EDIROL R-09HR Recorder

There's a new kid on the block as far as handheld digital field recorders are concerned. The R-09HR by Roland Corporation is described as a professional, high-definition recorder that is light but performs like a heavyweight. With 24/96 fidelity, the R-09HR is the new flagship of EDIROL’s award-winning R-series recorders.

Amongst its features are a built-in high-grade, high-sensitivity stereo condenser, it records to SD or SDHC memory card, a built-in preview speaker, a wireless remote controller, and is powered by 2 AA batteries. It should be available in a few weeks at a MSRP price close to $500, however it's unclear what the street price will be.

See it here or here.

I'm still using the M-Audio MicroTrack 24/96 Pocket Digital Recorder, however its plug-in T-microphone was damaged, so I just bought the Sony ECM-DS30P Microphone to replace it. This allows me to wait out the inevitable price drop in digital recorders.

A Pilgrimage Special: Pilgrims' Progress

At Sujata Village, we were swarmed by locals out for a handout. Young or old, handicapped or not, these people were very persistent and to some extent annoying. There were a few men who dragged their lifeless limbs after us and some of us obliged with a dollar or two, never for once I suppose, wondered if there was a syndicate behind it; that there was a Fagin, the one featured in The Parish Boy's Progress aka Oliver Twist! An old man followed us everywhere we went, muttering in English that he was poor and had no family and of course , needed some rupees. Little healthy boys and girls stalked us too as if it was part of a daily routine. Some were straightforward in asking for money, their smiling faces indicating that it was fun too! Others were more tactful, chatting you up and thawing you for the final bombshell questions Are you going to help him? Don't you want to help him? Are you sure you don't want to help him? At Sujata Kuti, when we were admiring the stupa, there were also a few young men and women who armed with a receipt book, asked for a donation for their little school. Each claimed to be the director of the little school for Buddhist children nearby and when asked why the school didn't seek help from the big Mahabodhi Society in Bodhgaya, we were told that the Mahabodhi Society people being Sri Lankans were wary of them, Indians. Buddhism I suppose fails here when racism reigns supreme. Some of the pilgrims however were very kind indeed to donate.They were neither Sri Lankans or Indians and there was no bad blood between them...

At Sujata Village...

A School at Sujata Village... Check this out http://sujatasdream.org/

Karen Huntt: Papua New Guinea

Photograph © Karen Huntt-All Rights Reserved
I'm really glad to have found Karen Huntt's website to start off this week!

Karen is a freelance photographer and photo editor, who returned from Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands in 2005. Her experiences and photographs are being incorporated in a book, a documentary film and an exhibit about the project, Headhunt Revisited, due to launch in 2009. The project involved retracing the route of artist Caroline Mytinger (another remarkable individual) to Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands, and was featured in the April 2006 issue of Smithsonian Magazine. She won countless awards, and is a founding member of ILCP—International League of Conservation Photographers, a former chapter president of American Society of Picture Professionals, and a member ASMP, NPPA and the Explorers' Club in NY.

Karen tells us: " My earliest inspiration for photography was Life magazine. I grew up in the "Golden Age" of photojournalism, and was influenced by compelling image essays from the world's best photographers. My interest in anthropology naturally has led me to document indigenous cultures, but I feel it's important to value people for the way they choose to live today, and to not expect them to be frozen in amber the way they might have been 100 years ago."

Karen's fabulous photographs are here: Karen Huntt

Also visit Headhunt Revisited, the website dedicated to Karen Huntt's and Michele Westmorland's thrilling expedition retracing the four-year sojourn taken by portrait artist Caroline Mytinger and her companion Margaret Warner in 1926 in the South Pacific.

TTP Recap of the Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 24-30, 2008) most popular posts on TTP:

Talking To The Taliban.
Nevada Wier's Blog: A Thought
Sunday Rant: The Selfish Photographer

Being Tagged! Where the game started.......

I started blogging since 2006. But never take seriouly until September 2007. Iniatially it was just my digital diary, but now....turn to one of my hobby! From blogging I learned a lot skill and even HTML, the best part is.....make friends around the cyber world.

