Photojournale Network Community

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In August of 2010, Bangalore witnessed the tragic death of over 40 inmates at the “Beggar’s Home” on Magadi Road. The home was overcrowded with an estimated 2500 inmates squeezed into infrastructure that was meant to accommodate about 500 people. Reports indicate that contaminated food served (ironically) on Independence Day, triggered the incident. Five months later and the Beggar’s Home has been sanitised. The number of inmates is somewhere in the vicinity of 300. The walls are freshly painted, the floors look clean but there still remains a vacant stare in the eyes of the inmates.

The incident in August turned the spotlight onto the issue of how the state is criminalising poverty. The Karnataka Prohibition Of Beggary Act, 1975[1] makes begging a crime. What’s written between the lines of the act is that poverty is a crime, particularly if you are in state of absolute poverty. The sentence for the crime of poverty is custodialisation (read as jail sentence). There is a process laid out in the law to make the arrest and pass sentence. In actual practice the process is followed superficially. Most inmates can’t defend themselves either because they can’t speak the language or do not understand what is happening to them. For example, there are innumerable cases of people having been picked for “looking poor”.

Inmates that the journalist met and spoke to come not only from parts of rural Karnataka but also from areas such as Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Odissa, Bihar, Rajasthan, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. There is a common thread of destitution and poverty in their journey lines. It’s not laziness that they are being punished for, it’s their poverty. Many of these inmates are mentally challenged and are being pushed over the brink by the process of custodialisation and being jailed like a criminal. What they need is a facilitative health care program and not a jail sentence.

There is an urgent need to stop incarcerating people only because they are poor and in a state of destitution. Proscriptive Laws that criminalise poverty need to be replaced by voluntary and rehabilitative policies that empower people out of poverty. We need to look deeper at complex root causes such as inequitable economic models and historical oppression through the caste system.

If we breed poverty, we have to deal with – not hide it in a jail cell. The aesthetic sensibilities of “shining India” can not come at the cost of somebody else’s right to freedom and dignity.

This photo essay is shot on the streets of Bangalore and during two visits to the Beggar’s Home in Decemeber 2010 and January 2011.

Please note: There are no portraits in this essay. The reasoning is that since these people are already being traumatized by society and have no particular identity, wrongly giving them an identity would harm their dignity and go against the principles of the project at this point in time.

[1]The Karnataka Prohibition Of Beggary Act, 1975

Biography

Ayush’s influence in photography took birth at a very young age. He grew up feeding his eyes on images from magazines like the National Geographic, Reader’s Digest, Time, Life and others, in which every picture was a story in itself. Not knowing the full impact that the pictures would have, was a boon in itself. It saved him from going through the intricacies of the “opinion” of judging one against the other. Everything was up for grabs.
On a holiday with his family in 1993, shooting on film on a Kodak K10, he took pictures of two things, among many, monkeys along Pushkar lake and the Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi. But it was not the pictures themselves that made the impact on him. It was the sheer thrill of the lingering excitement of seeing the final result on print and the feeling of reliving that moment in his mind and heart. The light, sounds, scents of something that’s history, and a very personal one. To him, photography is something that is private. His individuality is derived from it and his photographs in turn are consequential of this. He believes that any form of art has a very important role to play in fostering a sense of understanding between people in a very direct and unadulterated manner. And photography to him, is the most immediate.

• Freelancing since 2002
• August 2007 to June 2009 – Lecturer in Photography and Digital Imaging at National Institute of Creative Communication (NICC), Bangalore.

Key Projects and Assignments

• Coverage of the Tsunami in coastal Tamil Nadu [2004]
• “Pictures that speak” for the Dalit Foundation. Created a photo-library on Dalit movements, occupations and customs. [2005]
• “Born with Cerebral Palsy” – A project on the lives of children affected by cerebral palsy. [2008]
• ‘Bangalore Bar Culture’ – A small photographic narrative on Bangalore’s age old under belly, the local bars. [2009]
• “Namma Metro” A photo essay on the impact of the Metro Rail construction project in Bangalore (unpublished). [2010]
• Compiling a photo essay for PUCL, (People’s Union of Civil Liberties), about Bangalore ‘Beggar’s Home’ to raise awareness on the need to decriminalize poverty. [Phase I completed in 2010]
• Multiple editorial assignments for Femina magazine. [2002 – 2010]

Exhibitions

• “Unforgettable – The First Pictures” was held in 2003 in Bangalore.
• A participant in a group exhibition sponsored by Bangalore Rotary Club in 2004

Recognition

2007 ‘Honorable Mention’ at the first ever PX3 Prix De La Photographie competition, Paris, for the series on the Tsunami disaster of Dec 2004.

