Soul of Athens

The award-winning School of Visual Communications at Ohio University, led by Zach Wise and Brian Storm, has produced a truly creative and inventive multimedia opus on the city of Athens in Ohio.

Extremely well-done, this multimedia presentation is truly a must-see...and is to be savored over time.

Here's the link

Warren Clarke: Bali

Image Copyright © Warren Clarke - All Rights Reserved
I usually don't post about photography collectives, but I'll make an exception in Oculi's case because of Warren Clarke. Warren is a co-founder of the Australian collective, and is known for his wonderful photographs of Bali and its festivals, as well as for his commercial photography.

However, let me first tackle Oculi's background. In 2001, nine award-winning photojournalists, united by their commitment to documentary-storytelling, formed Oculi.com.au. The collective's website asserts that its "members'central conviction is to reveal the beauty, wonder and struggle of everyday life without contrived photo-shoots or art-directed aesthetics, just honesty with their subjects and an unflinching gaze".

Oculi's website is well worth exploring in its entirety but as I am about to lead a photo expedition to Bali next month, I spent some time admiring Warren's photo essays in Indonesia, especially the one on Ngteng Linggih (similar to a beatification of a temple). You'll find it on the second page of his gallery.

I chose the above photograph from this series. How many times have I struggled to find a 'new' angle when I photograph people, and yet I have not thought of composing a portrait such as this one...just the upper face of the Balinese dancer, with a blurry full figure of another dancer behind her. The only bit that bothers me is the white 'blob thing' on the left of her face...but no matter, I really like this photograph.

So readers of TTP and my newsletters, brace yourself...I will return from Bali with quite a lot of photographs inspired by Warren's work.

In the meantime, here Oculi's website, and Warren's gallery.

Face Alignment: Pop Photo

Guatemala- Image © Tewfic El-Sawy - All Rights Reserved
I didn't think I'd find an interesting article in the Popular Photography magazine but to me, this one is. It's about how to align a face in a close-up portrait. Perhaps it's more about seeing in print what I instinctively do, but nevertheless I thought it worthwhile to post on TTP, and share it.

Here's the article.

Dennis Cordell: Ladakh

Image Copyright © Dennis Cordell - All Rights Reserved
I found Dennis Cordell's remarkable portraits of Buddhist novices at the Gyudzin Tantric Monastery School in Ladakh on Flickr, the popular online photo management and sharing application. However, I haven't found much information on Dennis apart from a few words indicating that he's a Tibetan translator. I hope he reads TTP and provides me his biography and background.

I did find the Gyudzin Tantric Monastery School's website, where I learnt that there are no major centers of Buddhist teaching in Ladakh, and that this monastery fulfills that role. Students receive instruction in general subjects up to 8th grade and are trained in Tantric ritual tradition along with learning of tantric texts. After completing this course the monastery provides instruction in five major branches of Buddhist teaching. Those are Paramana, Vinaya, Madhyamika, Abhidharma and Prajnyaparmita texts. Students shall then have the options to persue a further five years study in tantric teachings to receive a Geshe Nagrampa Degree.

Dennis's Flickr page has many more of these portraits of novices, along with portraits of Indian sadhus. Well worth a visit!

Bali: Photo Expedition July 14-29, 2007

Image Copyright ©Tewfic El-Sawy - All Rights Reserved
In anticipation of my forthcoming photo expedition to Bali (sorry, but it sold out a few days from my announcing it last December). I put together a short Soundslides gallery of various photographs and audio taken at Odalans (temples' anniversaries), and Melastis (purification rituals).

For advance notice of my photo expeditions, you need to register on my website

Here is the Bali slideshow: Bali: Odalans and Melastis

One Shot: Jon Ryder

Image Copyright © Jon Ryder - All Rights Reserved
Jon Ryder is a dentist, a photographer, and a teacher who uses his skills to help the children of Cambodia. He currently provides dental care at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap.

He is also involved with the United Planet Organization which provides financial and educational support to professionals in countries such as Cambodia.

I am pleased to welcome Jon's photograph of a Buddhist monk praying at the feet of a gilded Buddha statue as this week's One Shot. The photograph could have been taken in Thailand for two reasons: the Subduing Mara sitting position of the Buddha (which is common in Thailand), and the orange color of the monk's which is characteristic of the Southeast Asian Theravada Buddhist order.

The Buddha's hand gesture signifies the calling the Earth to witness. It's only found in the sitting position, and is similar to the meditation position. The left hand remains in the lap, while the right hand rests on the thigh near the knee, palm inward, and fingers touching the ground slightly. It represents the moment when Buddha took the earth as testimony when he had resolved the problem of cessation of suffering while he was under the peepal tree at Bodh-Gaya.

The photograph is probably posed, but I liked the composition and the complementary colors of the robes and the gild on the statue. I would've probably photographed the scene from a wider angle, but I think it's evocative as it is...although a bit stilted. It's certainly a typical travel photograph...excellent for stock.

Jon Ryder's website is full of similar photographs, and I urge you to visit it as well as his worthwhile cause, United Planet's website.

Dariusz Klemens: Sangam

Image Copyright © Dariusz Klemens-All Rights Reserved
Dariusz Klemens is a Polish-born photographer based in England. After completing his studies in the United States, he undertook his first foray into Asia in 1995. His photographs have appeared in many international newspapers and magazines including The New York Times, The Times, The Guardian, The Daily Telegraph, The Independent, Royal Geographical magazine, and Condé Naste Traveller, as well as Altaïr Ciack, and Voyage, amongst other European publications.

Dariusz is the author of the book Omaggio all’India (A Tribute to India, published by Mondadori, Italy, 2003). He divides his time between Europe and India, working on assignments and personal projects. Since 1996, he has also been teaching photography through GeckoWorkshops, of which he is co-founder.

I chose Dariusz' expansive collection of photographs of India, which he seems to have covered in its entirety. He uses saturated colors, which works especially well with those from Rajasthan. As I wrote in a post about India some months ago, color is a language in India...it's a way to communicate, influence and swamp the senses. Dariusz' photographs do just that.

To illustrate this post, I had a difficult choice to make; either one of twirling Rajasthani dancers, or one of an interesting scene in Puri, Orissa. I chose the latter (despite my affinity to photographs of blurry dancers), because I liked the composition, and the color 'balance' of the wall and shirt. Excellent eye, Mr Klemens!

Here's Dariusz Klemens Sangam gallery.