# 3 MAY 2011
Juan Carlos Tomasi Laura El-Tantawy David Strohl Ben Sklar Guillermo Cervera Matt Eich
and more...
Staff Staff Founder | Editor MIGUEL A. MOYA miguel.moya@f8mag.com
Columnist & Translator FELVER ALFONZO felver@f8mag.com Design & Layout ANA VIDA Website: www.f8mag.com
Follow Us: Contact Information Contributors: iwantyou@f8mag.com Contact us: contact@f8mag.com Advertising: ads@f8mag.com
Special thanks to : JUAN CARLOS TOMASI GUILLERMO CERVERA ELSYMARIE VEGA OTTO SCHULZE MIKE DAVIS MATT EICH
©F8MAGAZINE 2011 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in whole or part without permission from the publishers. The views expressed in F8Magazine are those of the respective contributors and are not necessarily shared by the magazine or its staff. © Copyright Notice: All images displayed on this magazine are the property of their respective photographers. YOU MAY NOT DISTRIBUTE, COPY, PUBLISH OR USE THE IMAGES OR ANY PART OF THE IMAGES IN ANY WAY WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER. YOU MAY NOT ALTER, MANIPULATE, ANY PART OF AN IMAGE WITHOUT CONSENT. Contact the photographer if you wish to obtain a reproduction of an image or if you wish to obtain permission to redisplay an image on another web site.
Editor´s Note Editor´s Note A new issue from F8Mag. We continue our journey in search for the best images, looking for the story behind each photo. Eight trips, eight different destinations, eight looks. Juan Carlos Tomasi show us eight forgotten conflicts. Each trip was in the company of a prestigious writer, his photos hit our consciousness. We will travel through the rebellion in Libya with Guillermo Cervera, a photojournalist who accompanied Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, acclaim photojournalists, when were killed by Moammar Gaddafi’s forces in the western rebels Against Libyan city of Misurata. A new section. Acclaimed picture editor Mike Davis answers questions from professional photographers. Send your questions to Mike! Projects, great photographic projects. The intimate view of Islamic veil from Laura El-Tantawy. The power and muscle of the big trucks that molded a lifestyle from the pictures of Roger Snider. Small stories with an intensity and unparalleled beauty. Matt Eich shows us a bit of his life in images thatspeaks about love and bonding, and much more ... As always, an intense look through different landscapes and cultures that inhabit our planet. Continue reading, we have a lot of photos and new content for you.
Miguel A . Moya, Editor miguel.moya@f8mag.com
Photo by Juan Carlos Tomasi
6
7
Contents
David Strohl
Ben Sklar
Guillermo Cervera
Laura El-Tantawy
Roger Snider
Flanegan Bainon
Mike Davis
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Otto Schulze Contest
Matt Eich #1
JANUARY 2011
8
Projects
S
Ben Sklar
erenity
A project by
Ben Sklar
The Harris family eating dinner in their r.v. during their first week on the road.
# 3 MAY 2011
9
10
Projects
11 “We felt like we were dying” she told me after we had barely known each other. Ben Sklar
She is Aimee Harris, a wife, a writer and mother of 3 children among many other things. In the early spring of 2008 Aimee and her husband Jeff Harris, of Austin, Texas, decided they were fed up, they had reached their max. They were going to donate everything they owned, 2 18-foot moving trucks, to charity and travel the country to find a more sustainable way to live. They wanted to free themselves from the constraints of the mundane, routine everyday lifestyle in urban America that so many have become conditioned to call normal. The American Dream so many strive for had left them jaded and full of discontent.
Quinn plays near the family’s new home in New Mexico. When they settled in a forest in New Mexico after more than a year of travelling Jeff found new work in cutting wood to prepare for winter.
They donated their 50-inch tv that had displayed years of sitcoms, they donated boxes of their childrens’ toys, and they even donated their wedding rings to a couple they found on craigslist. Research and planning had been taking place for months prior to their departure. The family had trained themselves to have nonattachment to material possessions, cure their poor diets and have a greater understanding of the role they wanted to play in the world around them.
# 3 MAY 2011
12
Projects
Jeff and Aimee donated their rings to a couple on craigslist.
Ben Sklar
# 3 MAY 2011
13
14
Projects
The family shares dinner by candlelight while camping in Florida.
Ben Sklar
# 3 MAY 2011
15
16
Ben Sklar
Projects
Nichola plays in the family home in New Mexico.
Aimee looks out the window of the family’s new r.v. home.
A retired military family sold them a 1980s Allegro recreational vehicle and shortly their after the family made their way slowly to their first destination -- the Rainbow gathering in Wyoming. A place they would learn how to be free and live in the present as inspired by author Eckhart Tolle.
The Harris family made connections to people of a similar outlook at the gathering in the wilderness and continued to travel for almost 2 years. The family, then Aimee, Jeff, Quinn, 6, Nichola, 2, and the two dogs, Sheriff and Juney-Moon, endured many highs and lows: sub freezing temperatures during a Wisconsin winter, begging for mercy at an airport hotel after going broke, meeting good friends for life > Aimee and Quinn walk near their home in New Mexico.
# 3 MAY 2011
17
18
Ben Sklar
Projects
Nichola sits in the family home in New Mexico.
Aimee stands in her garage of stuff that they donated to charity.
> who would give them shelter and help repair their Rv, seeing the white sands of the finest beaches in Florida and the spirit of New Orleans during Mardi Gras among those experiences.
The parents learned how to educate their children by new experience rather than a classroom of lectures and notes. They gave them routine through regular meals, reading and the promise of new experiences everyday. As the children grew and birthdays past so did the parents.
in the forest, and Aimee embraced A major factor was Jeff’s employer the new life of Simone continuing reducing him to part time contract work from a full time salaried position. to chronicle her family’s experiences on her blog. Now the Harrises look A blessing for Jeff’s new ability to to new opportunities in growing spend more dedicated time to his their own food, raising animals and family but a curse for the income and eventually living off the grid. well being of the family. Not only that but Aimee was pregnant with her third I continue to maintain a relationship with the Harris family and visit them child. multiple times a year from my home Eventually, they grew wearing of their in Austin. I document the family’s life on the road and looked more experiences through digital still seriously for a place to settle while and video photography. Presently I crashing at parents and friends’ houses am researching grants to continue back in Texas. They found a 160-year photographing alternative lifestyles in old home in a forest in Northern New the United States and am working on Mexico and fled Texas again cash in editing the Harris’ story into a short hand for a deposit. documentary film. Early that winter Aimee gave birth to Simone at their new home as the family prepared for winter. Jeff learned to fell trees for wood chopping, Quinn and Nichola continued learning to read, taking interest in ballet, gardening, sewing and their new home
# 3 MAY 2011
19
20
Projects
The parents learned how to educate their children by new experience rather than a classroom of lectures and notes.
Aimee gave birth to a third child, Simone, at their home in New Mexico.
Ben Sklar
# 3 MAY 2011
21
22
Ben Sklar
Projects
Aimee gave birth to a third child, Simone, at their home in New Mexico.
# 3 MAY 2011
23
24
Projects
Quinn walks down a highway during the family’s first visit to New Mexico after they left home in Austin.
Ben Sklar
# 3 MAY 2011
25
26
Projects
About the Author
As a kid, Ben Sklar used a lot of disposable cameras — taking underwater pictures of friends, extreme sports or hanging out of minivan windows on Boy Scout trips. As a professional, Sklar photography continues to be a lot of fun as I approach each project with genuine, unprejudiced excitement. Sklar is rarely seen without a camera because he is always looking for his next best picture. When Hurricane Katrina hit in 2005, Sklar skipped class to sleep on a courtroom table wading in 4 feet of water in Bay St. Louis, Mississippi. The human experience that he photographed and endured made him the photographer and person he is today, and he was honored to be nominated for a Pulitzer Prize as a result. Sklar was also recognized by the Society of Professional Journalists, Photographer of the Year International and the Gran Prix de Photographie Paris, among others. His photographs have appeared in such publications as The New York Times, National Geographic Magazine, Newsweek, The London Sunday Times and Time Magazine.
To view more about me and my work, please visit www.bensklar.com
Sklar is based in Austin, Texas, but frequently travels for freelance assignments. His travels have taken me to 39 states and across Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Africa. When home, you can find me playing Iron Chef in the kitchen, rock climbing outdoors, printing in the darkroom or coaching lacrosse. Although Sklar doesn't carry a Kodak as often as he used to, he's ready to take pictures anywhere, anytime. Send him an e-mail, add him on Facebook, read his blog or give him a call. # 3 MAY 2011
28
David Strohl
Projects
To Drift
S
avannah
A project by
David Strohl
# 3 MAY 2011
29
30
David Strohl
Projects
The mentality is to wander the urban space, get off of predictable paths, and jolt yourself into a more nuanced awareness of the urban landscape. detail actually plays a very significant role in my photographic journeys. The presence of the dog creates an unavoidable spectacle of myself. I am often approached by strangers on the street because of his presence, wherein without the dog I am generally ignored. This creates an open opportunity for me to engage with the people, put them off guard, and strike up meaningful conversations. Because of his memorable looks, we began to be recognized around the city. Over time, we became an accepted part of the scene, and this altered the photography. In contemporary society, street photographers are generally avoided, disliked, and looked at with incredible suspicion. I have been able to circumvent that mentality simply by having the dog. This was an unexpected and delightful discovery, as I have been able to get an incredible amount of access and acceptance into the local street culture. This all started with my discovery of Guy Debord, the Situationists, and their ideas of the ‘dérive’. Guy Debord defines the dérive as “a mode of experimental behavior linked to the conditions of urban society: a technique of rapid passage through varied ambiances.” The mentality is to wander the urban space, get off of predictable paths, and jolt yourself into a more nuanced awareness of the urban landscape.
