ED KASHI WEBLOG

Two Extraordinary Opportunities

2010-03-12T14:56:00.004-05:00

I’d like to remind you that the Global Humanitarian Forum is accepting submissions until April 15^th. If you are a young photographer between 18 and 35, this is a chance that you should not pass up.

Also, if you are a curator please visit this link. Last year’s Prix Pictet Event is going on tour and are open to discussing proposals for hosting the exhibit.

Opportunities like this aren't abundant, especially of this caliber, and the deadlines are closer than you think. Please do not pass these up.

Recent News and Our Appreciation

2010-03-12T14:27:00.005-05:00

The week in London is over for Ed and certain organizations stand out above the rest, whether it is due to their professionalism, reputation, seniority or simply effort. In recent days we have had some reviews that have left us all humbled and deeply appreciative.

First, is the excellent gallery put together by Lucy Davies at the London Telegraph, which showcases the heart breaking dilemma faced in the Niger Delta and helps spread knowledge that this cause deserves.

The Guardian, another London based newspaper, has also dedicated a piece of their website to exhibit some of Ed’s work, helping us spread the word for the people of Niger Delta.

Charlie Beckett, who took part in and wrote a blog post about the recent event at the London College of Communications. It let us know that people do indeed listen, and people do indeed care about the evolving nature of the relationships we share with NGOs, the nature of photojournalism, the conflicting emotions with advocacy work and making a living, and indeed the nature of media in this age of information flux.

We’re always happy to know that we’re making a difference - that people are actually moved by the work done in the studio, and we’ve seen that recently in a few fantastic posts.

Run Riot published a great synopsis of “Curse” as did Photographylot. Please visit their sites, it's important to keep the online photographic community alive.

Again, thank you very much. We’re truly honored and humbled.

Comments from Excellent Symposium in London's LCC

2010-03-11T08:20:00.001-05:00

Yesterday I took part in an important, inspiring and illuminating conference that Paul Lowe orchestrated at the London College of Communication. We had a jam packed audience and the discussion centered on photojournalism and NGO partnerships and issues around this ever growing and evolving dynamic. Excellent work Paul! Below is a write up by Charlie Beckett, one of the participants and an important voice out of London.

Some Great Links To Share

2010-03-09T15:44:00.004-05:00

I want to share a couple of links that deserve some attention. For instance, there is the Global Humanitarian Forum, which is accepting applications now for a competition trying to raise more awareness about Climate Change. It is a fantastic opportunity for any photographer between the ages of 18 and 35, as it promises the chance to take an active role in the cause and gain exposure as a young journalist. Please visit the link to learn more.

Also, there is a really good interview with Ed in a recent publication of Lucid Magazine that focuses on the deep rooted problems Nigeria faces. With the explosion of recent turmoil and incidents, now is a great time to find out a little more about what makes this country so important to the world.

A List of Exciting Events in London

2010-03-09T15:39:00.003-05:00

Ed is on a whirlwind tour of London this week, taking part in a series of events related to his work in the Niger Delta and organized around a month long exhibition that opened tonight at the HOST Gallery and a day long symposium taking place tomorrow at the London College of Communication. If you are anywhere near the area, all are going to be well worth attending. Besides the opening of Curse of the Black Gold exhibition at HOST, there are a variety of events he's participating in that will be enriching for all those interested in photography, journalism, advocacy and art.

Today, the 9th, there is private viewing and reception of the Curse exhibition at the HOST Gallery.
On the 10th, Ed will be giving a lecture at the London College of Communication. His lecture will be part of a workshop/seminar on photojournalism and advocacy with Paul Lowe. The seminar will be from 10:30am to 5pm.
Then from 6 to 9, you will be able to find Ed giving another lecture at the Frontline Club, addressing primarily his illegal arrest in Nigeria: a topic relatively rarely spoken about.
Thursday the 11th Ed will be reviewing students' work at the LCC from 9 – 11am and then from 6 – 8 participating in a large symposium at the London School of Economics.
Finally on Friday the 12th from 5 – 8pm, Ed will be back at HOST Gallery with Paul Collier and Dauda Garuba for the Sponsor/Civil Society reception.