Few days ago, I try my very best to understand about being Tagged. Really confuse me in the beginning, but I cathed a little after an explanation from Quachee.
Yes, you are right! I'm just a newbie in blogging! :)

Tagged! Random Questions

Instruction: Remove ONE from below and add in your own personal question, make it a total of 20 questions. Then, tag 8 people in your list and list them out in the end of this post. Notify them in their chat box that he/she has been tagged. Whoever does the tag will have blessings from all.

The person who tagged you is: Quachee

1. What's your favorite book at the present time?
Don't have it at the moment.

2. Given the chance, what special ability/power would you like to have?
A power that can protect the wild animal in the jungle, and at the same time....feed all the hungry children in the world.

3. What's your favorite color? Why?
Blue. Born to love it, without reason.

4. Where is the place you want to go the most?
Maldives. As long as island or mountain.

5. If you have one dream to come true, what would it be?
A Peaceful World!

6. Do you believe in seeing a rainbow after the rain?
Yes. It's the new beginning.

7. Do you think friends are important?
Yes. Every corners in the world.

8. If you win $1 million, what would you do?
Charity and bring happiness to me and my family.

9. If you meet someone that you love, would you confess to him/her?
Yes. The nature way.

10. List out 3 good points of the person who tagged you.
Malaysian, creative and passion.

11. Which type of person do you hate the most?
Arrogant.

12. What is your ambition?
To have a successful in my career and travel to everywhere in Malaysia even around the world! Hmm.....maybe to much?!

13. If you have fault, would you rather the people around you point out to you or would you rather they keep quiet?
Point it out and advice.....

14. What do you think is the most important thing in your life?
Happiness. I think that is the one thing everyone is searching for. And it doesn't matter what background (poor, rich), race, religion we are.

15. Are you a shopaholic or not?
Not really......

16. What is the one thing you like about your country?
Multi culture, freedom, a lot of places to visit, too many good foods to swallow! :)


17. If you have a chance, which part of your character you would like to change?
Maybe be less hot tempered. I realise that if we know something not too good about ourselves, we can always learn to adapt, and be a better person after, though not change completely.

18. Is there anything that you have done which you regret?
Not spending enough time to with my father when he is around......

19. What makes you different?
The passion and attitude.

20. Do you feel good to be friend with the person who tagged you? Why?
Yes. The more the merrier.


Ok, Im to tag other bloggers. They are:
ColaLim
Mr. Taikor
Busut Jin
Juvy C
CK
JennyR
Travel and Tours
ZuiYanHong

It's that complete? Hope so.......

MY TRIPS - Home

Dith Pran

The New York Times reports that Dith Pran, a photojournalist whose gruesome ordeal in the killing fields of Cambodia was re-created in a 1984 movie that gave him an eminence he used to press for his people’s rights, died in New Brunswick, N.J. on Sunday.

One of the most poignant moments in The Killing Fields movie was when Sydney Shanberg (Sam Waterston) and Al Rockoff, a photographer (John Malkovich), fail to save Dith from the Khmer Rouge. Mr. Dith's greatest hope was to see leaders of the Khmer Rouge tried for war crimes against his native country.

(Photo The New York Times)

A Pilgrimage Special : White Temple

Moving into Sujata village was memorable. Our bus stopped just after it had crossed the Niranajana River and as we alighted, there in the distance, we saw the Hong Kong heart throb, Daniel Chan Hiu Tung whom we had seen some days ago shooting a documentary Journey to the West at the ancient Nalanda University. He recognized us and we waved at each other and then we were both on our way, the film star went on with his shooting and we went to Sujata village. Sujata village at a glimpse looks like an African village but then after we have visited Sujata stupa, we walked through a farm, a more Indian scenery, I suppose, to a small white temple which houses both Buddhist statues and Hindu statues. The walk there through muddy lanes was tainted with healthy but untidy children, old men with gloomy look, young men who appeared like charlatans as well as handicapped people with lifeless limbs who dragged themselves after us, asking for money...

Related Post: Star Struck!

Sujata Village looks like a village in Africa...


Trudging through a farm...




To a little white temple...





Which houses Buddhist statues...


and Hindu artifacts...

Sunday Rant: The Selfish Photographer

I haven't really ranted for a while now...but yesterday's post about Katie Orlinky's work amongst the Muxes of Juchitan reminded me of an itch that needs to be scratched.

