Nguan is a photographer located in Singapore that photographs people in the street. Most images are unstaged, with some casual portraits. What I like of the work is that the images capture well the energy of crowds while conveying the wonder of individuals. People appear to have identity even where they are among many, and single portraits elicit the interest to understand the circumstances, the place and time of the subject.

© Nguan

© Nguan

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© Nancy Siesel

Aren”t these images wonderful?

Now imagine to have a display of large prints of images like these in room hospitals where the patients can feel the soothing calmness of looking at photographs, the pleasure that comes from images that convey the beauty of life. Humans respond to visual clues in ways that affects the intrinsic biochemistry of our brains and so guide our response to the environment and thinking of our place and time. For a patient this means a faster way to recovery, or at least a more hopeful and tranquil transition for what is to come.

© Nancy Siesel

These are images by Nancy Siesel, part of a project entitled ”View in a Room” that received funding from the Brooklyn Arts Council. You can see the rest of the series under “In Search of the Baobab Tree” at her website.  The photographs are currently on view at Woodhull Hospital in Brooklyn. 

View in a room would be comprised of 10 -12 30×30 landscape photographs that have a dreamy, mystical quality.  They would initially be exhibited in public areas of the hospital that are easily accessed by patients, caregivers, visitors, and hospital personnel. The photographs would then be hung on the bare walls of patient’’s rooms in the intensive care unit.  According to a nurse in the unit patients often become claustrophobic in this small space cluttered with medical equipment. She felt that landscape photographs could significantly improve the patient’’s state of mind and calm their anxiety. 

I have been lucky so far. Few visits to hospitals and for minor things. And yet, I recall vividly the last time I visited, 2 years ago, when I saw beautiful prints hanging on the walls of the waiting room. Arts serves for many things, and perhaps the most genuine purpose is to make people feel better in times when they can””t, to make people be optimistic in times when they think they shouldn”t.  

It is time to bring art to all places, not to galleries alone, and doing that at hospitals serves a double purpose, to provide visibility of the work and humanize an environment that may look otherwise sterile and threatening.

If you browse the website of Nancy  you will see many more wonderful projects that communicate the level of sensitivity and beauty of a true artist.

The following is a description of Room “View in a Room” by Nancy Siesel.

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View in a Room is a project that has evolved through recent experiences in my life.  I have spent significant time in hospitals, as a caregiver for my boyfriend who was suffering from brain cancer. I wandered down hallways, and explored various spaces in the hospital and was impacted by the sterility of the surrounding environment. As a photographer, I have been working on a series of landscapes for the past 10 years in South, Central and North America, as well as in three countries in Africa.  This exploration of the natural world has had a profound impact on me.  I hope to have the opportunity to transmit the healing qualities of nature to others in the form of large-scale photographs in hospital corridors and patient rooms. 

When my boyfriend was first diagnosed with a brain tumor he was hospitalized for two surgeries nine months apart at Beth Israel North on East End Ave in Manhattan.  The hospital (which has since been converted to luxury condominiums) overlooked Schurz Park, Gracie Mansion and the East River.  The view from the window of his room on the eleventh floor was spectacular. The cloud formations of changing skies, the river currents and the tugboats silently moving through the water had a calming effect on him.  I believe his rapid recovery from these surgeries can be partially attributed to the way he spent his waking hours gazing out the window.  

View in a room would be comprised of 10 -12 30×30 landscape photographs that have a dreamy, mystical quality.  They would initially be exhibited in public areas of the hospital that are easily accessed by patients, caregivers, visitors, and hospital personnel. The photographs would then be hung on the bare walls of patient”’’s rooms in the intensive care unit.  According to a nurse in the unit patients often become claustrophobic in this small space cluttered with medical equipment. She felt that landscape photographs could significantly improve the patient’’s state of mind and calm their anxiety. 

- Nancy Siesel

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© Lina Scheynius

I usually prefer to look at photographs that are organized as a cohesive series of images, but the work of Lina Scheynius, a photographer from the Netherlands, is bold and reminds me that good photography is not only about seeing differently but also about expressing it with a distinct visual language, even when this involves to reveal the intimate. Not all the images fit my taste but each image becomes something new and it builds a response of  surprise. The surprise of real life.

You can see more work at her Flickr site. Don”t miss to look at the series of polaroids.

© Lina Scheynius

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Manuel Vazquez’’s project “Traces” is quite excellent. Snapshots of light that barely show the people walking along the composition. Very original and distinctive, a series to remember.

© Manuel Vazquez

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© Beatrix Reinhardt

Check the work of by Beatrix Reinhardt. You will find many interesting series, cohesive in both aesthetics and subject. Her work brings a nice example on how series of cohesive images that don”t hold as single pictures can nevertheless form a very compelling body of work.  I like the series “Coca-Cola houses in India” a lot, perhaps because it is a banal subject that brings a feel of everyday life.

