Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Photography. Show all posts

Thursday, July 1, 2010

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.

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!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

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John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Monday, June 28, 2010

Photography & Photojournalism In Malaysia By Johannes P. Christo Now On Gaia Photos

A ritual is attended by millions of devotees from around Malaysia and abroad.

Photo © Johannes P. Christo All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On TWITTER

Malaysia: Thaipusam, A Celebration For Lord Murugan is a new photo story now appearing on Gaia Photos. As photojournalist Johannes P. Christo explains,

"Thaipusam is the biggest annual Hindu festival in Malaysia, celebrated mostly by the Tamil community on the full moon in the Tamil month of Thai. Pusam refers to a star that is at its highest point during the festival. The festival commemorates both the birthday of Lord Murugan, the youngest son of Shiva and Parvati, and the occasion when Parvati gave Murugan a vel (lance) so he could vanquish the evil demon Soorapadman."

"The celebration is held in Batu Caves Temple, Kuala Lumpur. This ritual attended by millions of devotees from around Malaysia and abroad".

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Johannes P. Christo born in Jakarta, Indonesia on April 17th 1987. Christo is a self-taught photographer who developes his own passion and vision in black and white photography as his personal works. Christois based in Bali where he works as a freelance photojournalist covering editorial and in-depth reportage. Currently he is doing documentary personal projects in Jakarta and Bali. In 2009 he was selected as Young Asian Photographer for Angkor Photo Workshop. He is available for assignments in South East Asia.

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!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE


Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.


John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Sunday, June 27, 2010

Photography & Photojournalism In Beirut Lebanon By Zann Huang Now On Gaia Photos


A Fatah militant member dances with his rifle in Beirut, Lebanon, vowing to free Palestine and return to his homeland.

Photo © Zann Huang All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On TWITTER

Lebanon: Cry Palestine is a new photo story now appearing on Gaia Photos. As photojournalist Zann Huang explains,

"Shatila camp, located in Beirut’s “belt of misery” is home to about 15,000 Palestinians and Lebanese who share a common experience of displacement, unemployment and poverty. In September 1982, the Israeli military’s Phalangist allies conducted an extensive series of raids on the Sabra neighborhood and the Shatila refugee camp.

The camps were externally surrounded by Israeli soldiers throughout the incident and the extent of Israeli involvement in the attack has been hotly disputed. The attacks resulted in some 700 to 3500 victims, primarily civilians. The Sabra & Shatila massacre still strikes hard at the minds and hearts of Arab people, an atrocious event that must not be forgotten for the Palestinian people in their long struggle to free Palestine."

Please view the entire story and Follow Gaia Photos On Twitter!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Zann Haung contributes to the United Nations on humanitarian and environmental issues and is based in the Middle East.

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!


NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Friday, June 25, 2010

Documentary Photography From Haiti By Andre Liohn Now On Gaia Photos

Looters fighting inside a appliances store in Port au Prince Haiti

Photo © Andre Liohn All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On TWITTER

Haiti: The Small Fraction is a new photo story now appearing on Gaia Photos. As one of our newest members, Andre Liohn explains,

"My pictures document the eruption of violence and looting when the hungry, desperate and frustrated people of Haiti, unassisted by their country´s leaders or helped by the international community, decided to find their own means of survival in the badly damaged capital Port au Prince."

Please view the entire story and Follow Gaia Photos On Twitter!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Andre Liohn is a freelance photo and video photographer working mainly in East Africa. Somalia, Ethiopia and neighboring countries.

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 has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Tuesday, June 22, 2010

Documentary Photography From Poland By Francois Struzik Now On Gaia Photos Photos

Photo © Francois Struzik All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On TWITTER


Poland: Workers Of The Gdansk Shipyard is a new photo story now appearing on Gaia Photos. As one of our newest members, Francois Struzik explains,

"In 1980 the workers at the Gdansk shipyard, then called the LENIN shipyard, fought on behalf of the entire Poland. In that year the SOLIDARNOSC union was founded. Lech WALESA, electrician at the shipyard, became one of the most famous union leaders. This was the beginning of the end for the communist block. "

Please view the entire story and Follow Gaia Photos On Twitter!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Francois Struzik is a freelance photojournalist based in Belgium and is a master in slavic languages and political science, He became a professional photographer in his early thirties. Based in Belgium (and partly Sweden), his interests take him abroad: human's and women's rights, ethnic and religious minorities, working conditions,... always on the human side!

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!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Tuesday, June 15, 2010

Facebook Fan Page Reaches 250 People! Thank You Everyone!

Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter
Just a short note to say thanks to all of you who have joined my Facebook fan page.  It's officially know as John Brown Photographer In Cambodia and Southeast Asia but we talk about and look at OTHER PHOTOGRAPHY and have generated some good member discussion too!

Thanks for stopping by!  Hope to see you there !!!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS

Saturday, May 22, 2010

UK Journalist Andrew Buncombe Awaiting Ambulance In Bangkok Thailand

Waiting for the ambulance to come after getting shot in Bangk... on Twitpic

Photo © Unknown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter

Journalist Andrew Buncombe watiiting for the ambulance to come after getting shot in Bangkok, Thailand temple. Andrew is the Asia Correspondent of The Independent newspaper and lives in Delhi, India.

Read his accounts of his ordeal in Bangkok on TWITTER Right Here! 



Friday, May 14, 2010

Photography On Facebook By John Brown


Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter 
Hi folks! This is just a little announcement today.  John Brown (me) has a new Facebook Fan Page and you are all invited to come on over and contribute to some discussions we will be having!
The project is in it's infancy with just 44 fans but you are all invited to check it out and suggest the page to all of your friends too!
Cheers From Cambodia!

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Wednesday, January 6, 2010

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.

Please Visit Us and visit Jared'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!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

You can also Follow Me On Twitter.

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

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PHOTO INDUSTRY: Photography Collective L’oeil Public Files For BANKRUPTCY


It's worrisome times for photographers.

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

As reported on the Thoughts of a Bohemian blog, French newspaper le Monde just announced that collective photo agency, L’oeil Public, was filing for bankruptcy.

This is certainly bad news for photographers, since according to a Lightstalker blog post written by Samia Marais, "It is an agency that has 2 full-time employees (including me) and one part time to handle the researches, scans and accounting."

It seems that overhead was low, yet photographers such as Samuel Bollendorff, Philippe Brault, Julien Daniel, Karim Ben Khelifa and Frederic Sautereau couldn't generate enough income from clients such as XL Semanal, El Magazine del Mundo, El magazine de la Vanguardia, Newsweek, Time, Le Monde, Elle, Italian Panorama, Io Donna, Greek Magazine Epsilon, Newsweek Japan, Panorama (French) and Air France Magazine to keep the doors open.

WHY IS THIS HAPPENING?

Thoughts of a Bohemian thinks, "The reason for L’oeil’s closure is now becoming a banality. Falling prices and lesser assignments. A declining demand for original photography thanks to a marketplace that is more eager to save money than make money. A marketplace that has become a playground for CFO’s and their armies of blindly dedicated bean counters. Where photojournalism has been replaced by coupon journalism, where photo editors recruit amateurs to submit free images."

Please read more Thoughts of a Bohemian and weigh in. Who will be left standing by the end of 2010?

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

Tuesday, January 5, 2010

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY In Pang Ma Pha (Sappong) Thailand


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

An ethnic Lahu woman enjoys a cigarette while sitting at her home in a remote village near Pang Ma Pha, Northern Thailand.

Pang Ma Pha, also known as Sappong, is located 6 hours west of Chiang Mai and can be reached by bus. Residents enjoy a relaxed way of life and the small outpost serves as the gateway to many small villages inhabited by various ethnic groups of hilltribe people including Lahus and Ankas.

Since there are no "guided tours" to these villages and few of the residents speak Thai but rather their native ethnic languages, travelers should brush up on non-verbal communication skills before setting out on one of the many trails leading to remote areas. The hilltribe people inhabiting this locale earn their sustenance as slash and burn farmers so the air is filled with smoke during the dry season.

If you want to get away from other travelers in over-run Chiang Mai, Pai and Mae Hong Son, a visit to Sappong, also home to the magnificent Tham Lod cave, is highly recommended.

Are you promoting a destination in SE Asia? Email me and maybe we can work something out.

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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.

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

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

GAIA PHOTOS has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

You can also Follow Me On Twitter

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

Monday, January 4, 2010

HAPPY NEW YEAR 2010 EVERYONE WHEREVER YOU ARE!


Photo © John Brown All Rights Reserved - Follow Me On Twitter In 2010!

Here's wishing every one of you....the nearly 7 billion people on planet earth, a HAPPY NEW YEAR. From Hollywood and Bollywood to Hobart and Hua Hin, as someone once said, we can still SAVE THE PLANET.

After all, if we don't, who will?

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

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!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

You can also Follow Me On Twitter

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

LAOS: HUNGER LOOMS After Tropical Storm Ketsana Batters The Poor Communist Nation


Buddhist monks receive rice from a woman standing on a dirt road in Southern Laos, where currently, rice is a precious commodity .

