Photography Guest Of The Week Jared Katz - USA

An unrecognized Rohingya refugee mother seems to ponder her plight in Bangladesh.

Photo © Jared Katz All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Bangladesh: Rohingya Refugee Camp, Unregistered

"The Rohingya are not recognized as Burmese citizens by the ruling military junta. Widespread abuse, rape, and oppression have caused hundreds of thousands to flee and find refuge in neighboring Bangladesh. Today, over 27,000 of these refugees remain unrecognized by the Bangladeshi government as legal refugees, and are left largely unsupported with nowhere to go; they are rejected by both Burma and Bangladesh, being pushed by each in opposing directions."

That assessment of the Rohingya's plight was made by American photojournalist Jared Katz, who documented refugee life for his photo reportage Bangladesh: Rohingya Refugee Camp, Unregistered, now appearing on Gaia Photos.

He continues, "Since 1992, over 27,000 Rohingya have fled into Bangladesh; without Bangladeshi recognition of their refugee status, the United Nations is unable to offer them support. In consequence these Rohingya themselves have set up an unregistered camp in a forested area surrounding the UN camp."

Comprised of nearly 60 photojournalists from around the globe, each Gaia photographer shares a united mission of promoting quality and diversity in documentary photography worldwide.

ABOUT JARED KATZ

American photojournalist Jared Katz is an international photojournalist who, upon graduation with a BA in International Relations from the University of Southern California, backpacked for 18 months through South America, Asia, and Africa. He investigated the political, economic, and cultural issues he had found so interesting in college and along the way, established a non-profit organization supporting cultural understanding.

Since he's volunteered in unstable and conflict-ridden countries, Jared has witnessed the horrors of conflict and oppression. This has motivated him to constructively contribute to the development of international human rights, conflict prevention and resolution, and he's applied to study for a Masters at SAIS Johns Hopkins, concentrating in Conflict Management and International Economics. His photography is his voice.

Mr. Katz's photography has been published by entities such as The New York Times and The Washington Post.

Jared Katz is currently based in Washington DC.

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NEW DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY FROM FRANCE: Calais Illegal Immigrants ‘Go To England’ By Emmanuel Fradin At GAIA Photos

Most of the migrants are Afghan, Eritrean, Pakistani and Palestinian boys, among others, and are younger than 18 years old.

Photo © Emmanuel Fradin All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

France: Calais Illegal Immigrants. ‘Go to England’, is a feature story by France's Emmanuel Fradin now appearing on Gaia Photos.

As photojournalist Emmanuel Fradin explains, "Calais, northern France, is a gathering point of migrants from all around the world. They can number up to 1500 at one time and most have walked for miles before reaching the harbor. Calais is the last stop before they realize their goal: England.

Further, Fradin reports that, "In 2002, the refugee camp located in Sangatte was closed by the French authorities. Instead of ending the problem, the closure of the camp displaced the migration directly into Calais. Now, the refugees wander the streets of the town and build huts in the nearby forests and industrial sites. During the day, they wait on a waste ground for food offered by charities, and by night they try to crawl under the trucks that ship to England. When they fail to elude French and English customs, they go back to the forest."

Emmanuel Fradin visited Calais and the surrounding forest for his photo documentary France: Calais Illegal Immigrants. ‘Go to England’, now appearing on GAIA PHOTOS, a new international photography source of nearly 60 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

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BRITAIN: NEW DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY Inside The Steel Mill By John Watts-Robertson At GAIA Photos

Men are at work in one of the last hand-rolled steel mills in Britain.

Photo © John Watts-Robertson All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

UK: Claws Of Steel is a feature story by the UK's John Watts-Robertson (in collaboration with Bob Caddick) now appearing on Gaia Photos.

As photojournalist John Watts-Robertson explains, "Bill Pinchers stands with a group of his workmates – tough looking men, waiting for a red hot bar of steel to make its way towards them inside one of the last hand-rolled steel mills in Britain. Outside, the Black Country weather is doing its worst with heavy rain being driven almost horizontally by a cold autumn wind."

Further, Robertson tells us, "Eventually the steel will be formed into strips shaped to make Victorian style hand rails, horseshoes, lawn mower blades, window sections and even miniature railway tracks. These are exported all over the world and Operations Manager John Legg jokes that they can’t make the metal window sections fast enough to keep up with the demand. Wars in distant lands bring an unexpected bonus in sales of building products it seems."