I began randomly wandering the streets of Savannah, shooting images of whatever I personally found to be a significant indicator of place. Often, I wouldn’t even worry about photographing, but rather just closely observe the interactions between the people and the urban geography.
to experience it”. The notion of the flâneur has accumulated significant meaning in photography, as a referent for understanding urban phenomena and modern culture. While typically a photographer who references these ideas can be seen as a cynical and disengaged voyeur, I took a slightly different take on this. While walking, Charles Baudelaire developed a derived I will always bring along my dog, who meaning of the term flâneur—that of is a very large and interesting looking “a person who walks the city in order greyhound. This easily overlooked
Over time, I began to understand the complexities of the area, and this slowly shaped the narrative of the images. Not only did the pictures become a documentary series about the city of Savannah, but they also began to show my own personal progression of understanding. These images are as much about my own transformation in the role of the flâneur, as they are about the city itself. This became a personal quest of understanding. # 3 MAY 2011
31
32
Projects
David Strohl
# 3 MAY 2011
33
34
David Strohl
Projects
feel a sort of a “epiphany moment”. And that is how I ended up with the first iteration of this project, titled ‘To Drift Savannah’. While I enjoyed the final outcome of this editing of images, the final product never felt finished. This truly was just a sketch of the city, and didn’t delve deeper or really tell a more meaningful story. I decided to push on. Soon after, as an exercise, I divided up the images into each respective neighborhood within the city. This allowed me to recognize certain tendencies of where I would wander and within this organization I began to see the more intricate narratives that could come out of this work. The images from the neighborhood just east of downtown Savannah really popped out to me as the most interesting set. Already, I could see the potential of narrowing my focus into this one area.
After about a year of this wandering, I felt like I had captured a comprehensive (although impossible to complete) sketch of the city. So I put all the images on the table, about 1400 total, and began a process of editing, organizing, and generally noticing the tendencies of the photography. I attempted to put together a narrative of the most personally significant moments, the images where I could
So, I decided that I would start there. I mapped off that very specific area and focused in on that neighborhood. Coupled with some in depth academic research about the neighborhood, and now a very focused intent of repeated exploration, I began to really understand what the neighborhood currently is. While many residents write off the Eastside as an impoverished and blighted neighborhood, I have instead discovered an area that is filled with deep familial connections, an innate beauty, and generally a place that is burgeoning with potential. My research backed this up, as the neighborhood was recently identified as the next to undergo the process of gentrification and revitalization. This body of work has become not only a series of personal connections in my quest to comprehend the community, it has also >
# 3 MAY 2011
35
36
David Strohl
Projects
> become a historical record of the neighborhood as it is before this impending gentrification. The act of photographing has gotten me involved in the day-to-day of the area, and has resulted in my own integration into the community. My hope is that these photographs will illustrate to the residents that community awareness and involvement is essential
in maintaining the neighborhood’s inherent culture. The final product of this series will be a public installation within the neighborhood, and will feature the photos along with a neighborhoodwide block party. I want to present a utopic environment -- providing a moment in time where the many
socio-economic classes in Savannah come together in celebration of community and diversity. The intent is to increase the amount of awareness and dialogue between the city government and it’s citizens, and to be able to move forward with the revitalization process in an inclusive and sensitive manner.
# 3 MAY 2011
37
38
Projects
David Strohl
# 3 MAY 2011
39
40
David Strohl
Projects
About the Author David Strohl is an artist
and educator based out of Austin, Texas. He has recently completed an MFA degree in photography from the Savannah College of Art and Design. While he has been working as a freelance editorial and commercial photographer for several years, his time working on the graduate degree has re-kindled his passion for art and photography. With a honed style and a desire to experience and understand the intricacies of human interaction, David has plans to document the complexities of life around the world. He has future projects planned that move past traditional photography and into the realm of ‘public intervention’-- work which enters a situation outside the art world in an attempt to change or disrupt the existing conditions in a particular place. To view more about me and my work, please visit www.davidstrohl.net
# 3 MAY 2011
41
44
Laura El-Tantawy
Projects
V
The
eil
A project by
Laura El-Tantawy # 3 MAY 2011
45
46
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
It’s hard to say if the vision I had one sunny afternoon is the reason behind this work. I remember an image of my mother kneeling down to lift me off the ground, the soft breeze caressing her cheeks as her shimmering veil fluttered in the wind. In her arms I knew everything was fine. Having lived between east and west much of my life, I did not realize what the traditional ideologies instilled in my upbringing really meant until I was forced away from them. How does one hold onto what makes up their identity when it is oceans away? I have spent most of my adult life trying to answer this question.
# 3 MAY 2011
47
48
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
There were moments when I starkly looked back at myself in the mirror and did not recognize the person staring back at me. Sandwiched between the liberal ideologies of the west and my traditional upbringing in the east, I slowly came to terms with myself. My work as a photographer helping me do that through explorations of issues that are of personal relation to me.
# 3 MAY 2011
49
50
Laura El-Tantawy
Projects
Growing up in a family where the majority of women cover their hair has meant that much of the stereotypes cast upon Muslim women wearing the veil has left me rather disturbed. The women in my family are among the strongest and most determined women I have ever known and yet the stereotypes I am often faced with claim women with a veil are oppressed and submissive to dominating male figures that force them to cover up against their will. The issues surrounding a women’s individual decision to cover her hair (or not) have been reduced to a simplistic degree.
# 3 MAY 2011
51
52
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
This project is a personal exploration of identity and perception, those two very powerful concepts that have been my companion through life. The work intends to show the tradition of covering a woman’s hair is not just restricted to followers of Islam – all the way from India to the Middle East women have covered their hair as part of the custom of exhibiting modesty in public. Whereas catholic nuns and Jewish women traditionally cover their hair, Muslim women have been the only ones to be scrutinized for its adoption.
# 3 MAY 2011
53
54
Laura El-Tantawy
Projects
People rarely associate Islam with scientific, medical and philosophical contributions.
The explorations of the 14th century Muslim traveler Ibn Battuta, scientific advances in optics and astrology and contributions to medicine, engineering and architecture seem like old and forgotten relics. What is now referenced to Islam centers around concepts of extremism, terrorism, religious fanaticism and an awkward dislike for the West.
# 3 MAY 2011
55
56
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
It is a pity a minority of Muslims have managed to cast such an impression on the majority of us – there are almost 1.5 billion Muslims around the world. Due to the unfortunate actions of this small group, Muslim women were one of the easiest targets because of their hijab, which easily identifies them. Not only did the veil become a tool for backlash it also became a sign of oppression, ignorance and fanaticism. It is through this sense of misinterpretation of the veil and ultimately my faith that I have chosen to explore this subject.
# 3 MAY 2011
57
58
Laura El-Tantawy
Projects
I would like to show the veil as something beautiful rather than ugly, liberating rather oppressive, uniting women rather than dividing them. I would like the veil to be understood rather than judged. Through my project, “The Veil� I hope to unveil the sheer fabric head cover as something delicate and feminine used by women around the world regardless of their social background or religious practice.