Before going for a week's vacation in Oaxaca late February, I posted on the Lightstalkers photo forum asking for advice as to what and where to photograph. The suggestions I received from many working photographers (both travel and photojournalists) were generous and useful... and I dutifully wrote everything down so I could follow these through while in Oaxaca. One of most intriguing suggestions was to photograph the Muxes in the city of Juchitan, roughly a hundred miles south of Oaxaca city. I was given the email of photographer who had already published a number of photo essays on the Muxes culture, and encouraged to solicit that photographer's help.

I did exactly that, asking for advice as to how to get to Juchitan, and whether there were any names I could contact. I received nothing in response except for a curt brush-off. Thinking the photographer had misunderstood my questions, I clarified what I needed, but never got a reply.

Now, here's a photographer who already published all there was to publish on the subject...as far as that photographer was concerned, the subject was done...was in the can...and was published (and presumably paid for) a few times already. No danger of meaningful competition here, and yet, the reaction was to brush-off an inquiry from a fellow photographer.

Do I expect too much from people? I don't think so. There will always be some photographers who selfishly (and in my view, sometimes illogically) guard their perceived "fiefdoms"...but, from experience, they are a minority in an industry that frequently relies on mutual assistance. I have no difficulty whatsoever in sharing whatever knowledge I have...whether this is done during my photo-expeditions, photo critiques or by answering frequent questions about my photo destinations, techniques and photographs.

So what I have to tell this selfish photographer is this: what goes around comes around. As for the Muxes, I did not have the time to travel to Juchitan, but I now know people who will take me there when I return to Oaxaca. And when I do, I'll send some of the resulting photographs to the selfish photographer.

Katie Orlinsky: FPW Scholarship

Photograph © Katie Orlinsky-All Rights Reserved
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Katie Orlinsky.

I was interested to see that a couple of Katie's photography essays are about the "Muxes" in Juchitan, south of Oaxaca. She describes the "muxes" as follows: "In Zapoteco, the word "muxe" translates to "gay", however they are considered a "third gender": a local, indigenous gender that is widely accepted and respected in this particular area of Mexico. The closest English translation to muxe is transgender or transvestite."

Katie Orlinsky

NY Times: Somalia On The Brink

Photograph © Jehad Nga-All Rights Reserved
An infrequently-covered country is in the New York Times today, along with photographs by Jehad Nga, whose work is characterized by deep shadows and sparsely illuminated subjects.

To bring you up to speed on the political background: Late last year, Ethiopian troops, with the help of US intelligence, removed the Islamist administration that briefly controlled Mogadishu, bringing the transitional government to the city for the first time. Naturally, this anointed total illegitimacy to the government and it has been going downhill ever since.

The NY Times' Somalia On The Brink

Yen/$ Impact on New Canon 5D??

Here's an interesting analysis from The Online Photographer as to what the price on the eventual Canon 5D "Mark II" will be, taking into consideration that the current model is around $2200 at major retailers.

Price determination of any product is a function of many variables, which are all well covered in TOP's post, which is worth a read from anyone interested. Another variable is the current weakness of the US dollar versus the Japanese Yen (and every other world currency), which means that the Japanese companies will have to increase their prices to make up for the difference.

TOP's Future Cost of the New 5D?

Craig Schneider: FPW Scholarship

Photograph © Craig Schneider-All Rights Reserved
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Craig Schneider.

Craig is a journalist and documentary photographer based in Brooklyn, New York. I chose his above photograph of the "Boxer Boys of Havana" as an example of his documentary work.

Craig Schneider

New Sponsors: Foundry Photo Workshop

Eric Beecroft of Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has just announced two additional sponsors of its inaugural workshop in Mexico this coming June.

The new sponsors are VII Agency, which is generously providing two scholarships to students, and Dispatches magazine (Gary Knight's new photojournalism/essayist journal) which is also providing two scholarships for the workshop.

Beat Presser: Oasis of Silence

Photograph © Beat Presser-All Rights Reserved
When Beat Presser was in late teens, he traveled through Southeast Asia, and met with a car accident in Thailand. Healed from a serious spine injury by monks in a Buddhist monastery, he vowed to do something in return, should he become the photographer he intended to be.

