Webfeed From the agencies – galleries of photo-journalism

If you are enjoying these images from the various sources of photo-journalism you would like the series in the Guardian called ‘From the Agencies’ here is a link to the page that has a number of galleries from around the world.

“Showcasing some of the world’s best photojournalists.

The Guardian receives many thousands of pictures every day, some days more than 20,000. Of these, many are publicity hand-outs, soft paparazzi images and material for the sports pages.

However, among all these photographs there are some real gems. The agencies that the Guardian subscribes to – AP, Reuters and Getty Images, among others – have some truly great photojournalists on their staff and under contract, although they probably would be too modest to describe themselves as such. We would like to recognise some of these unsung heroes by presenting their work in galleries, rather than publish them in the usual, one-off, spot news format”

Here are some from the featured photographers

Engi, five, Ziona’s youngest, poses with other children from the family Photograph: Adnan Abidi/Reuters

Locals mingle at a market in Thimphu, Bhutan, on the eve of the royal wedding between King Jigme Khesar Namgyel Wangchuck and Jetsun Pema Photograph: Paula Bronstein/Getty Images

National Transitional Council (NTC) fighters on the runway of the airport in Sirte, Libya. The city is of vital strategic importance and has now been surrendered by pro-Gaddafi forces, says the NTC Photograph: Manu Brabo/AP

Featured photojournalist: Navesh Chitrakar

Are photo-journalists becoming the best photographers? I look at the work of landscape, fashion, art or portrait photographers and rarely do I find the same engagement with the subject, the same commitment to the medium and the same impressive vision as I do when I see the work of the best photo-journalists in the world.

Just when technology in the form of digital imaging makes photo-journalism truly viable, images captured now can be on line or in a paper in half an hour we find that so many of the outlets for these photographers are turning to the use of any image.  Camera phone, crap compact, anything that can make an image held by people who have no understanding of photography and conveying a story will be used if the person was there. So our newspapers and other media outlets via tv and the web are full of images that have immediacy but little quality. To paraphrase Bob Geldorf; after 150 years of news photography, ‘is that it?’

Fortunately there are still some photographers, probably now self funded rather than employed by news organisations, who are still driven to bring us images that illuminate and amaze us. Navesh Chitrakar was born in Kathmandu in 1986, into a family of artists, photographers and journalists. After college, Navesh worked for the Himalayan Times, and two years ago joined Reuters. Here he captures the spirit of the Chhath and Tihar festivals in Nepal, which took place this week

These rather beautiful images by Navesh Chitrakar can be found in the Guardian, here is the link for all the images. You can enjoy three here

A vendor scoops vermilion powder used for worship during the Tihar festival Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

A Hindu devotee offers a banana to a cow during Tihar, when animals are worshipped Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

On the final day of the Chhath festival in Kathmandu, a worshipper waits for sunrise in order to offer prayers Photograph: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters

Pictures of the week November 5th 2011

The Denver Post consistently has some of the best pictures presented as pictures of the week. Every time I visit the site I find something that moves me, something that makes me wish I had been there and something that makes me want to pick up my camera and go and take pictures. Doesn’t get better than that, here are just three go here and see the rest of the pictures of the week

In an Oct. 25, 2011 photo provided by the Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council, kayaker Alan Brady is surprised by two breaching humpback whales while kayaking off the coast of Seabright State Beach in Santa Cruz, Calif. Photographer Paul Schraub was shooting pictures from a boat while on assignment for the Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council when he captured the moment. (AP Photo/Santa Cruz Conference and Visitors Council , Paul Schraub) #

Sunlight streams in to illuminate the scene as altar boys and Bishops arrive to attend mass celebrated by Pope Benedict XVI to commemorate cardinals and bishops who died in the past year, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, Thursday, Nov. 3, 2011. (AP Photo/Andrew Medichini) #

An Afghan man, center, selects a sheep to buy for the upcoming Eid-al-Adha festival, at a livestock market in Kabul, Afghanistan, Wednesday, Nov 2, 2011. Muslims will celebrate Eid al-Adha, or the Feast of the Sacrifice on Nov. 7, by slaughtering of sheep, goats, cows or camels. (AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen) #