# 3 MAY 2011
59
60
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
# 3 MAY 2011
61
62
Projects
Laura El-Tantawy
About the Author Laura El-Tantawy is an Egyptian photojournalist & artist based in London, UK. She studied journalism & political science at the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia (USA) & started her career as a newspaper photographer with the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel and Sarasota HeraldTribune (USA). Her work has been published & exhibited in the US, Europe, Asia & the Middle East. She exclusively works on self-initiated projects. Laura is the founder of www.illdieforyou.com, a website dedicated to her ongoing project on farmer suicides in rural India. She lives between the UK, her country of birth, and Egypt, where she associates most of her childhood memories. In 2008 El-Tantawy was selected for the prestigious Reflexions Masterclass directed by Italian photographer Giorgia Fiorio & French curator Gabriel Bauret. To view more about me and my work, please visit www.lauraeltantawy.com # 3 MAY 2011
63
64
Talking To
Guillermo Cervera
65
ibya A look to the future A conversation with
Guillermo Cervera On April 20, 2011 Tim Hetherington and Chris Hondros, acclaim photojournalists who had worked in conflict zones around the world, were killed in an explosion during an attack by Moammar Gaddafi’s forces against rebels in the western Libyan city of Misurata. Two other photographers were injured. Guillermo Cervera was one of the photojournalists who was at the place of the attack, saving his life by a few meters. We talked with him about the situation in Libya. # 3 MAY 2011
66
Guillermo Cervera
Talking To
Just a few days, only a week since the rebels began to fight against Gaddafi’s government. The rebels had just taken the east borders of the country and opened to the outsiders. Which was the first impression and what you found when get there? It was very interesting because Libya is a country that has been closed to foreign journalists for more than four decades since Gaddafi is in the government. As a western journalist I found a pristine site to work. The people had never seen journalists on the streets making his work with their cameras and I remember the time when we came to the demonstrations in Benghazi, we were the firsts along with the journalists from the NY Times. The border had been opened only for a day or two and people looked at us like if we were ‘aliens’ carrying cameras, they certainly did not know how to react. Personally, everything was special because we were making news in places where no one had been reporting a single news before. I made simple things like talk and photographing customers at a hair salon or taking pictures to a few children playing in a ditch jumping into the water, things that were very interesting to me as photographer... i must said.
The border had been opened only for a day or two and people looked at us like if we were ‘aliens’ carrying cameras, they certainly did not know how to react.
Did you have problems with the rebels to develop your work? ¿What led you to Libya? I’ve been performed many works in “La Vanguardia” newspaper, and one day I received a call from the head of the international section, who is a friend of mine, saying that he was going to work in Libya and wanted me to go with him. I must say that the trip was prepared with real urgency, overnight, ‘because the border with Egypt had just opened
and I remembered because I had a very strong flu. The first days were a bit chaotic, I forgot the camera batteries in a hotel in Egypt and another photographer brought them to me. Physically speaking I felt bad... but we enter in Libya and i began to work immediately. At that time. How long ago the Libyan conflict has been started?
Absolutely not, we were in a zone entirely controlled by the rebels. They looked at us as foreigners, but they knew that they had to work with the press, only on that way the world would know about their fight. In Libya, the press is helping a lot and they know it. If there weren’t international press inside Libya, Gaddafi’s forces could have a free ticket to suppress their opponents using the hardest way possible.
# 3 MAY 2011
67
68
Guillermo Cervera
Talking To
occident and NATO to take sides. Don’t you think this is a good example of how photojournalism can help to change things? Yes I do. Before I went to Misurata, was in Benghazi and I was very tired because of the working rhythm. I knew that in Misurata there were no photojournalists, they were killing lots of people and that the work that was planned to accomplish in Libya had ended. Let me explain myself: I was in Libya thanks to “La Vanguardia” and the already paid the photographs I sent to them during the days in Bengasi. I knew that a travel to Misurata wasn’t going to
You have been in Libya at least two months, which were the toughest moments on that period of time? There have been hard times like the death of my two colleagues (Tim Hetherington & Chris Hondros). Obviously I was affected a lot. We were working together, sleeping in the same place, we were together everywhere for an entire week and in an instant a mortar falls from the skies and kills them. Aside from the harshness of the situation and the daunting scene where you have to help colleagues who are also friends recently beaten by a mortar. After the chaos, you realize
provide me more money despite the risks entailed, unless I could sell some photos, but... I did it no matter what… because I knew that somehow I could help the world with my photographic testimony to the comprehension on how the repression by the Gaddafi’s regime was killing his own people. The repression in Misurata has been brutal: continuous bombing, snipers shooting everywhere killing children. I have seen children lying on the street with clean headshots gunned by snipers. And I must say a sniper do not make random shooting, because they see their victims very well through the viewfinder of the rifle ... I have seen many aberrations in Misurata.
the fact that could’ve been you on the same situation because i was at his right just next to him. That makes you ask yourself a lot about the war photographer profession. After all the conclusion is the same, I do what I do because I like it and I’ll keep doing it, because I believe in journalism, I believe in photojournalism as a way to help change things and seen so I will try to keep doing my thing , despite the risk it may entail. The coverage of the Libyan rebellion by the news, showing the harsh repression of the Gaddafi’s regime had has against with his own people has made the nations of the
# 3 MAY 2011
69
70
Talking To
Guillermo Cervera
...NATO planes are not doing what they have to do in Misurata and other cities, where they really have to act immediately. You have witnessed those killings? Yes, I needed to go there and show the world using my photos as a testimony about all that was happening, and the mission was accomplished. According to you, what’s the solution to this conflict? Don’t you think there are too many interests involved and too many lies about it? I definitely think that there are many interests and many lies; we must not forget that Libya has a lot of oil and sell it to many countries. Spain, France Italy are countries that got many interests in Libya and this has much to do with what is happening, because it is true that NATO planes are not doing what they have to do in Misurata and other cities, where they really have to act immediately. There are huge contradictions and I think all these interests are slowing down the end of this conflict. Do you think that in fact the objective is to kill Gaddafi and take control of the country’s energy resources? I am inclined to think that NATO is afraid about the idea of the disappearing of Gadaffi from Libya; at least with him the control of energy resources are assured. What will happen if the situation changes? In some ways there is a lot of fear about the future of Libya. Many journalists that I know say, and is my own way >
# 3 MAY 2011
71
72
Guillermo Cervera
Talking To
From your experience, did you saw traits of the Islamic fundamentalism in the rebels? As was mentioned in some media or is just a recurring fear trick from the Western countries?
> of thinking too, that when a political leader have Blood stained hands with the blood of his people nothing left behind, he is finished, it’s just matter of time, months or years. Gaddafi it’s GAME OVER like they said. Do you think Gaddafi has completely lost the legitimacy to remain in power? Yes I do. We must not forget that all the repression is generating a growing hatred in the people of Libya, many people have relatives who have been killed in the war and they will not forget them. That is what is happening there.
I was in the revolution in Egypt and I must say that the same thing happened there when protests began in Tahrir Square. An anti-rebellion propaganda began to circulate and was based on the presence of Islamic fundamentalism among the protesters. The propaganda said that the protesters belonged to Al Qaeda… only lies. I strongly believe that like in other countries they have much kind of people (extremist and normal people too) but in this case the people are united, for the purpose of fighting against a regime. Obviously you can found extremist among the normal people, but it is impossible to not found extremist, they are there, but they are united with people who is not extremist. The purpose of the rebellion is the confrontation of the people against a leader, against Gaddafi in this case. And not war of a group of extremists against Gaddafi. It’s only people who have united to fight, people of any kind and condition.
Definitely. In the Arab world the Islam could be understood in a variety of ways, depending on the country where you are. In the West countries it is often regarded the Arab culture along with Islam and extremism, and that’s a mistaken point of view. The type of Islam you can find in Libya is very different from Egypt and they are neighbor countries. For example Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan or Lebanon are very different and the western countries are putting them in the same sack thanks to the ignorance of the real situation on each country and I think there are many nuances, not everything is black and white.
What is your vision about the Libyan people? I think it’s a very noble people. I know many Arab countries, and in Libya I have seen very noble people and very feisty too. I don’t know if it’s because the secrecy that has existed there, but I have been treated great. Do you think the Arab world view is distorted in the West countries because issues such as religion or immigration?
# 3 MAY 2011
73
74
Talking To
Guillermo Cervera
...when a political leader have Blood stained hands with the blood of his people nothing left behind, he is finished, it’s just matter of time, months or years. Gaddafi it’s GAME OVER like they said.
# 3 MAY 2011
75
76
Guillermo Cervera
Talking To
totally united. There is clear evidence in Iraq, the ongoing fighting between Sunnis and Shiites. The Arab people are so diverse and have so many differences that I believe they will never join. The idea that will unite and create a kind of crusade is pure demagoguery, the only thing that unites them is a common religion, but like I said before is a common religion with many nuances.
It must be said that surfing is another of your passions... Can we say that serves as a counterpoint to your reporting from conflict zones? is a way of evasion?
Surf photography serves me as a method of evasion and sometimes forced to perform that kind of photography well because the surf photographers I know and there are many, often see them at work and There is a photo or photos that you they look bored, and that boredom have done in Libya that have touch is reflected on their photos that’s you in a personal level, a picture because they are not doing nothing that usually remember you the more than surf, and that ultimately experiences lived there? ends you tired. Same goes for war photographers, they are always stuck There are a couple of them that in that role continuously, do not caught my attention, and have nothing change their registries and fall into to do with war. I photographed the monotony. I think that changing the war for the work I do for newspapers, registries of your photography helps but I think this type of conflicts can you to improve your pictures. > be portrayed in many ways, not always necessary to show a gun firing, while often visually essential to publish the photograph in a newspaper.
