DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY: Portugal's Vanishing Salt Production Industry By Joao Pedro Marnoto At GAIA PHOTOS

Still using traditional baskets known as "canastras", the Marnoto collect salt. Requiring great physical effort to carry, when completely filled, canastras weigh between 50 and 70kgs.

Photo © Joao Pedro Marnoto All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Documentary photographer Joao Pedro Marnoto explains, "I start by emphasizing that this work on the Marnoto salt extraction has a deep personal resonance since it portrays an activity that most likely my ancestors had."

Joao Pedro Marnoto continues, "An ancient activity that was once of great economic and social importance, the last several decades have left less room for the economic survival of the Marnoto as expansion of global markets have led to greater competition in the salt industry. Soon this way of life will only appear in the social and cultural documentary records, and part of our collective memory."

Please continue learning about Portugal: Marnoto, from Sun to Salt, now appearing on Gaia Photos. Comprised of 52 photojournalists from around the globe, each photographer shares Gaia's united mission of promoting quality and diversity in documentary photography worldwide.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: The Audience Of The Present Will Give Way To More Evolved Viewers Of The Future

In the future, documentary photography will enjoy a higher viewing audience.

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THE REALITY

In advertising sales, the people doing the pitching are constantly reminded to know and understand "the audience". Conversely, to most freelance documentary photographers, "the story" trumps the audience. Provided the photographs are passable, today's editors determine whether a photo story is "editorially relevant" enough to be published. In this light, they share the same playbook as the advertising pitchmen.

WHO IS THE AUDIENCE ?

In an interview with American photographer Chris Jordan that appeared on Jörg Colberg's weblog Conscientious, Jordan told Mr. Colberg, "I think Americans in the first decade of the 21st century will be looked back upon by more evolved societies of the future as some of the most spiritually lost people in the history of humankind."

If Jordan is correct, it makes GAIA Photos member Alex Masi's question, "Are journalism and visual communication still effective tools that can achieve a constructive change in society?" quite impenetrable. The India based freelance photojournalist wonders further, "Have they lost their power to mobilize the people altogether?"

Masi answers his own questions by saying, “Well, it depends”. Some people will be moved by a report. Others might be led into action by it. Even more will not take notice."

Masi points out with realistic resignation, "This is the deal you have to sign to when choosing to be a reporter, whichever tools you use, a pen, a video/photo camera or even just your voice, by telling others what you have witnessed or learned." Nevertheless, "the deal" one signs up for today may look different in the future.

WHAT DOES TODAY'S AUDIENCE WANT TO SEE ?

Addressing readers’ priorities, Santo Domingo photographer and writer Jon Anderson has said, "I don't care if some teen idol gets more hits than a serious piece of reportage - that is a meaningless statistic that is always offered up as if it were somehow a revelation about our priorities. Bull."

He continues, "Of course inflated tits are going to get more attention - it is all about pleasure, as I have argued in the past. But there is pleasure and there is pleasure. Mature, adult pleasures have their place too. Aesthetic pleasure. Intellectual pleasure. People crave these too and will seek them out. Perhaps in fewer numbers, but so what?"

Anderson may be correct regarding the point of pleasure but "fewer numbers" translate to "editorial irrelevance" in the minds of ad pitch people and editors. One only needs to watch a few moments of American TV "news" programming to gain insight about the audience Jordan describes.

In that regard, I concur with New York photographer Preston Merchant when he says, "It is harder and harder for photography to be taken seriously as a mode of intellectual discourse as it proliferates cheaply and unremarkably through digital media. Photography is a niche concern. No one except photographers care." That's the state of affairs today.

WHAT DO PHOTOGRAPHERS DO ABOUT THIS ?

Without a doubt, Mr. Anderson, Mr. Masi and Mr. Merchant are all passionate about the work they do and the stories they tell. That each man perceives difficulty in crowd-sourcing an audience that shares their concerns about the world around them doesn't mean their stories aren't important.

Masi for example has filed reports regarding child labor in India and Anderson has profiled the lives of sugar industry workers in Haiti. India is a country where 460 million people live below the global poverty line of $1.25 USD per day while Haiti is almost totally reliant upon foreign aid as a failed state with severe poverty, endemic corruption, high unemployment, pervasive hunger and little access to health care. Life is a constant struggle for most Haitians, who face the most significant challenges of any country in the Western Hemisphere.

The current audience will keep running for the exits despite these circumstances but documentary photographers will continue to dance on stage with the assurance that the community Jordan describes will slowly be replaced by forward looking people who'll take the theater's marquee to heart.

"More evolved societies of the future" are the audiences who will share the passion of men and women documenting the world today. Future societies will voraciously consume our present day work as if it were the buttered popcorn in the show of life.

The sad part is, neither we nor the people we document will be around for the curtain call.

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PHOTOGRAPHY ACCESS DENIED - How Photojournalists Covered The First Cambodian Genocide Trial From A Distance

Prison cell doors are swung open at the Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum in Phnom Penh, Cambodia.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

THE SITUATION

What if you were a photojournalist assigned to document an international news event but it's organizers denied you and your colleagues full access to the episode's main stage? How would you work around that obstacle yet show the world what's happening?

That's the conundrum that faced photojournalists at the recently concluded trial of former Tuol Sleng S21 Prison Chief Kaing Guek Eav, also known as Duch, held at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Mr. Kaing Guek Eav was answering charges of "crimes against humanity" related to his role as a Khmer Rouge member during Cambodia's Pol Pot regime, which lasted from 1975 to 1979.

