Photography & Photojournalism In Vietnam By Aaron Joel Santos Now On Gaia Photos

Farmer Nguyen Van Duoc pauses to look out over his farmlands in Hanoi, Vietnam.

Photo © Aaron Joel Santos All Rights Reserved  Follow Me On Twitter

Vietnam: Urban Farmers In Hanoi is a new photo story now appearing on Gaia Photos. As photojournalist Aaron Joel Santos explains,

"Vietnam’s capital is at a critical junction, balanced precariously between its past and present, trying to maintain a certain sense of culture and identity while integrating further into the global economy. Rice fields and farmlands are being overtaken by new highways, skyscrapers and industrial areas. The lakes and rivers for which the city was once known are drying up and suffering from increased levels of pollution. And urban farmers who have relied on their families’ lands for generations are being slowly edged off their fields in the name of progress."

Please view the entire story about urban farmers coping with modernity in Vietnam on Gaia Photos.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Aaron Joel Santos grew up in New Orleans, Louisiana and graduated from schools in San Francisco and Boston before moving to Vietnam in 2007. These days, Aaron is an editorial and documentary photographer based out of Hanoi and working for clients across Southeast Asia. He is represented by Wonderful Machine in the United States & Invision Images across Europe and Japan. Aaron's work has been shown in a number of international magazines and publications, including The Wall Street Journal and Travel + Leisure Southeast Asia, as well as in galleries in the US, Malaysia and Vietnam. He's a fan of warm weather, cheap beer and friendly people.

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Education In Rural Southeast Asia Slideshow

Education In Rural Southeast Asia  Photos © John Brown All Rights Reserved -  Follow Me On TWITTER

There are 6 million people who live within the 91,000 square miles that comprise Laos. A landlocked country with no railroads, spotty electricity, an unorganized health care system, crude farming techniques, and short life expectancies.  A country whose citizens have been affected by colonization, occupation, the first Indo-China War, the "secret war", and the Lao civil war.

A country that has been forgotten. The lack of basic learning utensils in too many of Lao rural schools is a major issue in Laos. In many schools, basic supplies such as books, paper, chalk, or a ball for the school's recess time are non existent.  Further, a majority of the population does not have access to potable water.

This is a look at a typical rural elementary school in Laos PDR.

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Children Living In Poverty In Cambodia & Southeast Asia

Children Living In Poverty In Cambodia & Southeast Asia - Images by John Brown

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Children Living In Poverty In Cambodia & Southeast Asia - Images by John Brown

Millions of children in poverty live with hunger and need education throughout Cambodia and Southeast Asia.  Children living in poverty and hunger each night is a top concern of civil society and NGO's throughout the Southeast Asian Region.

It's estimated that nearly 40% of Cambodia's children go to be hungry each night in a country where nearly 5 MILLION PEOPLE exist on just $0.50 USD (50 cents) per day.  Further, just 49% of Cambodian youth go on to secondary school.

The slideshow above contains photographs of children, some of who cope with these issues in their daily lives.

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Photography In Turkey: Istanbul Culture At Gaia Photos By Delmi Alvarez

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Photojournalist Delmi Alvarez looks around Istanbul Turkey in his photo essay

Turkey: Istanbul, Crossroad Of Cultures

As Alvarez describes, "Istanbul was an ongoing issue in my travels. I have to admit that it has been a pleasant surprise, even though in this the first time, were a few days which I dedicated to photographing.”

He continues, “Istanbul, I was impressed by the warm hospitality of the Turks not to mention a tourist cash is an objective that has to be cared for and pampered. The Turks, as good traders, know that every foreigner who arrives in Istanbul is a fountain of money and get it out us by offering tea or whatever. The first of these strategies is that between the store and once in there to talk and negotiate, because everything can be negotiated. But be aware that not everyone has the same idea, because the city is full of people who sell watches, necklaces and other wonders in the end are real fraud.”

See  the entire story on GAIA PHOTOS and Follow Gaia Photos on Twitter!

