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2011 FotoEvidence Book Award

This is a last minute reminder that the deadline for the 2011 FotoEvidence Book Award is February 15. From their website, "Once a year the FotoEvidence Book Award will recognize a documentary project addressing a violation of human rights, a significant injustice, or an assault on human dignity" Go to http://fotoevidence.com/book-award for more information.

Annoucement of the 2011 Anthropographia Award for Human Rights

The 2011 Anthropographia Award for Human Rights have been announced. Congratulations to all the winners! We are pleased to say that several VII photographers made the short list. In the category of photo essay, Donald Weber/VII Network for "Interrogations," and Giulio Di Sturco/VII Mentor for "War on the Edges of Heaven." In the multimedia category, Stefano De Luigi/VII Network received an honorary mention for "Blanco," and Peter Dicampo/VII Mentor made the short list for "Life Without Lights." Ed's "The Leaves Keep Falling," a collaboration with Talking Eyes Media on the lasting genetic effects of Agent Orange in Vietnam, also made the short list.

This is the second year of this award competition and it has already become an important avenue for the celebration of meaningful photographic projects and the raising of awareness on human rights issues.

VII Magazine Published New & Old Work about Egypt

VII Magazine has just published two new pieces about Egypt edited by Scott Thode. Egypt Erupts, compiled from work by Ron Haviv, Franco Pagetti and Benedicte Kurzen on the front lines of Cairo's Tahrir Square in the past week and, Egypt Under Mubarek, edited from our archives with images by Stephanie Sinclair, Gary Knight, Antonin Kratochvil, John Stanmeyer and myself.

It's All About the Face

This image makes me really miss the days of film. It’s just drenched in color. And the depth and detail make me feel as though I can reach through the screen and grab hold. Alas, this post is not going to be a pining for the days of yore. (Sigh)

I thought I’d take this opportunity to speak a little about characters. In the photojournalism world, theories abound as to the future of our industry, but one thing I hear a lot about is the increasing significance of character driven pieces, for both still and video. With the inundation of images in today’s world, knowing our craft, while still unarguably essential, is almost not enough anymore. It’s not enough to go to these faraway places and make images of isolated cultures. Times have changed. What I think separates great photojournalists from the rest is the ability to really tell a story, whether through an in-depth reportage or a single image. It’s increasingly important for us to seek out the people, the faces, the characters that cut to the heart of the issue and are going to have an emotional impact, not just in the dramatic sense but also in our desire for laughter, fun and human connection. This is tangential, but I think this idea taps into the fundamental need for human connection that is currently being radically transformed and I think, hurt by all of the technological forms of communication we now rely on.

Probably without even knowing it, this man has opened himself up and in essence, has shown us his vulnerability by just being himself. I feel as though I know him in some way. When you look at him in the context of the entire image, it’s amazing how he has brought the photo to life. Imagine the image without him, just a sea of blank faces in a crowd with some pretty red flowers, but with him, I’m drawn in, engaged and connected.

World Press Foundation announces first Multimedia Competition

For all those interested in applying to this year's first World Press Foundation Photojournalistic Multimedia competition, please refer to this LINK for contest rules. Good luck and all the best, Ed

Silent Screams: Rights of the Child

The folks at Australian Photojournalist have recently published "Silent Screams: Rights of the Child," a collection of photo stories from 20 photojournalists that chronicle some of the most pressing and disturbing issues facing children all over the globe. From sex trafficking, child soldiers and child labor to the impact on childhood development from environmental disasters such as Chernobyl, Agent Orange and the extraction and production of oil, the editors have created an engaging, informative and haunting book.

The Kalash of Pakistan

I recently ventured back into the archive to find a new batch of images for the blog. I found this one from a story Ed did on Pakistan in 1997. I love how the interplay of shadows and highlights in the cornstalks forms a “V” shape at the tip of which stands the focus of the image, a highly adorned woman holding what could either be a doll or a religious artifact. The woman seems to have no awareness of the camera and is caught in an unguarded, intimate moment, lost in thought or perhaps prayer. It’s a beautiful and, dare I say, quiet moment, but it’s also a somewhat mysterious moment leaving the viewer with more questions than answers.

As I started researching this image, I was introduced to one of Pakistan’s ethnic minorities, the Kalash, who live in isolated mountain valleys in the Khyber-Pakhtunkwha Province of Northwest Pakistan (this image was taken in Bumburet). They have lived in this region for over 2,000 years. The Kalash practice a polytheistic/animist religion where nature plays a key role in both their spiritual and personal lives. They believe in a pantheon of gods similar to the ancient Greeks, beliefs that are not only diametrically opposed to the Muslim majority of Pakistan but also differ from other surrounding ethnic minorities in the area. They live in an autonomous zone, granting them certain freedoms, such as the ability to produce and drink alcohol which is used in many of their religious rituals. Despite these protections, their numbers steadily dwindled as they struggled against the spread of Islam. They speak Kalasha, of which there are only about 5,000 speakers left, which classifies it as a critically endangered language according to UNESCO. Languages and culture go extinct everyday and with them, hundreds if not thousands of years of knowledge and tradition. With the push toward globalization…I really hate to use that word, as it’s become such a watered-down cliché… with the push toward homogenization and conformity, this is a major part of what is at stake. When a culture or language goes extinct, the loss to the world is no less great than any other extinction. To me, the vast diversity of language, culture, and tradition is what makes this world such an incredibly rich, breathtaking, engaging, awe-inspiring place to live.

Political Killings in Arizona and Punjab

The political killing in Arizona that took place today is as tragic and troubling as the assassination of Punjab's governor that took place in Pakistan earlier this week. We cannot let violent acts by fundamentalism of any kind get away with impunity. It's an affront to a free and civil society.