2008 ‘Honorable Mention’ at the PX3 Prix De La Photographie competition, Paris, for the series on the Pushkar Fair, Rajasthan.

2009 Was one of the top ten short-listed photographers of the Redux Scholarship for the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop, Manali, India.

Ayush Ranka

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“The Heart of Kabul”- street photography produced by two young Afgahni students, Ahmad Noman Stanekzai and Mohammed Naveed, participating in the Skateistan photography classes. Photography and journalism are part of a larger curriculum of activities from media production, theatre, art and skateboarding undertaken by the Skateistan NGO in Kabul, Afghanistan. The street photography was first published in the Skateistan magazine as part of ongoing activities to show the students’ work and documentation. It tells the story of two different student photographers view of their Kabul.

Skateistan strives to tell a positive story about Afghan youth told by its youth. Using global media platforms to send a message of hope, unity, peace and cross cultural understanding they connect and share their world with other children in classrooms around the world.

About Skateistan
At the Skateistan facility in Kabul over 300 regular students are receiving training from experienced skateboarders in a secure environment, and other educationally based activities. Currently, there are 18 classroom sessions being held per week, including a girls’ journalism class, a disabled class, and a Back-to-School program that helps kids enroll or re-enroll in public school. The NGO is also running advanced art classes for girls and boys once a week, which include activities such as painting skateboards, paper mache and portrait drawing. Classroom curriculuii include projects based on the United Nations’ Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) from the context of life as a young person in Afghanistan and Environmental Health.

For more information visit www.skateistan.org

Don’t Breathe | Inside the un reserved general compartments of Indian Railways

The apparition of these faces in the crowd,
Petals on a wet, black bough -In a Station of the Metro.

Unforgettable as an expression of a poetic experience of the highest order. The inexorable spell of these two lines by Ezra Pound weighs upon me whenever I catch sight of a typically Indian scene crammed with people. The lines recycle themselves into visuals as I scratch around for the right frame to showcase my perception of the Indian reality. Particularly when my camera chances upon the mess one finds so frequently in the unreserved general compartments of a railway carriage.

It is needless to remind ourselves that the lines have nothing characteristically Indian about them. Ostensibly, though, they depict the crowd in a station of the Metro. The pen-picture of the ‘ Petals on a wet, black bough’ speaks clearly of a different clime. ‘ The apparition of these faces in the crowd’ of the first line, on the other hand, keeps haunting you even as you try to escape.

Travel the length of the country. Board a train, thrust your way through the crowd to some messy corner of a general compartment and you start loosing your identity. One can safely predict a traumatic journey to the destination of absolute facelessness.

What the series seeks to capture is the chaos of a sick, thick throng gasping of air. It takes you straight into the heart of the muddle and the mess. It makes you listen to the muffled voice of individuality.

Ruthlessly robbed of your right to breathe, you are already there, sharing with the hapless masses the unbearable tightness of being—bearing with them the full burden of an inescapable Indian experience.

Ronny Sen

Reality TV is about CCTV in Britain.

For several years Dunnico has documented this aspect of the ‘surveillance society’ including the organisations that operate it, companies who sell it and people who oppose it. The work was undertaken against a backdrop of paranoia, where the police identified photographers as would-be terrorists and the public saw them as might-be paedophiles. The result is a timely polemic against the ‘hoodies’ of the surveillance world that mixes strong graphic, urban images with humour and a surprising conclusion that Big Brother probably isn’t watching, but your supermarket definitely is. The work has been exhibited alongside a stage production of George Orwell’s 1984 and a large exhibition which will feature photographs and Orwell ephemera will be held in Salford in 2012.

Bio

David Dunnico is a documentary photographer from Manchester in the UK. He is widely published and works on carefully researched, long term self initiated projects. Consumerism and privitaisation of the public space are two of his interests, which he documents with a well-developed sense of the absurd. Exhibitions have included Memento Mori (2007, Salford Art Gallery), which looked at Victorian notions of loss and mourning “in a way that is infused with romance” – Manchester Evening News, and Sold Out (2008, Kiosk Gallery), which featured “Subversive photography examining the sinister undertones of advertising” – Metro News.