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TANGO DANCING IN MACEDONIA by Gaia Photos Photographer Ivan Blazev

Dancing at ‘Milongas’, a term for a place or an event where tango is danced.

Photo © Ivan Blazhev All Rights Reserved Follow Me On Twitter

Photojournalist Ivan Blazhev looks at the tango in Macedonia in his photo essay

Macedonia: Tango Banda

As Blazhev describes, "Tracing its begining to the 1880’s in the Argentine underbelly, the houses of ill repute, Tango has had it’s periods of ups and downs. After the initial spread through all levels of the Argentine society, Tango found its way first to Paris, and then to other parts of the world. But after the coup in Argentina in 1955 and until the fall of the military junta Tango was ousted from public life by the repressive regime, and although it was never officially banned, less and less people danced especially the new young generations who took to Rock and Roll rather than Tango.”

See the entire story on GAIA PHOTOS and Follow Gaia Photos on Twitter!

              

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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.

Please Visit Us and visit Joao Pedro Marnoto's website.

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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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Photography Guest Of The Week Laura El-Tantawy - Egypt

Photo © Laura El-Tantawy All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Documentary photographer Laura El-Tantawy explains, "From India to the Middle East, women have traditionally adorned the veil, a sheer fabric to cover their hair and sometimes their face. While some wear it for purely traditional purposes, others will don it as a rite of passage when a girl grows from childhood to adulthood, as do women in Muslim cultures."

This ongoing documentary project about women living with the veil is the subject of her photo reportage Unveiling Women Behind Veils, 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.

Ms. El-Tantawy says, "The aim of this body of work is not to show the veil as a symbol of repression, but to “unveil” a portrayal of women that will reflect on their dignity and strong character while staying true to their femininity."

ABOUT LAURA EL-TANTAWY

UK born Laura El-Tantawy's photography bestrides the subtle distinctions between documentary and fine art photography. Her photos are inspired by her vision and a pesky persistence to see the world through a vibrant palette of color.

Raised in Egypt, Laura El-Tantawy's personal projects have taken her through Egypt as well as Saudi Arabia, Iran, India, Thailand, Senegal and the Gambia, France, Italy and England.

Her photography has appeared in several print and online publications including; Saudi Aramco World, Harpers, National Geographic, Thailand: 9 Days in the Kingdom, Bangkok 101, Burn Magazine, Eleanor Magazine and F-Stop.

Laura El-Tantawy divides her time between London, UK, and Cairo, Egypt.

Please Visit Us and visit Laura El-Tantawy's website.

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GAIA PHOTOS: Featured Photograph From Italy By Alessandro Vincenzi

The main occupation for young Moldovan women who've emigrated to Italy for work is taking care of elderly people.

Photo © Alessandro Vincenzi All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

The juxtaposition of foreground and background provides the element that portrays the contrasting lives of the youthful and aged in this thought provoking color photograph by Alessandro Vincenzi.

Please see the entire photo story, Waiting for Mom by Alessandro Vincenzi, at Gaia Photos, a global group of 52 photojournalists who share a united mission of promoting quality and diversity in documentary photography worldwide.

Stay tuned to see more pictures from one of the nearly 100 photo stories you can view at the popular documentary photography website.

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Photography Guest Of The Week Graeme Williams - South Africa

Republic of Congo, 29 May 2009. Impfondo town. The Baku people sell what produce they can at local markets and generally buy basics such as salt, soap and clothes.

Photo © Graeme Williams All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Congo: Baka Indigenous People Fighting For Survival

"The Republic of Congo’s indigenous people, the country’s first inhabitants, are under threat. The Baka, one of 15 ethnic groups who have traditionally lived as hunters and gathers in the forest of central Africa, confront two grave dangers. Their traditional habitat is under threat from commercial logging and they're often left landless, impoverished and exploited after leaving the forest."

That account by Shantha Bloemen sets the stage for Congo: Baka Indigenous People Fighting For Survival, a photo reportage now appearing on Gaia Photos by photojournalist Graeme Williams. Comprised of 52 photojournalists from around the globe, each Gaia photographer shares a united mission of promoting quality and diversity in documentary photography worldwide.