It's a lot, it will be a challenge, but it will all be worth it. Come out if you can.

Ed Kashi on Syria, past and present

2010-02-25T08:02:00.003-05:00

Today the NYT published an interview with me conducted by James Estrin for the New York Times LENS blog. We talk my work from Syria in the 1990's and the present day, discussing what changes, if any, have taken place in this important and fascinating country. As I've said in the past, Syria is a country that the United States must be friends with and achieve a deeper level of trust and cooperation with. They are too important a linchpin to not only peace but deeper and healthier connections to the Arab world and the Middle East.

NYT LENS Blog

IMPACT Online Exhibition

2010-02-22T18:59:00.007-05:00

Welcome to the new IMPACT online exhibition, a project exploring the internet as a venue for insightful photographic work. In an effort to remind viewers of the important role photographers play around the world, we invited an array of imagemakers to share galleries on their blogs (like this one) that comprise up to 12 images representing an experience where they had an impact on the subject or were impacted themselves. By clicking on the links below the IMPACT logo, you can move through the exhibition, viewing other galleries by different photographers. You can also click the IMPACT logo to be taken to a post on the liveBooks RESOLVE Blog where you can see an index of all participating photographers. We hope that by linking different photographic visions of our first topic, "Outside Looking In," we can provide a multifaceted view of the topic as well as the IMPACT individuals can have on the world around us.

Fady. That is a word you hear repeatedly in Madagascar. Recently, while working on a project in southeastern Madagascar, I encountered a particular fady. This fady was creating a roadblock that was impacting my project, preventing me from getting close to one particular aspect of my story. In Malagasy culture fady means taboo and this superstitious vein in their culture is still alive and vibrant. It seems to impact their daily life in profound ways, creating the organizing principals for how they structure their villages, their behaviors and their do’s and don’t’s. A fady can decide where the outside toilet is placed, therefore determining the paths in and out of your village, or the places you can plant your food and keep your zebu (cattle). And these beliefs are ancient and must be respected, particularly by an outsider with a camera.

One fady I kept on pushing up against happened every time we came upon one of their sacred burial grounds. The Malagasy people have a spiritual connection to their forests and their burial grounds. 90% of their forests have been decimated from centuries of unabated logging, mostly to support their meager form of subsistence living. And their burial sites, unavoidable with huge slabs of granite mixed in with Christian influenced tombstones, adorned zebu horns and other ancestral elements, were traditionally were hidden deep in their forests. Now they are exposed out in open clearings, and in some cases just by the side of the road. I was explicitly told that I could photograph them, but only from the road! I absolutely could not take a step off the road or enter into these private but exposed sanctuaries, that in some cases held burial sites that were hundreds of years old.

I was in Madagascar working with a UK based charity, Azafady, and was accompanied by their director, Mark Jacobs, who has been going to Madagascar for 11 years. One very sunny and bright day, while returning from a village two hours north of Fort Dauphine, our base, we came upon a boisterous group of men on the rutted dirt road. They were of all ages, many drunk and stoned. They were carrying a 2 meter long slab of granite on two long wooden poles, decorated by green shoots and foliage from the forest. We suddenly realized this was a funeral procession and jumped out of our vehicle. Upon approaching them, we came to learn that this was a stone laying ceremony for a recently deceased elderly woman from a nearby village.

As we asked more questions and they noticed my camera, they got agitated and told us to leave and that we couldn’t take photographs of this scene. We asked why and Mark, along with our wonderful Malagasy friend, Lala, explained that we were from Azafady and were interested in showing their culture. One of the older men in the group, who couldn’t have been more than 40, suddenly said, yes, we could join them to the burial grounds and it was indeed acceptable to make photographs as well. Suddenly this scene turned into an energized experience, where I was allowed into a normally private ceremony. Mark turned to me and said he had never experienced anything like this in his 11 years coming here, and when we enetered the burial grounds, walking in the midst of these towering, white tomb stones, sharing alcohol with the men, while sitting an listening to the speeches, I sensed the impact we were having on these people. I also realized, once again, the impact an inquisitive but sensitive photographer can have on a situation, opening doors that would otherwise remain closed to the outsider.