Between 2000 and 2004, he returned to live in Theravada Buddhism monasteries in Thailand, Burma, Laos, Cambodia and Sri Lanka, and photographed the essence of Buddhism. Oasis of Silence is the resulting photographic exhibition and book.

Presser also produced an accompanying website My Oasis of Silence allows participants to post their profile and photographs, and to interact among each other and with Beat Presser, thus creating a growing community and allowing a permanent exchange.

Beat Presser's Buddhism Oasis of Silence is well produced and its background music is haunting, but the B&W photographs are too small to fully appreciate Presser's artistry.

Adobe Photoshop Express

Adobe Systems opened up Photoshop Express today, its new Web-based image editor aimed at consumers who seek a simple way to touch up, share, and store photos. Photoshop Express is available for free with 2 gigabytes of storage, and requires Flash Player 9 to run (a quick download).

The bottom line from CNET is as follows:

Slick, attractive interface; useful retouching tools and well-done interface for using them; most operations relatively fast. Doesn't support photos from 12-megapixel or higher cameras; some unnattractive Terms of Service; no filtering or keywording; no printing options.

Though there's a lot to like about Adobe's first stab at online photo editing and sharing, you probably want to wait until the company fixes a few problems with the beta--and de-fangs its terms of service--before uploading scads of photos to Adobe Photoshop Express.

Caution: CNET mentions the de-fanging of Adobe's Terms of Service...here's the main "fang":

"with respect to Your Content that you submit or make available for inclusion on publicly accessible areas of the Services, you grant Adobe a worldwide, royalty-free, nonexclusive, perpetual, irrevocable, and fully sublicensable license to use, distribute, derive revenue or other remuneration from, reproduce, modify, adapt, publish, translate, publicly perform and publicly display such Content (in whole or in part) and to incorporate such Content into other Materials or works in any format or medium now known or later developed."

so Caveat Emptor!!! (although it's free).

Adobe's Photoshop Express

CNET's Photoshop Express Review

Charlie Mahoney: FPW Scholarship

Photograph © Charlie Mahoney-All Rights Reserved
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Charlie Mahoney.

Charlie Mahoney is a freelance photographer based in Barcelona, and is represented by WpN. He prefers stories of human interest and collaborates with non-profit organizations, and traveled extensively to include the Balkans, West Africa and Latin America. Apart from winning a FPW scholarship, Charlie is also the 2007 winner of the New Talent category of Travel Photographer of the Year competition.

Prior to his career in photography, he worked in finance and investments in San Francisco, Madrid and Barcelona.

Charlie Mahoney

Globe & Mail: Talking to the Taliban

Here's a multimedia feature from the Canadian Globe & Mail, and it's a must-see to anyone who's interested in the current situation in Afghanistan, and how it evolved to where it is, and where it's probably going.

After watching this remarkable feature, I can only help but think that this administration got us involved militarily against implacable foes in two of the most intractable regions in the world: Afghanistan and Iraq. While the former was a necessary involvement, the latter was a enormous blunder and just diverted our resources from completing the stated mission in Afghanistan.

To watch the unwavering ideology and zealotry of the Taliban interviewees and describe it as frightening would be a massive understatement. The common thread in most of the interviews is that they want us out of there...that's all they want. They wanted the Soviets out...and they got them out. Now they want NATO and the US out. It's not too difficult to understand.

Naturally, it's not our own media who'd come up with such a brave and courageous reportage.

The Globe & Mail's Talking To The Taliban

Sandra C Roa: FPW Scholarship

Photograph © Sandra C Roa-All Rights Reserved
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Sandra C. Roa.

Sandra C Roa was raised in Queens, and her parents are originally from the Colombia city of Cali. She studied art and dance, and is interested in folkloric traditions and its music. She's currently working with video and stills to produce multi-media stories and works at the ICP as a digital media associate and instructor.

I particularly liked her lively imagery in the section titled "Music" on her website. Also explore her Places....she certainly has an interesting viewpoint.

Sandra C Roa

GPS is your Best Traveling Companion

Simple explanation for GPS (Global Positioning System)

Question : "What is the numbers on your blog?" example : N5°08.286' E102°48.663'
Answer : This is GPS Coordinates.

