic El-Sawy, Kim McClellan, Terri Gold, Cathy Scholl and Charlotte Rush-Bailey. The fellow in the blue turban is the village's chief. Missing are Wink Willett and Jamie Johnson.

Kantilal Doobal's Flickr stream is here.

Alessandra Meniconzi: The Roitschäggätä

Photo © Alessandra Meniconzi -All Rights Reserved
Photo © Alessandra Meniconzi -All Rights Reserved
Alessandra Meniconzi's work has graced the pages of The Travel Photographer blog on many occasions, with photographs of far-away and remote areas of the world, however she sent me some of new work made in her back-yard. Yes, literally in her back-yard in Switzerland, although when I first viewed the photographs, I took them to be from Mongolia or even perhaps Papua New guinea.

But not at all...these were made in the villages of the Lötschental valley. It's the largest valley on the northern side of the Rhône valley in the canton of Valais in Switzerland, which lies in the Bernese Alps.

The masks are worn by the Roitschäggätä, who are unmarried young men from Lötschental villages who hide behind handmade wooden masks and are clad in fur, scaring passersby and playing pranks.

Starting as early as February 2, this tradition has been repeatedly prohibited by the Church, but without much success. The Roitschäggätä roam through the valley on Maundy Thursday, while there is a masked parade in the village of Wiler on the Saturday prior to Ash Wednesday.

NPR: The Mekong, A River

Here's a wonderful multimedia piece The Mekong: A River And A Region Transformed, which is produced by NPR, as only a sterling institution such NPR would know how.

It documents the Mekong through a 3,000-mile journey from the river’s source on the Tibetan plateau to its mouth at the South China Sea, relying on Michael Sullivan and photographer Christopher Brown examine the turbulent history and uncertain future along the Mekong.

The Mekong is one of the world’s major rivers, and is its 12th-longest, and the 7th-longest in Asia. According to Wikipedia, its estimated length is 4,350 km or 2,703 miles, running from the Tibetan Plateau through China's Yunnan province, Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia and Vietnam.

I've traveled to most countries through which the Mekong runs, and it was at its most spectacular at Khone Phapheng, in southern Laos with its borders with Cambodia, during monsoon season.

Apple iPad & Photography

Apple announced its newest creation, the iPad, while I was in the Kutch area in Gujarat, and had no reliable internet access so I'm still pretty much out of the loop in as far as its technical specifications are concerned...but that won't stop me from expressing my knee-jerk opinion on it from what I already know.

I gather from a couple of opinions written about the iPad that the jury (from a photography standpoint) is still out. Some say that it will "save" photojournalism and newspapers, while others are more low-key and only say it will provide a new platform to display one's photographs.

I view it as the latter...a magnified iTouch. No more and no less. I initially got very excited, hoping that it could replace netbooks, but it doesn't. From what I seen, it will not enable photographers to use it as a conduit device to download contents of CF/SD cards unto external hard drives. As a portfolio display device, it will do beautifully though. I use the tiny iTouch to do just that, and must say that it's useful in some occasions. The iPad will do the same in large format, and I expect it will be dazzling.

The absence of Flash is disappointing but expected. It's a pity but I imagine that it will not be hard for photographers to convert their Flash-based multimedia photo essays to QuickTime...or some other application...and show them off that way. As for enjoying photo Flash websites, this device will not do it you.

It's been said that Apple has indeed brought us the iPad, but its success or failure will depend on the app developers. Let's wait and see...we'll know soon enough.

Where to buy Mailboxes ?

