Article by Ed Kashi: "In The Thick Of It All"

Image Copyright © Ed Kashi-All Rights Reserved
Digital Photo Pro magazine brings us an intelligent article by well-known photojournalist Ed Kashi. The article is essentially Kashi's take on the evolution of photography and on what he defines as the "nest-generation photojournalist". He describes himself fundamentally as a storyteller, amd how the new digital tools have enhanced his craft. I've heard many established photojournalists bemoan the end of the film age and ranting against this 'new wave', so it's refreshing to hear otherwise from a photographer at the height of his career.

Here are some excerpts that I found to be very relevant...for instance, Kashi writes: "I can’t escape the fact that the new digital tools—along with the Internet as a distribution system for images, video and multimedia stories—has the potential to overshadow traditional print media because of its potential to reach more people and have a more powerfully engaging message. This is to take nothing away from still pictures, but in today’s world, things are changing very rapidly.”

Another: "There are mid-career photojournalists like myself who have reached the top of their profession and could just as easily become a dinosaur tomorrow if they don’t adapt. Even though I’ve established a great reputation, I could fall off the face of the Earth if I’m not careful. Except for the National Geographic, who wants to publish serious, nonfiction photojournalism? The New York Times Sunday Magazine rarely, if ever, publishes serious reportage photography anymore. There are European publications that publish serious photography, but they don’t really pay a living wage.”

And finally...a statment that I wholeheartedly agree with: “Photography is a world of variables. I’ve always been a believer that the way for me to be most effective is to reduce the variables to the smallest number so that I can focus most of my energy, my heart, my soul, my vision and my brain on the subject, on making images, and on telling stories. So, for me right now, I could go on making images forever with iView MediaPro and Photoshop on the Mac platform and my Canon EOS 5D. It has reached a level of quality and efficiency that’s ideal for me. Sure, it could be made better, but for now, for me, it’s great. But the reality is that I know I can’t do that. The technology will change and I’ll once again have to change with it.”

I'm happy to say that I'm of the same persuasion...I'm satisfied with my current hardware and software, and have no compulsion to acquire new cameras or lenses just because they're available. The setup I currently have works for me, and until the time when it's really surpassed in quality and efficiency, I will stay with it.

For the whole article, visit the excellent Digital Photo Pro Magazine website: In The Thick Of It

To Ipoh and back

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Thomas called on Sunday, inviting me to go to Ipoh, the capital of Perak which was less than an hour ride away from our beloved Taiping. This city on the northern part of Malaysia, commonly called Paloh by some local Chinese had been named after a local tree, pohon epu or pokok ipoh from which the Orang Asli (indigenous people) procure the poisonous tree sap for their blowdarts. Thomas had wanted to shop for a batik shirt and a pair of tennis shoes but the purple shirt had turned out to be a bit gaudy and the shoes just did not look right. Both of us therefore ended up in Secret Recipe instead. There I stuffed myself with a plate of spaghetti and Brownies while Thomas had a piece of cheese cake for which Secret Recipe is famous for. Later in the evening when we were heading home, I had a surprise call from my nephew. The whole family would have dinner at Panorama that night, the eating place in Taiping which serve our favourite ice cream! I would have a plate of fried Tom Yum rice and my nephew had black pepper chicken chop.

Travel Tip: You can just travel out of town for the joy of traveling!

Matthieu Paley: Bhutan

Image Copyright © Matthieu Paley-All Rights Reserved
Matthieu Paley is a freelance photographer who specialises in working in the remote and barren since his first expedition in the Altai Mountains, western Mongolia, in 1998. In 1999, after three years in New York, he started a trekking company in northern Pakistan, exploring the Himalayas, the Karakoram, the Hindu Kush and the Pamir Mountains.

While in northern Pakistan, he worked as a photographer for the Aga Khan Foundation, in collaboration with his wife, Mareile, a graphic designer. Matthieu’s photography focuses on the mountain world and has been published in various magazines including National Geographic Adventure, Outside, Time and Discovery.

His website is flash-based, so you'll have to explore the various galleries by starting from his home page. I chose his Bhutan gallery to feature on TTP as the most representative of his talents. The other gallery which I found to have breathtaking photographs is the one of Mongolia....but the photograph of the Bhutanese shepherd and his son clinched it for me.

Matthieu Paley

First Taste of Backpacking

My first backpacking experience began when I met Shah several years back when we were donating blood during Teachers' Day. He was planning to backpack to India with his friends and I did not just invite myself but called along someone I knew from the old campus day who were to become my roommate throughout the trip. Together, we thus explore the exotic, colourful north...

Related Posts : India (15)

Jean Michel Clajot : African Scarification

Image Copyright © Jean Michel Clajot-All Rights Reserved
Here's a nicely produced photo essay (using the now-ubiquitous Soudslides program) by the well traveled photographer Jean Michel Clajot. He's a photojournalist based in Brussels, and is represented by the COSMOS Photo Agency in Paris and by Aurora Photos in Portland.

