The Other Half of Stories : An interview with NatGeo photographer Ami Vitale

Photo by Ami Vitale

(From Wild Ideas Worth Living Podcast)

In war-torn Gaza, Ami Vitale was asked to “focus on the violence.” Then, one day, while her and all the other photo journalists were capturing kids throwing rocks and soldiers bullets, Ami heard music. She followed it. And found a wedding.

“Why aren’t we telling these stories too,” she thought, “the ones that allow us to relate to one another as human beings.” She suddenly realized she was telling a lie, because she was only telling half the story. “There were all these other stories around us. Stories that allowed us to relate to one another as human beings, {stories} that allowed us to connect” by reminding us that we “share the same things on this planet.”

“As a journalist,” she continues, “I was being asked to create more fear and polarization on this planet and see those people as other and different than us. The truth is, it was just a beautiful young couple wanting the same things that we all want in life. That was when I stopped and asked myself, ‘Why aren’t we telling these stories too?’”

From then on, Ami Vitale changed the way she tells stories. She still captures the hard and terrible ones because that is still very much a part of life, but she also seeks out the beautiful and hopeful, the ones that inspire and spark joy, because those too are a part of life. And Ami Vitale wants to provide a balance and reminder “of our connections”, that we are all human beings on this world, longing for the same things, eager to tell and share our stories.

Our world could use a lot more people like Ami Vitale.

You can listen to her full interview at Wild Ideas Podcast or watch her How to Photograph Hope presentation for NatGeo Storytellers Summit.

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-N- Stuff  :  Humanity  : Podcasts : Inspiring Art

Jord Hammond Photography

“Jord Hammond is a 25-year-old freelance contemporary travel photographer and storyteller from the UK. After living and working as a teacher in South-West China for a year, he developed a passion for photography which has led him to all corners of the earth; from the mountains of Peru to the rivers of Varanasi in India and everything in between” (via).

You can catch more of Jord’s work at @jordhammon and on his website, jordhammond.com.

Happy Sunday!

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-N- Stuff  :  Photography  : Jord Hammond

Nirav Patel Photography

My wife often sends me people, ideas, and links of inspiration. This week she sent me Nirav Patel.

“I am drawn to quiet moments,” writes, “I think it originated from attempts at self-preservation when I was living in neighborhoods that were...difficult” (via).

“I still look for the glimpses of quiet when the world is turbulent. These images are a window into my world” (via).

Reminds me of Tupac’s “The Rose That Grew From Concrete”.

You can follow Nirav on instagram or his website.

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-N- Stuff  :  Photography : Art : Nirav Patel

Women at a mosque in Tehran, Iran.

I just love this image by Ebrahim Noroozi.

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-N- Stuff  :  Photography : Ebrahim Noroozi

Long shadows cast on the camel caravan.

Photo by @jarradseng

Love this image. And the host site the reposted it, @stayandwander. If ever you want to feel the feels, spend a few minutes meandering around their account. You won't be disappointed.

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-N- Stuff  :  Photography  

Featured Photographer : Sebastiao Salgado

Sebastião Salgado’s early influences included Lewis Hine, W Eugene Smith and Walker Evans. Much like his heros, Salgado developed a style in black and white that found beauty in brutal subjects of poverty, hardship and oppression of various cultures under the wake of industrialization to the native landscape (via).

With a photojournalistic, monochromatic style that combines complexity with a high sense of drama, his work is dedicated to awareness of conditions of both wildlife and humans (via).

Salgado’s work raised global awareness to varying human conditions which revealed "the often harsh conditions of large scale industrial sites including oil fields and commercial fisheries" (via).

In 2004, after decades of seeing and capturing the worst humanity has to offer, "his work shifted to landscape and wildlife as he began his work on Genesis, a collection of images from some of the most remote parts of the world."

"Salgado aimed to capture landscape that is completely untouched by humans" (via). 

For forty years, Salgado documented deprived societies in hidden corners of the world, and the images, the people, and the experiences slowly yet methodically took its toll - his soul became sick, "I no longer believed in anything," Salgado found, "in any salvation for the human species."

It was then that he returned to his Brazilian home to began a new project: restoring the rainforest and mending his soul. 

For a deeper, more intimate glimpse into Sebastiao Salgado's heart and mind and camera, check out The Salt of the Earth, a film directed by Salgado's son that explores the life and loves and work of the brilliant Sebastião Salgado.