I am of the opinion that most conflicts arise thanks to the ignorance, fear about different cultures and opposites ways of thinking. Do you think Western countries have a common a sense of fear about the Arab world? Fear that one day the Arab countries could unite and begin to control their resources? I think that is nothing more than demagoguery, because in reality people who understand the Arab world will tell you that he can never be
I must say I really like a couple of pictures one of them is a photo of a group of children playing marbles in Benghazi I liked the photo because it creates a different environment, children are in their own world, distracted, and I really liked that picture because of the environment perceived around. The other one is a picture of a girl with a yellow coat and a lost look that goes with his father, you can see on my website. Would you like to back to Libya when everything is settled and learn about the country and its people? I would love, I would love to do a story about surfing in Libya (laughs) and I hope to do because there are wonderful beaches there...
# 3 MAY 2011
77
78
Guillermo Cervera
Talking To
> When you return to the story you see it otherwise, so I like it and that’s why I practice it in both ways. Why would you most like to be remembered? Due to surf your photos or due to your photojournalism stories in conflict zones? Is a good question… a really good one (laughs) That makes you think about it! You know what happens to me, I always tell to a friend of mine called Plàcid Garcia-Planas who is a very good journalist from the “La Vanguardia” newspaper who has spent his entire life writing and reporting about wars and many other news but from a totally different point of view to anything I’ve read or seen. He can describe a battle in Kandahar with the flight of a butterfly after the outbreak
of a landmine or with a passengers plane flying in the highs asking where that airplane came from or going to. You got me? I think in the same way with my photography, I do it because I love it. I love photography, but I still like to be a bit in the shadows, not famous or anything like that, because somehow helps me to push and keeps me motivated. That’s why I think maybe I don’t like to be remembered (laughs) As I said I do what I do because I love it, my purpose is not to be remembered, is to communicate what I see and in the way I see it. Do what you love, live intensely... Exactly ... that’s it! Thanks Guillermo
# 3 MAY 2011
79
Are you interested in view more photos about Libya?
For subscribers only: Receive a special portfolio of photos taken in the streets of Libya by Guillermo Cervera.
Subscribe now to F8Magazine
82
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
83
1. Who are you? 2. How old are you? I´m
Flanegan Bainon, born
and raised in City of
Kota Kinabalu,
State of Sabah located in Borneo
Island.
And also the Indigenous People of Borneo Island. Turning 25 years old 3 weeks ago.
Road Signboard to other part of area outside of Kota Kinabalu City.
# 3 MAY 2011
84
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
3. Where do you live? 4. How many years have you lived in Kota Kinabalu? I live in a small town called from the City of Kota
Petagas, just 12km away
Kinabalu.
I’ve been living here for all of my life, except for year 2007-2009 where I lived in
Melbourne,
Australia to pursue Degree in
Photography.
Reflection of me how I capture life of my City. Lady inside the car seems like waiting for someone outside of Big City Market.
# 3 MAY 2011
85
86
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
87
5. Define your city in a word. Fragmental.
Typical Housing Flat in the City Center where most of the immigrant from Philippines,Indonesia, Pakistan and China lives.
# 3 MAY 2011
88
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
6. How is living in Kota Kinabalu? Very Laid Back and Relaxing. And sometimes can be
annoying too.
2 Lady from Gaya Island sitting down under the tree doing nothing while observing people pass-by all the time.
Phone Booth in Sinsuran Shoplot.
# 3 MAY 2011
89
90
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
7. How are the people? (Define the inhabitants in general) The people here are very diverse when it comes to attitude & Lady with her child been standing there for a while waiting for the person to answer her call.
The people here tend to
disobey the rules and loves
to complaint about the system. Generally, People here are very
friendly by nature.
While smoking cigarettes, counting how much money he have left.
# 3 MAY 2011
91
92
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
8. Your favorite place is... I have no favorite place because practically KK
City
is a very small and I can basically wandering around the city for the whole day. Maybe
Gaya street area
because I tend to take a break there having my light lunch then continue wandering around to
document
the life of the city I grew up.
Segama Area Shoplots.
Unarrange of unwanted Shoe Box as Window Display.
# 3 MAY 2011
93
94
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
9. Your best memory in this city. My best memory will be in The Market area (or the local call
Pasar Besar) because it’s so unique and it is the only
‘accidentally photogenic’ area because of the colorful wall and immigrants from the
Southern
Philippines can’t be bother look at your camera. The local always think this place is unsafe but somehow a
safe place
for me to wandering around. Somehow, I tend to get lots of good photos around this area.
Typical Shoplots in Segama Area.
# 3 MAY 2011
95
96
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
10. A moment to photograph... When it and
accidentally press the shutter without realizing
amaze with the result.
Motorcyclist’s illegal ride in Pedestrian walkway.
Typical Hot Sunny Day
# 3 MAY 2011
97
98
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
11. A special moment to share KK City is walking around the street looking and observing the real people who makes this city alive. And not forget Kota Kinabalu Moment to share in
are well-known with it’s
Sunsetscape, go to any
photo sharing site such as Flickr etc and search ‘Sunset in Kota Kinabalu’.
Lady on a wheel chair alone and Man who earn his living by repairing shoes.
# 3 MAY 2011
99
100
Kota Kinabalu
Street View
12. A special person you’ve photographed at the street Haven’t found one yet and still searching.. But the
special
photographs I’ve taken so far is always not related
with People. Especially in the City
Market because of the
unpurposed arrangement of the similarity.
Young Lady on her way to her workplace just a few meters I took this image.
To view more: www.flaneganb.net
# 3 MAY 2011
101
104
Projects
R
Ultra
Roger Snider
igs
A project by
Roger Snider
# 3 MAY 2011
105
106
Roger Snider
Projects
Big rigs have always fascinated me. When I was growing up in the 70s and 80s in the U.S, big rigs were often featured in the movies and on my favorite TV shows. The purpose of my photography is to bring these larger than life chrome characters back into the spotlight for a mainstream audience. After becoming friends with many truck owners in the States and abroad, I am convinced this is one of the most interesting art subcultures worldwide. The design of custom big rigs has changed so dramatically over the last 2 decades because of all the fabrication being done by independent owner operators. Japan and the US offer 2 very different approaches to custom truck design. Although I have now covered this movement on 4 different continents, I will focus on trucks in the US and Japan in this article. The custom big rigs in the U.S. today appear to me as life size toys. I started off on this photographic journey in 2006 after shooting the stills on the documentary film Big Rig. This film opportunity rekindled my childhood dream of being a long haul truck driver. Feeling like I had just begun, on what could be a life long assignment I decided to dig further. After some internet research, I headed out to the Las Vegas Truck Show to see what custom big rigs looked like. The minute stepped into the convention center and saw all the polished chrome and unbelievable custom modifications, I knew I would be shooting this subject matter for the rest of my life.
Ryan’s Peterbilt shot in front of Mt Rainier. he has been building this rig for 4 years and now has officially finished it.
I am not interested in fancy cars or motorcycles and am not a gear head. I am fascinated by big rigs because of their scale and the truckers’ ability to live in them while on the road for weeks at time. Some truckers even live in their trucks year round. This lifestyle taps into the fantasy that most people ponder from time to time about traveling to distant and beautiful places in the U.S. in the largest, most Impressive vehicles on the road. Builders these days are pushing the creative limits of what can be done to an 18 wheeler. The rigs are lowered using airbags like the ones used on cars only bigger.
Bryan Welsh’s custom yellow Kenworth under the bridges in Portland Or.
# 3 MAY 2011
107
108
Roger Snider
Projects
Horns,lights and door handles are stripped back to make the trucks look like hot rods, but with a modern twist. The drivers are checking each other out on the road and always trying to come up with something new. Individuality is the driving force that keeps the custom trucking world evolving even during terrible economic times and high diesel prices. Jeff Botelho of Los Banos Ca, who has built a convertible and limo big rig, grew up with a machinist/truck driver dad who strongly influenced Jeff to be a unique builder. Jeff started off watching his dad work on old hot rods in his spare time while driving a rig for him during the week. Back in the 70s and 80s, the custom fabrication on rigs was more practical. Slightly modifying what was already on the truck because the driver who spent the whole day driving the rig, knew what needed tweaking better than the engineers who designed them back at the factory. Extending bumpers, changing door handles and hood clasps and dashboard modifications were about the extent of what was done to rigs back then. Then on the weekend, for fun, Jeff’s dad worked on muscle cars and drag raced them out at the track with their sons. Jeff was one of those sons who a few decades later in the mid 90s began tinkering with the idea stripping a working big rig back to its frame rails and rebuilding it like a hot rod from the ground up. Stories like this were happening all over California and the trucks were eventually seen by the rest of the US in trucking magazines like Overdrive and Land Line and gave rise to the “California” look. Cross country truck drivers would also occasionally see > James Davis’ 1993 Peterbilt 379 with a curtain side trailer hauling wood products inside.
# 3 MAY 2011
109
110
Projects
This Peterbilt was just completed. I had it parked in front of this old mansion that is now a local church in Medford.
Roger Snider
Staci Barnes of Rochester Wa cleaning the back flaps of her Husband’s Peterbilt.