John Watts-Robertson visited Ettingshall, Wolverhampton where many of the old ‘metal bashing’ factories were once prolific in his photo essay UK: Claws Of Steel, now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source of nearly 60 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

Please visit us and see other photo stories on Gaia Photos by John Watts-Robertson, or visit his website. You can also search Gaia Photos for assignment photographers and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

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PHOTOGRAPHY: 13 Half Or Completely Baked Ideas & Thoughts For Aspiring Photojournalists

Know every button on your camera!

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13 Half or Completely Baked Ideas & Thoughts For Aspiring Photojournalists

1. "If you’re afraid of rejection, find another line of work." - Michael Kamber, Photojournalist, Baghdad Bureau, New York Times.

2. "Learn every aspect of your camera, every button, every light, everything!" - Jason Pagan, former Special Projects Director at Black Star, New York, NY.

3. "A basic guideline with wide lenses is to mind your tilt. Instead of looking up or down at a subject, which massively increases distortion and the “ugly” effect, keep the camera level and change your elevation" - Alan Chin, Photographer/Bon Vivant, New York, NY.

4. “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you are not close enough.” - Robert Capa, (1910-1954) Photographer, Magnum Photos.

5. "KEEP YOUR COPYRIGHT, DO NOT SIGN WORK FOR HIRE CONTRACTS" - Every Freelance Photojournalist, Planet Earth.

6. "Have money in the bank. Next month's income is not always certain." - Morten Svenningsen, Photojournalist, Director of GAIA PHOTOS, Kathmandu, Nepal.

7. "When you get an assignment, never assume anything […] Discuss everything, assume nothing. Listen and ask questions." - Andy Levin, Photojournalist, Contact Press Images; Curator, 100Eyes E-Magazine, New Orleans, LA.

8. "As photojournalists, our life blood is the story and not the source." - John Robinson, Photojournalist, Pietermaritzburg, South Africa.

9. "Reporting is, in reality, a meticulous and accurate reconstruction of facts. In other words, it is the news in its entirety, as events actually occurred, presented in a way to make the reader feel as though he actually witnessed them." - Gabriel Garcia Marquez, Journalist & Writer, Cartagena, Columbia.

10. "If you do decide to work on a traditional theme — prostitution, drugs, crime, war, gangs — then be sure to reinvigorate the theme and breathe life into the clichés, because they have all been done to death." - Jon Anderson, Photographer & Writer, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic.

11. "Don’t rely on others to do what you think should be done. Just forget about the overall printed press. QUALITY printed press has become a luxury product." - John Vink, Photojournalist, Magnum Photos, Phnom Penh, Center of the Universe, Cambodia.

12. "To live happy, live hidden." - Antonin Kratochvil, Photographer, VII Photo Agency, New York, NY.

13. "Read your camera's instruction book and be sure to remove the lens cap" - John Brown, Photojournalist & Writer, Cambodia.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOCUMENTARY PHOTOJOURNALISM ?

Are you a person who is interested in documentary photojournalism and photography? If so, perhaps you'll be interested in viewing it through the eyes of nearly 60 photojournalists whose photography and text stories appear on Gaia Photos.

Based in 37 countries across the globe, the Gaia Photographers were brought together by Nepal based photojournalist Morten Svenningsen to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

The photographers' imagery has been featured in publications spanning the likes of Newsweek and Vanity Fair to Berliner Journalisten and Business Week.

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WESTERN SAHARA LANDMINES: Documentary Photography From The African Desert By Paulo Nunes dos Santos At GAIA Photos

A landmine victim outside a medical center near Rabouni refugee camp

in the desert region of Western Sahara Africa.

Photo © Paulo Nunes dos Santos All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Western Sahara: The Desert Of Landmines is a feature story by Ireland's Paulo Nunes dos Santos now appearing on Gaia Photos.

As photojournalist Paulo Nunes dos Santos explains, "Sixteen years of fighting between Moroccan and Polisario forces, from 1975-1991, has left Western Sahara contaminated by landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). During the conflict Morocco constructed a 2500 km defensive wall, known as the Berm."