Peter Maguire, a specialist in international justice and author of "Facing Death in Cambodia" said, "I would put this [trial] under the category of therapeutic legalism."

PHOTOJOURNALISTS FORCED TO BE CREATIVE

Since photographers and cameramen were not allowed inside the courtroom during the trial, they were forced to snap from outside when the doors swung open.

Here is a look at how photojournalists, including Magnum Photos John Vink, produced photography without access to the theater itself while creatively capturing newsworthy imagery! As you can see from these reports appearing on Ka-set.info…..

they photographed everything from TV monitors to car window reflections. Mr. Vink even took pictures of a cow! As he explained to The Cambodia Daily's Michelle Vachon, " I hope that people will perceive that what I photograph is what I can leave to history, but that it will not really be conclusive as a report, as a story of what the trial is."

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Tuol Sleng Genocide Museum

PHOTOJOURNALISM: 9 Things You Need Besides a Camera - Photography Tips On Ezine By GAIA PHOTOS Director Morten Svenningsen

Find out what you'll need besides a camera before embarking on a career as a photojournalist.

Artwork © Charles Bragg All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

GAIA PHOTOS Director Morten Svenningsen, a professional photojournalist based in Nepal, discusses what people contemplating a photojournalism career will need besides a camera in a recent article he wrote that’s appearing on Ezine.

Svenningsen prefaces his essay by saying, "You'll be wrong (and you won't be the only one) if you think that you just need to spend X thousand dollars on some top professional camera equipment, and then you're on your way to becoming a successful photojournalist. It takes a whole range of skills. So ok, what do you need? Here is a list of 9 things that are essential to making it as a photojournalist besides the camera!"

Let's have a look at Photojournalism As a Career - 9 Things You Need Besides a Camera.

9 Things You Need Besides a Camera

1. Flair for the visual

Goes without saying. You need to have some talent, be artistic and have creativity in the visual world. Some are born with a fantastic visual awareness, others need to develop it. We now live in a visually over-saturated world, so it's easy to find sources of inspiration.

Go to exhibitions, read photo books, look in magazines etc. Find out what style you like. Don't try and copy it, but use it as inspiration to create your own visual style. Everyone can take a picture of something. Professional photojournalists need to do it with style!

4. Money in the bank

If you're just starting out as a freelance photographer / photojournalist, you'll probably need to hang in some time before you have generated enough sources of income to keep you afloat. This might be anywhere from 6 months to 6 years. Depending on your talent, savvy, dedication and luck!

Even if you're working as a fairly established freelancer, next month's income is not always certain. Photo equipment is expensive, it needs to be maintained and replaced every now and then. So it takes a bit of capital to avoid going broke in the process of building your career.

6. Nerves of steel

In those dodgy situations, or when the adrenalin kicks in for whatever reason, you need to keep your calm, compose and time your shot, get the right angle, focus and exposure. In less dodgy, more everyday situations, you need to have the nerves to break the ice, get intimate with strangers, step away from the crowd and not to freeze up when you are finally face to face with the moment you've been waiting for.

Please continue reading about 9 Things You Need Besides a Camera

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The article's author, photojournalist Morten Svenningsen, is also the founder and director of Gaia Photos, an international forum for global photojournalism online. With a team of 52 top photojournalists from around the world, Gaia Photos is your possibility to follow and comment on photojournalistic work, as it is produced and published!

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Documentary Photography From Nepal Now On Gaia Photos Tibetan Crackdown Pays Off By Morten Svenningsen

Norbu Gualtsen Rangzen (28) sustained injuries on his head, arm and back from police beatings during March 10, 2008 demonstrations in Kathmandu, Nepal.

Photo © Morten Svenningsen All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Nepal: Tibetan Crackdown Pays Off

Photojournalist Morten Svenningsen has been hitting the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal for over a year to document the ever changing state of political affairs.

As Svenningsen explains, "Since March 10th 2008, Nepal’s capital, Kathmandu, has witnessed a series of anti-Chinese protests from the substantial community of resident Tibetan exiles."

Further, he observes, "The Chinese foreign minister pledged to promote Chinese business and tourism in Nepal, along with a check of 1.2 billion Nepalese rupees (20 million USD) in grant assistance. Minister Yang also expressed commitment to “provide equipment and necessary training to strengthen the security situation in Nepal.”

The pending 50 year anniversary of the Dalai Lama’s exodus from Tibet in 2009 “seemed to be a special concern for them,” said a Nepalese official who participated in the meetings."

To learn more about the circumstances shaping politics in Nepal, please view Nepal: Tibetan Crackdown Pays Off as viewed through photojournalist Morten Svenningsen's lens.

Please Visit Us and see other feature stories by Morten Svenningsen or visit his photoblog.

You can also search for assignment photographers at Gaia Photos, a place to explore and discover the issues facing the diverse population and locations of our world, both near and far and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

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PATTAYA THAILAND: Tattoo Artists Draw Skin Art In Southeast Asia

A tattoo artist draws on a tourist's arm at a tattoo shop in Pattaya, Thailand.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Do you have a tattoo or two?

From Buddhist monks young and old to visitors enjoying a holiday, Thailand is the perfect place to get tattooed. Professional tattoo artists are plentiful in Siam, from Bangkok and Chiang Mai to Ko Phi Phi and Phuket. Most shops offer hygienic service and superb tattoo art at rates significantly below many European countries and the USA.

Whether you are getting your first tattoo or your body is covered with art, a gaze through the window of the next tattoo shop you pass will offer a glimpse into the world of a long-standing Oriental art.

If you have a destination you want to promote in SE Asia, email me and maybe we can work something out.

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John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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