# 3 MAY 2011
111
112
Roger Snider
Projects
Night shot of a Peterbilt interior. This shot was taken at the Peterbilt truck show at the Peterbilt Factory in Texas.
> these unique trucks out West and began to build their own trucks based on this style but slightly different. Trucking in the Midwest and its harsh Winter weather creates road Conditions that destroy chrome and painted parts that would be less effected by milder conditions in California. All drivers want a beautiful ride but also like to have their own signature style to it. Thus began the
current custom truck movement in the US. People come from around the world to view show trucks at the Louisville truck show in March every year. US DOT regulations and fuel efficiency standards allow for owners to build and drive certain brands and builds of trucks that would be impossible in other countries. The American custom big rig is revered for its outlaw persona and limitless imagination. 2 Peterbilt show trucks drag race up a hill loaded down with 80,000 lbs.
# 3 MAY 2011
113
114
Projects
Steve Moss’ Peterbilt interior features white leather and a burnt orange painted dash.
Roger Snider
# 3 MAY 2011
115
116
Roger Snider
Projects
In 2008 I sought out “Art Trucks” The film kicked off a truck design or “Dekotora”, terms used to boom that flourishes today, even in a describe the custom truck scene in depressed economy. Japan. The evolution of the Japanese trucks’ The movement really took off in designs has been truly remarkable. At the late 70s after a movie similar to first, leftover parts from U.S. military America’s Convoy came out called planes, ships and trucks were used to Truck Yaro. The movie has a simple customize the trucks, much like the plot and stars Bunta Sugawara, the trucks in the Philippines known as top movie star in Japan of the 70s. “Jeepneys.” After Japanese fabricating >
# 3 MAY 2011
117
118
Roger Snider
Projects
This couple and their daughter to the right drove for 8 hours to be part of this truck show.
> shops started bending stainless steel, painting elaborate murals and rigging lights, the trucks took on a futuristic look never seen before. The light shows the trucks put on need to be experienced in person. The shows are synchronized with Japanese pop music that blares from hidden speakers mounted in the trucks’ grilles. The power drain is so great that external generators are camouflaged around the sides of the trucks and cranked up to support the show. These shows are an audiovisual spectacle unlike any other in the world. Japanese custom truckers generally participate in four or five shows a
year, depending on the economy. The shows are generally held in remote areas, and each one typically starts with a raw fairground space that requires ground leveling and excavation to allow the trucks to drive and park on a level surface. In addition to preparing the track and parking area, the participants collaborate to build vendor stands that sell food and collectable toy trucks and other gifts. The show I have attended several times, in the Aichi Prefecture, is a fundraiser for disadvantaged children that falls on the last day of the national holiday “Golden Week” which is around the last week of > # 3 MAY 2011
Japanese art truck lights up at night during truck show in Aichi Japan.
119
120
Projects
3 Dekotora trucks light up at night during a truck show in Japan at the end of Golden Week.
Roger Snider
# 3 MAY 2011
121
122
Projects
Roger Snider
> April/beginning of May. This is an occasion for the drivers to bring their families and spend a weekend together, using the big rig as a camper and socializing with other art truck owners. Like any art movement, the drivers take inspiration from each other’s trucks and are always attempting to have the most unique ride on the road. All around the world you will find big rigs hauling everything we consume. In this large group of vehicles you will come across a select few drivers who custom build their rides in an artistic fashion. This art movement continues to evolve and represents a working class sensibility and lifestyle that I intend to celebrate by meeting up with these special truckers and photographing these works of art in the most pristine locations possible. I hope people never look at a big rig the same after seeing my photos.
This half million dollar custom Kenworth was the lead convoy truck for the 2008 Bruce Springsteen tour.
# 3 MAY 2011
123
124
Projects
Show us your city
About the Author Roger Snider Born: Ft Lauderdale, Fl,1972 Los Angeles Ca Education: University of Florida BFA Creative Photography 1997 Exhibitions: Brick and Mortar “The Big Rig Show” Los Angeles, Ca 2007 Drunken Butterfly “Ultra Rigs” Madison, Wi. 2007 The Fountain Fair Miami, Fl. 2007 Inked Souls Alexandria Va 2009 Publications: “Big Rig Part 2”- Swindle Magazine, June 2008 “Pimp my Truck” Time.com, October 2008 “Mothertrucker” Lifelounge Magazine, October 2009 “Visions of Earth” National Geographic, December 2009 “Truck Buddies: Giant Robot, October 2010 “Mother Trucker” FHM Australia, December 2011 “Mother Trucker” FHM Malaysia, March 2011 FHM Norway, April 2011 FHM Russia, April 2011 “Turning Japanese” Truckin’ Life Magazine, April 2011 To view more about me and my work, please visit www.ultrarigsoftheworld.com
Related Activity: Stills photographer for documentary film “Big Rig” 2006 Fernfahrer Trucker Magazine “US Trucks 2010 Kalender” 2010
Photo by Shaw Nee www.discarted.com
We are looking for photographers to show us the city where they live. We don`t want to see monuments. We want to see feelings. Fill out our online form to register now:
SUBMIT # 3 MAY 2011
126
Exhibitions
O
Witnesses to
Juan Carlos Tomasi
127
blivion
Photos by
Juan Carlos Tomasi
In Narino, Colombia, many communities are forced to leave their homes and their lands due to confrontations between the Government and the guerrillas..
# 3 MAY 2011
128
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
Mario Vargas Llosa, Laura Restrepo, Juan José Millás, Laura Esquibel... you can see my pictures and understand part of the story that lies behind them, but if further more it accounts with a text by Mario Vargas Llosa detailing what has been seen and felt on our trip to the Congo... that makes you see the history in a much more complete way. In fact the writers supplement your images or vice versa... Yes, it is what I think in this case. Photography has faithfully been able to accompany the text, pictures have been made to 10-15 meters from where the writer was, we wanted to do
it this way to give more authenticity and in addition, for a matter of security. We used to go three people, and it was important that we did not get separated, think that these are very dangerous places where you can find armed people and it was not easy to work in these conditions, but above all we wanted to give authenticity to the project. Where you with bodyguards... What can I tell you... except in Yemen I have been many times in many places, in Haiti about 6-8 times, I know the dangers that exist, but still the experience in Congo with Mario Vargas Llosa was really dangerous to >
The departments most affected by the forced displacements are Choco, Narino, Antioquia and Cordoba among others. Colombia.
How did this collaboration emerged? The idea came from the head chair of information of MSF and from me. Then we took our proposal to current affairs with “El País Semanal” magazine. The process to find writers was quite long and complicated. There were many meetings, emails, calls… keep in mind that we proposed this to about 150 writers and in the end only eight accepted. Many of them were not available due to agenda, work or simply because of the fear of traveling to such places. It is something natural. I think that having eight writers between 150 shows how difficult it has been the Organization of this project.
Within the eight writers is Mario Vargas Llosa. It was relatively easy that he agreed to collaborate? In fact yes, it was easy. We knew that he planned to travel to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and based on that the organization of the trip was a lot simpler. It would have been easier to make a photography assay. Why did you wanted to include a writer to document every trip? Well, you have to think that these are very well-known writers, accompany the photographs with their texts helps give more publicity to the project. The cases of “false positives” began to be registered last year when many unemployment young men began to disappear from their normal places of residence to then show up dead in supposed combats. Colombia.
# 3 MAY 2011
129
130
Exhibitions
Juan Carlos Tomasi
> see us caught in the midst of a revolt, of a bombing... so you can imagine how we walk certain places... Which are the objectives that want to achieve with this series of reports? Simply to be able to present and explain conflicts that are never are told or have no presence in the media and that this maybe can serve so that some people know the reality of life in these places. Giving visibility to these conflicts, do you think that this can help to change something? No, being realistic no. Perhaps, if it changed the sensitivity of some people would be enough for you... Of course, if one or two or three people would switch when they saw these stories for me it would be enough. That they are aware of the problems that show your images. Only with that it would be nice. I know that I am not going to be able to change the conflicts that are taking place, you are not going to change anything, or neither will do the photos or texts that accompany them, so at least if we can help to motivate someone or we can raise awareness in their heart, all of this would of been worth it. What personal lessons have brought you these eight travels? Really what is important is that you get to be honest with yourself and to know where you can get and up > The Colombian anti-drug trafficking police confirm that they plan to manually eradicate more than 70.000 hectares of coca fields in 2010.
# 3 MAY 2011
131
132
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
Nepalese MINUSTAH troops patrol the center of Petion Ville, wealthy nucleus of Port au Prince, Haiti.
Before the earthquake, MSF had a mother - child attention center, one of the few established in Port au Prince.
> to where what is real will remain real. Hope that this may one day change.
This is the hope that you have... Yes, I think that you have to be realistic and take into account what is happening at the moment and what may happen in the future.
Which has been in your opinion the most critical situation of these eight trips? It was our trip to the Democratic Republic of Congo with Mario Vargas Llosa. We were in the town of Goma, it was Friday and we had that travel on Saturday to the North of the country. Friday night there was a strong rebel >
Martissant, one of the poorest neighborhoods of Port au Prince, seen from the Gran Ravin hill.