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The Daily Kos Essay and Nigeria's Sea Change

2010-02-16T12:22:00.005-05:00

The Daily Kos has just posted a fantastic essay written by Sven Eberlein revisiting the history and complications in the political state of Nigeria – something that should be closely studied to understand the inevitable shockwaves that will be felt on an international scale.

With Goodluck Jonathan, the newly unexpected and unorthodoxly appointed president being from the Niger Delta, the world is and should be watching closely. There is every opportunity for change in not only the Political State, but the Mental, Economic, Ethical and perhaps even Cultural State as well.

It seems that the most pervasive worry about Goodluck’s seating is that he will be veered from his agenda by government bodies comprised of little more than sycophants and corrupt heads of power. Both of these brands of men, their actions and etiquette are the product of decades of foreign influence and financial corruption. Foreign corporations and the remnants of imperialism are at the root of the problem, and need to be addressed immediately.

It is for all of these reasons and the national and environmental circumstances in Nigeria, that yesterday’s development is simply exhilarating.

Please take the time to read Sven’s essay on Daily Kos, crossposted on his own blog. It is very well written and illustrates the history of the well-warranted skepticism the world has as it watches Goodluck’s assent.

An Open Letter From The Friends of NEGIP Network

2010-02-12T11:11:00.004-05:00

Through facebook we were sent this message from The Friends of NEGIP Network, an advocacy group which rallies for sustainable energy in Nigeria - a topic that is close to our heart. Originally I intended to edit it down, but realized that each sentence is too important for the statement, and that it wouldn't be fair for Deji Adenusi, one of the administrators of the group. Here it is in its entirety, eloquently written and well worth the short amount of time it will take to read.

IS THERE ANY SOLUTION TO NIGERIA'S CONSTANT POWER OUTRAGE ?

The revelation that the administration of the former president of Nigeria, General Olusegun Obasanjo "spent" about $16.00 billion on energy and power with no appreciable impact on Nigeria's energy and power sector. We recall that at the inception of the current civilian dispensation in the year 2000, the former President raised the genuine hopes and yearnings of the average Nigeria when he said: "On my honour, by the end of 2001, they (Nigerians) would begin to enjoy regular, uninterrupted power supply".

On the heels of that solemn promise came the creation of the Liyel Imoke Technical Committee on Energy and Power. However, today the problem of endemic power outages still pervade as the nation remains in darkness. The Electricity Power Sector Reform Act 2005 was promulgated on March 5, 2005, to liberalize the energy sector and break the monopoly in the industry. The Act also established the Nigerian Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC). The legislation was passed in a bid to resuscitate the power sector. In spite of all these Committees and legislations, the sector remains epileptic. Current and ongoing investigations by the legislature highlight an unfortunate scenario of allegations and counter pandering on the part of government officials.

To date, there is no agreement on the actual figure expended in the energy sector between 1999-2007. This in itself is very worrisome. Equally, recent revelation that due process through public tender of energy contracts was never followed is regrettable when such contracts were solely awarded between the minister and General Olusegun Obasanjo's (rtd) presidency. We have equally taken note of the award of electricity contracts to blacklisted companies by the former President which amounts to a betrayal of the trust of the Nigerian people still saddled with the torture of continued epileptic power supply and broken promises.

Energy is the engine that drives industrialization, which improves communication, helps innovation in science and Technology, provides sound healthcare delivery system and improves citizens' standard of living. Since energy is the engine that drives industrialization, a sound energy policy would indirectly create jobs even in unexpected sectors. Considering the central and pivotal role electricity plays in an economy, we fully endorse President Musa Yar'Adua's position that,

"we must solve this problem because until we do that, we cannot address the fundamental problems of our economy like poverty and unemployment. Even while the circumstances may be different, we may need to follow the telecommunication formula in order to solve the nation's power and energy problems. Our ultimate goal is to achieve what we did with the GSM or I declare a state of emergency in the sector...Power is a key priority of this administration and we all agreed that our efforts at developing the nation cannot succeed unless we solve the power problem."