Further, Paulo Nunes dos Santos says, "Landmine and ERW contamination hinders safe movement throughout Western Sahara for the local population and United Nations observers. Landmine Action has documented instances of mine laying along roads and tracks and at water points. As long as this state of affairs persists, nearly 200,000 Saharawi refugees currently residing in camps located in Algeria will be unable to return safely to Western Sahara and the conflict will remain frozen."

Paulo Nunes dos Santos visited the desert region of Western Sahara Africa and shares the legacy of unexploded ordnance UXO in his photo essay Western Sahara: The Desert Of Landmines, now appearing on Gaia Photos, a new international photography source of nearly 60 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

PLEASE LEARN MORE ABOUT Explosive Remnants of War, Cluster Munitions and Disarmament

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PHOTOGRAPHY: New Documentary Photo Essay From Russia Now On GAIA PHOTOS - Searching The Forrest By Alexey Pivovarov

Photo © Alexey Pivovarov All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Russia: Searching The Forests is a feature story by Alexey Pivovarov now appearing on Gaia Photos.

Photojournalist Alexey Pivovarov begins his photo reportage, Russia: Searching The Forests, by reminding us that its been "68 years since Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the early morning of June 22, 1941. The war, referred to in the East as “The Great Patriotic War”, was to become the most deadly conflict in human history as millions of people lost their lives."

Alexey Pivovarov continues, "Today, the fate of hundreds of thousands of soldiers remain unknown, their unidentified bodies scattered in forests and fields throughout the vast country. Each year, Russian search groups set out to discover the remains of thousands of anonymous Russian soldiers who have yet to be properly buried, searching the forests, some of which are full of bones."

Please continue reading Russia: Searching The Forests, and view more of Pivovarov's imagery at Gaia Photos, a new international photography source nearly 60 photojournalists from around the world whose mission is to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Photojournalism is Dead - Long Live Photojournalism! Ezine Article By GAIA PHOTOS Director Morten Svenningsen

Is the light photojournalists have shed on the world's most vulnerable people slowly fading behind consumer's hunger for the free eye-candy of pop culture?

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GAIA PHOTOS Director Morten Svenningsen, a professional photojournalist based in Nepal, discusses the perplexing state of affairs currently confronting photojournalists in a recent article he wrote that’s appearing on Ezine.

Svenningsen begins by musing,

"It's ironic in a way that the rise of the Internet, a medium so perfect for photojournalism, is in fact putting professional photojournalists out of business in large numbers. How can that be? In short, there's two factors:

1. More photographers out there with easy access to market.
2. More media work ending up online for free.

In short, less revenue shared by more people!

Let's read a bit more of Photojournalism is Dead - Long Live Photojournalism!

Photojournalism is Dead - Long Live Photojournalism!

"It's both exciting and frightening to watch! On the one hand, there's more stunning photos being taken, of more subjects, by more talented photographers than ever before […] and it just ends up for free on the Internet!" He continues, "The traditional media outlets for photojournalism, magazines and newspapers, are struggling to stay afloat, most of them finding it extremely difficult to make the necessary profit to keep a staff of photojournalists and indeed to stay alive. These economic difficulties trickle down to the photojournalists, many of whom are now struggling to make a decent living from their work."

When discussing photojournalists' need to find a new way of connecting with their audience he points out, "When we're talking about sponsored and ad-driven photojournalism, the danger is that the ideals of photojournalism can start to crumble. Both in the selection and angling of the stories, things like objectivity and focus on significant but underreported themes may be set aside. But these tendencies for the media world to be populist and market-driven in their coverage are in fact already here."

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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 nearly 60 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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PHOTOGRAPHY: Published Afghanistan War Photos Put Family Values In Opposition To The Public Quest For Truth

United States Marine Corps Sergeant Major Alan J. Kellogg Jr. - Retired, (wearing shirt, center) at a memorial service in Hawaii.

WAR AND A CONSTANT DIN OF NEWS

Whether they be NATO affiliated soldiers fighting in Afghanistan or innocent people caught in the crossfire somewhere else, soldiers and civilians will continue to lose their lives as the constant drumbeat of conflict rolls on in 2010.