# 3 MAY 2011
133
134
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
Almost one in every four deaths in the suburbs of Port au Prince is related to violence.
when we were in the FARC territory, do not really know what will happen, you know that the guerrilla is there and they know that you are in their territory… You're never sure about what can happen.
In the Emergency Hospital of Martissant, in Port au Prince, the majority of the cases are due to fights and domestic violence.
Tell us a positive experience for you, someone, somewhere... Meet the eight destinations. It has been a very human experience at all > attack by troops of general Nkunda, levels and you realize that, whether a Tutsi general of Rwanda. The attack famous or not, the writers from which was brutal, we had to escape on one has heard speak are just like you. Sunday to the border with Rwanda, When you share your time with them and Mario fled hidden in a car. It was a you can see what they think and that very complicated day. they cry and laugh as anyone else… in essence they are very normal people. You had to run out of the country... You shared a lot of time with Bombs, tanks... Yes, we had to leave writers? very quickly from the country. In the rest of the travels all went well, you The trip with John Carlin took about can have some difficult moment 15 days and Mario's were 20, the rest which makes you feel fear but as I said of reports were made in 5-7 days. It has all went well. For example in Colombia been a project carried out with great
intensity, trips of two days of duration plus 5-7 days working, are only few days but have actually been very intense and the experiences makes you share many things and sometimes create a bond with the people you are working with. I guess that you tried to travel with everything organized, but how far can your organization get? I'll give you an example, in Yemen until the penultimate day we did not had theme for the story, we had to organize it in two days. No matter how much the trip is organized everything can change in an instant. The day we arrived there was an attack, there were victims, suddenly you cannot travel to where you wanted, the place is closed and there are clashes with gunfire. You have to change on the fly and it is quite complicated.
# 3 MAY 2011
135
136
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
Haiti also was a complicated story, and Guatemala, you get used to working on the fly. When you have time it is easier, but we only had 5-7 days and we had to get good results you need to think fast for the good of the project. That was the situation. What were the feelings you had when you returned to the hotel each day? You've got a sense of frustration at what you are seeing. I've been doing this for over 16 years, I've done many times, but you still feeling those emotions because deep inside of you realize that you're never going to be able to change these situations, it may perhaps change the way some people see it, but the rest will stay the same, and that is very frustrating.
137
And when you return to "civilized" world you realize that our everyday problems are compared to this is nonsense ... Of course. I guess this makes you change your priorities, your philosophy of life is another after all this. Yeah, that makes you to change. I believe that after a while it is very easy to get you to become a cynic. Fortunately that's not my case, but if true must be told I must said that I've become a bit of a more intolerant and perhaps a more tart character. In some ways it is a defense mechanism, is my own way to create limits and maintain things away.
A member of the Pygmy community dances in a group meeting, in a recent camp for displaced people, north of Goma, CDR.
# 3 MAY 2011 Child soldiers in the Kivus conflict, CDR.
One of the victims of sexual violence in the CDR conflict.
138
Exhibitions
Juan Carlos Tomasi
What are the motivations that lead you to do stories, not just this kind of stories; I mean your whole career, why do not you go to another type of photography? I remind myself with 9 years of watching the news on television about the war in Vietnam. I'm talking about the years 68-70. I remember thinking "I want to do this; I want to do THIS…" I knew since then... At that age were you aware of the dangers... Yes, but I wanted to do it, I liked it and wanted to do. At age 14 I had my first camera and at 17 and started taking pictures seriously in the 80's I was in Turkey, in Pristina, in the Sahara ... I left it a few years to work in sports photography, I am a journalist you know?, and in 94 I had the option to work with MSF (Medicos Sin Fronteras), after that I have spent many years with them, I have worked for agencies, for the “El País” newspaper, for other newspapers, for many people, and until now I’m still working hard.¿Como surgio esta colaboracion? Throughout your career, have you found many lies in this type of reporting? I mean the lies that TV tell to us, the official government version, etc. Of course, many ... think for example about Bin Laden ... I can tell you many lies like that one. Perhaps we are dominated by lies... Rather than that, I strongly believe that we are ruled by biased truths. But the difference between truth and lies is a very thin line. Child soldier in the Rutshuru zone, CDR.
# 3 MAY 2011
139
140
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
Two prostitutes hold hands in a house in the Al-Bassateen neighborhood of Aden, Yemen.
141
In Somalia it is normal for a 14 years old girl to be married for questions of family clan.
# 3 MAY 2011
142
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
What do you think is a right ethical approach that a photojournalist can follow? Because that is also a very thin line. I mean the fact of a photographer who is going to places in conflict, takes photos of people who are suffering, those photos are published, sold, people earn money with that.
it, if I want to. That kind of free will makes you free. In the end, the ethics lies in the person who is making the picture.
It's easy. The ethical approach that anyone kept to himself is this: who am I and with what moral authority I can take pictures about people who is suffering. To me, ethics lies in the fact that I can choose if i want to take or not the picture or erase it after I took
Yeah, plenty of them
Did you delete photos you knew you could sell and publish on the front page of a newspaper or magazine?
After more than 16 year in photography... Do you think society has become more insensitive to the suffering of the others?
In all of the schools, the boys and girls use the same physical space and receive the same education, but in separate groups.
Addul Ahad has two sons working in Nepal. They disappeared in 2000 without a trace.
Two of the Ahad brothers disappeared in Nepal in 2000. They were later moved to a prison in New Delhi. Nothing more is know of them.
# 3 MAY 2011
143
144
Exhibitions
In the Srinagar psychiatric hospital, some of the patients draws for a Doctors Without Borders mental health project. Kashmir.
Juan Carlos Tomasi
# 3 MAY 2011
145
146
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
147
In Guatemala, there are two sadly famous maras: the Salvatruch and the 13, who control parts of the city. In the photo, two members of the first, in a Honduran prison.
Visual suffering has become a part of our lives and we are accustomed to it. I think we have failed to assimilate it correctly. Are you planning to return to any of these 8 places? Surely I must return to the Democratic Republic of Congo, Colombia, Haiti and Yemen but still may not know, I do 7 to 8 stories each year‌ so those places maybe will be in my schedule. To finish a typical question, what advice would you give to the
photographers who start this kind of journalism? Read a lot, live and learn to listen. Those three things are essential. This is a profession of feelings and emotions. You may know the operation of the camera, the computer, but what is really necessary is to read a lot but not about photography, reading about everything that happens in life and listening a lot. Live with passion, being humble and honest and not fool yourself ever, never. That's the basics. Thanks for your time and your answers JC
Economic globalization has made human trafficking easier for the commercialization of sex. This business moves about 17,000 millions dollars a year. Guatemala Only 0.3% of the cases of sexual violence that are reported in Guatemala are given sentences.
# 3 MAY 2011
148
Juan Carlos Tomasi
Exhibitions
In the Kutupalong camp the hygienic conditions are very basic and they practically live out in the open. Malaysia.
Brian takes two pills a day.The antiretrovirals save his life. The State does not pay for these. Zimbabwe.
Witnesses from Oblivion is the title of the exhibition until 15 May offers The Cervantes Institute, which has been organized in collaboration with Doctors Without Borders (MSF) and the daily El Pais. This is a look at eight major neglected humanitarian disasters that plague the world, narrated by so many great writers in Spanish: Mario Vargas Llosa, Sergio RamĂrez, Laura Restrepo, Juan Jose Millas, John Carlin, Laura Esquivel, Manuel Vicent and Leila Guerriero supported by over 160 photographs of Juan Carlos Tomasi, who may be-printed or projected, along with excerpts from the eight different reports and documentary material. 'Witnesses of oblivion" brings us the human face of
suffering, violence continues and the media who have forgotten some of the most devastated corners of the planet: Democratic Republic of Congo, Haiti, Yemen, Kashmir, Malaysia and Bangladesh, Guatemala, Colombia and Zimbabwe. Pictures of the daily horror in a defense against forgetting and indifference, a commitment to commitment to the victims of violence, disease and extreme exclusion in Latin America, Asia and Africa. The exhibition is the result of the eight prestigious trips made to other authors mentioned so many crises (some of them spread across several countries), to tell after a first-person emergency which, despite its gravity, are hardly reflected in the media communication. The writers developed their stories with literary and journalistic approach to time, in full freedom and emphasizing the victims.
School in an outlying neighborhood of Penang, Malaysia.
# 3 MAY 2011
149
150
Exhibitions
Juan Carlos Tomasi
John Carlin Leila Guerriero
Laura Restrepo Juan José Millás
Sergio Ramírez
Mario Vargas Llosa
Laura Esquivel
Manuel Vicent Independent photojournalist and producer of documentaries. From Barcelona, although born in Madrid in 1959. From the displaced people in the Congo to the victims of the Balkan war, from natural disasters to patients with forgotten diseases, Juan Carlos Tomasi´s camera has registered images from around the world so to then try to explain the other side of the story. He has been producer and director of television programs for Spanish, Italian and French TV, and has been working since 1996 as a photojournalist for the humanitarian organization Doctors Without Borders. But aside from this, he as witnessed with his camera all of the forgotten conflicts in the world over the past fifteen years.