Shantha Bloemen continues, "The “Pygmy” became well known in the 19th century colonial imagination as “short, subhuman and backward”. Those deep seated attitudes sadly continue into the 21st century. Today, it is the country’s majority population, known as the Bantu, that benefit from their ongoing economic and social exclusion."

ABOUT GRAEME WILLIAMS

Graeme Williams began taking photographs as a teenager as a hobby but after earning Bachelor of Science degrees in Geology and Statistics at the University of Cape Town, he realized photography was to become his profession.

After a short stint as a photographer in London, Graeme returned to South Africa and in 1989 he began working for Reuters. In 1991 he started contributing to Afrapix, the South African documentary collective, and later went on to become a founder, member and manager of the South Photographs Agency.

His photography assignments have taken him to 38 countries and Graeme's photography has been published in major publications worldwide, including National Geographic Magazine, Time, Newsweek, The New York Times Magazine and Photography Magazine (UK).

He has produced two books: The Floor, documenting the last year of open outcry trading on the Johannesburg Stock Exchange, and The Inner City, an exploration of isolation captured through images of Johannesburg as it struggled to adjust to the changing social and political climate.

Further, he's staged 12 solo exhibitions and contributed to 30 group shows.

Graeme Williams lives and works in South Africa.

Please Visit Us and visit Graeme's website.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Aftermath Project Photo Award Winner Asim Rafiqui Blogs About Religion In India

Artwork © Ernst Neizvesty All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Do you ever wonder what's going on inside an award winning photographer's head?

In December 2008, The Aftermath Project awarded its annual $25,000 grant to photographer Asim Rafiqui who lives in Sweden and the US who plans to use the grant to fund a project on religious culture in India.

In a statement announcing the award, Aftermath Project judge Darius Himes of Radius Books said, Aisim Rafiqui's work as a photographer aims to recover this lost sense of religious pluralism and tolerance for a 21st century India.” Himes continued, “He [Rafiqui] states that he is "using photography not only as a means of evidence, but also as a vessel for the imagination."

THE SPINNING HEAD

One of the blogs I follow is Mr. Rafiqui's Spinning Head. He blogs about places from Afghanistan to the West Bank and is never shy about offering his thoughts about subjects ranging from Photography and Journalism to War.

Apparently, a short time ago he read an article that appeared in a recent issue of Granta magazine written by Rana Dasgupta regarding New Delhi, India entitled Capital Gains, "A piece on the city of New Delhi, India and its rampaging obsession with things material, brand-obsessed, consumerist, shallow, callow and crass." as Rafiqui describes.

Rafiqui's critique is interesting reading, especially considering the fact that he was awarded $25,000 to tell us about the religious culture in India using his vision. Before we see his forthcoming photos, he's allowed us to peer inside his Spinning Head by offering a review of Rana Dasgupta's article that begins by saying:

"A city of tens of millions of people, with a history and a heritage that goes back over a thousand of years and that contains within it an incredibly diverse, varied, complex community of people of all walks of life, beliefs, class, ethnicities, cultures, values, ideas, fears, doubts and dreams can never be called ‘a Hindu society’ alone."

Rafiqui adds, "This is such a vast idiocy that it can’t even be laughed it. Delhi is one of the world’s great cities and what makes it so is that it is a cradle of the world’s heritage and civilizations and that billions have passed through her, lived there, defined it and more will. It is a world city. Complete with the full complexity and vastness of what that term means."

PLEASE READ ASIM RAFIQUI'S COMPLETE REVIEW entitled,

How Hindus Are Destroying New Delhi Or An Exercise In Absolute Foolishness Masquerading As A Stupid Opinion on his blog.

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY AT GAIA PHOTOS

If you enjoy documentary photography and you're interested in learning more about India please visit Gaia Photos to view a unique selection of photo reportage. You can also Follow Me On Twitter.