The 24/7 news cycle continues to march alongside these occurrences, reporting events from the world's hotspots of the moment. Yet, Russian photojournalist Alexey Pivovarov, a member of GAIA Photos, reminds us with his photo reportage, Searching The Forests, that its been over 68 years since Nazi Germany attacked the Soviet Union in the early morning of June 22, 1941.

PHOTOGRAPHING EVIL ACTS OF MANKIND

Magnum Photographer Robert Capa once said, “If your pictures aren’t good enough, you are not close enough.” What did he mean by that? Current official White House photographer Christopher Morris thinks perhaps Capa meant that, "This is the truth for good combat photography. I feel this statement was made for combat photographers, when they are trying to document the evil act of man trying to kill another man. To capture the true essence of this, you need to be close, very close."

Those thoughts by Christopher Morris beg the question; What good is trying to visually document "the evil act of man trying to kill another man" if no one sees the ultimate truth the photography tells us?

A SOLDIER'S DECISION

In war's heat of battle, there is little time for soldiers to ponder decisions. Reactions are the results of training and experience. This holds true for photojournalists documenting the chaos as well. When United States Marine Corps Sergeant Alan J. Kellogg Jr. threw himself on an unexploded grenade before it detonated in Quang Nam Province, Vietnam, on May 8, 1970, he had little time to ponder his decision. The US government, after thinking it over, awarded Mr. Kellogg with the Congressional Medal of Honor for his bravery, as his actions saved several of his comrade's lives.

I am among thousands of others who were fortunate to have received training from Mr. Kellogg. He was our mother and our father, but his brand of love was tough because it's a serious endeavor. There is no "glory" in war and he made sure we knew it. He never mentioned even once that he'd received America's highest honor. After completing his distinguished USMC career, he began devoting his life to assisting homeless American military veterans in Hawaii, USA where he lives today.

DEATH OF A MARINE

All of us probably have thoughts about the casualties of war. We also deserve the truth about the agony it inflicts upon the fallen, their families, those who survived, such as Mr. Kellogg, and even us, the global civilization.

How do we assign a weight to the truth of war's catastrophic consequences and compare it to an individual family's wish to set the tone of their loved ones eternal legacy?

A recent article that appeared on bxpnyc titled Death of a Marine describes why answering this question proves to be painful and difficult.

As the article states, "On August 14, 2009, US Marine Lance Corporal Joshua “Bernie” Bernard was fatally wounded in an ambush in Afghanistan’s Helmand province. In the failing evening light, Associated Press (AP) photographer Julie Jacobson, embedded with his unit, 2nd Battalion/3rd Marine Regiment, photographed the prone and bleeding Bernard flanked by two comrades. Mr. Bernard was immediately evacuated, but later died from his wounds at a field hospital. He was 21 years old."

Conflicting opinions subsequently arose as to whether the photo includes enough of Lance Corporal Bernard’s face to establish his identity.

According to the article, an AP reporter went to interview the Bernard family and discuss the photograph. Bernie Bernard's father beseeched the AP representative not to run the photo. Nevertheless, AP chose to do so, along with other photos, in a story titled “Death of a Marine: A Photographer’s Journal”, making it available to clients who receive its “hosted” service. Such stories are typically fed automatically to AP clients that include newspapers nationwide.

ASSOCIATED PRESS DEFENDS ITS DECISION

AP issued a written statement defending its decision and Santiago Lyon, AP’s director of photography, stated, "We feel it is our journalistic duty to show the reality of the war there, however unpleasant and brutal that sometimes is.”

THE EMBEDDED JOURNALIST'S AGREEMENT: WAS IT VIOLATED?

An excerpt from the US "embed" agreement reads as follows, “Casualties may be covered by embedded media as long as the service member’s identity and unit identification is protected from disclosure until [the Assistant Deputy of Defense for Public Affairs] has officially released the name. Photography from a respectful distance or from angles at which a casualty cannot be identified is permissible; however, no recording of ramp ceremonies or remains transfers is permitted."

Seemingly everyone from US Secretary of Defense, Robert Gates, to bloggers on sites such as Captain’s Journal, a conservative blog devoted to military affairs, "hammered AP" according to the article. In fact, Gates wrote a letter to AP’s president saying, "Why your organization would purposefully defy the family’s wishes knowing full well that it will lead to more anguish is beyond me. Your lack of compassion and common sense in choosing to put this image of their maimed and stricken child on the front page of multiple American newspapers is appalling."