Addressing the electricity crisis is one of President Umaru Yaradua's seven-point agenda promised Nigerians while on his 2007 campaign trail. An Energy Council was set up. In addition an 11-man Committee for the Accelerated Expansion of Nigeria's Power Infrastructure was inaugurated on Tuesday, February 19, to deliver 6,000 additional megawatts over the next 18 months and add an extra 11,000 megawatts by 2011. To day the reverse is the case has power has dropped to 2000 mega watts what is was some 4 years ago . Nigerians can no longer bet on government promises because of monumental failures to keep promises made in the past. Any real moves must be bold, private sector-driven and devoid of bureaucratic bottlenecks. There has to be time lined Electricity Development Plans backed by statutes. The Nigerian Society of Engineers ought to be directly involved at all levels.

I believe that a sound Energy Policy is not and should not be limited solely to electricity production from fossil fuel - Oil & Gas and/or Nuclear Energy Sources. There are of course better, and more efficient and environmentally friendly ways of generating electricity. The following sources must be tapped - Biomass, Geothermal, Hydro Power, Nuclear (fission and fusion), Ocean waves, Solar, Wind, and other pollution free renewable sources.

As a responsible corporate citizen I encourage the Nigerian government in conjunction with other stakeholders to focus her energy policy strategy on areas such as Solar, Wind, Ocean waves and Biomass. These are energy areas that most developing nations like Nigeria can exploit safely and efficiently. They are also environmentally sound.

The acting President Good luck Jonathan has a chance for a new beginning and a renaissance to building a proud and industrial nation. He must tap into the entrepreneurial spirit and bring on board "the can do attitude" of his fellow citizens.

In the meantime, we urge the National Assembly to step up its oversight functions so as to find answers to the whereabouts of the $16 billion that the last administration claimed to have invested in the power sector and move the nation forward by ensuring that recent promises by the current administration remain a marked difference from previously failed promises.

"Crisis & Opportunity: Documenting the Global Recession" Exhibit Opening

2010-02-09T10:05:00.005-05:00

If you are unfamiliar with socialdocumentary.net you should check them out. The consistent quality of their content and admirable effort goes above and beyond what one typically expects. This is why we're excited about the upcoming exhibit next Tuesday that they and powerHouse Arena, one of our favorite galleries, are launching. The exhibit will directly address the Global Recession and how it has impacted our world with striking photographs and an educational panel discussion, featuring some of the world's most qualified speakers on the subject.

It's sometimes easy to think of the global recession as an abstract event, as a topic of discussion and not much more... especially when we're insulated in a metropolitan area of a first world nation. This exhibit, the photographs and discussion, will attempt to bridge the disconnect many have from our global community.

To find out more please read this online announcement, and visit the powerHouse website. We hope to see you there, to foster a great discussion and launch an exhibit that will be as enriching as it is provocative.

The Third Frame Conference and a Surprising Question

2010-02-04T11:00:00.004-05:00

In a response to an alert to the Third Frame: visual imagery and the representation of the majority world""" conference" being held in the London College of Communication March 10th, a young photographer pressed Ed with the following question:

"'Magnum, the international photography co-operative founded in 1947 by Robert Capa and Henri Cartier-Bresson, has sold its photo archive to the founder of Dell computers." The archive was insured for $100m according to Bloomberg. Do you think this will stop innovation? Being paid for old work is not the same as generating value (either monetary and social) using innovation to increase audiences... is this a good thing for the industry already needing to take risks and invest? That capital could be really well invested in the right hands. Looking forward to March 10th.'"

To which we answered this:

"When Ed started out contemplate that people would want to publish and buy his "old work." Now he derives a significant portion of his income from sales and multiple uses of his "archival" material. This is why we need to protect our copyrights, because hopefully our work will retain its value, and will ensure our recognition.

Think of Van Gogh. He didn't have the luxury the renaissance artists had, their patrons and buyers, but continued his career regardless. And for Ed, one of the lasting inspirations of doing this kind of work is seeing the continued desire of others to publish, display, purchase and utilize in some way. Afterall isn't that why we do this work?"

