Rania Matar: Women of Islam

Image © Rania Matar-All Rights Reserved
Rania 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, and focuses mainly on women and children in the Middle East, and her recent projects give a voice to people who have been forgotten or misunderstood. Her work has won several awards, and has been published and exhibited widely in the United States and internationally.

I was particularly moved by her Women of Islam photographs because, as she writes in her biography, it gives a voice to those who are misunderstood.

Rania Mattar's Women of Islam

Asia Society: Vanishing Giants

Image © Palani Mohan-All Rights Reserved
On 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 will provoke, intrigue and enthrall. Palani Mohan devoted 6 years and traveled to 11 Asian countries to create this intimate glimpse into the world of the Asian elephant, a creature which – even as its African cousin flourishes – is threatened as never before.

But this is far more than simply a book of elephant photographs. Rather, it’s a tale of two species; that of the elephant, and the humans with which it shares its abodes. It’s a love story, and a war story, a history of animosity and attraction, a study of shattered symbiosis. For all through Asia , it seems, a love-hate relationship thrives where elephants and humans co-exist."

Asia Society
725 Park Avenue at 70th Street, New York City
Tuesday, March 11, 2008
6:00–6:30pm: Registration
6:30–7:30pm: Photo Slide Show, Discussion and Audience Q & A
7:30–8:30pm: Meet the Author & Book Signing Reception

For full details: Asia Society: Vanishing Giants

Alan Soon: Viet Nam

Image © Alan Soon-All Rights Reserved
Alan 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 in his early teens with a Minolta X-300, and now uses compact rangefinders, most of them older than he. He shares his apartment with some 30 antique cameras, the eldest a 1949 Canon IIb, engraved "Made in Occupied Japan" which still works.

Alan traveled widely across Asia, North America, Eastern Europe and the Middle East, which, along with his interesting cameras, makes him an obvious candidate for the pages of TTP.

I feature his work of Hoi An in Viet Nam which Alan describes as "In its heyday, as a major port in East Asia, it stood as a contemporary of Melaka and Macau. The architecture reflects that heritage: the town is home to building designs left behind by the Japanese, early Chinese settlers, and Dutch, French and Portuguese traders. Many of the homes and stores are well preserved, with some over three hundred years old.

Apart from using black & white film, Alan's photographic style has an edge to it...part travel and part documentary. Explore his various galleries, and you'll know what I mean.

Alan Soon's Monsoon Photo

Sneak Preview: Oaxaca

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
I'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. It's admirable of the city's municipality to stage free performances of Oaxacan regional dances as well as music by the local brass band every weekend in the square. The audiences are mostly of Oaxacans, but some tourists also stop to enjoy the spectacle.

If you haven't been to Oaxaca yet, trust me...put it on your list. I had heard that David Alan Harvey was in the city with his students, but regrettably our paths didn't cross.

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, here's an excerpt of Issuu's terms that you need to consider before availing yourself to this service:

"By distributing or disseminating Uploader Submissions through the Issuu Service, you hereby grant to Issuu a worldwide, non-exclusive, transferable, assignable, fully paid-up, royalty-free, license to host, transfer, display, perform, reproduce, distribute, and otherwise exploit your Uploader Submissions, in any media forms or formats, and through any media channels, now known or hereafter devised, including without limitation, RSS feeds, embeddable functionality, and syndication arrangements in order to distribute, promote or advertise your Uploader Submissions through the Issuu Service."

ISSUU.com

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

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 categories until the conclusion on March 7 (this is the reason for not having the above photograph properly credited).

My favorite photograph won an Award of Excellence in the Spot News category, and is of Iraqi man cradling his mother after she collapsed following the interrogation and near detainment of her son by US Army soldiers from the 5-20 Infantry Division during the launch of Operation Arrowhead Strike 6 in the Shaab neighborhood of northern Baghdad, February 06, 2006.

I am willing to wager that this photograph was (or will be) published in many Middle Eastern newspapers and blogs, and certain that it will contribute to the anger against the US occupation. I'm surprised that the US military hasn't censored it.

The photographs can be seen at POYi