Sarah Leen: NGM: POYi

Image © Jonas Bendiksen-All Rights ReservedThe 65th Annual Pictures of the Year International ("POYi") competition which is currently being judged has announced Sarah Leen/National Geographic as the first prize winner in the Magazine Picture Editing Portfolio section, with Jonas Bendiksen's photo essay on Dharavi, a slum called Mumbai's shadow city.In my view, this is a deserved...

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Kloie Picot: Hidden In Plain Sight Benefit

HIDDEN IN PLAIN SIGHT: A Benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian Refugees is put together by Kloie Picot, and is a worthwhile benefit for Iraqi and Palestinian refugees, one that she hopes will raise awareness of their plight. All proceeds will go to CROSSING LINES, a non-profit Ms. Picot is establishing to provide language, job training and other skills to refugees.The important worthwhile...

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TTP Recap of the Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (March 3-9, 2008) most read posts on TTP: Celebrity Photographers' Tours. This topic is consistently popular!NGM: Annie Griffiths BeltLa Guelague...

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Magnum Photos: China

Magnum Photos' In Motion just featured a Flipbook on China which takes a look at 60 years of transformation in this enormous country from Magnum's archives. The photographs are from legendary names such as Henri Cartier Bresson, Eve Arnold, Bruno Barbey and Paolo Pellegrin to name but a few.Magnum Photos' Flipbook: Ch...

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NYT: In the Land of Black Coats

Image © Gianni Cipriano for NY Times-All Rights ReservedCentral Brooklyn in New York City is the land of the Black Coats...specifically 55th Street in the center of Borough Park which is home to a quarter million Orthodox Jews, the largest concentration of Jews outside Israel.The slideshow is of atmospheric black & white photographs by Gianni Cipriano, and accompanies a short...

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Celebrity Photographers' Tours

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedI found another example of what I deem to be an over-the-top photo tour led by a celebrity photographer to a developed country in South-East Asia, so I thought I'd share my 'back of the envelope' ruminations about the economics (or lack thereof) of joining such a photo tour. Let me say this at the outset: the photo tour is no workshop...just...

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Beyond The Frame: Stilt Fishermen

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedIt's been a while since I posted an image in a Beyond The Frame context, so here's one of the famed stilt fishermen in Sri Lanka. Stilt fishing is a strange technique of fishing where fishermen wade out to poles embedded in the seabed. The origins of this unusual technique (I don't think it's used anywhere else in the world) are unknown,...

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Matt Brandon: Sumatra

Image © Matt Brandon-All Rights ReservedMatt Brandon over at the Digital Trekker just returned from an assignment in Sumatra, and has great portraits to share with us. He traveled to the small community of Sekayu in Sumatra, which is populated by a community of friendly and welcoming Muslim people called the Musi. They live up and down the Musi River that flows through their territory...

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Matt Brandon: Sumatra

Image © Matt Brandon-All Rights ReservedMatt Brandon over at the Digital Trekker just returned from an assignment in Sumatra, and has great portraits to share with us. He traveled to the small community of Sekayu in Sumatra, which is populated by a community of friendly and welcoming Muslim people called the Musi. They live up and down the Musi River that flows through their territory...

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La Guelaguetza: Oaxaca's Dance

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedWhile in Oaxaca, I photographed a couple of lively Guelaguetza performances and uploaded some of the results on to a website. The dances are a form of celebration that dates back to pre-Columbian times and which remain a defining characteristic of Oaxacan culture. Its origins relate to the worship of corn as a mainstay staple of the Oaxacan...

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La Guelaguetza: Oaxaca's Dance

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedWhile in Oaxaca, I photographed a couple of lively Guelaguetza performances and uploaded some of the results on to a website. The dances are a form of celebration that dates back to pre-Columbian times and which remain a defining characteristic of Oaxacan culture. Its origins relate to the worship of corn as a mainstay staple of the Oaxacan...

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Thomas Smallwood: Journey to the Himba

Image © Thomas Smallwood-All Rights ReservedThomas Smallwood is a creative director for some of the top advertising agencies and major retail chains throughout the country, and attended college at the Fashion Institute (F.I.T.) and the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he majored in advertising, and discovered that he liked taking pictures. His portfolio comes through Double...

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Thomas Smallwood: Journey to the Himba

Image © Thomas Smallwood-All Rights ReservedThomas Smallwood is a creative director for some of the top advertising agencies and major retail chains throughout the country, and attended college at the Fashion Institute (F.I.T.) and the School of Visual Arts in New York, where he majored in advertising, and discovered that he liked taking pictures. His portfolio comes through Double...