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Photography Guest Of The Week Zishaan Akbar Latif - India

Fingers symbolize struggle and a way of life for basket makers working off the streets in Mumbai, India. Severely underpaid, they are not daily wage laborers. Should these people sell one basket per day, they may earn up to Rs 20, or less than $0.50 USD.

Photo © Zishaan Akbar Latif All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

India: Struggle, A Profession

"Today, 460 million Indians now live under the global poverty line of $1.25 USD per day. A staggering amount of people that consist of roughly 33%. of the global poor now reside in India. Of these, 75% live in rural areas, working as daily wagers, self-employed householders and landless laborers."

Photojournalist Zishaan Akbar Latif made these observations reporting from several locations throughout India and his unique view of this alarming state of affairs is the subject of his photo reportage India: Struggle, A Profession, 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.

Now just 24 years old, freelance photographer Zishaan Akbar Latif obtained a Commerce degree from the University of Mumbai and afterwards, as he explains, "Went on to work for a financial agency where I found myself confined by walls without any creative outlet. Two months into this monotonous job I quit!"

After being guided by two photography teachers who taught him the basic principles of shooting with a film camera, he found himself "at the right place at precisely the right time." In early 2006, he began working as a documentary photographer, doing NGO assignments for the Sir Dorabji Tata Trust and hasn't looked back.

"Today I find myself passionately content with documenting reality, it’s my truth."

Zishaan Akbar Latif lives and works in India.

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GAIA PHOTOS: Featured Photograph From Macedonia By Ivan Blazhev

A young woman watches delta-planes from the top of Mount Galichica, Macedonia.

Photo © Ivan Blazhev All Rights Reserved

This black and white photograph captures the essence of "The very complex synchronicity of the desired and what is. The dream accepted as a possibility to confront reality, the dream which just may be more real than reality itself."

Macedonian photojournalist Ivan Blazhev's self-stated intention came to life in the photograph seen above and I posted this image because I want to begin sharing some more photographs from Gaia Photo's growing group of photographers.

Once in awhile I'll post a picture from one of the nearly 100 photo stories you can view at the popular documentary photography website.

Please see the entire photo story, Macedonia Dreaming by Ivan Blazhev, at Gaia Photos, a global group of 51 photojournalists who share a united mission of promoting quality and diversity in documentary photography worldwide.

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Documentary Photography From Nepal Now On Gaia Photos The Day The Rain Came By Morten Svenningsen

Young Nepalese girl in the rain. The first drops of this years monsoon are cherished!

Photo © Morten Svenningsen All Rights Reserved

Nepal: The Day The Rain Came

Photojournalist Morten Svenningsen recently hit the streets of Kathmandu, Nepal to document the arrival of the annual monsoon rain.

As Svenningsen explains, "Over the next 4 month, 80-90% of the years “water supply” will arrive from the sky, since rainfall is the only source of water in this landlocked country. It will create floods and landslides while it lasts, before yet another dry spell will hit the country and create water shortages again. That’s the way it’s been for centuries in Nepal."

Further, he continues, "From what must be the world’s largest water reservoir, the Himalayan Mountains, melting water runs down and forms big rivers. Nonetheless, despite being as huge an eco-system as this, it isn’t sufficient as a national reservoir for water supply. For city dwellers in Kathmandu and other urban centers, it is hard and time-consuming work to collect the daily supply of water for household use. During the worst shortages, public water pipes run dry for weeks, only receiving water for a few hours during the middle of the night."

To learn more about this integral part of life in Nepal, please view Nepal: The Day The Rain Came as viewed through photojournalist Morten Svenningsen's lens.

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

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German Trailer Park Photographs By Germany's Photography Guest Of The Week Gordon Welters Now On Gaia Photos

U. and M. have a controversy.

Photo © Gordon Welters All Rights Reserved

Germany: Alternative Lives On Wheels

"Eight people, six dogs, seven cats, three pigs, the sheep Pauline and Mrs. Krause, two goats, two guinea pigs, the rabbit Erika and five chickens with one cock live together in the trailer park."