© Beatrix Reinhardt

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I tried to photograph the mysterious, true and magical soul of popular Spain in all its passion, love, humor, tenderness, rage, pain, in all its truth; and the fullest and most intense moments in the lives of these characters as simple as they are irresistible, with all their inner strength, as a personal challenge that gave me strength and understanding and in which I invested all my heart. – Cristina Garcia Rodero

Few days ago, Cristina Garcia Rodero, who was associated with Magnum since 2005, was voted to be accepted as a full member of the prestigious agency.  Cristina Garcia Rodero becomes the first Spaniard to be part of the agency. Being originally from Spain myself, it is always a surprise to me that despite the very large artistic history in Spain, where master painters and artists are recognized worldwide (think on Salvador Dalí, think on Pablo Picasso, think on Joan Miró, etc), international success and recognition in photography has been quite limited. This historical baggage makes even more significant the recent recognition of Cristina. Take a look to her work at the Magnum website. 

© Cristina Garcia Rodero

Biography - Cristina García Rodero was born in Puertollano, Spain. She studied painting at the School of Fine Arts at the University of Madrid,before taking up photography. She then qualified as a teacher and worked full-time in education. For the next 16 years, she also dedicated her time to researching and photographing popular and traditional festivities – religious and pagan – principally in Spain but also across Mediterranean Europe. This project culminated in her book España Oculta published in 1989, which won the «Book of the Year Award» at the Arles Festival of Photography. The same year, García Rodero also won the prestigious W. Eugene Smith Foundation Prize. The documentary and ethnological value of her work is considerable, but the esthetic quality of her photography makes it more than a simple visual record. In recent years, García Rodero has traveled around the world in search of other cultures with particular traditions. Over a period of four years, she went several times to Haiti, where she has documented voodoo rituals, producing a series of expressive portraits and moving scenes flanked by engaging documentary observations. Rituals in Haiti was shown for the first time in the 2001 Venice Biennale. Cristina García Rodero has received many prizes, including the Premio Nacional de Fotografía in 1996 in Spain. Her work has been widely published and exhibited internationally. She has published several books and has been a member of the agency Vu for more than 15 years. Garcia Rodero joined Magnum in 2005.

© Cristina Garcia Rodero

© Cristina Garcia Rodero

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Wayne Lawrence shared with me his new website.  I love the vibrancy of his portraits, in color or B&W the images have energy, intensity and presence.

© Wayne Lawrence

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I had seen before the work of Andrew Cutraro but had never visited his website. I recall specially some of his bold images during he invasion of Iraq. Today I visited his website for the first time and I saw the excellent series about Venezuela, work that he did with a grant from the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. His compositions, the use of color and shadows convey a strong sense of intensity and beauty.

© Andrew Cutraro

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Peter Steinhauer is a photographer located in Hong-Kong and he covers assignments in Asia. There are many interesting series and images at his website, but the black and white portraits are really gorgeous. 

© Peter Steinhauer

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Anyone who appreciates the cinematography of  the movie “Home” with aerial images of the earth that show the fragility of the beautiful landscape, will recognize that aerial photography provides an incomparable viewpoint to recognize the vastness and complexity of the landscape as well as the imprint of the damage that humans are creating.

North east in the United States, there is a majestic place called the Chesapeake Bay. This is the largest estuary in the country, covering more than 64K square miles, with more than 150 rivers and streams draining into the Bay. A place that once was renowned to have richness of wildlife and seafood production now is being damaged by the run off from urban areas and farms. This run off nourishes the growth of algal blooms that grow and deplete the oxygen in the water. No oxygen, leads to no life so that Chesapeake Bay suffers large death zones, with massive fish kills. Another unintended consequence of human pollution and careless for the environment.

Cameron Davidson, one of the best aerial photographers today, has been documenting the beauty and the fragility of the Chesapeake Bay for many years. The Washington post recently published an article about his work and the Bay where you can see some of his images and listen to an audio recording with the Cameron. The audio interview shows his sensitivity and passion to speak out to stop the damage of the Chesapeake Bay. The whole series of images can be seen better and in larger format at his website.

© Cameron Davidson

© Cameron Davidson

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Yann Arthus-Bertrand, with a sweet French accent gives a powerful and beautiful talk at TED. Powerful because of the message and his passion. Beautiful because of the images, and the reference to the remarkable movie HOME, a movie that can be seen and downloaded for free, no copyrights attached.  The movie uses beautiful cinematography urging everybody to react promptly, and decisively, to stop the degradation of the climate.

A couple of sites built around the new projects of Yann Arthus-Bertrand: Good Planet, and 6 billions others.

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I learned about Demotix and if you do not know them, you must. This is the news by the people. Extending the voice to everyone. Do not expect the same coverage than traditional media will offer, but expect to see what you can not find in other places. Lots of pictures and a brief description of the story. Like everything that is open to everyone it holds the risk of abuse, and one may question the truthfulness of some stories, but the advantages and possibilities are incredible. As we are learning from the aftermath of the Iran elections, the people want to tell, and the world wants to know. Demotix aims to enable that. 

In addition, Demotix will try to sell your images to traditional media, so your work could reach an even larger audience.

DemotixImages.com, along with an entire sales team, works for one purpose and one purpose only: to get your stories seen the world’s press and to license your photos around the globe.

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Great war photography from Iraq and Afghanistan at Battlespace. Be prepared, some images are very crude, and dramatic like the real like war we don”t usually see.

If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will succumb in every battle. —Sun Tzu, The Art of War

from Battlespace © Jehad NGA

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Photographing the relations between animals and people, the work of Robin Schwartz conveys a sense of spiritual and emotional connection across species and reveals a natural bond that tights together our primal instincts with other animals.