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iPod touch

I splurged recently and got an iPod touch; principally to show off my portfolio to whoever is polite enough to ask to see it. Seriously though, I think it's really a nifty idea to have one's portfolio in one's pocket. As we all know, the iPod touch is lightweight and lends itself superbly in terms of coolness and screen resolution to show off photographs in their best light.Naturally,...

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iPod touch

I splurged recently and got an iPod touch; principally to show off my portfolio to whoever is polite enough to ask to see it. Seriously though, I think it's really a nifty idea to have one's portfolio in one's pocket. As we all know, the iPod touch is lightweight and lends itself superbly in terms of coolness and screen resolution to show off photographs in their best light.Naturally,...

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National Geographic: Annie Griffiths Belt

Image © Annie Griffiths Belt-All Rights ReservedThe National Geographic's website is featuring photographer Annie Griffiths Belt's biography and a short slideshow of her photographs along with her narration. She started her career after graduating in 1976 and began assignment work for the National Geographic Society two years later. Her work has also appeared in Life, GEO, Smithsonian,...

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National Geographic: Annie Griffiths Belt

Image © Annie Griffiths Belt-All Rights ReservedThe National Geographic's website is featuring photographer Annie Griffiths Belt's biography and a short slideshow of her photographs along with her narration. She started her career after graduating in 1976 and began assignment work for the National Geographic Society two years later. Her work has also appeared in Life, GEO, Smithsonian,...

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Anamitra Chakladar: Kolkata's Chinatown

Image © Anamitra Chakladar-All Rights ReservedSo far this week, my posts are of photographers using black & white pictures, and this suits Anamitra's work on Kolkata. Born in this city, Anamitra was expected by his parents to be a teacher or an executive, but he chose to be a photographer instead.He joined an established newspaper as a trainee photographer, then moved on to...

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Anamitra Chakladar: Kolkata's Chinatown

Image © Anamitra Chakladar-All Rights ReservedSo far this week, my posts are of photographers using black & white pictures, and this suits Anamitra's work on Kolkata. Born in this city, Anamitra was expected by his parents to be a teacher or an executive, but he chose to be a photographer instead.He joined an established newspaper as a trainee photographer, then moved on to...

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Rania Matar: Women of Islam

Image © Rania Matar-All Rights ReservedRania Matar was born and raised in Lebanon, and studied at the AUB and Cornell University. She studied photography at the New England School of Photography and at the Maine Photographic Workshops in Mexico with Magnum photographer Constantine Manos.She travels widely in the Middle East photographs street scenes in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey,...

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Rania Matar: Women of Islam

Image © Rania Matar-All Rights ReservedRania Matar was born and raised in Lebanon, and studied at the AUB and Cornell University. She studied photography at the New England School of Photography and at the Maine Photographic Workshops in Mexico with Magnum photographer Constantine Manos.She travels widely in the Middle East photographs street scenes in Lebanon, Syria and Turkey,...

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Asia Society: Vanishing Giants

Image © Palani Mohan-All Rights ReservedOn Tuesday, March 11, 2008 the Asia Society is holding a discussion & book signing: Vanishing Giants: Elephants of Asia, a look at man's relationship with Asian Elephants, with photographer Palani Mohan. (Details follow).From the invitation, we gather that Vanishing Giants - Elephants of Asia "is a collection of extraordinary images that...

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Asia Society: Vanishing Giants

Image © Palani Mohan-All Rights ReservedOn Tuesday, March 11, 2008 the Asia Society is holding a discussion & book signing: Vanishing Giants: Elephants of Asia, a look at man's relationship with Asian Elephants, with photographer Palani Mohan. (Details follow).From the invitation, we gather that Vanishing Giants - Elephants of Asia "is a collection of extraordinary images that...

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Alan Soon: Viet Nam

Image © Alan Soon-All Rights ReservedAlan Soon is a photographer from Singapore with an affinity for "vintage" rangefinders and for traditional film processing. A producer for a global financial TV news network, he has been in journalism for 13 years; a career that has taken him to television, radio and magazine newsrooms in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. He started photographing...

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Alan Soon: Viet Nam

Image © Alan Soon-All Rights ReservedAlan Soon is a photographer from Singapore with an affinity for "vintage" rangefinders and for traditional film processing. A producer for a global financial TV news network, he has been in journalism for 13 years; a career that has taken him to television, radio and magazine newsrooms in Singapore, Hong Kong and Tokyo. He started photographing...

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Sneak Preview: Oaxaca

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedI've returned from Oaxaca with a couple of projects...still very much work-in-progress, but should be uploaded on my website in a few weeks. The above photograph is a 'sneak preview' of one of them.Oaxaca's main square, the zocalo, is a wonderful place to relax, have a meal or good coffee, watch the world go by and hear some street music....