However, as Stars and Stripes reported in August, 2009, journalists seeking to be embedded with Western forces in Afghanistan may be vetted to determine if their past work was favorable to US forces. The newspaper published an example of a profile showing a pie chart indicating whether a particular reporter's stories were positive, neutral or negative.

The profiles are generated by The Rendon Group, a Washington-based public relations firm, as part of a $1.5 million Pentagon contract. Stars and Stripes did not name any of the journalists who had been profiled, or say whether photographers were included. The International Federation of Journalists condemned the practice, saying it "compromises the independence of media." Read more at Editor & Publisher.

Please continue reading about US Marine Lance Corporal Joshua “Bernie” Bernard

WHAT IS THE ANSWER?

So what is the answer here? Do we seek the truth about war's hardship by perusing anecdotal evidence witnesses such as Alan J. Kellogg Jr. and people like him may or may not choose to provide after their return to civilian status?

Should media people such as Julie Jacobson, recent Pulitzer Prize winner Tyler Hicks and their organizations be allowed to show us the facts no matter how harsh the realty of war is or should people such as Bernie Bernard's father, as bereaved as he is, set the agenda regarding what we all learn?

Although I have experiences with people from "both sides of the fence", I realize that my opinion regarding these events don't matter to you and why should they for who am I to inject my own moral certitude into such a perplexing and serious affair? How would Mr. Morris, Mr. Pivovarov, Mr. Kellogg, Bernie Bernard or any of you weigh in? I have no idea.

Rather than opine, allow me to admonish all governments and warring factions by telling them to stop putting all of us between a rock and a hard place. I'm sure most of us will agree about that in 2010.

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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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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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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.

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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!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
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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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PHOTOGRAPHY: UNICEF Picture Of The Year Contest For 2009 Gives A Voice To World's Children

Photo © Alice Smeets All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

The photograph seen above taken in Haiti by Alice Smeets is one of a series of photos that she submitted to last year's UNICEF Picture Of The Year (POY) Contest. If the children's circumstances in this photo don’t make a person angry, I don't know what will. Nevertheless, some people still march to the drumbeat of indifference, sadly necessitating the world's children be given a voice by documentary photojournalists from around the world yet again this year.

In that light, the UNICEF POY for 2009 is currently soliciting entries. It's a contest that DOES NOT ask for an entry fee, unlike may others, and the exposure your subjects receive is top notch.

LAST YEAR'S WINNER ALICE SMEETS

Last year a 21-year-old woman from Belgium, photographer Alice Smeets, took the top prize with her photo of a young Haitian girl in the 2008 UNICEF "Photo of the Year" contest.

Although I like her award winning photograph for it's simplicity, its gradation somehow echoes Klavs Bo Christensen's richly saturated palette seen in a set of images he also captured in Haiti. Three judges disqualified his Denmark "Picture of The Year" entry earlier this year, so UNICEF POY entrants should be mindful of how far to push the envelope.

If you're a Lightstalker member, the following LS members can nominate for the award: Peter van Agtmael, Patrick Brown, James Whitlow Delano, Sherri Dougherty, Sheryl Mendez and Jake Price. To become eligible, please contact one of the nominators with your contest submissions for consideration.

DO YOU WANT TO LEARN MORE ABOUT CHILDREN AROUND THE WORLD ?

Are you curious about the world's children and some of the circumstances they face? Perhaps then you'll be interested in viewing the world through the eyes of 52 photojournalists whose photography and text stories appear on Gaia Photos.

GAIA Photos members have done well in the UNICEF POY competitions, with GMB (Golam Mostofa Bhuiya) Akash from Bangladesh taking 2nd place honors in the 2007 contest and Germany's Gordon Welters receiving honorable mention in 2008.

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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.

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.

Please subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories too!

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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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GAIA PHOTOS: Featured Photograph Of African Refugee From The Republic Of The Congo By Espen Rasmussen

"I went back to our fields to get some bananas. We are so hungry. But the rebels were waiting for us in the fields and they attacked us. I managed to get away from them but I don't know what happened to the others," says this man displaced by the violence.

Photo © Espen Rasmussen All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

This powerful black and white close-up of the man quoted above by Norway's Espen Rasmussen truthfully encapsulates the state of affairs in the Western African country known as the Republic of the Congo.