The series “Amelia’’s World: Animal Affinity”, where Robin photographed her own daughter, is like a sequence of images taken out from her dreams. Besides the artistic merit of this work, anyone who has felt the special bond that people can establish with animals will appreciate the emotive aspect of these photographs.

© Robin Schwartz

© Robin Schwartz

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Uncommon Places represented a truning point in the history of photography. In this recent video at The Art Newspaper, Stephen Shore describes part of this work and covers his approach to composition. There are many remarkable things in this work but foremost the quality of composition is what makes it stand as one of the best photo series even done.

At the start of the video Stephen covers the different experience of seeing large photographic prints versus small prints, and how small prints require the viewer to be fully engaged in the visualization of the image. Small images will either be ignored or will be visualized with higher attention.  The small format invites the viewer to slowly depict the details of the composition and understand the image. On the contrary, very large prints can be experienced from the distance, and often require much less involvement and attention to visualize the image.

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Most photographers focus on photographing beauty, making the ordinary beautiful or just taking images that report life as it is. Roger Ballen is different. He has developed a photographic style that pretends to narrate the story in disturbing ways, creating simple and complex images that most of anything become powerful by eliciting a reaction of the viewer that defies expectations. When someone breaks the status quo, it becomes unforgettable. This is work that cannot be ignored, even if I wish to forget it.

© Roger Ballen

Roger Ballen has published several books, being his last one Boarding House. If you have interest to learn more about Roger Ballen and his work, Lensculture published an audio interview.

I did not really have an emotional reaction at the time. I just saw that there was a dead person there. You get to see how brutal life can be, for people who”ve been in places like this for decades. Tomorrow it could be you. That’’s the important thing to understand. – Roger Ballen

The quote above refers to an image you can see here. 

© Roger Ballen

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Eric Espinosa, French photographer living in Ohio, USA. Beautiful work, vibrant images. The pictures reflect scenes that are so present that it looks like reality will splash you in the face. Direct, intense and emotional. These are images where the use of shadows and negative space serves to drive the eye towards key elements of the image. Elements that are presented with intense colors. Colors that are so striking that you want to believe it is how reality was presented. Extraordinary.

© Eric Espinosa

© Eric Espinosa

© Eric Espinosa

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Combining natural light with flash Alejandro Chaskielberg creates images with bold colors that look surreal and memorable. This is a beautiful mix of fine artistry with photojournalism. Beyond the recording of  the scene as we would see it, Alejando adds his unique perspective to make the moment special. Very remarkable, very unique, very compelling.

© Alejandro Chaskielberg

© Alejandro Chaskielberg

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Bob O”Connor, is a photographer located in Boston and one of the PDN emerging photographer in the year 2006. I really like how he focuses to capture just minimal elements of the image to create simple yet very engaging pictures.

© Bob O”Connor

© Bob O”Connor

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About four years ago, Sebastiao Salgado initiated what may be his last long term photographic journey, eight years to reach out and document the fragile locations of wilderness that are left untouched on this planet. The project Genesis will then become the latest and perhaps the most important legacy of this influential photographer. Photographic projects become milestones of our history when the photographer pursues not only artistic excellence but activism, and becomes a witness to expose the truth and change the world.  This is the legacy of Sebastiao Salgado, a legacy of influence to all photographers that live with the urge to achieve positive  change.

Sebastiao Salgado is synonymous of black and white photography. All his work, each of his projects, are images where the density of blacks shape the light so to become even more important than the light itself. But choosing to describe the legacy of the untouched landscapes, the primitive cultures, without color is to represent the world without the decor that we all perceive and value.  It is then, that one realizes that rather than being a collection of beautiful images alone, Genesis is a message. It is the message that is best described with photography that goes to the core and makes you think, and makes you appreciate, and makes you understand. Color changes with the temperature of the light, and disappears in the night. But the form and the message are immutable, and so, Sebastiao Salgado’’s black and white photography of untouched places and cultures, becomes a message from the past to the future, a message to appreciate and protect what is left and what we should not perturb.

The New York Times has a recent brief mention about his work. Bellow you can see a video with a recent conversation with Sebastiao Salgado at the UC Berkeley Graduate School of Journalism.

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© Rory Carnegie

Take a look to the work of Rory Carnegie, a photographer located in London. The different series are very cohesive while showing quite a large variety of work. Excellent pictures all around. The series “Autoportraits” , where the subjects press the shutter to take their own picture, is awesome. 

© Rory Carnegie

© Rory Carnegie

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Remarkable portrait photography speaks about an isolated moment that has relevance as part of the story of the person being photographed. But even more, good portraits speak about the human condition, its diversity, its commonality and its relevance to who we are as people and what we make out of our societies. In many ways, good portrait photography is about the transcendence of human nature. It is a narrative that connects the photographer with the viewer and the subject and then relates these individualities with the rest of the social influences that define them.  

It follows that I love to refer -again- to the work of Pierre Gonnord, it is truly remarkable.

I choose my contemporaries in the anonymity of the big cities because their faces, under the skin, narrate unique and remarkable stories about our era. Sometimes hostile, almost always vulnerable and very often wounded behind the opaqueness of their mask, they embody at once specific social realities and a different concept of beauty. I search for individuals that seem unclassifiable and timeless, suggesting that the play of human condition has been repeated over and over since the beginning of time. I would like to encourage the crossing of a mental border [...] I search in the meting points of the urban scene: streets, squares, cafes, stations, universities [...] then further still in the peripheral districts, laces so isolated from the world, and in more marginal settings such as prisons, hospitals, social shelters, rehabilitation centers, monasteries, or circuses. Because our society is there as well.