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Sneak Preview: Oaxaca

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights ReservedI've returned from Oaxaca with a couple of projects...still very much work-in-progress, but should be uploaded on my website in a few weeks. The above photograph is a 'sneak preview' of one of them.Oaxaca's main square, the zocalo, is a wonderful place to relax, have a meal or good coffee, watch the world go by and hear some street music....

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Issuu: PDFs To Digital Book

Issuu is an online conversion system that converts PDF files so that they can be read on the internet via web browsers. It's really eye-catching to have one's portfolio in a digital magazine with its pages flipped just like a real book or magazine.The conversion from photographs to a PDF document is a cinch with Photoshop, and then these can be uploaded unto Issuu for conversion to a digital magazine or book. It's a simple process and it's free.However,...

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Issuu: PDFs To Digital Book

Issuu is an online conversion system that converts PDF files so that they can be read on the internet via web browsers. It's really eye-catching to have one's portfolio in a digital magazine with its pages flipped just like a real book or magazine.The conversion from photographs to a PDF document is a cinch with Photoshop, and then these can be uploaded unto Issuu for conversion to a digital magazine or book. It's a simple process and it's free.However,...

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And A Song Shall Carry Them Home

The Record, a newspaper group based in Stockton (California) has published a multimedia piece titled And A Song Shall Carry Them Home: The Journey of the Fermin Brothers. The story was authored by Jennifer Torres and photographed by Victor J. Blue.Here's a synopsis of the story: "Two years ago, a group of brothers left Acojtapachtlan, a village of about a dozen concrete houses...

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And A Song Shall Carry Them Home

The Record, a newspaper group based in Stockton (California) has published a multimedia piece titled And A Song Shall Carry Them Home: The Journey of the Fermin Brothers. The story was authored by Jennifer Torres and photographed by Victor J. Blue.Here's a synopsis of the story: "Two years ago, a group of brothers left Acojtapachtlan, a village of about a dozen concrete houses...

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PoYi 65

Pictures of the Year International, the program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, has announced the 65th Magazine Photographer of the Year and displays the three winning portfolios. It has also posted the winning images for all categories as the judging continues. However, POYi is withholding the names associated with individual...

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PoYi 65

Pictures of the Year International, the program of the Donald W. Reynolds Journalism Institute at the Missouri School of Journalism, has announced the 65th Magazine Photographer of the Year and displays the three winning portfolios. It has also posted the winning images for all categories as the judging continues. However, POYi is withholding the names associated with individual...

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Nikon: New Website & Blog

Image © Dave Black-All Rights ReservedAlthough I'm a Canon kind of guy, I am pleased to see that Nikon has re-entered the competition with new cameras and now an updated website. Perhaps this will awaken Canon out of its website torpor by providing its users an exciting experience instead of its current ho-hum effort.Nikon USA websiteNikon's Your Shot b...

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Nikon: New Website & Blog

Image © Dave Black-All Rights ReservedAlthough I'm a Canon kind of guy, I am pleased to see that Nikon has re-entered the competition with new cameras and now an updated website. Perhaps this will awaken Canon out of its website torpor by providing its users an exciting experience instead of its current ho-hum effort.Nikon USA websiteNikon's Your Shot b...

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NY Times: Salvador da Bahia

Image © Lalo de Almeida for NY Times-All Rights ReservedThe New York Times recently featured the work of photographer Lalo de Almeida in a slideshow accompanying a travel article on Salvador da Bahia, the legendary Brazilian city described by the writer Jorge Amado as “the most mysterious and beautiful of the world’s cities” and “the most languid of women.”The informative article...

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NY Times: Salvador da Bahia

Image © Lalo de Almeida for NY Times-All Rights ReservedThe New York Times recently featured the work of photographer Lalo de Almeida in a slideshow accompanying a travel article on Salvador da Bahia, the legendary Brazilian city described by the writer Jorge Amado as “the most mysterious and beautiful of the world’s cities” and “the most languid of women.”The informative article...

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NGM: Bhutan's Enlightened Experiment

Image © Lynsey Addario -All Rights ReservedThe National Geographic Magazine brings us a photo essay by Lynsey Addario on Bhutan in its efforts to join the modern world without losing its Buddhist soul. Reading the accompanying article, I was saddened by the inexorable march of the so-called progress fueled by globalism which is now threatening this delightful Himalayan enclave....

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NGM: Bhutan's Enlightened Experiment

Image © Lynsey Addario -All Rights ReservedThe National Geographic Magazine brings us a photo essay by Lynsey Addario on Bhutan in its efforts to join the modern world without losing its Buddhist soul. Reading the accompanying article, I was saddened by the inexorable march of the so-called progress fueled by globalism which is now threatening this delightful Himalayan enclave....