To see more about JC Tomasi:
www.juancarlostomasi.com
# 3 MAY 2011
151
152
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
Editor Tips by Mike Davis Mike Davis is a photography consultant and picture editor who works with photographers around the world to elevate their photography. He was most recently a picture editor at the Oregonian and has also directed photographic coverages and their presentation as a visual editor at The White House, National Geographic magazine and newspapers in Chicago, Detroit and Albuquerque. Mike has been named newspaper picture editor of the year twice and received the National Press Photographers Association’s highest professional award, The Joseph A. Sprague Memorial Award. He and his staffs have received dozens of awards in Pictures of the Year International competition, including best use of photography several times. If you make pictures, Mike can help you.
www.michaelddavis.com
# 3 MAY 2011
153
154
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
In my early career as a photographer I was a bit slack on captioning details collecting names, dates, etc, and then when digital came in I didn’t fully realize the importance of a good digital asset management workflow (captioning, keywording, clean archive system). Now that I realize the folly of my ways I’m having to play catch up going back through the archive making amends, and thankfully it is working. But I’d like to ask yourself, with your experience of working at National Geographic, with the photographers there, and then also at the White House Archive, for your thoughts on these issues, of captioning, of names, archive management etc. I feel it is an area which it is hugely important, and for many photographers we perhaps only realize a few years down the line. For many young photographers and those starting out it’d be great to here these things before the archive grows! Many thanks in advance. From Jeremy Sutton-Hibbert www.jeremysuttonhibbert.com Good question Jeremy and one that most young and old photographers should consider more completely. Creating a workflow that takes the whole life of a photograph into consideration is the goal. The life of a photograph begins before you make a picture, when you decide whether to use raw or jpeg format, what type of archive system you chose, what type of backup system to use, how to name files and what to put in object fields, how many images to keep forever. There’s even more talk now of creating entities that take your archive after you die, a more perplexing process with a digital image collection than it was when we left a room full of negatives and prints. At least when images were physical, you could know technology wasn’t going to keep you from looking at the pictures 30 years from now. We had to think about all of these things when transitioning the White House photo archive from mostly film-based imagery to being completely digitally produced in the course of four years. The previous
administration had started a digital archive so some of the groundwork was in place. But the software running the system was pretty home grown so we essentially started from scratch. The archive has the added burden of having to continue to exist in perpetuity as it was on the last moment of a given administration. Considering all of these things at once hurts the brain, it’s daunting. So break them into their parts: 1. What you have to do before you make pictures. 2. What you have to do with pictures once you’ve made them. 3. How to ensure continued access and lifespan of your pictures. This won’t be a complete explanation but I’ll try to hit the high points. Before you make a picture, consider your overall volume of images. How many images are you going to produce in a year? That tells you how robust a system you need to manage all these files. How many different uses might >
Army soldiers practice forming a line to hold back spectators at the next days many horse races during the annual Naddam Festival, Yarmag, Mongolia, 2001.
# 3 MAY 2011
155
156
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
> there be for the pictures and what types of information do you need to associate with each image to account for uses? That tells you how specific the captioning workflow needs to be. Will you post to an online archive? If so, naming and captioning take on greater significance for SEO. Your file name should be descriptive (searchable) but you may want the object name to reflect a naming convention that fits your whole archive so you can track back easily when needed. Captions should be complete for every image and keywording should be extensive. Definitely shoot raw format. Some people shoot raw and jpeg but that seems like a waste of card space to me - applications can split any size jpegs you need from raw files quickly. You need software to manage the ingest, captioning and archive management aspects of your images. Photo Mechanic, Apple’s Aperture, Adobe Lightroom, Extensis Portfolio, Expression Media 2 are among choices for some or all of these functions. Aperture and Lightroom also add the ability to tone images. Photo Mechanic does not have an archive function but it’s powerful for naming, captioning, ingesting and editing images.
volume and guarantee you won’t lose image because of hard drive failure. Having a string of hard drives that duplicate each other is the elemental approach and using a program such as Super Duper to automatically keep copies of drives updated can work if your volume isn’t too huge. The next step up are hard drive arrays that use some version of Raid backup. There are more and more of these that can plug into your computer instead of relying on a separate server/ computer to run the processes. Drobo, Promise, Newertech, CMS and a bunch of other companies make systems. I won’t advocate one over the other, though, I’m about to buy a Promise system. Keeping a backup set of drives off site is ideal. How you structure your archive is largely dependent on the range of types of images you do. Some people arrange them by assignment; others break them into categories based on various types of work you might do. With the system and hardware in place and workflow to match them, all you have to do is execute. Piece of cake, no?
There are other, more robust systems but these should work fine for most individual photographers. Once you’ve chosen software to drive your archive, set up a storage system that is robust enough to handle the A cyclist shows his thoughts on the war in Iraq on a day of anti-American and anti-Iraq war protest in Tokyo.
# 3 MAY 2011
157
158
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
A photographer’s website is the best way to show the best works/shoots. How do you choose them? Do you let yourself being guide for the emotion of the picture or more for the technique? You choose them because are the ones that you like the most or the ones you think they can have a better impact on others? My main work is about photographic reports about abandoned places. Sometimes I have pictures that I don’t like at all but it helps me to contextualize the rest of the things. Would you recommend me to show them anyway or not? Sometimes I like to think that this is like a book, not all the parts have to me interesting but they are necessary to put the “reader” into context. From Alicia
Rius www.aliciariusphotography.com
The short answer, Alicia, is yes, to all of the above. To expand, I believe that, ideally, every image a photographer puts forth should succeed on all fronts: Each image should allow the conveyance of important information, it should be technically flawless and the viewer should feel something when looking at the picture - the image should convey a quality. How much each image conveys of each of these three areas can vary widely. If one aspect is not so hot but the other two are very successful, then so be it. Purely informational pictures that don’t succeed as images aren’t generally interesting, unless the information they present is of great value. Never say never, but generally, I wouldn’t include photographs only because they give others context, especially if they don’t succeed as images and don’t convey a quality. On the other hand, purely informational pictures can be beautiful and they can convey a quality. It’s just usually more difficult to make them work well on all fronts. The golden sewing machine
# 3 MAY 2011
159
160
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
When you analyze a photo to help somebody to improve his/ her job, which are the steps you follow? Technique? Impact? The message of the photo? The framing...? What is the main priority to bear in mind? When analyzing/reviewing a photo or a group of photos I try to give the photographer an understanding of how they can make their pictures succeed in all three of these way. A brief way of explaining this simply complex process is to say that you have to first gather information to know when and where to make a picture. Then before you raise the camera in a given setting, you have to know what quality or qualities you’d like people to feel when looking at the picture or pictures from this setting. Then you use the five photographic tools - light, color, moment, composition and distance from the camera to the subject - to their fullest in order to convey that quality. Working with photographers, I tell them how their work succeeds now and how they can make it better.
Last words
# 3 MAY 2011
161
162
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
163
In all your years of experiences learning in photography, what is the most important experience you’ve learned about photography that you can share with other photographers? From Robert
Leon www.robertleon.com
Robert, that’s a tough question to answer, really difficult to arrive at one experience. There is a layer of experiences that together create a thread from which I learn. That thread is: strive to learn from each experience, no matter how small or large. The path to learning isn’t clear, at least it wasn’t for me. Each crossroads, each opportunity to do something new just seemed like the right one. It’s not as if I learned things in the way some people buy furniture, by buying a whole house full at once. Instead, as life presents opportunities, I pick up a chair here, a rug there, a sofa there and they all seem to go together well. So in the grand sense, each place I’ve worked allowed learning new things. As a picture editor at National Geographic magazine, I learned how to craft large stories, work with photographers who were usually in the field, edit large bodies of work and work within a large structure. Working there also demystified The Geographic, for me. Working at the White House continued the process of learning how to edit a large body of work but in a much different way. And the subject, creating a visual archive of a presidency, was much larger than even the largest story I worked on at National Geographic or any of the newspapers. Mohawk Peacemaker, Kanentakeron (Mike Phillips)
# 3 MAY 2011
164
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
Greek woman laughing, Therassia Island, Cyclades Islands, Greece
Now, working directly with photographers, I’ve been able to refine an editing process that is specific to bodies of work and craft ways to talk to photographers that helps them recognize their strengths and gives them direction for improving their work. Each new connection challenges me to find ever-better ways to accomplish both aspects of working with photographers.
