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: China

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Matt Brandon: Sumatra

Image © Matt Brandon-All Rights Reserved
Matt 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 and down through Palembang.

Having converted some of his resulting photographs to B&W, he put up a slideshow with music. My favorite one is of this elderly woman...I chose it because Matt managed to expose her face very nicely, and process the photograph just perfectly....despite the shadows thrown by the hat. Not an easy photograph to make well.

Matt Brandon's Sumatra

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Matt Brandon: Sumatra

Image © Matt Brandon-All Rights Reserved
Matt 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 and down through Palembang.

Having converted some of his resulting photographs to B&W, he put up a slideshow with music. My favorite one is of this elderly woman...I chose it because Matt managed to expose her face very nicely, and process the photograph just perfectly....despite the shadows thrown by the hat. Not an easy photograph to make well.

Matt Brandon's Sumatra

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National Geographic: Annie Griffiths Belt

Image © Annie Griffiths Belt-All Rights Reserved
The 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, Fortune, American Photo, Merian, Stern, and many other publications including dozens of books.

Amongst her many wonderful photographs, I chose this one of Muslim women praying at the mosque of the Dome of the Rock (Mosque of Omar) in Jerusalem. Look for the shadows on the robes of the women in the back!

However further on in the slideshow, at a photograph showing her and Himba tribeswomen in Namibia, Annie Griffiths Belt tells us that she handed them a Polaroid she had made of them. It was received with curiosity, not only because they had never seen a Polaroid image (this I easily believe) before but that they had not seen themselves having never used reflective surfaces! Hard to believe.

Annie Griffiths Belt's A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel

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National Geographic: Annie Griffiths Belt

Image © Annie Griffiths Belt-All Rights Reserved
The 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, Fortune, American Photo, Merian, Stern, and many other publications including dozens of books.

Amongst her many wonderful photographs, I chose this one of Muslim women praying at the mosque of the Dome of the Rock (Mosque of Omar) in Jerusalem. Look for the shadows on the robes of the women in the back!

However further on in the slideshow, at a photograph showing her and Himba tribeswomen in Namibia, Annie Griffiths Belt tells us that she handed them a Polaroid she had made of them. It was received with curiosity, not only because they had never seen a Polaroid image (this I easily believe) before but that they had not seen themselves having never used reflective surfaces! Hard to believe.

Annie Griffiths Belt's A Camera, Two Kids and a Camel

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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 in the hills of southern Mexico. They came to San Joaquin County without education, without money, certainly without permission. They brought little more than their ambition and hopes. One of them carried along a dream to save money, buy instruments and lead a band.

The brothers Fermin were like millions of other Mexicans who have crossed the border and like thousands who, even today, will attempt it. But the ties of home and family are strong. Two years of work in San Joaquin County had earned the brothers enough money for televisions, clothing, tools, accordions, guitars, speakers - and a truck to haul it back. On Oct. 17, the village of Acojtapachtlan was to honor its patron saint, San Lucas, with a festival. One of the brothers would stay behind in Stockton. Three wanted to be home in time to play their music at the festival."

An exceptionally topical and well done insight on who we describe as "illegal immigrants".

The multimedia story: And A Song Shall Carry Them Home

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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 in the hills of southern Mexico. They came to San Joaquin County without education, without money, certainly without permission. They brought little more than their ambition and hopes. One of them carried along a dream to save money, buy instruments and lead a band.

The brothers Fermin were like millions of other Mexicans who have crossed the border and like thousands who, even today, will attempt it. But the ties of home and family are strong. Two years of work in San Joaquin County had earned the brothers enough money for televisions, clothing, tools, accordions, guitars, speakers - and a truck to haul it back. On Oct. 17, the village of Acojtapachtlan was to honor its patron saint, San Lucas, with a festival. One of the brothers would stay behind in Stockton. Three wanted to be home in time to play their music at the festival."

An exceptionally topical and well done insight on who we describe as "illegal immigrants".

The multimedia story: And A Song Shall Carry Them Home

Read more »