Now a days people who use letters have decreased when compared to the past decade. However letters today play an important role in official means of communication.Mail Boxes is the place where you can find variety of mailboxes... They have different kinds and colors of mailboxes. Each of the mailbox is unique in its design. They have commercial as well as mailbox for homes. We can buy the mailbox online itself and can also track the status of already placed orders. The varieties of mailbox include Single unit mailboxes, commercial mailboxes, column mailboxes, Multi Unit mailboxes, Locking mailboxes, Mailbox Posts, Wall mount mailboxes , Commercial mailboxes and more... We can also compare the features of the mailboxes that we like. We can compare the features such as Closure, Color, lockable insert, Shape, Style, Warranty, Newspaper holder etc., List of different manufacturers are also provided, so that we can select a mailbox from the one we like. They also provide information about the manufacturer we selected. Gift certificates are also available. If you are in need of buying mailbox for your home or office then the best place to buy is mailboxixchange.com. It is the only place where you can find eye catching beautiful mailboxes of high quality

Key West Tourist Attractions and Hotels

Key West is one of the important tourist attraction in United States. It is located in the Monroe County, Florida. Key West is the important island in the key West city. For cruise ships it is destination. Even though the city had been frequently hit by cyclones, the number of tourist who visit Key West is increasing only. Florida Keys has a number of tourist attractions... The Key West Botanical Forest and Garden, Mel Fisher Martime Museum, Key West Historic Seaport, Lighthouse and Keepers Quarters Museum are some of them. Dvual Street is the commercial zone in Key West Florida, where you can find all the entertainment activities, bars and restaurants.

Once you have decided to go to Key West, the first thing is to find a best hotel to stay in. Florida Keys has a number of hotels. If you want to find the best hotel that suits your budget visit Key West Florida. This site provides all information about the hotels in the city from the cheap one to the luxurious one, the activities to do and the information of flights and also tourist attractions. For each of the hotel you can check the availability of rooms online and also the facilities provided by each hotel and the cost they charge. They not only provide the information but also the reviews of each hotel so you can make choose a best one. Albury Court Key West is one amoung the important hotels. All major tourist attraction in Key West are easily reachable from this hotel. It is located near the harbour. While in Key West rent a bicycle and discover the splendid architecture of the Key West city....

De Bruijn's Championships, Kerkdriel

We started our own video account on YouTube and here is the first video. The Slow Waltz in the NADB competition (D-class) in Kerkdriel. We are dancing with number 193, white dress. We reached the final and end the competition in place 5 from 14 couples.

We hebben onze eigen video profiel aangemaakt op YouTube en hier is onze eerste video. De langzame wals op de NADB competitie (D-Klasse) te Kerkdriel. We dansen met nummer 193, witte jurk. We behaalden de finale en eindigen op de 5de plaatst van de 14 paren.

Full result: Result Page Danceplaza




Previous competition article: Gooiland Trophy, Hilversum
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Jute Festival Chennai 2010

Jute Manufacturers Development Council and Ministry of Textiles of India together organize the Jute Festival in Chennai, Tamil Nadu. It is a four day long festival. The dates of Jute Festival 2010 are from 15th February to 16th February 2010. The festival will be inaugurated by Mr. Dayanidhi Maran(Union Minister of Textiles) today. Its a display cum sale festival. In this festival you can see and buy jute mats and carpets, fashion accessories, jute shopping bags and many more..... Shankar Mahadevan will perform a concert on the opening ceremony. Jute Art Exhibition is one of the highlight of this festival. The venue of Jute Festival 2010 is Co-optex Grounds, Egmore, Chennai.

POV: The Gulf Between Us?

Photo © Charlotte Rush-Bailey -All Rights Reserved
Oh, how our eyes can deceive us sometimes..and how easily photographs captured in a split-second can convey a very different story from reality.

Here's a photograph of me while at the Jama Masjid in Ahmedabad during prayers (called namaz in India), in which I look wary of the man who's crossing my path. Our body language and side glances seem to convey a mutual distrust, with the space between us accentuating that wariness.