The conference will feature experts in the field such as; Professor Lilie Chouliaraki LSE, Professor David Campbell of Durham University, Jessica Crombie of Water Aid, Olivia Arthur of Magnum, Rachel Palmer of Save the Children, Jennifer Pollard of LCC, Ben Chesterton of Duckrabbit and filmmaker Sandhya Suri and discuss the changing relationships between journalists and third party NGOs, who are playing a larger roll in the industry day by day.

To find out how to RSPV to this event please contact thethirdframe@googlemail.com as soon as you can because places are limited.

Jaron Lanier and the State of Our Society

2010-02-02T14:17:00.006-05:00

Quite simply… if you use the Internet in any form or fashion, this article is a must read. Unfortunately, for many readers, the article by an innovator in the field of electronic experience is only available after a subscription if you want to read it online, so I feel compelled to share one of the more moving passages.

In the previous post today, I pasted a passage that sufficiently illustrated the point of Mark Shapiro’s article, but in this case I feel terrible only quoting one. This whole article is rich with information and foresight and if you can please read it.

“If you want to know what’s really going on in a society or ideology, follow the money. If money is flowing to advertising instead of to musicians, journalists, and artists, then a society is more concerned with manipulation than with truth or beauty. If content is worthless, then people will start to become empty-headed and contentless. The combination of hive mind and advertising has resulted in a new kind of social contract. The basic idea of this contract is that authors, journalists, musicians, and artists are encouraged to treat the fruits of their intellects and imaginations as fragments to be given without pay to the hive mind. Reciprocity takes the form of self-promotion. Culture is to become precisely nothing but advertising.”

The Serfdom of Crowds, Jared Lanier, Harper's Magazine, 2010

This article is just fantastic, touching upon the dizzying prospects of technology, somehow managing to incorporate Artificial Intelligence and even Transhumanism into social networks and ‘Personal Reductionism.’ However, the real story is the worry about society as a whole, not the forfeiting of personal identity.

Communication technology has almost every form of print media shaking in its boots, and as they (media institutions) scramble for revenue, they often lose sight of the service they are supposed to provide. A worry is, if we, society, rely upon crowd sourcing we could be shortchanging ourselves, and in the end hurting ourselves.

Lanier finishes his piece talking about what people foresaw as a lull between Generation X and those that would be raised with exciting access to the Internet:

“But we were not passing through a momentary calm. We had, rather, entered a persistent somnolence, and I have come to believe that we will escape it only when we kill the hive.”

What an exceptional sentiment. The furiously persistent advertising, thrust in our faces around every corner, can at times emulate an Orwellian evil. Big Brother could be analogous to the advertising world. I wonder who the “Plebs” are, as even some of the most talented musicians, journalists and artists seem to either be co-opted or excommunicated from the Social Contract.

Please, read this article if you can.

An Excellent Point Made by Mark Schapiro

2010-02-02T11:21:00.011-05:00

Even without an education in finance, the strong point made in this, the conclusion of Mark Schapiro’s article in Harper’s Magazine, has a ring of disheartening truth:

"Indeed, carbon exists as a commodity only through the decisions of politicians and bureaucrats, who determine both the demand, by setting emissions limits, and the supply, by establishing criteria for offsets. It was the United States that sculpted the cap-and-trade system during the Kyoto negotiations, before pulling out of the accord and leaving the rest of the world to implement the scheme. Since then, most of the world’s major political financial and environmental interests have aligned themselves with the idea, because of its potential to generate profits out of adversity and to avoid the difficult economic decisions posed by climate change. Now the Obama Administration and the Democratic Congress – along with most American companies, which see cap-and-trade as the friendliest regulation they could hope for – want to rejoin the world and multiply the market. That market is, in essence, and elaborate shell game, a disappearing act that nicely serves the immediate interests of the world’s governments but fails to meet the challenges of our looming environmental crisis."
Mark Schapiro, Harper’s Magazine, February 2010

The metaphor of the Shell Game seems fitting, conjuring both the feel of deceit and exposing the economic incentives that foster short-term goals. Has the world lost sight of, or rather, does the world understand the long-term goal? Beyond grassroots organizations, it seems so at times.