© Pierre Gonnord

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Extraordinary photography by Ferit Kuyas. The series “City of Ambition“,  a series of colour photography from Chongqing (China) one of the largest cities in the worlds is impressive but I like also to highlight the beautiful simplicity of the work in the series “Archetypes“. 

 from the series “City of Ambition” © Ferit Kuyas

from the series ”Archetypes”, © Ferit Kuyas

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© Troy Paiva

Photographing the light in the absence of light. The work of Troy Paiva is about painting darkness with light, using small portable flash and colored gels, he blends the existing light with his vision to give shape and a new face to abandoned cars and locations.

The results are often times quite compelling, and the mix of colors kind of psychedelic. Off all things, for the play with colored lights to really work, it requires good compositions. An arrangement of subjects and light that balances each other with negative space to guide the visualization to the bright point of focus that should not fully dominating the image.

© Troy Paiva

© Troy Paiva

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The work of Joe Johnson is beautiful. His photography are images that build on the qualities of technical excellence, masterful use of light, and outstanding compositions. My favorite series are Kansas and City Pictures, but browse all the few portfolios he has at the site and you will find excellence all through the portfolios.

from the series Kansas, © Joe Johnson

from the series Kansas, © Joe Johnson

from the series City Pictures, © Joe Johnson

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In this time when large prints and bold images are the norm, it is a refreshing pleasure to encounter photography that highlights the delicacy of small prints. I personally like small prints, its size makes you focus more in the image, rather than being overweilmed by the picture. A small print invites you to get in rather than getting far from it. A small print forces the picture to excel in composition, with an arrangement of details that are sufficient, no more and no less. It forces to focus on the core of the picture.

© Masao Yamamoto

Masao Yamamoto is a Japanese photographer whose finished prints are miniature jewels—averaging 3 x 5 inches and smaller. From a background as a painter his photography is about composition, and in part they become paintings themselves as they are usually toned by hand with dyes. These small prints will be arranged in exhibits where each picture becomes part of the whole, so their identity is not isolated but connected to the rest of the work and to the whole installation.  His books, published by Nazareli press, continue the focus on small prints with exquisite arrangements.

Updated: You can see Masao Yamamoto describe his work in a short video here [thank you to Marc Feustel for the link].

If you want to tell a story with your photography, when each image is part of a whole series and you like to convey their relationship, perhaps it is a good idea to use small prints so that the viewer becomes immersed in the sequence.

Installation of work by Masao Yamamoto

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I always love to see the selection of images at “The Photo Journal” by the Wall Street Journal. Each image relates to the news of the moment and they always have an aesthetic twist and unique moments that grab you. Always great editing with the selection of images.

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A fundamental question. Can a photograph change the world for the better?

This was a turning inspiration for David Elliot Cohen that resulted in a remarkable book, “What Matters“, a book addressing fundamental issues in our world, in our time.

David Elliot Cohen, award winning editor and publisher who created the popular “A day in the life of … ” and “24/7″ series, a publisher that understands the power of photography as a fundamental media to convey a message. Top leading photojournalism, with names like James Nachtwey, Brent Stirton, Paul Fusco, Lauren Greenfield, Ed Kashi and more. Opinion leaders in key issues like Bill McKibben, Samantha Power, John Prendergast, Jeffrey Sachs, and others. All combined in one book.

The purpose of David Elliot Cohen with this project is to elicit a response from the public. You can buy the book atbookstores, you can also see the entire book online, free. And at the website you can find ways on how you can participate in the movement to address these issues.

Remarkable. Inspiring.

See a talk by David Elliot Cohen describing the idea and the project at the top of the post.

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The photography of RJ Shaughnessy is full of life and energy. His work achieves a balance between the naturally of spontaneous moments and excellence in photographic artistry, a blend that it is uniquely difficult to reach. It is real and it is powerful, anything but boring, even when the subjects and locations regular scenes what you can see each day in Los Angeles.

© RJ Shaughnessy

© RJ Shaughnessy

He has published two books, the excellent “Deathcamp” that follows his “on your face” style of photography and  ”Your golden opportunity is comeing very soon“.

from the book ”Deathcamp“, © RJ Shaughnessy

I have a copy of “Your golden opportunity is comeing very soon“, that shows a completely different style of photography. These are images that focus on the use of texture and form using the black and white hard light of the night. It is about composition, about patterns and the extreme tonality of night photography.

Really amazing work.

from the book ”Your golden opportunity is comeing very soon“

© RJ Shaughnessy

from the book ”Your golden opportunity is comeing very soon”

© RJ Shaughnessy

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Excellence in portraits photography is about generating empathy. Empathy to create an image so that the viewer feels connected to the subject, even if unknown. Lydia Panas creates portraits of people around her, images that are direct and somehow posed but at the same time with a natural gesture, a gesture and expression that generates empathy and curiosity. The compositions, play of focus and tonality create additional texture and consistency to these beautiful images.

You will find an interview with Lydia at “The Girl Project“.