In 2008 Mr. Rasmussen, who hails from Oslo, Norway, was named to the Photo District News annual list of 30 photographers to watch from around the world.

Please view more photos from Africa's World War by Espen Rasmussen 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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DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY: What Photojournalists Take Pictures Of And Why They're Not Being Published

Window shoppers on Lewers St. in Honolulu, Hawaii, USA may have been attracted to a shirt design featuring imagery of the late American pop-culture icon Elvis Presley. The garment was manufactured in Asia.

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

It seems as if documentary photojournalists and photographers are creating thought provoking photo reportage as never before. Stories such as Detroit: The Troubled City that depicts foreclosed homes in Detroit, Michigan, USA by veteran Magnum photographer Bruce Gilden to Suthep Kritsanavarin's award winning photo documentary, Siphadon: Mekong Fishing Under Threat that brings us pictures from Laos show the respective plights of people worldwide.

Despite this, according to Jean-Francois Leroy, founder and director of Visa pour l'Image, an annual festival held in France dedicated to contemporary photojournalism, photojournalists are finding the industry increasingly unsustainable, as it is almost impossible to secure funding for demanding, investigative stories.

THE PROFIT MOTIVE

As businesses, most magazines and newspapers are run by people whose only goal is profit. Fed by revenue from advertising that stokes the raging fires of consumerism, these entities and their editors claim that readers aren't interested in learning about the conditions people face around the world. Nevertheless, if one asked millions of people worldwide who've recently lost their jobs due to the global economic crisis if they were interested in the root cause of the worldwide meltdown, one might get a different answer.

CONNECTING THE DOTS

Photojournalists around the world have done a good job of showing our planet as it is and continue to do so. For example, the United States is the largest importer of garments from Cambodia, helping prop up a working environment where women, mostly under the age 21, work in factories manufacturing American wardrobes while living on less than $2 USD per day. Renowned photojournalists have captured photographs depicting the daily lives of several women sharing one-room apartments in buildings surrounded by open drains and garbage. Those photographs show the world, including Americans, the WHAT IS.

SHOWING THE WHY

Showing the world photography explaining WHY this IS so is more problematic. Jacqueline Tobin said in this blog post entitled Window Shopping that appeared on Photo District News, (PDN) a subsidiary of Nielsen Business Media, "Every day I walk past the Macy's Herald Square (New York USA) store [1] and ogle a designer handbag or killer pair of shoes in the window."

Tobin further described the window dressing at the Manhattan store by noting that in Spring 2009, "34 out of 39 Macy’s Herald Square windows currently house 175 of photographer Robert Altman’s photographs, taken between 1967 and 1974." The images portray celebrities such as Aretha Franklin, Elton John and Mick Jagger.

What's clear is Altman did fabulous work capturing fashion's WHAT IS between 1967 and 1974 and regarding the Herald Square windows exhibition he said, "By partnering with Macy’s, my vision was to encapsulate the emergence of this cultural movement and its impact on today’s consumer.”

WINDOW DRESSING

Suppose that instead of Altman's photos or "killer pairs of shoes", 34 windows at Macy's Herald Square store had been filled with photographs of people working in factories manufacturing American wardrobes for as little as 33 cents per hour, the average garment factory worker's wage in Cambodia. How would that "impact today’s consumer”?

Magazines, newspapers and even retailer's windows could expose horrendous working conditions people from Bangladesh to India encounter on a daily basis. Why isn't this happening? The answer is many companies that source products from poor Third World nations are the very entities advertising their wares in the same magazines, newspapers and windows in which the photos would appear! After viewing these photographs, perhaps Western World consumers would begin asking themselves WHY they are compelled to buy or even desire such items at all.

HOW PHOTOJOURNALISTS COULD PHOTOGRAPH WHY INSTEAD OF WHAT IS

In a perfect world, after photojournalists secured funding for assignments and projects, they would merely act as "go betweens", a conduit between those without voices and people with transformational powers. Nevertheless, as Jean-Francois Leroy says, that scenario is failing to play out.

The answer then lies in a shift that needs to occur in photojournalists' points of view. How could this be achieved? By crawling into the window displays that house iconic photos of pop culture and fashion and training their lenses on the voyeurs passing by on the sidewalk. Voyeuristic consumerism from the Western World as subject.

