LA Times: Uganda

Francine Orr for The Los Angeles Times-All Times Reserved
I don't read The Los Angeles Times often, but it is rapidly joining the ranks of the daily newspapers that offer multimedia slideshows from top photojournalists on a variety of topics. This post features Horror In Uganda, a four part slideshow photographed and narrated by Francine Orr.

Francine is a photographer at the Los Angeles Times since 1999. She traveled and worked extensively in Asia and the Pacific, and in Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, Zambia, South Africa, Angola, Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo. She has received numerous awards for her photography and writing.

Uganda has been home to some of the more gruesome atrocities in modern African history since its independence in 1962, particularly under Idi Amin, but since 1987 things have consistently improved. A major concern in the northern part of the country, is the Lord's Resistance Army, which although now appears to consist of less than two thousand combatants, the government has been unable to end the insurgency to date. The LRA have been known to kidnap children, and forced to become child soldiers, porters and sex slaves.

I found the last part of the series, The LRA's Victims, to have the most powerful and compelling, but disturbing, imagery.

Here's Francine Orr's Horror In Uganda

David duChemin: Kashmir

Image Copyright © David duChemin -All Rights Reserved
I chanced upon the glorious travel photography website of David duChemin, who has travelled and photographed in Russia, Peru, Ecuador, France, the U.K., Haiti, Ethiopia, DRC, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, India, Nepal, and across North America.

Specializing in travel photography and photographing children, the vulnerable and oppressed, David has a bachelor's degree in children and youth leadership and a lifetime of working with children and families in education, social work and recreational settings. A multiple award winner, he has photographed for a growing list of commercial and non-profit groups.

David's statement on his website says: "Anyone can take a picture of poverty; it's easy to focus on the dirt and hurt of the poor. It's much harder - and much more needful - to pry under that dirt and reveal the beauty and dignity of people that, but for their birth into a place and circumstance different from our own, are just like ourselves.

Have a look at David's Kashmir gallery, which I found to the best among his other excellent galleries.

What The Duck

Courtesy of What The Duck

Crusades?

Image Copyright Scott Nelson/World Picture Network, for the New York Times
From the New York Times' feature of today, Baquba's Deadly Houses

The caption reads:

During the operation, Specialist Paul Goodyear wore a headband bearing a passage from Psalm 91: "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."

This reminds me of the green headband with Qura'nic script worn by some of the Islamic fighters-insurgents as a religious talisman.

It also brings to mind what Georges Bush said on September 16, 2001:

"And we understand. And the American people are beginning to understand. This crusade, this war on terrorism is going to take a while."

SnapVillage: Microstock

SnapVillage, empowered by Corbis, announced the beta opening of a fresh, interactive and innovative online marketplace for user-generated photography at www.snapvillage.com. The new website has no membership fees and is now accepting submissions from photographers anywhere in the world and offering image licensing in the United States.

SnapVillage’s pricing structure claims to give photographers greater control and flexibility in managing and maximizing their photography and income. "The SnapVillage ‘Pick Your Own Price’ model gives photographers the ability to set image price levels at five increments of $1, $5, $10, $25 and $50. Photographers are able to change prices on their pictures at any time. SnapVillage does not have any type of exclusivity agreements and pays a royalty rate of 30 percent across the board for all flat price image sales, and 30 cents a download on all subscriptions sales. All photographer payments are made via PayPal."

Working photographers will see this as further evidence that their livelihood is under threat.

For further details: SnapVillage

Aina Photo

From Aina Photo:

Aina Photo, the first Afghan photojournalism school, is currently is in the stage of creating a world class photo-agency for Afghan photojournalists to be presented in Perpignan festival in September.

Aina Photo is in need of assistance from the international community to help its Afghan photographers with image editing, caption and keyword correction. It would like to have the international volunteers work in Kabul. While it doesn't provide a salary or airfares, it will provide the volunteers accommodation and food for as long as they stay. In return, volunteers will get experience with a internationally recognised photo agency, and will have an opportunity to help out Afghan photojournalists.

Another option is to have volunteers work from home. Aina can provide them with access to its database and they can edit and correct from their own country. Since the current security situation and lack of financial support from Aina may lead some people to choose not to travel to Afghanistan that option may be favored by some.

Either way Aina Photo is in great need of assistance, so if anyone in the industry is interested in coming to Kabul to work at the school, or work some hours per week from their own country, please get in contact with Travis Beard Chief Editor at the earliest. The school wants to raise Afghan photojournalist up to international standards, but cannot do this without help from the global community.

If interested, contact: Travis Beard Chief Editor Aina Photo, Aina Media Centre Malik Asghar (Crossroads Next to Ministry of Economy), Kabul, Afghanistan.

Aina Photo

Miami Herald: Latin American Hip Hop

Image Copyright © Noelle Theard-All Rights Reserved
The Miami Herald just produced a brilliant multimedia feature on the hip-hop culture in Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru and Venezuela. The feature is part of a larger many-layered and equally brilliant feature titled A Rising Voice: Afro-Latin Americans which examines social and racial tensions in Nicaragua, Cuba, Honduras (just listen to the beat of the Garifuna music!), Dominican Republic and Brazil.

The Latin American Hip Hop feature is a Soundslides production, with the photographs of Noelle Theard, a Miami-based photojournalist, whose talented lenswork and great sense of color/movement allows us to enter the hip hop world in these Latin American countries. The able narration is by Alvaro Cuello who describes for us how hip-hop creates a cultural bond above race and social class.

A highly recommended multimedia feature, here's Miami Herald's Latin American Hip Hop.

Noelle Theard's website is here