© Lydia Panas

© Lydia Panas

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Jon Orlando is committed to raise a voice on behalf of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who oppose the wars. His most recent project called  ”Warriors for Peace,” was selected by the non-profit organization The Blue Earth Alliance, an organization that focusses on the promotion of photographic projects that can make a difference in the world.  

I run few questions with Jon so that we can learn more about this interesting project.

How did you come up with the idea for this project? What inspired you to start it?

The project was started on a bit of a whim.  I had ideas of a portrait series I wanted to do focusing on individuals that were creating change in their world.  I had access to a studio one day and was looking for someone to do a portrait of that might fit into that series.  A friend suggested I contact a guy named Jared Hood who was an Iraq war vet opposed to the war.  So I did and I set up the portrait of the soldier in uniform soluting the peace flag.  After talking with Jared more I realized there was a story to be told about a lot more veterans like him.  I also noticed that that image did not necessarily represent Jared and his sentiments.  So I met with him at his home and created the image of him clenching the dog tags with the upside down American flag behind him.  That was how it started.  I did not know where it was going to go or that I would be traveling around the country working on it 2 years later.  From him, I networked to other veterans in Colorado.  After a bit I started to see a pattern that was focused on portraying the emotions behind their transformations.  For the first 2 or 3 portraits that happened almost completely subconsciously.  After a while though, it became the conscious focus of the series. 

As for inspiration- I am amazingly inspired by radical self-transformation.  I personally have gone through a major transformation in myself.  At one point in my life I was highly nationalistic, racist, angry and would have been the first one to sign up for a war of aggression.  So I am inspired by other individuals” transformations, maybe because I know a bit about where they are coming from.  And for this case in particular, I am blown away by the courage of anyone that can stand up in the face of a culture of war and aggression and say no, there must be another way.  That someone that is within the confines of the most powerful military force in the world, and a member of a society that seems all to willing to wage wars of agression, that they could stand up and speak their conscience in the face of all that.  And not only speak their conscience but to first hear their conscience.  To allow themselves to hear their conscience- that is inspiring.  

© Jon Orlando

How did you approach to the first subjects? 

I was somewhat active in the peace movement here in Colorado and a friend of mine that was very active got me in touch with Jared.  I then networked through Jared.  I started going to events and making my presence and curiousity known.  I approached the whole thing more as a friend and supporter than a journalist.  That allowed and has continue to allow me a lot more access than most would be able to get.

Do you get to interview and know about them, the reasons behind the opposition to the war?

Yes certaintly.  Almost every one of them was interviewed ( I have audio from about half that will hopefully become part of the series) or at least I had a conversation or two and got to know them a bit before the image was created.  What I learn about them becomes the basis of the image.  I really want to focus on the emotion behind why they have transformed.  To me that is an integral part of the series.  It is what connects the viewer to the subject and hopefully allows each viewer to see a bit of themselves in the subject.  I also want to say that I have spent alot of time with many of the individuals, often times before I create an image at all.  On the recent 45 day trip I always stayed with the veterans I was working with.  I attended their retreats, their actions, slept on their couches, went out for beers with them etc.  I feel that is what has allowed this series to capture such emotion.  

How do you find your subjects? How open are they to be photographed and shared their story?

I find them through continuous networking and research.  I go to a lot of their events locally and nationally and get to know them. I listen to their stories in person or read about them online. I ask other veterans I have already worked with who might be good.  Sometimes I will be going to another part of the country for another photo job and I will schedule an extra couple days there to try and work on a couple portraits.  If I do not know any veterans in the area, I ask some that I know well from elsewhere to put me in touch.  That is  becoming easier and easier as I meet more and more of them.  It can be dificult though and sometimes you come home empty handed.  Sometimes they are hesitant and usually if they are I just do not work with them.  I show them the work I have done and chat with them about why I am doing it.  If they are not into it, I do not push.  I just have not felt a need to push at all.  When at all possible I try to get another veteran to ask.  In terms of sharing their stories- Usually the more trust you gain, and the more time you spend with them, the more they are willing to open up.  But some just do not want to open up to anyone, even to their close friends and loved ones, and I respect that.  Some find it healing to open up so they are willing to share a lot.  

© Jon Orlando

What do you like to achieve with this work? What is the impact you try to achieve? How do you think this work could make a difference?

Here is a quote from the essay I submitted to the Blue Earth Alliance ( which I was recently accepted by). I think this answers this question:

“We as a nation and a people are disconnected from the reality, intimacy, and emotions of war and especially from the soldiers who fight in it.  We see the wars as “over there”, being fought between the “troops” and the “insurgents”, we see the dead and wounded as digits in a body count, and those who resist as defectors or protestors.  In our minds, soldiers become instruments that fight for our freedoms and protections, devoid of emotions or morals that might conflict with the mission, never mind first and last names.  Simply put we forget their humanity.   And in doing so, we make the justifications for war and occupation that much easier to accept.  Through the use of intimate portraits and in depth audio interviews, this project will challenge that perception of the soldier and reintroduce us to them as humans with distinct and varying sets of emotions, morals and beliefs.  Specifically it will look deeply at the emotions and feelings behind their decision to oppose the wars they have been a part of.  Was it anger at a corrupt system, compassion for those whose country and people they found themselves destroying, a sense of betrayal from the government they were fighting for, or sadness over the level of death and destruction they were a part of? I have found that while each veteran may have several stories and reasons why they oppose the war, there is usually one underlying emotion that drives their transformation.  While I aim to document their stories, it is the emotions that will be highlighted in this project as a means for providing a space for the viewers to relate to the veterans on a very personal level.  In creating that space and reintroducing the public to the humanity and emotion of the soldier, this project will challenge the ease with which we accept war.”