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The Hungry Ghost Festival | Malaysia

The Ghost Festival, also known as the Hungry Ghost Festival, is a traditional Chinese festival and holiday celebrated by Chinese in many countries. In the Chinese calendar, the Ghost Festival is on the 15th night of the seventh lunar month.
In Chinese tradition, the fifteenth day of the seventh month in the lunar calendar is called Ghost Day and the seventh month in general is regarded as the Ghost Month, in which ghosts and spirits, including those of the deceased ancestors, come out from the lower realm. Distinct from both the Qingming Festival (in Spring) and Chung Yeung Festival (in Autumn) in which living descendants pay homage to their deceased ancestors, on Ghost Day, the deceased are believed to visit the living.
On the fifteenth day the realms of Heaven and Hell and the realm of the living are open and both Taoists and Buddhists would perform rituals to transmute and absolve the sufferings of the deceased. Intrinsic to the Ghost Month is ancestor worship, where traditionally the filial piety of descendants extends to their ancestors even after their deaths. Activities during the month would include preparing ritualistic food offerings, burning incense, and burning joss paper, a papier-mache form of material items such as clothes, gold and other fine goods for the visiting spirits of the ancestors. Elaborate meals (often vegetarian meals) would be served with empty seats for each of the deceased in the family treating the deceased as if they are still living. Ancestor worship is what distinguishes Qingming Festival from Ghost Festival because the latter includes paying respects to all deceased, including the same and younger generations, while the former only includes older generations. Other festivities may include, buying and releasing miniature paper boats and lanterns on water, which signifies giving directions to the lost ghosts and spirits of the ancestors and other deities.

Shamshahrin Shamsudin Biography

Shamshahrin Shamsudin is a Malaysian photojournalist based in Kuala Lumpur, specializes in Editorial (mostly news content) and Travel photography. Graduated with a Diploma in Photography majoring in Photojournalism from ITM in 1994.  Formerly a photographer with The Star and French’s Agence France-Presse (AFP), he has been with the European Pressphoto Agency (EPA) based in Kuala Lumpur since 2003.

One of the highlights of his career is when he represented Malaysia at a photography exhibition in Gwangju, Korea in Dec 2005 and in Jeju Museum of Art in 2010. Some of his works are kept as part of a museum piece by the Asian Culture Centre in Gwangju and Jeju Museum of Art, Korea. His work has been published in TIME, International Herald Tribune, Asiaweek, FEER and many more international publications.

Apart from his busy schedule covering news events, he also shares his 20 years of experience in the industry and trains new photographers through seminars and workshops all over the country. He is also a Master Trainer for UTM’s Executive Diploma in Creative Photography & Digital Imaging Programme.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/shamshahrin/ – UPDATES!!
http://proshootingtips.com
http://d-imagemaker.blogspot.com/

The Compelling Image and Photojournale Team Up to Champion the “Emerging Photographer”
To read more about the “Emerging Photographer Program” http://blog.thecompellingimage.com/2010/11/04/the-compelling-image-and-photojournale-champion-the-emerging-photographer/

Photojournale and The Compelling Image are teaming up on developing a publishing avenue for serious emerging photographers. The partnership will introduce a new publishing section to the site that consists of new photography work developed by emerging photographers. Developing work for those photographers in the early stages of a photojournalism career or the serious non professional photo documentarian are the defining parameters of this partnership. Photojournale is proud  to partner with the Compelling Image in providing a platform for publishing and promoting “Emerging Photographers” work side by side with the professional photojournalists and photo documentary shooters within the Photojournale community.

The Compelling Image is an online school for photographers and visual storytellers of all skill levels and interests taught by some of the world’s leading professional photographers in their fields. Instructors include David Bathgate, Ami Vitale, GMB Akash, Daneil Bailey, Susan Wright, Michelle Woodward, Don Mar, Lisa Wiltse, Jonathan Castner and others.

For more information about taking part in the course and this new venture or to view a full range of opportunities and online courses run by The Compelling Image  visit The Compelling Image website.

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“The 1998-1999 conflict in Kosova claimed the lives of around 13,000 victims, mostly ethnic Albanians. A NATO bombing campaign in 1999 ousted Serb forces from the province bringing an end to the war putting the province under UN administration.

Ten years after end of hostilities and “ethnic cleansing” of Kosovar Albanians at the hands of Serbian troops and Kosovar Serbs, an estimated 2000 people are still missing and unaccounted for. To this day communal mass graves are still being discovered. (The latest uncovered in Serbia, May 2010 where the remains of further 250 Kosovar Albanians were unearthed).

A United Nation’s team of doctors and forensic pathologists work in discovery laboratories sifting through the gruesome remnants seeking to give an identity to the corpses that have been exhumed. The forensic results reconcile the lists of missing persons. The remains are returned to their families, seeking respite and closure as to the fate of their loved ones.