This particular slideshow will be exhibited at the Campo Santo on Monday September 3 during the famous Visa Pour l’Image in Perpignan (September 1-16). I particularly liked the music chosen to accompany the photographs by the talented Ismael Lo.The images were photographed in Benin, and some are quite graphic. A well photographed project and I think deserving of being exhibited.

Jean Michel Clajot's Scarification.

Another New "Canon"?

Check this "Canon".

courtesy of the Luminous Landscape Forum.

Books: Down The Nile

I normally wouldn't post about a book I have yet to read, but this is a book by Rosemary Mahoney, whose earlier "The Singular Pilgrim" has the best description of Varanasi I've ever read...so I'm confident that her new literary effort is a treat. Secondly, Mahoney also writes about Egypt and its people...a country and people I know well. Thirdly, the book reviewer describes Mahoney as "This is a woman who doesn't suffer fools gladly."...a trait which I find not unattractive in people.

Another gem: "I have always resented imposed constraints, hated all the things people said one should and should not do," confesses Rosemary Mahoney in Down the Nile. "A woman shouldn't ... A man wouldn't ... People were always conjuring up a wall and telling you to stay on your side of it."

This warrants a trip to my nearest bookstore!

Here's the full review as it appears in the Christian Science Monitor.

Annie Tritt: Jerusalem

Image Copyright © Annie Tritt-All Rights Reserved
Annie Tritt's biography is unfortunately sparse, and despite my efforts to find some more background on her or her work, all I have is that she was a dancer and a high school teacher before becoming a photojournalist, and focusing on social issues. That's all.

One can describe her work as hard hitting, but I found it to be sensitive with a documentary edge to it. I chose her gallery Easter in Jerusalem to showcase her undeniable talents...especially since most of her photograph in that gallery is of Ethiopian Falashas celebrating Easter in Jerusalem. I particularly liked this photograph...with its motion blur.

The Falasha are Jews of Ethiopian origin, and under the provisions of Israel's Law of Return (1950), over 90,000 (over 85%) have emigrated to Israel, most notably during Operation Moses (1984) and Operation Solomon (1991).

There are many wonderful photographs on Tritt's website, but you can start your viewing by clicking on her Easter in Jerusalem gallery.

Annie Tritt.

New bus terminal in Penang

Famous Tambun Biscuits...



Bus Terminal near the jetty in Penang...




There is a new bus terminal just near the jetty in Penang island! Alighting from the ferry, one just have to walk along with the crowd. One would get to pass a row of stalls selling among others things, Penang famous nutmegs and Tambun biscuits. The taxi stand will be on the left of these stalls and the bus terminal on the right. Tourist swho fancy a trishaw ride could also get one here! How convenient it is now to visitors! Many, many years back, when I was still in primary school, I remember having to take private cars called kereta sapu at a small fee. You conveniently hopped into the private cars of strangers and hoped they would safely take you to your destination! Gone are those days and I was glad not just for all these things that Thursday when I visited Penang. My friend would come and fetch me and he would drive his car!

Travel Tip: Know where to get your transport.

James Pomerantz: Congo

Image Copyright © James Pomerantz-All Rights Reserved
James Pomerantz grew up in London and New York, and his biography says that he "stumbled' into photography before graduating from New York City's Columbia University with a major in mathematics and philosophy. His work appeared in major publications such as the New York Times, US News & World Report and the Figaro among a long list.

Out of his many galleries, I hesitated between his extraordinary work in Azerbijan and his moving photographs from the Congo.... I chose the latter. He photographed in Sud Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where the worst atrocities were committed during its long war. Remarkably moving and disturbing work.

It's a good thing that James Pomerantz "stumbled" into photography.

James Pomerantz Photography.

Some photos you might not see it today......(Pt.2)

Muar trip on 25th AUG 2007.
Nothing much, just some antique photos to share......

Bed for old newspaper

How many of you still using this type of bed?

We won't see this at all in the city where we stay......only at some village. Sometimes all this antiques are good to bring back those fond childhood memory......
Or maybe I am old enough? :)
For discussion on this, please click HERE.

Bali: Island of Spirits

Image Copyright © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
Here's my new gallery of photographs entitled Bali: Island of Spirits (link below). One of the most interesting traits of the Balinese people is their belief in animism and ancestor worship, in addition to their Hindu traditions. The Balinese term sekala niskala or visible-invisible describes how the physical world is suffused by a spirit world. Understandably, the spirits are honored everywhere on the island with offerings of flowers and other materials....hence the title.

This is not a linear "storyboard" photo essay, but images which I deem to be representative of the Balinese spiritual life. I also included images of the traditional dance as these usually take place at religious ceremonies, and included a couple of non-graphic photographs made during cremations, which I hope impart the solemnity of such events.

I've now established a Basic acount with Zenfolio, the web-based image-sharing website of my earlier post this week. I found it to be intuituve and easy to set up. However, I'm preparing a more complex slideshow with narration and ambient audio which should be ready in a few weeks on my regular website.