 I would add to that that I would hope it encourages people to address the issue of humanity and how they are or are not connected to their own sense of humanity.  The project documents how these veterans are reconnecting with their own sense of humanity- hopefully it will encourage others to do the same in their own lives.

Do you think that anyone will change their perception of the war after learning about this project?

I can not imagine that my work alone will change anyone’’s viewpoints on war but I would like to think it could be a part of changing someones thoughts on war and their ability to connect with their fellow humans.  I know for me, there was not one thing in particular that changed my viewpoints but a continuous collective of discussions, music, events, interactions etc..   I see my work as part of that collective.

Do you intend to publish a book? Exhibit in galleries?

Yes I am working towards a book.  I am hoping to have about 45 images and stories for a book.  As for galleries, I have shown the work in some smaller galleries here in Colorado but I am working towards showing in larger galleries throughout the country.  Something we have done at the showings so far, is to have veterans that are part of the series come and address those in attendance at the openings.  It is amazingly powerfull and gets people to really stop and think.  I just did an opening about 2 weeks ago and I am still hearing from people that were moved by the whole event.  I also include write ups on their stories in the show that really help to get people to connect with the individuals.  I am hoping in the future to be able to edit some of the audio and have that as part of the exhibits as well. 

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Congratulations for taking the challenge of this interesting project. My best wishes to you and the project Jon.

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Raised in the USA but of peruvian descend,  Carlos Jiménez Cahua photographed Lima, Peru. Simple and powerful images that convey the relationship and alterations of the land by the people living there. It is striking how the houses blend with the earth, a continuum of earthy color and patterns that become part of the same landscape. 

I am interested in man’’s development on the earth – the way he shapes and sculpts the landscape. he must have a relationship with the land in order to alter it, and I feel that connection is more intimate than usual in a place like Lima. The people quite literally live atop the raw earth. – Carlos Jiménez Cahua

© Carlos Jiménez Cahua

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Photographing the absence of light.

Photographing the darkness. 

Photographing the whiteness.

Revealing the simplicity of emotion.

Calm, mystery, and wonder.

This is the work by british photographer Nicholas Hughes.

© Nicholas Hughes

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workshop by Aaron Hobson

In August 13-15, Aaron Hobson will be conducting a workshop …

focused on inspiring photographers interested in the “mise en scene” or narrative style of photography to create images with your own voice where every element of the scene contributes to it’’s meaning.

Many of you already know the special work of Aaron Hobson, with a photographic style that turns to be a visual narrative with exceptionally crafted images. This workshop is an opportunity to get inspired, do great work and to learn from one of the most intriguing emerging photographers of the moment.

The workshop will run at a unique scenic location, the The Adirondack Park, the largest publicly protected area throughout the entire United States, located east north of NYC. The workshop headquarters will be in Saranac Lake named the best small town in New York State and ranked 11th in the United States in The 100 Best Small Towns in America. In 2006 the village was named as one of the “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation. The workshop will be completed with a final group exhibit including a reception, a great finale for a workshop promises to be a unique opportunity to learn, to get inspired and to make great images.

The workshop is currently half full, so don”t miss the chance to contact Aaron if you have interest.

© Aaron Hobson

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Mårten Lange, a young photographer in Sweden and founder of Farewell Books, has quite nice work at his website. Anomalies, his latest series in B&W, is very interesting.

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The work of Andrea Diefenbach exposes with visual sensitivity the life of people living with chronic diseases, like AIDS and Cystic Fibrosis and also the life of people with interesting backgrounds and circumstances. Her narrative is therefore about people”’’s lives. I like that the images are unassuming and very candid, intimate in some cases, and connect at the most basic level, they convey a sense of humanity and empathy.

Ahorn magazine published an interview with Andrea discussing her project AIDS in Odessa that is it is very worth to read.

© Andrea Diefenbach

© Andrea Diefenbach

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I am pleased to pass along information for an event in my residence town, San Diego, Califonia. On May 9th at the Grossmont College there will be an event called “Photo San Diego, Collegiate Conference” [pdf]. There will be vendors, demonstrations, portfolio reviews, and seminars by a number of photographers including Don Bartletti, pulitzer prize winner and stuff photographer at Los Angeles Times. PHOTO SAN DIEGO will be attracting photography students and enthusiasts throughout San Diego County and is sponsored in part by MAC on Campus, MoPA and many others. [thanks to Paul Turounet for the info]

PHOTO SAN DIEGO Events:

• Presentations and Discounts on the Latest Equipment from Participating Vendors
• Sale of Used Analog | DIgital Photography Equipment and Photo Collectibles
• In-Studio Demonstrations on Lighting and Digital Photography Techniques
• Portfolio Reviews by Visiting Artists and University Professionals
• Presentations and Information from leading Art Schools and Universities
• Purchase Student Photographs (just in time for Mother’s Day)
• Opportunity Drawing to Win Photo Gear, Original Photographic Works and Prizes