They are many types of GPS devices in our local market. The common 2 types are : Road navigation and outdoor activities. Range from MYR350.00 to MYR2,500.00. The popular brand in Malaysia and even international is Garmin. And the popular models available locally are : Nuvi200 series, NUvi300 series, NUvi600 series, GPS60 CSX, eTrex Vista HCX and eTrex series. All models are suitable to different application.

All the above mention devices are built-in the "Auto-routing" function that navigate you from one place to another. The devices will prompt or alert you in voice for the next turn and even some proximity alert, if you miss the 'turn' prompt from the device, please don't get panic....because it will recalculate another alternative route immediately.

Question : "What is the monthly charges?"
Answer : There is no monthly charges for it. Only the equipment cost.

Question : "Where can we get Malaysia and Singapore GPS map?"
Answer : MalSingMaps (It's FREE!!! The map also built-in with many and many useful POI)

Question : "What is POI?"
Answer : Places Of Interest

Once you get you GPS device, you can log-in to Malsingmaps and start to learn the step-by-step uploading map to the device. 2 versions available : Locked & Unlocked.
Locked : You need to contribute to the community to receive you unlocked code for the latest update map.
Unlocked : You can load to any device with this detail map, updated June 2007.

Another alternative is using PDA (Personal Digital Asistant) for GPS Road Navigation. (It's not suitable for outdoor activity because of it's not weatherproof)
Solution :
If you already a PDA owner, you can just buy another GPS Receiver (Bluetooth or CF type) to make it become your navigation guide.
Step-by-step configuration is available at Malsingmaps.

A little bit of me.......
I am using the second alternative.
I bought my GPS during 2003 because of I need to travel to Kuala Lumpur (from JB) twice a week. I wasted too much time on the road for searching my clients office therefore I decided to get myself a Navigation Angel!

During that time, I paid MYR650.00 for my Haicom 302 Compact Flash GPS Receiver and attach with my Dell Axim X5 PDA. I'm still suffering from map data because Malsingmaps hasn't born yet! So I paid another MYR450.00 for Agis MY & SG map. It's does not built-in the Auto-routing function in the map! But better than nothing.
Started from that day, I am a HAPPY GPS owner. It's really comfort while you drive to certain area that you never been before!
Until 2005, I found Malsingmaps! (previously was MySubaruclub) My nightmare on the road became history! And thanks to the Hardcore members from this forum make it become the most comprehensive Malaysia & Singapore GPS map today. (I call it Perfect!)

Recently, I just upgrade my PDA to Dell Axim X51V and pair with Wintec Bluetooth GPS (model : WBT-201/G-Rays II).

So I always advice my friends those who are traveler frequently , please get yourself the best traveling companion with the affordable price!

You will amazing with the navigation system! You won't travel without it!
* For more information about GPS, please visit Wiki : GPS.

I will update some pictures later.......

MY TRIPS - Home

A Pilgrimage Special: Remembering a Kind Lady

Sujata is a common name for an Indian female which in Sanskrit means from a good family or bringer of luck. Near Bodhgaya, crossing a bridge over the river Neranjara, we came to the village of Bakrau where we were to visit the Sujata Kuti or Sujatagarh. During the time of Lord Buddha, a certain Sujata had prayed for a husband and a son at a Banyan tree. When her wish was fulfilled, she returned to the Banyan tree to offer food to the God she believed was there. Instead, she had found the then still unenlightened Lord Buddha meditating there and had thought that he was the God of the Banyan tree. She offered milk rice to Lord Buddha who upon eating, threw the bowl into the river, saying If I am to succeed in becoming a Buddha today, let this bowl go upstream. If not, let it go downstream. The bowl went upstream. The stupa here was built in three stages between the eight and ninth century AD and this is supposed to be the place where the Lady Sujata offered milk rice to Lord Buddha prior to his enlightenment...

Entering Sujata Village...


I was reminded of an African village...




A stupa to remember a lady...
A farm...
Walking through it...


To a little temple...


Where there is a statue of Lady Sujata offering milk rice to Lord Buddha...

Nevada Wier's Blog: A Thought

I've been directed to the two-months old blog authored by the celebrity travel photographer Nevada Wier. Having skimmed through its sparse posts just this morning, I stopped at her opening post in which she writes that she'll be posting personal comments, new photographs, equipment reviews, and notes from her travels.