But nothing could be further from the truth. A second later I greeted him with the traditional Muslim al-salam aleikum, unmistakably pronounced in Arabic. Surprised, his face immediately softened as he recognized a fellow Muslim, and he responded, with warmth in his voice. We shook hands, then he brought his hand to his heart, and I did the same. I forget his name, but I remember his kind eyes, and that he spoke a halting Arabic (which he later told me he learned while working long and hard hours in Jeddah). He suddenly asked me if I was Sunni. The question threw me off-balance for a moment, but when I replied affirmatively, he once again violently pumped my hand. I was now part of the Umah. If only he knew what my real beliefs were. Perhaps he wouldn't care...to him, the bottom line is that a Muslim born in the faith is always a Muslim, no matter what.

During The Tribes of Rajasthan & Gujarat Photo~Expedition, we visited many villages and a number of tribes of Muslim persuasion. We were frequently asked where we were from, and were greeted with smiles when we replied "Amereeka". Despite obvious poverty, we were welcomed in homes, offered fresh milk, chai and roti , and were considered honored visitors. I wonder how we -in "Amereeka"- would treat these villagers if they dropped by our homes...just like that, to take pictures and to gawk. No, that's not true. I don't wonder. I know.

These are the memories which stay with me for a long time...memories of instances when the walls of mistrust, ignorance and bigotry (on both sides) dissolve because a genuine -and basic- human connection is made. These memories remain with me more so than my photographs of the decisive moments, or photographs with layers or photographs that tell stories.

Chinese New Year Celebration - Year of Tigers

Chinese New Year Celebration Photos of Dragon Dance

Chinese are Celebrating their New Year today. This year is called as the year of Tigers(The name of the years rotate around 12 animals). Of the Chinese festivals New Year Celebration is the most colorful one. Chinese New Year is celebrated on the First Day of the fist moon on the Lunar Calendar. It is celebrated not only in China but also all over the world where Chinese reside. On the new year day red envelope(Its called as Lai See envelope)will be given to children which contains money and the seventh day of the new year is considered as everybody's birthday.... They celebrate the new year with two flowers plum blossom and water narcissus. Different Parades take place all around the country. On the 15th day they celebrate the Lantern Festival. On this festival people carry Lantern with them in streets. play an important role in New Year Celebration. China Town Festival and Parades. Beauty Pageants, floats and marching parades are the important events during this celebration. In the city of Sydney in Australia you can watch the celebration from 12th-28th February 2010.... Chinese new year Twilight Parade Video

Foundry PJ Workshop: Istanbul

If you haven't checked the updated website for the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop recently, do yourself a favor, and do so. Not only has it been totally revamped (I believe it's the work of the talented Chilean photojournalist and webmaster Gabriel Morty Ortega Berger), but it also showcases work by FPW's astoundingly creative alum such as Monte Swann, Dhiraj Singh (who attended my multimedia class in Manali), Tristan Wheelock and Mansi Midha.

Wait...there's more! Not only are many of the FPW instructors(such as Andrea Bruce, Ron Haviv, Guy Calaf, Adriana Zehbrauskas to name only four) returning for an encore, but their ranks will be augmented in Istanbul by absolutely brilliant photojournalists such as Tyler Hicks, David Bathgate, Lynsey Addario and Adam Ferguson!

The registration details are up, so if you're up to it...go for it. I don't really know what you're waiting for. Do I need to mention that FPW is held in Istanbul...an incomparable city?

Peter Turnley: Haiti

Photo © Peter Turnley-All Rights Reserved
Much as been said and written about the horrific earthquake which befell Haiti and its aftermath, ranging from the compassionate to the cynical, with disparate opinions as to whether Zoriah Miller and Andy Levin are right to conduct photo workshops on the island at this time or not, including thoughtful entreaties from photojournalists like Asim Rafiqui not to consider Haiti a zoo.

Ignoring this debate for the time being, I choose to showcase Peter Turnley's powerful 50 picture photo essay on Haiti which was made three weeks after the event, when the Haitian people are restarting their lives as best they can.

Haiti: Between Life & Death is exclusively shown on The Online Photographer.