Shared Wisdom : A Panel Discussion Photographers talking About Photography

Participate in an informal discussion and q & a about the fields of art photography, photojournalism and commercial / editorial photography with:

Peggy Ann Jones

Don Bartletti

Greg Lambert

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Koichiro Kurita, born and raised in Japan, fine art photographer living in New York City since the 1990s. The exquisite beauty of work that is simple but complete, images that are both uniquely original as they are unsurprising. It is work that highlights what I like most about photography, the ability to make beauty of what it is not, the ability to express feelings by mapping light so that the message is understood by the teller [photographer] and the listener [the viewer]. This is quiet work, with quiet light, with quiet subjects from nature. Quiet light that is materialized as platinum prints on hand made Japanese paper to reveal a range of tonal values that unfortunately can””t be appreciated in the web.

If you are in New York City between May 15th to June 27th, Sepia International will have an exhibit of his work, with the opening on May 14th, simultaneously with Asian Contemporary Art week in NYC.

© Koichiro Kurita

I had a fateful encounter with Thoreau”’’s Walden and was moved by its absolute freedom of the spirit and ability to enjoy harmony with nature, unconstrained by society”’’s rules. It was so close to the Asian way of understanding nature. Deeply inspired, I quit commercial photography and retreated to the mountains to start photographing nature. Each surface in the world of nature has a connecting border to the next surface. Each connection contributes to a harmony of nature as a whole. My work is the expression of these mysterious junctures and an exploration of the connections between myself and nature. >Koichiro Kurita

© Koichiro Kurita

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Beautiful portrait project by Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn, a recent graduate from the School of Creative Art University of Melbourne with a combined degree in International Politics [interesting background well suited for photojournalism work]. The project depicts the happiness and the dignity, of elderly Tibetans that are poor in material possessions but rich in spiritual depth. These are Tibetans looking forward to receive the blessings from His Holiness Dalai Lama. Their smile is contagious, their happiness it is a reminder of what is possible when one has a positive soul.

© Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn

March 10, 2009 marks the 50th anniversary of Tibetan National Uprising Day, a day in 1959 when the Tibetan people rose up to defend their country and their leader against the military aggression of the People’s Republic of China. A week after this historic Uprising, Dalai Lama, spiritual and temporal leader of the six million Tibetans escaped into exile where he has remained ever since.

From 5-18 January 2009, I traveled to Saranarth, India to documenting the life of 45 elderly Tibetan refugee age between 60-80, whom for the first time in their life will have chance to receive private audience from His Holiness Dalai Lama. This project is organized and sponsor by Sathirakoses-Nagapradipa Foundation. This project actually begins from idea of Mr. Tenzin Losel a Tibetan social worker. Who have strong intention to bring these old Tibetan from his hometown a refugee camp in Main Pat to Dalai Lama teaching in Saranath. - Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn

© Bhanuwat Jittivuthikarn

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The work of young dutch photographer Levi Van Veluw is unmistakably different. These are self portraits where his face becomes the canvas, and photography becomes a way to record the message of the expressive make-ups. This is a one man work, although I have to think that he gets some assistance to put all these “trees” on his face.  Photography and painting, painting and sculpture, all with self portraits. Like it or not, it is quite interesting.

First, the photo series are self-portraits, drawn and photographed by myself: a one-man process. I modify the face as object; combining it with other stylistic elements to create a third visual object of great visual impact. The work you see therefore is not a portrait, but an information-rich image of colour, form, texture and content. – interview by Ping Mag

© Levi Van Veluw

© Levi Van Veluw

For the series “Light” he covered his head with pieces of light generating foil and then he made self portraits in total darkness. The bright light produced by these strips formed a three dimensional shape of his face.

© Levi Van Veluw

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Catharine Stebbins

There is photography whose subject is intrinsic emotion. The sense of presence and connectivity with the basic aspects of a place, simple objects, beautiful light and nothing else but the experience of feeling rewarded by the allure of beauty that should not be, but it becomes when it is felt.
This is the series Certain Places by Catharine Stebbins. Fascinating.

Catharine Stebbins

Intuition and memory profoundly shaped my experience of place. The genesis of this series began on childhood vacations, as my family crisscrossed the west in our station wagon on long summer vacations. The view through the backseat window became my portal into a world of imagination and possibility, where time stood still as the vast open spaces slid by in stop motion, framed like natural dioramas. When we stopped, I’d climb out of the car, walk into the desert and sit where I could touch the rocks and feel the emptiness. The tiniest detail brought the limitless space into sharp focus, pushing me to discover what was happening ahead, hidden beyond the horizon; beautiful empty places that I knew could reveal secrets.
- Catharine Stebbins

Catharine Stebbins

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© Laura El-Tantawy

This is wonderful work, by Laura El-Tantawy .  If your browse the portfolios you will find gems with compositions that are remarkable, distinctive and powerful.