I hope she lives up to the spirit of this first post, and is able to share with us the wealth of information and knowledge gained though her illustrious career. I don't mean well-worn tips such as "focus on the eyes for pin-sharp portrait", or silly pulse-quickening statements such as "the Papua New Guinea tribesmen had never seen a white person before", or equipment reviews that reek of sponsorship payback...no, I mean useful information that she gained from her destinations...how to photograph Ladakhi monasteries , which hidden Burmese pagodas to visit, some of the off the beaten path places in Rajasthan, etc.

We all know that blogs authored by photographers are valuable tools aimed at increasing public exposure to their work and, if they're involved in photo workshops/tours, help in publicizing these (as I do) among a wider audience. I'm certain that Nevada will use hers for this very purpose as well...but because of her experience, talent and celebrity status, it's a given that her guidance would help other travel photographers, as well as her fans and admirers....so will she duplicate the unstinting generosity of David Alan Harvey, as an example? We'll have to wait and see.

Nevada Wier Blog

Lianne Milton: FPW Scholarship

Photograph © Lianne Milton-All Rights Reserved
One of the winners of the scholarships awarded by the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop is Lianne Milton.

Lianne is a photojournalist working at the Napa Valley Register in California. Much of her work on her website is of Mexico and Guatemala, along with documentary photography of local Napa stories.

I was drawn to her work of Guatemala, especially to her gallery she titles "Indigenous Landscapes", a collection of images of Quetzaltenango, the second largest city in the country, deep in the Sierra Madres.

Lianne Milton Photography

Adobe Elements for Mac

Adobe announced the immediate availability of Adobe Photoshop Elements 6 software for Macintosh. This version runs on Leopard, (Mac OS X v 10.5.2), as well as previous versions of Mac OS X starting with 10.4.8.

The product is immediately available in the United States for an estimated street price of US$89.99. Owners of previous versions of Photoshop Elements can upgrade to Photoshop Elements 6 for US$69.99 with an in-box, mail-in rebate or through Adobe's website.

Adobe has previously announced Elements 6 on a pre-order basis...a PR gimmick to avoid announcing a delay in its original release plans....but now it seems it's available from retailers (although Adobe's website still has it listed as on a 'pre-order' basis).

(Via Imaging Insider)

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop

The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has just announced the winners (full and half tuition) of its scholarship for its Mexico City June 2008 workshop.

The winners are:

Charlie Mahoney, Sandra Roa, Craig Schneider and Katie Orlinsky.

TTP will feature the work of each photographer starting tomorrow. Having seen their work, I guarantee that you will be astounded by the high quality photographs produced by these talented individuals.

Philip Blenkinsop

Currently with the NOOR photo-collective, Philip Blenkinsop started his professional career at the age of 21 working for The Australian, a national broadsheet in Sydney. Realizing that being a newspaper photographer was not for him, and finding that the work shallow and repetitive, he bought a Leica with a few lenses and a one-way airline ticket to Bangkok.

His name is now synonymous with forgotten conflicts, and his photographs are the product of weeks in the mountains of East Timor with Falintil guerrillas, of tribal war and cannibalism in Borneo, to the tragic plight of Hmong Veterans and their families lost deep in the heart of Laos’ forbidden zone.

He says: "I am just a photographer. Photojournalism can be stylistic and puerile. It's not the photographer's fault, but they know what editors like, so they mold the product for the magazine. It's like being an advertising photographer, shooting a style because they know how it will appear on paper."

TTP Recap of the Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 17-23, 2008) most read posts on TTP:

Ami Vitale: Kolkata Rickshaws.
Pilgrims' Progress
Philip Jones Griffiths

Art Wolfe: PBS: India

I watched an episode from Art Wolfe's Travels To the Edge on PBS early evening yesterday, and I was struck by his using a heavy-duty tripod during all of his photo-shoots. Art Wolfe, who's a superb photographer, was in Allahabad during a Mela, and was televised thigh-deep in the Ganges river with his Canon perched on a tripod (Bogen?) and what appeared to be a 400mm lens. This is not unusual for such a situation, but further on, he photographs sadhus in their tents also using the tripod as well. In fact, Art used his tripod for all of his photographs in this particular episode.