Rajasthani tribal woman grinding flour inside a camel dung, dirt and sand hut in a desert village without electricity or running water. Nimb Ki Dhani Village, Thar Desert, Rajasthan, India
And then there’s a whole slew of efforts that I’ve been part of that offer further opportunity for growth: editing books, teaching at workshops, reviewing work at Photolucida, giving lectures in a range of settings and judging photo contests. Working at newspapers large and small taught me how to work within a diverse staff and how to produce compelling photography and present it well in environments that generally disfavor strong visuals. I was lucky enough to work in some situations where visuals were treated equally and some where they weren’t - and I learned from both.
Earning a masters degree also helped expand my understanding of how to learn. A big part of learning is understanding what you don’t know. The more I think I know and understand, the more I know there is to learn. My hope is that with my last breath I’m still learning, still figuring out new things. # 3 MAY 2011
165
166
Mike Davis
Picture Editor Tips
Have questions about your career as a professional photographer? Send your questions. Take a look at Mike´s Blog:
Are you interested in improving your skills as a photographer? Are you interested in improving your portfolio? Are you interested in reading the opinion of a professional editor with more than 20 years of experience?
If you make pictures, Mike can help you.
# 3 MAY 2011
167
170
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
A personal vision by
Matt Eich LU C E O I M AG E S
# 3 MAY 2011
171
172
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
01. FindingOut It is a cold day in January when I meet my girlfriend Melissa in the concrete stairwell of the dormitory where she lives at Ohio University. Tears run down her cheeks as she leads me by the hand into her room and after closing the door, holds out an innocuous looking plastic strip. I don’t remember any ambiguous colors or lines, just that it said the word “pregnant.” We both drop to the floor, laughing and crying simultaneously.
The weight of the news begins to sink in for both of us as she covers her face with her hands, looking like a scared child. I feel like one. A camera dangles from my shoulder and I raise it without thinking, instinctively wanting to remember this moment, though I have no idea how any of it will pan out. I am 20, she 19 years old. Melissa and I were both unsure of what to do but decided that
whatever was to come, we would face it together. The period that followed was rife with uncertainty as we tried to prepare ourselves to care for a child. In the coming months we continued classes, went to doctors appointments and eventually told our families. In June, we were married and moved across the country to Portland, Oregon, where I worked for the summer. That fall, when Melissa was 8 months pregnant we drove >
# 3 MAY 2011
173
174
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
> back across the country in time to return to school. Our daughter Madelyn was born on October 3, a few short weeks after returning to classes. Melissa had been experiencing contractions for days prior to the birth, even taking an exam during that time. She got an A. Melissa took to motherhood with an enviable grace though I did not feel as immediately comfortable in my new role as a father. In time I have fallen in
love all over again. In the past three years we have experienced so much together as a family, the most exciting part is being able to witness Madelyn’s exponential growth into a happy, healthy, creative and spirited little girl. She embodies the best and worst of both of us, and her very existence calls me to become a better person. Despite the reality of needing to travel for work, I have been fortunate to be there for many of the “important” moments in Madelyn’s young life. First
steps, first words, first potty training experiences. I’d like to think that these moments aren’t who make her into the person she will become, but the moments in between. The moments daddy is there for, camera in hand, always yearning to remember.
# 3 MAY 2011
175
176
Photographer’s Diary
These photographs are the spaces in between my daily existence. Some are excerpted from special days, while others are simply liner notes from moments that have passed.
Matt Eich
# 3 MAY 2011
177
178
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
02. MaddieBathTime I’ve begun to notice predictable patterns in the family images I make over time. A lot of it boils down to the rhythms of family life, which for a young child includes a regular bath time. For Melissa and Madelyn this event is often a moment for connection towards the end of a long day. I am always struck by the beauty and intimacy of their closeness and oftentimes feel like an outsider, someone who will never know the depth of connection and love that a mother and daughter can share.
# 3 MAY 2011
179
180
Photographer’s Diary
Matt Eich
# 3 MAY 2011
181
182
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
03. MaddieSleeping As adults, many days are spent getting through, waiting for sleep and finding solace in the silence. For a child, sleep is an unknown void that they are banished to, where they are cut off from contact with other humans. I find myself wondering all the time, what does my daughter dream about? Dear daughter: Sometimes I come in to check on you late at night and you are sleeping so soundly I have to lay my hand on your chest to make sure you are still breathing. I always exhale when I realize you are. April 7, 2009 – Athens, Ohio "I don't want to fall asleep I just want to wake up", says Madelyn as I am putting her to bed. - March 5, 2010 Norfolk, Virginia "Daddy, I want to tell you. Only
monsters and bears step in fire." – Madelyn - Friday, November 12, 2010 - 8:33PM - Norfolk, Virginia Christmas Day, as Melissa and I try to get Madelyn ready for bed, she plays on the floor in her room as M and I snuggle together on the day bed next to her crib. We begin to kiss. One of Melissa's slippers almost falls off her foot, but Madelyn stands up from her play and then slides the slipper back onto Melissa's foot. We stop kissing and look at Madelyn, who has turned back to her dollhouse and is trying to make the daddy and mommy dolls kiss. Prior to this, when I had upset her, she took the daddy doll and began to bang his plastic head into the side of her dollhouse. - December 25, 2009 9:59p - Norfolk, Virginia
# 3 MAY 2011
183
184
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
04. Melissa: She exudes an inner beauty I am still trying to comprehend, more than five years after first meeting her. She doesn't remember the first time we met, while moving into the same dorm at Ohio University. The first time she remembers me is when I photographed her studying in the common area, backlit by the afternoon light. I walked up to her and showed her the image I had made. She thought I was weird but somehow I didn't scare her off. She is the closest I have ever come to having a muse and her patience; understanding and love constantly push me to be a better man, husband and father.
# 3 MAY 2011
185
186
Matt Eich
Photographer’s Diary
05. Me: It is so much more comfortable to be behind the camera, to leave introspection to my own internal dialogue. As time passes I find myself feeling the need to be a part of the photograph more often. Within such a personal body of work, I am obviously an active participant in my family and sometimes I worry that I could disappear without a trace – the invisible man behind the camera. Sometimes I turn the camera on myself, but Melissa senses my insecurity or has her own desire to include me in this family document so occasionally she will take the camera from me and make a picture, cementing my presence and confirming my existence.
# 3 MAY 2011
187
188
Photographer’s Diary
Matt Eich
Matt Eich/LUCEO (b. 1986) is a freelance
photographer and founding member of LUCEO IMAGES. His work is rooted in memory, both personal and collective and he strives to approach every photograph with a sense of intimacy. He believes that stories are the fabric of history and that they have the power to inform and transform. While he has worked on five continents, Matt’s images focus on his own back yard, often exploring communities, the issues they face and their sense of identity.
LUCEO Images is a photographer owned and operated cooperative established with the goal of supporting the significant work of its members. LUCEO produces the highest quality commercial and editorial photography and works to provide creative nourishment to our member photographers.
# 3 MAY 2011
189
190
Otto Schulze
Fujifilm X100 Contest
And the Fujifilm X100 goes to...
This was not easy, but we have a winner. Congratulations to Jonnek Jonneksson! A tremendous frame and one that I’m delighted to have as the winner of the contest. No doubt Jonnek will put the Fujifilm X100 to good use. Be sure to check out more of his incredible work on his website. Congratulations as well to Cliff Marck and Adam Houseman for placing in the TOP 3 with their incredible images. And thank you again to all who entered!
Winner Jonnek Jonneksson Finalists Adam Houseman
Cliff Marck # 3 MAY 2011
191
192
Fujifilm X100 Contest
Otto Schulze
193
Jonnek Jonneksson www.jonnekjonneksson.com
This photo has been made during a trip to India at September of 2007. Its shows an early morning religious procedure by male pilgrims at the north bank of Ganges River in the ancient city of Varanasi. Some kids had playfully dived from the top a of concrete construction that it was builded to protect the pilgrims from the hot sun during the summer and heavy monsoon rains. The kids dived repeatedly and I had then the opportunity to spend a couple of minutes there making a total of 3-4 shots. This one is the best for my taste.
# 3 MAY 2011
194
Otto Schulze
Fujifilm X100 Contest
Adam Houseman www.ahpphotos.com
The story behind this image is funny. I had a terrible cold at this wedding and was escaping to the restroom quickly during the reception to blow my nose. While exiting the stall I was in I saw these four gentleman lining up at the urinals. My first instinct was to compose and snap away. But, I decided to wait and see if the little boy would turn his head. Then... it happened... he turned his head. Click, click, click. I took three consecutive frames and the first was by far the best. If I didn't have a cold at that wedding this moment may never have been captured.
# 3 MAY 2011
195
196
Otto Schulze
Fujifilm X100 Contest
Cliff Marck www.cliffmarck.com
The story behind the photo: I took this image from the 5th floor roof of a school I taught at in South Korea on one of my last day of classes. I felt it captured both the jubilance of the children playing on the jungle gym in the foreground shadow, as well as the fleeting moment of completion as the older children were walking out of the frame in the top right... well on their way to the troubles of jr. high school I’m sure.
To view more: www.ottoschulzephotographers.com # 3 MAY 2011
197