Here's a trailer of the film.

Little did I know that I was going to discover much more than just a photographer.

And so will you.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Photography  :  Inspiring art  :  Salgados's Instagram  :  Documentaries

Microsculpture : The Insect Portraits of Levon Biss

what I loved most about these pictures and his process was the reminder that everyday things, everyday annoyances can often become something very different, very beautiful even, if only seen in a different way.

And that is encouraging. 

Microsculpture is a ground breaking project by the British photographer Levon Biss that presents insect specimens from the Oxford University Museum of Natural History like never before . . . Microsculpture was first exhibited in the main court of the Oxford University Museum of Natural History.  Surrounded by the museum’s stunning Neo-Gothic architecture, the largest of Microsculpture’s photographic prints measured up to three metres across and surrounded the visitor.  Seen alongside the tiny insect specimens themselves, this huge transformation of scale offered a unique viewing experience" (via). 

Although much smaller than three meters, these images are still stunning.

Jewel Longhorn Beetle

At high magnification the surface of even the plainest looking beetle or fly is completely transformed as details of their microsculpture become visible: ridges, pits or engraved meshes all combine at different spatial scales in a breath-taking intricacy. It is thought that these microscopic structures alter the properties of the insect’s surface in different ways, reflecting sunlight, shedding water, or trapping air (via).

Marion Flightless Moth

Levon photographs the insect in "approximately 30 different sections, depending the size of the specimen.  Each section is lit differently with strobe lights to bring out the micro sculptural beauty of that particular section of the body.  For example, I will light and shoot just one antennae, then after I have completed this area I will move onto the eye and the lighting set up will change entirely to suit the texture and contours of that specific part area of the body.  I continue this process until I have covered the whole surface area of the insect" (via).

Paris Peacock

Ruby Tailed Wasp

You can see many more of these ridiculous images here, and if you do, don't pass up on the Treehopper. It might be my favorite.

Treehopper

But the Branch Back Treehopper is pretty amazing too . . . and the Tricolored Jewel Beetle. 

Here's the madness behind the process:

You can also check Levon Biss' TED Talk and more of his non-insect work here.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Photography  :  National Geographic

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Some pretty awesome drone shots

Nature and Romance

 Niaz is a director, commercial photographer and film maker based out of Los Angeles who loves "creating awesome stuff!" 

These arial shots seem to fall easily into such a category.

Laguna Beach

Lost in a Forest

California Sunset

Pursuit of Happiness

Floating

Santa Monica

You can see more of Niaz's work in his portfolio or follow him on Instagram.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Guardian's best drone photography  :  Photos

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Standing, for a moment, with refugees

Refugees, primarily from Syria, Afghanistan and Iraq prepare to board a train at a refugee transit camp, or reception center for refugees and migrants, in Gevgelija, Macedonia on October 2, 2015.

The refugee crisis is inescapable in today’s news. Striking visuals emerging from Europe, the Middle East, and Africa illustrate a story of both desperation and hope. These images allow viewers to stand for a moment alongside migrants and refugees fleeing their home countries in search of a new life and new opportunities.

Refugees and migrants enter a registration and transit center in Opatovac, Croatia, on October 7, 2015. Approximately 4000-5000 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, and Syria, pass through this border town every day on their way to Western Europe.

On November 14-15, the Tufts Institute for Global Leadership (IGL) and VII Photo Agency mark 10 years of collaboration with a series of seminars and workshops at VII Perspectives: Migration. VII founder and Chair of IGL’s Program for Narrative and Documentary Practice, Gary Knight, will be joined by leading VII photojournalists for two days of dialogue and hands-on experience. A selection of several of the photographers’ work on the refugee crisis is highlighted below (via).

One thousand migrants and refugees from countries including Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, as well as regions of the Balkans and Africa at an emergency shelter at Olympia Stadiom in Berlin, Germany on September 24, 2015.

 

Photos by Ashley Gilbertson

Ashley Gilbertson’s images capture refugees – mostly from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, and Afghanistan, as well as regions of the Balkans and Africa – on their way into and through Europe during September 2015.

The exodus of people from Africa, Central Asia, and the Middle East to Europe is the largest movement of people since World War II. Working in the refugee transit centers, which see thousands of people daily, the photographer notes that conditions at some of the camps are getting slightly better. However, some conditions – such as five hour train rides packed so tightly there is no room to move beyond the spot people are standing – reflect challenges in addressing the scale of the crisis.