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

According to an article written by Hayley Jarvis for SOS Children, "Tens of thousands of families face desperate food shortages after tropical storm Ketsana battered Laos. Twenty-eight people were killed and more than 200,000 others affected when the extreme weather hit the country’s south in late September, causing an estimated £56 million worth of damage."

Food shortages in Laos are nothing new. They arrive each Spring because the government fails to stockpile and distribute rice to the needy. In a country where, according to The World Bank, one-half of Laotian citizens live below the poverty line, rice grown by rural farmers in small villages is divided into thirds, the first third going to the Communist government. Instead of being able to sell this rice and keep the profits for themselves, the government procures it and administers the proceeds. Additional thirds go to the village rice collective as well as the growers and their individual families.

Unfortunately, Tropical Storm Ketsana exacerbated this annual problem.

"These people don't have enough rice to eat for the next year. They need over 3,000 tons for 2010 because they will not be able to grow rice again on the hillsides and rice fields until they first clear the land," said Samouy Deputy Governor Vilaysack Phomphakdy.

Just last month, the 25th edition of the Southeast Asian Games (SEA Games) was held in Laos. An expensive new stadium was built prior to the spectacle where participants from 11 Southeast Asian nations took part in a regional sporting event.

Perhaps it's time for the Communist Lao government to start thinking more along the lines of Abraham Maslow. Didn't he say:

"Food...clothing...shelter...sports stadiums?"

Maybe the Lao government should allow slash and burn subsistence farmers who spend their days cutting and burning the forest to prepare the soil for planting, earning only $15 USD to $30 USD per month, to keep the rice they harvest. Just a thought.

Please read more about the circumstances thousands of Laotians face.

Thursday, December 31, 2009

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

Know every button on your camera!

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

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.

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.

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you are using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

We all look forward to seeing you there….And Over On Twitter!

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
My Photoshelter Photography Archive Homepage
GAIA Photography and Photojournalism
Follow Me On Twitter

PHOTOJOURNALISM GOES GLOBAL IN 2010 AT GAIA PHOTOS


Double your pleasure, double your fun with new friends at Gaia Photos!

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

If by chance you're curious about the planet we all live on, 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.

In just 1 year, the crew has filed nearly 100 stories from 50 nations about the world we live in, from Afghanistan and Iran to Haiti and Burma.

The photographers' imagery has been featured in publications spanning the likes of China Daily and Der Spiegel to Outside and The Economist.

If you'd enjoy intensifying your appreciation concerning the testing conditions we are facing together on this planet, or are just interested in daily life beyond your street, please visit us and subscribe to our new features page to keep track of new stories.

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you are using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

We all look forward to seeing you there….And Over On Twitter!

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

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

Please visit us and see other photo stories on Gaia Photos by Paulo Nunes dos Santos. You can also search Gaia Photos for assignment photographers and subscribe to our continually updated new features page too!

NEW FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

Gaia Photos has a new Facebook Fan Page. If you're using Facebook, sign up to get new features served on your Facebook wall automatically.

You can also Follow Me On Twitter

John Brown Photojournalist On LIGHTSTALKERS
My Mondo Library Photography
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GAIA Photography and Photojournalism

TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHY: Respecting The Culture Of Buddhist Monks In Luang Prabang Laos


A line of novice Buddhist Monks receives alms at 6 am each morning in Luang Prabang, Laos.

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

Located between the Namkhan and the Mekong rivers, Luang Prabang was established 1200 years ago, making it one of the oldest cities in Laos.

Due to its ancient Laotian mix of colonial style houses with the surrounding environment, Luang Prabang was designated by UNESCO as a World Heritage City in 1995. The center of Luang Prabang features 445 traditional-style Lao houses, all of which combine to create a mystical, charming picture for visitors.

Set amidst this exotic environment, between Luang Prabang’s conservation zone and the Chomphet district across the river, there are over 150 Buddhist temples of diverse styles built throughout Luang Prabang’s long history.

THE LOCAL CULTURE

According to a report submitted to the UNESCO Office of the Regional Advisor for Culture in Asia and the Pacific by a local taskforce that interviewed 100 respondents, local people "Like to see the visitors go into the temples to take photos but they don’t like the way backpackers dress, wearing very little clothing and decorating their faces and bodies."

Furthermore, they disapprove of "women shaving their heads and men wearing long hair as well as hanging metal rings on ears, noses, tongues and stomachs."

FOR THE RECORD I DON’T CARE HOW DECORATE YOURSELF

Now that you have perhaps become a bit more culturally sensitive, you may enjoy visiting Luang Prabang, located about 10 hours by road north of Vientiane, the capital of Laos.

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

Follow Me On Twitter

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