I rarely, if ever, travel with a tripod as I much prefer to retain the freedom to move horizontally and vertically to photograph my subjects. There's no question that it's a trade-off....and involves a different style of photography. I guess that Art Wolfe's style is less photo-journalistic, and more focused on specific subjects and scenes. He is also (probably) accompanied by a few minders who help him out in 'crowd-control', who allow him to photograph perfectly-posed environmental portraits. This is invaluable in India, especially during festivals such as the Kumbh Mela.

Perhaps it's just that most travel photographers don't have the luxury of having minders and a production crew, and have to rely on quick reactions to capture their images....but even then, I would still have a hard time using a tripod during my work.

Mikhail Baryshnikov: Dance Photography

Photograph © Mikhail Baryshnikov-All Rights Reserved
Mikhail Baryshnikov, one of the most famous dancers in history, has turned dance photographer. His dance photographs are exhibited at 401 Projects, and is titled “Merce My Way” in reference to Merce Cunningham. I like dance photography, particularly those of ethnic character, and I frequently include photo shoots involving dancers during my photo-expeditions. The Apsara dancers in Angkor Wat, the Tantric dancing monks in Bhutan, Balinese Rejang dancers and the Guelaguetza dancers in Oaxaca have all been the subjects of my photography. Hence this post!

The New York Times has some of Baryshnikov's photographs and his narration in a slideshow feature. The narration (and the accompanying article) is stuffed of heavily artistic buzzwords (which are barely comprehensible to me), but it's well worth it.

I agree with Baryshnikov that dance photography is about photographing the movement...blurring the actions of the dancers. Obviously blurring conveys movement and I find that freezing dance movements by using a high ISO setting or a (gasp!) flash, does not appeal to me. When I use a flash, the results are often more akin to publicity posters for performances etc where the dancers seem made of wax.

New York Times' Mikhail Baryshnikov's Merce My Way


The accompanying article

NGM: Pilgrims' Progress

Photograph © Francisco Leong-AFP/Getty-All Rights Reserved
As we're in the midst of the Easter Week, I thought of posting Pilgrims' Progress, an interactive feature from the National Geographic Magazine. Its an interactive map showing pilgrimage sites on and off the beaten path.

On the map are the two Middle Eastern pilgrimage destinations; Jerusalem (Al Quds) and Mecca. The Indian sub-continent alone has 5 pilgrimage destinations. It would be an interesting project to photograph each of these destinations in depth...and document the similarities between all the world's faiths. The two pilgrimage destinations of Mecca and Medina are off-limits to non-Muslims, but the project could be a collaborative effort between a number of photographers.

The above photograph is of the statue of the Holy Mary of Fatima at the Catholic shrine in Fatima in Portugal.

National Geographic's Pilgrims' Progress

A Pilgrimage Special: Bump into an Ashram

One minute, we were at the Mahabodhi Temple, and the next, after weaving in and out of some lanes, we were suddenly outside a big white building. We were supposed to be at an eye hospital to make some donations. In India, poor nutrition had caused some children to be born blind. As our leader and a small group of our fellow pilgrims crowded round an elderly looking Indian man with white beard to hand over our donation, I had a look round the building .Inside a big, dim and bare hall, there were groups of children studying as in a school. That must be the Samanvay Ashram. An ashram, in ancient India is a hermitage but nowadays, it could refer to an intentional community. According to the Internet, Samanvay Ashram is conducting a program of alternative basic education based on Ghandhian lines to 100 children who would also be provided with food, clothes and medicine on a long-term basis.This ashram which was founded in 1954, has worked towards the betterment of the downtrodden in the Bodhgaya community and was supposed to be a center for research & training in education and development. Well, the hall I saw, was really dark and bare and the group of children and teachers did look as gloomy and dejected as their surrounding. Some of us were thinking the teacher could have taken the children outdoor and conduct classes outside. The teachers mostly probably were not trained and perhaps, they were also poorly paid or even not paid at all for their efforts. In India, especially in government run rural schools, there may be no teacher at all and then of course, attendance to such school will be nil. If there is a teacher at all, the teacher has to run everything and even then, might see his meager pay after months of service...

Making a donation ... A donation made to Samanvay Ashram...


Children studying under a deplorable situation ...