Earlier we discussed the protests that surrounded the Copenhagen Summit, and what seemed like a large division between the parties involved and their interests. Perhaps that division runs deeper, and that rift might prove to be more detrimental than I had thought. But still, I can’t believe that many international parties don’t have good intentions.

Is that naïve?

What is America Doing about Energy???

2010-01-31T12:41:00.002-05:00

Why are we abdicating leadership on these technologies of the present and most certainly the future??? What is wrong with America? We should be seeing a consortium of energy companies, banks, government and entrepreneurs piercing ahead with solar panels and wind turbines. This should be considered unacceptable by the American electorate and people! Read this NYT article to see what's happening under our noses. I am not writing this as a jingoist, merely as someone who values America's health as a nation and society, wanting to see it continue to lead in positive ways and continue to innovate and create jobs and contribute to the world's betterment.

Julie Platner's work from Haiti Earthquake Aftermath

2010-01-28T11:34:00.002-05:00

Julie Platner is a young photographer based in New York who has just returned from covering the earthquake aftermath in Haiti. I didn't know the Wall Street Journal published images. Check these out!
Haiti

Just Women Exhibition in Brooklyn on 2/29

2010-01-28T11:23:00.001-05:00

Linda Gastaldello, a young Italian photographer who I had the pleasure of working with on a Tuscany Photo Workshop in Italy a few years ago has an opening in Brooklyn on Feb. 29th, from 7-10pm Go if you can to support her and enjoy!
Just Women

The Photocrati Fund

2010-01-26T09:55:00.008-05:00

This is a great opportunity for anyone who is trying to develop their professional career.

"The Photocrati Fund offers $5000 grants to non-professional photographers to undertake important humanitarian and environmental photography projects. Our goal is to identify outstanding, up-and-coming photographers and give them the resources necessary to pursue projects that will have a tangible and positive effect on the world."

The application's deadline is March 15th, which is much closer than you think, and the right wording makes all the difference. Simply, it is always easy to tell when an application is a rushed job.
Please visit Photocrati's website to learn more, and best of luck.

Expanding the Circle: The Engaged Photographer

2010-01-25T14:41:00.001-05:00

Watch this insightful piece with Susan Meiselas about the purpose and issues around documentary work.
Open Society Institute

This Is A Mess

2010-01-20T12:27:00.006-05:00

I was asked by a staunch conservative I know, “What about him makes you so happy?”

When I watched President Obama's campaign gather the momentum it did two years ago, like most of the Left, I was elated for what I believed were all the right reasons. Obama was going to be the first black President, he was going to renew funding for ground-breaking scientific research, he extolled eloquent anti-war rhetoric... he was able to construct a lucid and cogent sentence. But for me there was an underlying and more invigorating variable.

I answered, “Because America is finally becoming less selfish.”

Health Care reform was so exciting for me. The prospect of a friend of mine not having to worry about receiving his dialysis treatment, the idea of an epileptic knowing he will have access to the required medication, struggling families sleeping a little easier and a security net for someone who lost their job gave me the impression that the United States finally recognized itself as a single nation. I imagined that individuals finally realized they were part of a greater entity. Someone in Florida knew they had a compatriot in South Dakota.

It looks like I was wrong. Bush bringing us to war was infuriating, removing our civil liberties abhorrent and reducing stem-cell research disappointing, and I'm not naïve enough to think all these emotions won't resurface. But this, the refusal to recognize something as simple as the existence of another human being and the delicate sanctity of that life, the seemingly purposeful ignorance of the helpless in this nation is so crushingly depressing for me, I can't find the adequate words.

I want to know how this is possible. Are we so disconnected from each other that this can be a reality? I refuse as well. I refuse to believe anyone can be that callous, and can only rationalize it as partisan bickering. But then I see the rancor in the eyes of the disgusting embarrassment that is the 'Tea Party'.