Refugees primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are called to by volunteers as they land near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015.

Refugees primarily from Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan are helped by volunteers as they disembark boats near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015. The Agean sea is particularly rough, with the first signs of winter storms beginning today. Many refugees were sea sick, some to the point of life threatening conditions due to dehydration and cold.

Kadoni Kinan, 26, a volunteer, helps a young Syrian boy as he disembarks a boat near Scala, on the island of Lesvos, Greece on September 30, 2015. Kadoni Kinan left his home in Saragep, Syria five years ago. Kinan successfully filed for refugee status, and today lives in Belgium, where he studies Flemish at school and volunteers for the Red Cross.

Photos by Ed Kashi

In November 2013, photographer Ed Kashi went to Iraq and Jordan, working with the International Medical Corps (IMC). IMC is a humanitarian non-profit organization that provides aid and relief to those affected by conflict and crisis.

The photographer’s work reflects IMC’s efforts to increase awareness and improve not only the physical, but also the mental health of young refugees plagued by depression, fear, suffering, and the sense of a life turned upside down. His images intimately llustrates the plight of this lost generation.

Children gather in an enclave of tents at the Al Za'atri refugee camp for Syrians near Mafraq, Jordan on Nov. 25, 2013.

A young girl enjoys a lollipop while watching shoppers in the Domiz Camp for Syrian Refugees just outside of Dohuk, Iraq on Nov. 23, 2013.

Refugees walk through the overcrowded Al Za'atri refugee camp for Syrians, near Mafraq, Jordan on Nov. 17, 2013. There, International Medical Corps, IMC, is pushing to increase awareness and improve not only the physical, but also the mental health of young refugees plagued by depression, fear, suffering, and the sense of a life turned upside down.

Photos by Ron Haviv

Like Maciek Nabrdalik’s, this selection of Ron Haviv’s photographs are centered on the Lesvos, Greece. There, he has captured the work of volunteers helping refugees to arrive safely, as well as the migrants’ journey once they have made it to shore.

A refugees looks towards Turkey after arriving on the Greek island of Lesbos.

Refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos.

A Spanish volunteer lifeguard helps refugees arrive on the Greek island of Lesbos.

While looking at these images of hope and love, I couldn't help but think, "Where is America?"

Then I remembered. We're building walls.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :   Amazing Photos  :  Humanity

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Nat Geo's Travel Photos of the Year

"The results of the 2017 National Geographic Travel Photographer of the Year Contest are now in, with grand-prize winner Sergio Tapiro Velasco set to receive a 10-day trip for two to the Galápagos Archipelago with National Geographic Expeditions, for his incredible shot of lightning striking the erupting Colima Volcano in Mexico (below). National Geographic was kind enough to allow {ALAN TAYLOR} to share the winners and honorable mentions with us here, from three categories: Nature, Cities, and People. The photos and captions were written by the photographers, and lightly edited for style" (via)

The Power of Nature - Grand Prize and 1st Prize Nature Category. Powerful eruption of Colima Volcano in Mexico on December 13th, 2015. That night, the weather was dry and cold, friction of ash particles generated a big lightning rod of about 600 meters that connected ash and volcano, illuminating the dark scene. In last part of 2015, this volcano showed a lot of eruptive activity with ash explosions that raised 2-3 km above the crater. Most of the night explosions produced incandescent rock falls and lightning not bigger than 100 meters in average

Al Ain - Honorable mention, Cities. New city on the desert.

The Man’s Stare - Honorable mention, People. The photo was taken on July 23rd 2016 at Tongi Railway Station in Gazipur, Bangladesh. I was there taking photos and waiting for a moment. A train from Dhaka toward another district stopped at the platform for 5 minutes for lifting passengers. It was raining a lot. Suddenly I found a pair of curious eyes looking at me through the window and on his left an umbrella has been put to protect from the rain. I got the moment.

Interesting Moment - 2nd Place, People. Museum visitors curiously watching Rembrandt's painting "Syndics of the Drapers' Guild" where it gave the illusion that the people on the paintings too are curiously watching the visitors.

My favorite is "The Man's Stare." What a captured moment. 