So begins a photo story by Gordon Welters about an alternative lifestyle in a German trailer park.

Photojournalist Gordon Welters visited the German town of Potsdam after the community formed following eviction from an inner city site, and photos of the colorful trailers and the vibrant people who occupy them are now appearing in Gordon Welters' photo essay, Germany: Alternative Lives On Wheels at Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 49 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Born in East Germany in 1974, freelance photojournalist Gordon Welters has been working as a freelance editorial and reportage photographer since 1998. He's worked with NGOs such as Christian Aid and Attac as well as corporate clients that include KPMG, Deutsche Post and Tchibo.

A former student of photojournalism at the London College of Communication, Gordon has organized photo workshops and served as a juror for various photo awards in Germany and the United States.

Gordon Welters' photography has been published in national and international magazines and newspapers such as GEO, Stern, Der Spiegel, Newsweek and The Sunday Telegraph while his photography assignments have taken him from Russia, Kazakhstan and Indonesia, to Cuba and several European countries.

Since 2006, Gordon Welters has been represented by laif and he's currently based in Berlin, Germany.

Please Visit Us and visit Gordon's website.

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Backstage Fashion Photography From Macedonia Now On Gaia Photos By Ivan Blazhev

Photo © Ivan Blazhev All Rights Reserved

Macedonia: Backstage Fashion

Photojournalist Ivan Blazhev describes he was "Trying to catch a sensation existing under the surface" when he captured participants "intimate moments of preparation, concentration, euphoria and boredom; the mixture of emotions prior to and after the performance, outside the spotlight", during Skopje Macedonia's Fashion Week between 2002 & 2007.

As Blazhev renders clearly through his camera's lens, "The inspiration of this documentary “fashion” piece is not in the latest fashion styles, but rather in the visual energy of the fashion event backstage, in the sensation to be among the audience."

Please view Macedonia: Backstage Fashion: Skopje Fashion Week, Between the Light and the Shadows, 2002 - 2007 and learn more about this fascinating industry.

Also, Please Visit Us and see other feature stories by Ivan Blazhev and view his website.

You can 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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Photography: There Are Some Great Photographers Living On Your Street

Marilyn Monroe and Doc Kaminsky on the set of The Misfits.

Photo © Unknown All Rights Reserved

"Hi, Doc. How's it going?" asked Clark Gable as he sat at a traffic light in his Goldwing 300SL Mercedes Benz. As photographer Doc Kaminsky recalls, "The girl I was with, her teeth fell out. She says, 'Was that Clark Gable?' 'Oh, yeah. I'm working with him on a project."

To a little kid like me who met Doc Kaminsky several years after the photo above was taken, hanging out with him a couple of times in the great outdoors was quite a deal. The guy was different. He was cool. He wore a big beard in those days as I recall, along with glasses, and rather than having a normal job such as driving a truck or working in an office, he had a fun job. He took pictures for a living.

Wherever you live in this world, there are photographers such as Kaminsky. They aren't photo industry "stars" but rather, important regional photographers.

In Kaminsky's case, he turned down Hollywood job offers in order to remain in Nevada, USA. He did major national advertising campaigns, national projects, commercial work and films. In 1980, he climbed Mount Everest to do a film on avalanche survival.

Through a friend, the late Harry Murphy, he worked all over the country on projects for The Gap. “Harry was with The Gap from the beginning and ended up seeing it become a $15 billion business,” Kaminsky said.

The point of this post is to remind photographers that they may learn something from someone who might be living on their street. People who few folks know of around the world but experienced quality photographers just the same.

In these days of $3000 USD workshops taught by photo industry "stars", that point might be worth thinking about.

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Documentary Photography From Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory On Gaia Photos By Ivan Blazhev

Photo © Ivan Blazhev All Rights Reserved

Photojournalist Ivan Blazhev looks at the living conditions college students residing in on campus housing at a Macedonian university encounter and he shares their story with students worldwide in his photo essay

Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory

As Blazhev describes, "The student residence hall “Stiv Naumov” is part of the State Student Housing Center – Skopje, a state institution which takes care of housing and meal plans for students coming from other parts of Macedonia to attend university in the capital city of Skopje.