When I think of how we appear to the rest of the world, I am more ashamed of the populist reaction to the proposed Healthcare bill than I am of our actions in the Middle East... sincerely. One of the wealthiest nations in the world can't provide something as simple as effective Healthcare because a few cowards in Washington will pander to the socially retarded, to a demographic who base their campaign on absurd misinformation, who think it is their duty as Americans to vehemently fight higher taxes handed down from the ever encroaching Federal Government and neglect their real duty to their fellow man.

Don't think that the world isn't watching. It is - intently.

A Promising Azafady Update

2010-01-19T10:55:00.005-05:00

Some might remember the Prix Pictet event from the end of last year when Ed was commissioned to do work for Azafady

Yesterday we were alerted to a great report posted on the Azafady website that gives us a peek into what must be an extraordinary experience and I’m sure a equally moving body of work.

Here’s an early look at what to expect from the project:

To sign up for the newsletter and get more regular updates, please go to Ed’s Homepage and submit your email address at the top right.

"Follow the Money"

2010-01-18T15:24:00.001-05:00

Check out this Talking Eyes Media produced short on Oxfam America's website. The 2 minute call-to-action video showcases animations from leftchannel and still photos from Ed Kashi.

Oxfam America

Congratulations Lukas!

2010-01-15T13:30:00.007-05:00

From Ed, "I am excited to share this news from an old friend in San Francisco, Lukas Felzman. Lukas is a Swiss born photographer who teaches photography at Stanford and has produced some very challenging, thoughtful and beautiful work about the Sacramento Delta in California."

Check out his work which was recently published in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung in Germany and will also be exhibited at Camerawork through April 17th as part of "The Future Lasts Forever.

WatersinBetween

The Lexicon of Photography, Pt. II

2010-01-12T11:56:00.008-05:00

I propose that a slur’s intention is to hurt someone psychologically and emotionally through verbal communication.
The assertion that a slur is verbal, and that an insult is only conveyed through communication is important to consider especially when we think of the emotions that are elicited by an insult. It seems to me (yes, this is entire blog is utterly subjective) that insults and slurs only draw the Basic Emotions according to Robert Plutchik’s Wheel of Emotions.
It also seems to me that communicating is an action and an insult is little more than a malignant communication.
This follows:

A simple action I believe causes a simple reaction.
A single word (such as a slur) is a simple verbal communication, which is a simple action and so it elicits a simple emotion.
I’ll further argue that a complex verbal communication (such as a speech or essay), a composition of words, which is a complex action, will elicit a complex emotion.
Photographs seem to elicit the complex emotions.

A photograph is a complex communication.

Out of the many, the most glaring flaw in the argument opens an important question in this pursuit. Words compose a speech. Circumstances seem to compose a photograph, no? A negative speech uses negative words. Are negative photographs the product of negative circumstances?
Racism is a circumstance of our world, isn’t it? If enough racist circumstances contribute to a photograph, why can’t a photograph be racist?
I’m looking forward to reading any thoughts you may have. Please try to link a photograph in any of your comments so we can discuss the same details and be on one another’s page.

London Telegraph Asks Photographers to Choose Best Images from 2009

2010-01-06T09:21:00.002-05:00

Lucy Davies, picture editor at the London Telegraph, asked me to choose my favorite or most memorable image of 2009. See the link below to find out what I and a host of other photographers chose as their favorite images of 2009.
London Telegraph

Antrim Caskey and the upcoming book, "Dragline"

2010-01-05T15:07:00.006-05:00

Just before the Climate Summit in Copenhagen last month, we suggested a few specific websites to keep an eye on. The first was about the summit itself, the second was the collaboration of multiple photojournalists to promote climate activism, and the third was a great project by Chad Stevens called “The Coal War”. But there was a fourth.

“Appalachia: A Land and People Under Threat” by Antrim Caskey.

Today, Appalachia Watch, Caskey’s long-term media project on this topic, and Climate Ground Zero, the campaign she primarily works with, announced the upcoming release of Dragline her long awaited photo-book. Dragline will feature 74 pages that document the harsh reality behind the scandal of Mountain Top Removal coal mining that is ravaging the Appalachian Mountains.

We strongly urge you to buy her book, or contribute in any way you can to her and Climate Ground Zero’s cause.