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :   Amazing Photos :  Nat Geo 2016 Year in Photos  :  Portrait Photography of Martin Schoeller

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Michel D'Oultremont : More than a Photograph

The following video, and Michel D'Oultremont's works, are breathtaking. But, hidden in his words and disguised by the beauty of the film, is something bigger, something beyond photography, that I can't quite pin down. It's there, gnawing, scratching, and unrelenting, like a thorn, buried in the flesh, that won't go away.

I've watched it several times, till, finally, I watched it with my eyes closed, substituting people in for animals. Then, some truths for life come into focus (see what I did there? Clever!).

Truths like:

"I tried to put more distance between me and the {people}, to have more breathing space in the image, to have something more constructed . . . I tried to put more importance on the environment or the play of light, rather than the {person themselves}."

"Patience is one of the most important things to have. Without patience it's not possible to see {people}" because, "When challenges accumulate, they shouldn't hold you back, they should be an extra motivation. Because the next day, everything might change." But only if we're patient, and if we're there. 

"I think this kind of project is really important for our future, for all of us really." 

Perhaps the most important of it's kind.

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Faces of Humanity  :  Photography  :  Humanity

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Boxed in : life inside the 'coffin cubicles' of Hong Kong

Photographer Benny Lam has documented the suffocating living conditions in Hong Kong’s subdivided flats, recording the lives of these hidden communities.

Benny Lam : Wednesday 7 June 2017 07.15 BST

‘I’m still alive and yet I am already surrounded by four coffin planks!’ … Hong Kong’s cage home tenants. All photographs : Benny Lam

Cage homes are minuscule rooms lived in by the poorest people in the city. Over the last 10 years, the number of cage homes made of wire mesh has decreased, but they’ve been replaced by beds sealed with wooden planks

These small, wooden boxes of 15 sq ft, are known as ‘coffin cubicles’

A 400 sq ft flat can be subdivided to accommodate nearly 20 double-decker sealed bed spaces

The tenants are different ages and sexes – all unable to afford a small cubicle, which would allow more room to stand up

A kitchen-toilet complex in a cage home

The photographs highlight the reality of Hong Kong’s housing crisis, where tens of thousands of people live in these cramped conditions because they can’t afford anything else

Many cage home residents awake to the cruel reality that all the shimmer and prosperity of Hong Kong is out of reach

An estimated 100,000 people in Hong Kong live in inadequate housing, according to the Society for Community Organisation (SoCO)

These photographs were taken for SoCO, an NGO fighting for policy changes and decent living standards in the city

Benny Lam’s series Trapped was shortlisted for the Prix Pictet 2017

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  Photography  :  100x100 Living in Hong Kong

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The Guardian's Best Drone Photography

Aerial photography platform SkyPixel received 27,000 entries to its 2016 competition. Here are the winning shots plus some of The Guardian's favorites.

Published by The Guardian

Wednesday 25 January 2017

A line in the sand ... SkyPixel’s competition was open to both professional and amateur photographers and was split into three categories: Beauty, 360, and Drones in Use. This image – of a camel caravan in the desert – won first prize in the Professional Beauty category.

Photograph: Hanbing Wang/SkyPixel

Dam near perfect ... second prize in the same category was of the Huia Dam in Auckland, New Zealand. Hong Kong-based SkyPixel was launched in 2014.

Photograph: Brendon Dixon/SkyPixel

Dead straight ... this image of a road bridge in the US won first prize in the Amateur Beauty category.

Photograph: SkyPixel

Green waves ... this shot, taken in Italy, won second prize in the Amateur Beauty category.

Photograph: Mauro Pagliai/SkyPixel

ce art ... third prize in the Amateur Beauty category. This image is of a frozen river in the US.

Photograph: SkyPixel

Catching the winning image ... fishermen close the net in Fujian province in China. This was the grand prize winner in the competition.

Photograph: Ge Zheng/Ge Zheng/SkyPixel

On the terraces … the competition – the first run by SkyPixel – attracted 27,000 entries, including this one of a rice terrace in China, which was one of our favourites.

Photograph: SkyPixel

Where did you park the car? Another of our favourites, though not a category winner, is of a huge parking lot.

Photograph: SkyPixel

City cool … people play amid the fountains.

Photograph: SkyPixel

And they were all yellow … uncredited landscape shot.

Photograph: SkyPixel

Rainbow lines … a track runs between the multicoloured lines of tulips in the Netherlands.

Photograph: SkyPixel

For more on . . .

-N- Stuff  :  On Living  :  Critical Thinking

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