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VII In DUMBO (NYC)

VII is announcing the grand opening of its new location in New York on Friday February 29th (3-6:30pm) .Photographers Lauren Greenfield, Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv, Christopher Morris and Jessica Dimmock will attend the opening, and will be available to sign their books.From VII's press release:"What is VII DUMBO? First of all, it is the new location of VII’s NY office. In addition,...

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VII In DUMBO (NYC)

VII is announcing the grand opening of its new location in New York on Friday February 29th (3-6:30pm) .Photographers Lauren Greenfield, Marcus Bleasdale, Ron Haviv, Christopher Morris and Jessica Dimmock will attend the opening, and will be available to sign their books.From VII's press release:"What is VII DUMBO? First of all, it is the new location of VII’s NY office. In addition,...

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Back From Oaxaca!

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy -All Rights ReservedI've enjoyed the wonderful city of Oaxaca during the past week, and although I haven't devoted much time to personal photo projects, I did manage to fill a couple of flash cards during that time.Not only is Oaxaca a wonderful city with excellent weather and food, but its people are charming, courteous and generous, with a fascinating culture...

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Back From Oaxaca!

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy -All Rights ReservedI've enjoyed the wonderful city of Oaxaca during the past week, and although I haven't devoted much time to personal photo projects, I did manage to fill a couple of flash cards during that time.Not only is Oaxaca a wonderful city with excellent weather and food, but its people are charming, courteous and generous, with a fascinating culture...

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VII Seminar In DUMBO (NY)

VII Photo Agency has announced its seminar in Dumbo for May 16, 17 and 18th 2008 coinciding with its 7th anniversary of its founding. The tickets are for $50 each, and the 3-day event will include panel discussions, keynote presentations and book signings.I'm currently in Oaxaca, so this post is somehwat rushed but the VII event promises to be an extraordinary opportunity to meet and rub shoulders with (and learn from) VII photographers. All details...

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VII Seminar In DUMBO (NY)

VII Photo Agency has announced its seminar in Dumbo for May 16, 17 and 18th 2008 coinciding with its 7th anniversary of its founding. The tickets are for $50 each, and the 3-day event will include panel discussions, keynote presentations and book signings.I'm currently in Oaxaca, so this post is somehwat rushed but the VII event promises to be an extraordinary opportunity to meet and rub shoulders with (and learn from) VII photographers. All details...

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Updated Websites For TTP

I've announced this through my monthly newsletter, but I've finally updated my websites, including 16 photo galleries. I used an overall design that is simpler and easier to navigate. The short cut for the photo galleries is Tewfic El-Sawy, The Travel PhotographerThe main portal page is The Travel Photographer, and leads to my 2008 photo expeditions, previous itineraries, the...

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Updated Websites For TTP

I've announced this through my monthly newsletter, but I've finally updated my websites, including 16 photo galleries. I used an overall design that is simpler and easier to navigate. The short cut for the photo galleries is Tewfic El-Sawy, The Travel PhotographerThe main portal page is The Travel Photographer, and leads to my 2008 photo expeditions, previous itineraries, the...

Read more »

TTP Recap

For your convenience, here's the past week's (February 10-17, 2008) most read posts on TTP: NY Times: A Genocide In Slow MotionWP: Tokyo PanoramasAiry Mac Book ...

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TTP Recap

For your convenience, here's the past week's (February 10-17, 2008) most read posts on TTP: NY Times: A Genocide In Slow MotionWP: Tokyo PanoramasAiry Mac Book ...

Read more »

Bas Uterwijk: Burma

Image © Bas Uterwijk -All Rights ReservedBas Uterwijk lives in Amsterdam, and has just returned from Burma with wonderful photographs made during his travels. Although he recently got interested in photography, he's been telling stories with images for most of his career as a computer graphics artist for a video game company.His Burma portfolio contains lovely photographs of Burmese...

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Bas Uterwijk: Burma

Image © Bas Uterwijk -All Rights ReservedBas Uterwijk lives in Amsterdam, and has just returned from Burma with wonderful photographs made during his travels. Although he recently got interested in photography, he's been telling stories with images for most of his career as a computer graphics artist for a video game company.His Burma portfolio contains lovely photographs of Burmese...

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Vanity Fair: Junger & Hetherington

Image ©Tim Hetherington -All Rights ReservedVanity Fair recently featured a video interview with author and journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington, discussing the former's article "In the Valley of Death". The article recounts the men's experiences when joining a US platoon while its soldiers make painfully slow advance in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley; a...

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Vanity Fair: Junger & Hetherington

Image ©Tim Hetherington -All Rights ReservedVanity Fair recently featured a video interview with author and journalist Sebastian Junger and photographer Tim Hetherington, discussing the former's article "In the Valley of Death". The article recounts the men's experiences when joining a US platoon while its soldiers make painfully slow advance in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley; a...

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