My Zenfolio home page features the photographs in thumbnail gallery fashion...I prefer to view them in a slideshow (upper right corner) format. The slideshow feature has an icon that provides captions to each photograph.

Bali: Island of Spirits.

Sky walk at Macao Tower

Heard that Yong Seng and Poh Xiang went to Macao again on 24 August. Yong Seng had won two free tickets in a contest organised by Air Asia and was given a choice to go either Macao or Indonesia and he chose the former. The memory of Macao was just a short distance away and had hardly faded.It puzzled me therefore why they had opted for Macao. Perhaps, Poh Xiang had wanted to go bungee jumping at Macao Tower. The last time we were there, she showed keenness in jumping but due to money constraint had to just take a sky walk there. Yong Seng and Poh Xiang had taken the walk together while Heng and I waited. For us, it was not a matter of having no guts. I could just say for myself that I was stingy then and was not willing to part with my money!

Travel Tip: Wait while your traveling companions do their stuff.

Men in black

While waiting for the bus to Amsterdam, we either sat around watching the people pass by or walked around the vicinity to explore whatever we could of Brussels. People in Brussels it seemed could walk into the Metro station with their pet dogs or bicycles in tow without being harassed by the authorities. It must be in Brussels that I saw in a single day, many men with a bald patch on their heads which prompted me to jump to the conclusion that Brussels men were a stressful lot. Almost everyone except us, backpackers from a faraway foreign land, were also dressed in black and I guess it would not be wrong to say that it was here particularly, that I saw so many people dressed up in black in a single moment and there was not even a funeral! And yes, all the clothes sold in the shop opposite where we were sitting were black! Thinking back though, I think that could be due to winter for it was in December, 2006 that we backpacked to Europe.

Travel Tip: Explore while waiting for your bus.

One Shot: Mahesh Shantaram

Image Copyright © Mahesh Shantaram-All Rights Reserved
Mahesh Shantaram lives in Bangalore, India and earned his diploma in photography from the Spéos Institute, Paris. He currently is an independent photographer. Having spent seven years into a career in technology media and publishing, he worked as a tech research analyst in Washington, DC, but returned to India last year.

As a photographer, Mahesh is dedicated to working on modern themes, especially on the phenomenon that is Bangalore, with a contemporary style of art-meets-documentary photography that is firmly rooted in the here-and-now.

I chose this image of bus commuters in Kandy, Sri Lanka...I chose it because of its mix of lighting: inside the bus and from a street lamp. An urban street scene, with just the right amount of blur to indicate the passenger getting into the bus.

For further images and blog thoughts from Mahesh, go to The Contrarian.

National Geographic: 2007 Photo Contest

'Tis the season of contests! The venerable National Geographic Society is inviting photographers to share their vision of the world through their own photography. Entry submissions can be done online in any of these four categories: people, landscape, animals, or photo essay.

There are two types of contests:

English Language Competition:
The prize is a digital SLR camera kit and the winning photograph published in the pages of National Geographic magazine. Winners of the English language competition are automatically entered in the International Photography Contest.

International Photography Contest:
The First Place winner in each category will receive a trip to National Geographic Society headquarters in Washington, D.C and have their winning entry published in the pages of National Geographic magazine.

Before you send anything out, read the rules carefully...especially the one that says:

"By entering the Contest, all entrants grant an irrevocable perpetual non-exclusive license to Authorized Parties, to reproduce, distribute, display and create derivative works of the entries (along with a name credit) in connection with the Contest and promotion of the Contest, in any media now or hereafter known, including, but not limited to: Display at a potential exhibition of winners; publication of a book featuring select entries in the Contest; publication in National Geographic Magazine or online highlighting entries or winners of the Contest."

NGS' Photo Contest.

Penang Surprise

Thursday saw me traveling by bus to Penang, the tropical island resort in the north-western tip of Peninsular Malaysia. Penang, a part of my beloved Malaysia is very near my hometown. It was therefore not surprising that this was not my first trip to this pearl of the orient. In fact, I had lost count of the number of times I had been there. My first memory of Penang was so long ago and I could remember but vaguely having our bags scrutinized by the custom officers at the ferry terminal. That must be eons ago when Penang was a tax free port. Things there were cheap then and visitors from the mainland simply loved to shop there although the things bought were taxable. Then later, there were many other trips to visit a God sister who used to live in Rifle Range. The North-South Highway had not been built then and while it took a longer than the present one and a half hour ride to reach the ferry terminal, waiting in a vehicle to get into the ferry was a hot and the real nerve breaking experience. Nowadays, I still visit Penang especially to visit a dear friend whom I had met and made in campus. It was on his invitation that I went there again on Thursday and boy, was I surprised! The yellow ferries plying Butterworth and Penang had had a make over! There were white,blue and green ferries and the one I was traveling in was red! The yellow of the new make-over ferries seemed to be of a different yellow too! Splashes of colours do really make the world go round!

Traveling tip: You don't have to travel out of the country to enjoy.

Log in http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Penang