The Taj Mahal: 26 Images from Traditional to Unique

If you have ever had the opportunity to visit The Taj Mahal you will know that everywhere you point a camera there are pictures you want to take, and at the same time every picture you see has already been photographed by someone else. This can be frustrating, trying to find something new from one of the most photographed buildings in the world. But then you shoot anyway because whatever you capture is yours. Interestingly the towers on the corners are built leaning but look straight from a distance, at least that was what I was told by a guide, then again he could have been having a laugh at my ignorance. These pictures are not groundbreaking but are a good selection of what can be achieved from the obvious to the inventive. From those nice people at Light Stalking What these pictures prove is that a photographer requires patience and planning. Planning to be at the location when the light is just perfect and patience to wait.

Travel photography always acts as a great push for me, that saying “a photographer needs to see as a child or as a tourist….for the first time” is always easier in another country. Last year I went to Syria and here are some of my pictures, you may be interested, this year I am off to Libya to see Leptis Magna. If you doubt my reasons for Libya have a look at the pictures

The Art of Travel Portraiture: 10 Tips to Get You Better Shots

Aloha Lavina is an Asia based photographer and has contributed this article to Lightstalking

Capturing travel portraits is one of the hardest assignments you can undertake as a photographer. Traveling to a new place where you may not be that familiar with the customs, there is no way you can predict who you’ll meet, and even less chance of developing some definite expectations of what images you can make and take home. You need to be open to anything and flexible enough to change focus at a moment’s notice.
To help you maximize your chances of capturing memorable portraits that have impact, there are some things you can remember.

Here we have just a few of the 10 tips, go here for the full article

1. Wait for the decisive moment.
Cartier Bresson once said, “There is nothing in this world that does not have a decisive moment.” Finding this decisive moment is one of the most exciting things you can search for in your quest for portraits. Being patient and waiting for moments can result in expressive portraits.

2. Provide context for your subject.
Using the environment can help you tell the story of your subject. Whether it is about work, play, or other themes, giving bits of the surroundings can add impact to the story because the elements around the subject add to the narrative of who they are, what they do, linking their story to the viewer’s story.

4. Interact with your subject.
It helps a traveler to interact with their subject. Some would argue that interacting with your subject changes the image; that by imposing yourself into their lives, the photographer changes the natural way a local person would act. But you could also argue that travel is one way to get to know other people whose lives are different from yours and make new friends, and that certainly doesn’t hurt anyone.

 

 

 

Grief, Grind, and Glory of Work, pictures by Steve McCurry

Last month the world heard the tragic news that more than a thousand people working at a clothing factory in Bangladesh, were killed when the factory they were working in collapsed. Steve McCurry one of the greatest working photographers has put together this selection of his images themed around work, you can see all of the set here

       

 

all images © Steve McCurry

see more here

Did North Korea photoshop its hovercraft?

The many uses of Photoshop are obvious but world domination is not common however as The Guardian reports here those naughty NK’s have been at it again

It appears North Korea has doctored pictures of its military to make it look more impressive than it is – and not for the first time, read the full article with diagrams and explanations here

This picture released by North Korea’s official Korean Central News Agency on March 26, 2013 and taken on March 25, 2013 shows the landing and anti-landing drills of KPA Large Combined Units 324 and 287 and KPA Navy Combined Unit 597 at an undisclosed location on North Korea’s east coast.   Rather thrilling it is too!

Night Scavengers of Cambodia

From The Denver Post photo blogs, a photo story from 2011

Cambodians work late into the night recycling garbage as fires burn at the local garbage dump in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Many children work part time in the dump to help support their families while attending school during the day. While Siem Reap’s ancient temples boost massive tourism attracting millions of visitors still 28.3% of Cambodians live on less than $1.25 per day according to a 2011 UNDP Human Development Report.

An estimated 36 per cent of Cambodia’s 14.2 million people live below the poverty line and about 85 per cent of these live in rural areas.

