Books: China, People Place Culture History

The accomplished author Anchee Min writes the prologue to China, People Place Culture History, a handsome book published by DK Publishing. The book runs to over glossy 350 pages and, as it title suggests, covers China's history, geography, and culture with magnificent photographs. For instance, the Songzanlin Buddhist 17th century monastery in Yunnan draped in mist and the Grand Canal near Wuxi in Jiangsu are particularly beautiful examples of landscape photography.

Most of the photographs -and there are over 700 of them in this coffee table book- are by Christopher Pillitz, as well as by Chester Ong and Gary Ombler.

While China: People, Place, Culture History is an exhaustive and comprehensive compilation, I found its section on People to be its most compelling. This carries photo essays (based on the "a day in the life" model) on a variety of interesting people and their professions...some modern, others traditional. Among the best in my view are the Farmer in Shaanxi, the Calligrapher in Beijing, the Tea Pickers, the Musical Intrument Makers of Kashgar, the Buddhist Monks at the Atsong monastery in Qinghai, the Chinese Herbalist in Yunnan, the Cricket Seller in Beijing, the beautiful Jeweller in Suzhou and the Opera Performers in Zhejiang. I was especially drawn to the photo essay on the Mosuo Matriarch in Yunnan.

This book is a must-have for anyone wanting to have a fresh look at China, whether for travel, business or intellectual reasons. I found it extremely useful from a travel photographer's perspective, since I'll use it as an inspiration (and guide) for my own future phototravel plans to this magnificent country.

Phil Borges: Exhibit At Fifty Crows

Image Copyright © Phil Borges-All Rights Reserved
Phil Borges, the humanitarian photographer is presenting his Women Empowered, a collection of 30 portraits and personal stories about women in developing countries who have broken through the barriers of convention and oppression to improve their own well-being and the well-being of their communities.

The Artist Reception, Opening & Book Signing is on Friday, September 14th (4:30 pm - 8:00 pm), while the exhibition is through November 17, 2007 at Fifty Crows, 2nd Floor, Suite 225, 49 Geary Street, in San Francisco.

Further details at: Fifty Crows

Christopher Pillitz: Asia

Image Copyright © Christopher Pillitz-All Rights Reserved
Christopher Pliilitz was born in Buenos Aires, and after graduating from a hotel management school, decided to begin a self-taught career as a photographer. Since then, he traveled to over 70 countries, photographing editorial and commercial assignments for a variety of clients.

He published a number of books, most notable of which is Brazil Incarnate; which delves into that country's body culture. He has now added another fillip to his body of work by being the primary photographer for the book China, People Place Culture History (to be reviewed tomorrow on TTP).

Notwithstanding, I chose the above photograph of an Indian woman bathing an elderly man (her father?), while a child looks on. It tells a story, doesn't it?

His website is replete with lovely photographs of Asia, Cuba and South America. Although his work on the China book is the reason for this post, have a good look at Road Movie, a wonderful gallery on his website that features photographs made during a road trip across South America:

Christopher Pillitz

Canon 1Ds Mark III: Video Interview

If you're interested in this sort of thing, Chuck Westfall of Canon USA gives a video interview on the merits of the new Canon 1Ds Mark III.

Click on Canon 1Ds Mark III

Noorderlicht Photofestival: Act of Faith

Image Copyright © David Farrell-All Rights Reserved
The Noorderlicht Photofestival is scheduled for 16 September – 28 October 2007. This year's main theme is Act of Faith, and the festival is held in Groningen.

Over 130 photographers from all over the world will exhibit their work on faith and conflict, ecstasy and excess. The festival will delve in such topical issues as is faith permissible? Or is faith compulsory? How sacred is the line separating church and state today, long the unquestioned foundation of Western democracy? How firm is the theory of evolution? How conceivable is unbelief?

Noorderlicht Photofestival

NY Times: Turning The Tribes

Image Copyright © Benjamin Lowy/New York Times-All Rights Reserved
In one of its rare serious reportage photographic essays, this week's New York Times Magazine is featuring a photo-documentary in slideshow format on the efforts by the US military in Iraq to 'turn' the Sunni tribes, and to have these form alliances of convenience with it. The somewhat grating narration is by Michael Gordon, a reporter for the Times and the impressive photography is by the talented and experienced Ben Lowy.

From a political standpoint, I must say that these images and the narration reaffirm what many of us have known all along...we cannot win in Iraq. Are we now forming alliances with minority Sunni tribes by offering protection and funds (wasn't that what Saddam Hussein was doing during his terrible regime?), and ignoring the fact that these very Sunnis are insurgents, have fought against US troops, have killed US troops (and continue to do so) and are unwilling to be governed by the Shi'a government we helped install in the first place...but one that we currently don't like because they're close to Iran? The mind boggles.

Having watched the slideshow many times, I was consistently humbled by Lowy's and Gordon's immense courage and dedication in obtaining such material.

The NY Times' Turning The Tribes.

One Shot: Subhash Sharma

Image Copyright © Subhash Sharma-All Rights Reserved
Subhash Sharma is a freelance photographer based in Mumbai, who frequently chooses his own photo stories rather than those handed over to him by editors. An admirer of the works of Ernst Haas, Andre Kersetz, and Sebastiao Salgado, he's primarily interested in photographing ordinary people in their daily environment and circumstances. His first book titled “Digital Glimpses Of India” was well received, and his forthcoming book “ The Land Of The Holymen “ is currently under print and explores the lifestyle of the Naga Sadhus (naked aescetics) of India.

For this week's One Shot feature, I chose Subhash's sobering photograph of Maina Bai, a Jain in the process of committing the act of Santhara. This is a procedure in which a Jain stops eating with the intention of preparing for death. It is differentiated from suicide as it is not done in an emotional state of mind, but is undertaken only when the body is no more capable of serving its owner as a instrument of sprituality and when inevitability of death is a matter of undisputed certainty.

Subhash tells me that Maina succumbed after 25 days of Santhara. She felt guilty that it was taking so long for her to die as her guru and disciples had to wait. He was witness to Maina's final days, and was awed by the certainty in her decision.

There's an ethical debate in India concerning the legality of Santhara. In India, euthanasia is banned and suicide is a crime, but proponents of Santhara argue that it cannot be termed as suicide... the persons who undertake it do so with an open mind and conscious thought, and it's part of the Jain religion and customs, traditions and rituals are protected by India's constitutional guarantees.

Subhash's other photographs on Bishnois, Jainism, Pushkar, Indian Islam, the festivals of Kumbh Mela, Holi and Dahi Handi can be seen in his Photoshelter Galleries