Photography and story by Italian photographer Erik Messori. Photo editing by Isabella Midili and John Horniblow”

Editors Notes:

Erik Messori’s story “A Place Called Kosova” is a reminder story. Its a story about the Aftermath, how communities work to reconcile the atrocities their families have suffered and to try and bring closure to  those whose fate remain undetermined. For me its a follow on story from photo essays such as  Alexandra Boulat’s coverage of the war  in Kosova and her immediate images from the enfolding conflict and ethnic cleansing . In particular I recall Boulat’s image of families fleeing the conflict in tightly packed buses, minus their men folk. This image strikes me, as does  Erik’s work as it reveals the real fate of their men 10 years after their disappearance.

Today the Kosova story may have  fallen from the headlines and been surpassed by more recent conflicts, however, “A Place Called Kosovar” is a stark and relevant reminder that the actions of reconciliation continue today,  tirelessly piecing the fragments of personal histories together in a collective understanding that these stories should not be forgotten or erased from history.  I feel there is a strong sense of human compassion in Erik’s work. It reveals that he has a strong sense of closeness, intimacy and proximity with his subjects and an emotive eye for the moment when emotions reveal the truth.

John Horniblow.

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Romani people, an ethnic group with origins in South Asia who are widely dispersed with their largest concentrated populations in Europe, especially Central and Eastern Europe, with more recent diaspora populations in the Americas and, to a lesser extent, in North Africa and the Middle East. Their life is managed by seeking necessities and many face discrimination and their integration is almost always a problem in all of the countries. Sánta István Csaba story gives a unique view – “If we try to get closer to them we can know more about their culture and habits.”
Story by Hungarian photographer Sánta István Csaba

Dear Photographers, Rainwater Harvesters and Friends,

Following the success of the previous two editions, the IRHA ( International Rainwater Harvesting Association) and Photojournale are pleased to announce the launch of the third Raindrops Competition, Raindrops Geneva Award 2011 – Best Photographs on the advantages of the use of rainwater

For the first time, this competition will be the result of close collaboration between the IRHA and Photojournale, with their “Rainwater/Eau de pluie/Agua de Lluvia project”. We are sure that this new synergy will attract a wider audience; increasing both the level of competition and awareness of rainwater harvesting.

Through this competition we aim to make the public, too often insufficiently informed, aware of the various advantages that rainwater harvesting offers by providing sustainable access to water. It is in this context that the IRHA and Photojournale invite photographers, professional and amateur alike, to present their vision on the benefits that this celestial resource can have for both humans and nature.

The date for the final submission of photographs is 30^th April 2011 at 12 p.m. (midnight) GMT.

The Awards
1. The presentation of prizes will take place in June 2011.
2. The three best photographs will be awarded prizes as follows;

* The first winner will be awarded CHF (Swiss francs) 1000
* The second winner will be awarded CHF (Swiss francs)  600
* And the third winner will receive CHF (Swiss francs) 400

Submissions and Rules for more information

Eric Beecroft has just announced that the Foundry Photojournalism Workshop will take place in mid July 2011 in beautiful Buenos Aires, Argentina!

The tuition is $500 for regional students (Mexico, and all countries south to Tierra del Fuego; including Caribbean nationals, and $975 for non-regional students. Early registration is available for a non-refundable $100 via Paypal only. The early registration guarantees a spot and places the payer in the front of the line for class choice. Scholarships will be announced shortly.

The instructors’ line up include:

Kael Alford
Walter Astrada
Andrea Bruce
Michael Robinson Chavez
Tewfic El-Sawy
Ashley Gilbertson
Ron Haviv
Henrik Kastenskov & Poul Madsen (Bombay Flying Club)
Jared Moosy
Maggie Steber
Ami Vitale
Adriana Zehbrauskas

Buddhism in Myanmar | Budismo en Myanmar

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Story by Joaquin Gomez Sastre

Welcome to the new Photojournale networking community. Essentially this is a platform where you can add a portfolio of photography work , make it available to public or keep it private amongst friends, create and develop groups that can be interest or geography based where you can share and discuss information, forums and blogs.

I have transferred as much of the former Ning Network to this platform and am looking to bring this essential part of Photojournale’s community to life.

Some of the new features are weekly email alerts of content changes in the “Groups”,private messaging ( not unlike Facebook) and  albums or portfolios are part of your profiles.

Cheers and many thanks

John Horniblow
Founder and Editor – Photojournale : Photo documentary and stories from around the world