1

Cambodians work late into the night recycling garbage as fires burn at the local garbage dump in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Many children work part time in the dump to help support their families while attending school during the day. While Siem Reap’s ancient temples boost massive tourism attracting millions of visitors still 28.3% of Cambodians live on less than $1.25 per day according to a 2011 UNDP Human Development Report. An estimated 36 per cent of Cambodia’s 14.2 million people live below the poverty line and about 85 per cent of these live in rural areas. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images) #

2

Young boys work late into the night recycling garbage at the local garbage dump in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Many children work part time in the dump to help support their families while attending school during the day. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images) #

3

Young boys work late into the night recycling garbage at the local garbage dump in Siem Reap, Cambodia. (Photo by Paula Bronstein /Getty Images) #

See More Here

Photographing Bhutanese Dance: the Michael Aris Collection

There is an event at The Pitt Rivers Museum this weekend that might be of interest to photographers.

“Michael Aris was a leading authority on Himalayan Studies and worked in Bhutan during the 60s and 70s. His photographs show this mountainous kingdom before the arrival of planes, tourism and television. The talk will explain elements of Bhutanese dance traditions by teasing out stories captured within the frozen frame of these still images. More recent film footage will be used to show the context of the dance images.”

©Michael Aris

The times are 2.30 – 3.30 on Saturday 18th. Full details of this event can be found on the BBC website here is the link

Utterly fantastic North Korea by David Guttenfelder

From the Denver Post quite the most brilliant pictures from North Korea by David Guttenfelder….more here, just go and look

Central Pyongyang, North Korea at dusk. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) #

A young girl stands on floral-print carpet inside the Pyongyang Children’s Palace in Pyongyang, North Korea. The large facility teaches performance arts, fine arts, and sports as extracurricular classes to students in Pyongyang. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) #

A children’s choir performs in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) #

A waitress is reflected in a mirror inside a hotel restaurant in Mount Myohyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) #

A girl plays the piano inside the Changgwang Elementary School in Pyongyang, North Korea. (AP Photo/David Guttenfelder) #

 

 

 

Unicef Photo of the Year 2010

The winners of this year’s Unicef Photo of the Year contest have been announced in Berlin. The prize is awarded to outstanding photos that best depict the personality and living conditions of children

First prize: Ed Kashi, Agency VII, US
Title: Vietnam: The legacy of war
The Vietnam war ended in 1975. The US withdrew their troops and north and south Vietnam were reunited. But for the Vietnamese people the legacy of American warfare continues. US forces used the herbicide Agent Orange to destroy foliage that the north Vietnamese were using as cover. Agent Orange contains dioxins that are known to cause cancer and damage genes. The effects of the toxic substance can be seen among Vietnamese people to this day, such as cancer, immune disorders and severe deformities. According to official estimates, 1.2 million children, including nine-year-old Nguyen Thi Ly, are disabled. In rural areas, the percentage of disabled children is significantly higher than in urban areas

Second prize: Majid Saeedi, Getty Images
Title: Afghanistan: The devastating consequences of civil wars
Approximately 4 million refugees have returned to Afghanistan from Pakistan and Iran and are now trying to settle down again in their home country. Among these refugees was the family of eight-year-old Akram. His family had looked for shelter in the Pakistani city of Peshawar and Akram tried to make money by collecting scraps on a rubbish dump in the city. While rummaging through the rubbish, he accidentally touched a non-insulated cable, which caused severe burns. Both his hands and arms had to be amputated. Akram’s family have now returned to Kabul and he received arm prostheses thanks to the help of the International Red Cross Photograph: Majid Saeedi/Getty Images/UNICEF

Photo of the Year 2010

Third prize: GMB Akash, Panos Pictures
Title: The oldest profession in the world destroys the lives of young girls
Bangladesh-based photographer GMB Akash shows the plight of child prostitutes in Bangladesh, some of whom are extremely young. Young girls in the brothels of the Faridpur region have to take a steroid daily to “plump up”, so they appear older and presumably more attractive. It is the same drug that is also used to fatten cattle. It was originally intended for use by people suffering from arthritis, asthma or allergies. Yasmin, 20, has a puffy face because of the steroid. She has lived in this brothel since she was a child – just like her mother, who worked here as a prostitute for 30 years Photograph: GMB Akash/Panos Pictures/UNICEF Photo of the Year 2010