Perhaps only then will the typical WHAT IS photograph seen in the developed world begin to depict people living in Third World countries that appear similar to themselves.

After all, everyone loves to gaze into a mirror to see themselves.

ARE YOU INTERESTED IN DOCUMENTARY PHOTOJOURNALISM ?

Are you a person who is interested in documentary photojournalism and photography? If so, perhaps you'll be interested in viewing it through the eyes of 52 photojournalists whose photography and text stories appear on Gaia Photos.

Based in 35 countries that span the globe, the Gaia Photographers were brought together by Nepal based photojournalist Morten Svenningsen to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

The photographers' imagery has been featured in publications spanning the likes of Environment Magazine and National Geographic, to the Virginia Quarterly Review and The New York Times.

If you'd enjoy intensifying your appreciation concerning the testing conditions we are facing together on this planet please visit us and subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories.

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APPENDIX

[1] There is no suggestion that Macys is involved or has ever been involved in the importation of garments manufactured in Cambodia or that Jacqueline Tobin or any other Nielsen Business Media or PDN employee now purchases, has ever purchased, owns or has ever worn products manufactured by underpaid laborers working in weak regulatory environments. None of these parties is implicated in any way.

Further, there is no suggestion that Robert Altman, Aretha Franklin, Elton John, Grace Slick, Jerry Garcia, "Tiny Tim", Dennis Hopper, George Harrison, any other member of The Grateful Dead, Janis Joplin, Joan Baez, Tina Turner or Mick Jagger ever purchased, owned or wore products manufactured by underpaid laborers working in weak regulatory environments. None of these parties is implicated in any way.

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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.

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.

Please subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories too!

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PHOTOGRAPHY: Photographer Antonin Kratochvil Comes Out Of Hiding & Talks To Outside Magazine About Growing Up In Czechoslovakia

Photo © Antonin Kratochvil All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

New York resident and VII Photo Agency photographer Antonin Kratochvil has been quoted as saying. "To live happy, live hidden." Nevertheless, Kratochvil comes out of hiding and Goes Outside in an article written by Eliza Griswold that appears in the September, 2009 online edition of Outside Magazine.

WHAT PEOPLE SAY - THE MAN & HIS WORK

Says Magnum Photos photojournalist Chris Anderson, "Antonin is the embodiment of instinct. His persona is that of an ogre, but he is frighteningly intelligent, the most astute observer of human behavior I know."

Persona aside, NEED Magazine explains, Mr. Kratochvil's photography is "fluid and unconventional work and he has been sought by numerous publications stretching across widely differing interests."

"From shooting Mongolia’s street children for the magazine published by the Museum of Natural History to a portrait session with David Bowie for Detour, from covering the war in Iraq for Fortune Magazine to shooting Deborah Harry for a national advertising campaign for the ACLU, Kratochvil’s ability to see through and into his subjects and show immutable truth, has made his pictures uncensored visions, not facsimiles."

ANTONIN KRATOCHVIL GOES OUTSIDE

Here are a couple of excerpts from the Outside Magazine article:

"I empathize with people who are being fucked," he says. "When I photograph them, I am photographing myself." Coming from anybody else, that would sound grandiose, but Kratochvil has an innate understanding of what his subjects go through, because he's lived it. He spent his early childhood in a Czech labor camp and grew up in Communism's grip."

"Whether it be image or object, Kratochvil handles what unsettles him by possessing it. Other things he's hung on to: his United Nations Refugee Agency identity card and a length of barbed wire from the Czechoslovakian border, which guards snipped for him as the Iron Curtain was being torn down during the 1989 Velvet Revolution."

Whether you know about the 62-year-old native of Czechoslovakia or not, Please Continue Reading About Antonin Kratochvil In Outside Magazine….he transcends photography.

DO YOU ENJOY DOCUMENTARY PHOTOJOURNALISM ?

If by chance you enjoy Documentary Photojournalism, perhaps you'll be interested in viewing it through the eyes of 52 photojournalists whose photography and text stories appear on Gaia Photos.

Based in 35 countries across the globe, the Gaia Photographers were brought together by Nepal based photojournalist Morten Svenningsen to promote quality and diversity in documentary photography.

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