© Laura El-Tantawy

© Laura El-Tantawy

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by Bert Myers

Since the discovery of x-rays by Wilhelm Roentgen in 1895, their use in medicine was adapted rapidly and with the development of safer and capable equipment x-ray radiographs become commonly used. While photography records reflected light with the corresponding change of wavelength according to the absorbing characteristics of the material, x-ray photography records transmitted irradiation, the radiation that passes through the object is recorded on a gelatin silver emulsion or a digital sensor. Thus the typical monochromatic look of radiography, thus the abstract result that reveals the inner inside of objects and causes wonder. Who has not been curious when looking at a radiography of a human body? Who is not surprised when looking at the mundane suitcases at security checkpoints to become wonderful diagrams of lines at the display of the x-ray screening machine?

by Nick Veasey

x-ray radiation can also be used to photographs objects, with the only purpose of creating interesting fine art images. It is the concept of photographing a regular subject with a different perspective taken to the extreme, just use ionizing radiation to see what you can not see. Here you can read about the use of x-ray radiography to capture floral images and read a very interesting article at cultcase with a reference to several photographers using x-ray radiography.

 Bert Myers, is a retired physician who has been making x-ray images of shells and flowers for many years, and recently published a book collection of many of these images. If you like this type of photography this is a book you may find interesting, with many color and monochromatic images. All these images can be purchased at his website for reasonable prices.

Other photographers making x-ray photography are:

• Nick Veasey
• Diane Covert
• Steven N. Meyers
• Judith K. McMillan
• Ted Kinsman

by Steven Meyers

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After posting about the work of Luis Gonzalez Palma I learned about FotoVisura, an independent visual arts organization dedicated to the exposure and support of artists. Adriana Teresa, the creative director and publisher of Visura Magazine, is indeed organizing an exhibition titled Tu/Mi Placer, featuring work by Luis Gonzalez Palma, an exhibit that will be located at the FotoVisura Latin American Pavilion during the upcoming New York Photo Festival 2009.

Visura Magazine is dedicated to provide artists with a platform to share their work directly, both visually and in writing and has released now the second issue with wonderful work by Shelby Lee Adams and Ed Kashi in addition to Luis Gonzalez Palma and other artists. Ed Kashi”’’s work relates to his recent book Three. The magazine is very well designed blending effectively the experience of photography with text written by the artists about their work, an aspect that I very much value as it provides a deeper understanding of the purpose of the work.

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Perhaps one of the most significant photographers in Latin America, Luis Gonzalez Palma from Guatemala. If you visit his website you will find a number of creative series, some better than others but all quite original. The use of traditional aesthetics confers a sort of dated feel to the images. You can read a [ten years old] interview here. His most recent book is “Jerarquias de Intimidad“.

I just try to incorporate the emotion that I have. For example, if you can explain a poem, it is not a poem. Poetry has to be inexplicable. And it is impossible to explain the emotion of the violin from Bach. You can talk about something, but to explain why you feel things . . . you can””t. So I try to have an emotional impact, not with words or sounds, but I try to get these deep emotions from images. – Luis Gonzalez Palma

© Luis Gonzalez Palma

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Yossi Milo gallery in New York City has an upcoming exhibit of the series “Vector Portraits” by Andrew Bush.  Starting in 1989, the photographer took a series of portraits while he was driving in the streets and freeways of Los Angeles, with a flash attached to the passenger side to capture portraits of drivers in the cars while traveling the roads. The idea is very interesting and the series result in a collection of images that look familiar to of of us, as this is what we see everyday while driving the streets, but the old look of the cars and the concentrated intimacy of the people gives a nostalgic look that enhances the interest of the pictures.  

This series is a reminder on how trivial everyday experiences can become interesting when they are photographed so we can stop and look and discover that there is something significant beyond their triviality.

© Andrew Bush

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“I am because we are” is a film documenting the situation of more than a million orphans from parents who died of HIV/AIDS in Malawi, Africa. The movie shows the journey of Madona at Malawi and depicts interviews with a number of well known experts and influencers on the current situation in Africa. The movie can be seen in full at HULU [see also the embedded video at the end of the post].  

from “I am because we are” by  Kristen Ashburn

A companion book by  photographer Kristen Ashburn has been published by powerHouse and the images are currently in display at the powerHouse gallery in New York city. Kristen became a photojournalist after quitting her job assisting the production of fashion photographers in New York city, a decision that was driven by her sensitivity to the daily news describing the distressing situation in Africa. Since then she has been documenting a number of humanitarian causes, perhaps become better known by the audience after publishing the multimedia work “Bloodline: AIDS and family“. A review of “I am because we are” was published at The Digital Journalist where you can see several images at the gallery.

Kristen is also a director of the non-profit “Through the eyes of children“. You can purchase beautiful pictures taken by the children in Rwanda and contribute to this engaging program so the kids can expand their sense of identity by sharing their views and life with the world.

The goal of this project is to share with the world the perspective of the children, to provide an opportunity to reflect on the tragedy of the genocide by observing life today through the eyes of the children of Rwanda. Additionally, the project aims to demonstrate to the children of the Imbabazi Orphanage that they have something to share with the world that is meaningful. Through the sale of their photographs, the children receive that message, as well as the means to continue their photography and their education. [source]

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The work of Jennifer Greenburg documenting the “Rockabilly” community – a subculture that adopts the looks and values of mid-twentieth century America is quite beautiful. The first time I saw the images I thought there were shot decades ago, perhaps it is even more surprising that how some aficionados are able to maintain so well the looks and spirit of those times. Wonderful series indeed.

© Jennifer Greenburg

© Jennifer Greenburg

© Jennifer Greenburg

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