“Stiv Naumov” is by far the largest residence hall, with housing capacity for roughly 2000 students. Consisting of barracks that have been around for about 40 years, two newer male dorms, and one female dorm were added in the early 1990s."

Ivan Blazhev says, "I visited the Hall for the first time in the fall of 2007. No matter how much one is prepared, even at first encounter, the dire and physically-harsh living conditions that are part of daily life for the Stiv Naumov residents leaves a lasting imprint. The stench from the restrooms that seeps through the hallways, the half-rotten furnishings of the rooms, the few functioning showers and accommodations without telephone or internet connections…."

To meet the university students Ivan Blazhev encountered who live in “Stiv Naumov” please view Macedonia: Life In A Student Dormitory, a documentary series appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 42 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Also have a look at other feature stories by Ivan Blazhev on Gaia Photos and visit Ivan's website too!

Please Visit Us and 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.

You can also subscribe to our continually updated new features page.

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Documentary Photography From New York City: Tompkins Square Park Riot On Gaia Photos By Q. Sakamaki

The January 1st, 1994 inauguration of New York mayor Rudolf Giuliani was another sharp turning point towards gentrification in the city.

Photo © Q. Sakamaki All Rights Reserved

You better hold on, something’s happening here. You better hold on, meet you in Tompkins Square. Lou Reed, Hold On (1989)

Photojournalist Q. Sakamaki shows what happened to a neighborhood located in Manhattan New York 's Lower East Side in a long term photo documentary that spans several years in his photo reportage

USA: Tompkins Square Park

As Sakamaki recounts, "Tompkins Square Park, the symbol and stronghold of the anti-gentrification movement was the scene of one of the most important political and avant-garde movements in New York's history."

He continues, "During the summer of 1988, Tompkins Square Park, which had long served as a makeshift community for the homeless and a center for social unrest, erupted in violence when the New York City Police Department (NYPD) and hundreds of protesters clashed over ideological differences. Residents of the Lower East Side, historically home to diverse immigrant communities but facing gentrification, united in protest."

Mr. Sakamaki explains that "On August 6th, 1988 demonstrators carrying signs that read “Gentrification is Class War” clashed with police armed with riot gear. The violence that lasted until the next morning was Tompkins Park’s first iconic police riot and became the trigger to further radicalize the community’s political movement."

To view scenes from this powerful social movement please view USA: Tompkins Square Park, a documentary journey by Q. Sakamaki now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source comprised of 42 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Also have a look at other feature stories by Q. Sakamaki on Gaia Photos and visit his website too!

You can also see the complete collection of story images with accompanying text in Mr. Sakamaki's book, “Tompkins Square Park” published by PowerHouse Books.

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John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage

Photographing Kids In Phuket Island Thailand

A happy boy enjoys his day in the fishing village of Rawaii, Phuket Island, Thailand.

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved

The best thing about travel photography in Thailand, hands down, is goofing around with the kids. Kids of course are the same as everybody else so some like to be photographed and others do not.

In parts of northern Thailand inhabited by authentic hilltribes, the sight of a camera will strike fear into the hearts of some young children so don't push it, just leave them alone or put your camera away.

Unlike photojournalism, spot news or documentary work, THERE IS NO CRYING IN CHILDREN'S TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY! Its supposed to be fun for everyone!

Do I pay kids for photos? No. BUT, I will walk them to a store to get them a refreshment, and I'll treat their parents too. If I'm in violation of a sacred journalistic code, sue me!

There is only one rule in photographing kids and that is: get on their level, figuratively of course, but sometimes literally too. Watch out for your lens, children like to touch it and although streaks of ice-cream may add a special effect to your photos, your lens won't like you much.

The finale is reviewing the photos with the children and parents on your LCD if shooting digital so be prepared for lots of chimping and laughing with the kids because after all, after they've seen the way you take pictures, they probably think you are a kid too!


John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography

My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage