31.03.12 – Haidian District. Beijing, China.
Checking Messages On the Subway – Beijing [Mobile Uploads]
26.03.12 – Line 2. Beijing Subway, China.
Must Watch: Sebastiao Salgado: The Photographer as Activist
I came across this video over the weekend which I felt compelled to share here on my blog. It’s a panel discussion with the great Sebastiao Salgado, whose work I greatly admire. Salgado has taken documentary photography to another level, pushing the role of photographer beyond being merely a witness and into an agent for change. The above video is nearly an hour and a half in length but it is well worth the time to sit down and take in some of the great discussion.
“What I want is the world to remember the problems and the people I photograph. What I want is to create a discussion about what is happening around the world and to provoke some debate with these pictures. Nothing more than this. I don’t want people to look at them and appreciate the light and the palate of tones. I want them to look inside and see what the pictures represent, and the kind of people I photograph.” – Sebastiao Salgado (from PhotoQuotes.com)
Sunset Couple – Beijing [Mobile Upload]
A couple walking across a bridge at sunset. Beijing, China. 2012
Enter The Water Dragon
Tomorrow, Thursday 22nd March, marks the United Nations’ World Water Day. To mark the event, Beijing NGO Thirst4Water has been holding events in schools and universities throughout the city to raise awareness about water issues across the globe.
This morning, in Beijing, we orchestrated nearly 1000 students into the shape of a dragon to mark the day tomorrow. As you can imagine, this was no small task. A team of artists first designed the dragon and then led the students into the correct position. A conveniently place 10 storey building allowed us to get the shot that we needed from above.
Wherever you are for the day itself tomorrow, spread the word about World Water Day.
New Multimedia Coming Soon
China's Fragile Forests - New Multimedia
Followers here will know that last summer I embarked on a trip to China’s southern province of Sichuan, to report on the threats to China’s forests for the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. In case you missed it, here is a link to the main reporting page on the Pulitzer Center website.
I’m delighted to be collaborating with the Asia Society and China Green again on a new multimedia piece which will be launching soon. My first collaboration with China Green was when we brought together seven multimedia pieces, focused on China’s wetlands. Our new multimedia will be bringing together stills, video and interviews from my travels last summer, highlighting the current state of China’s fragile forests.
Please stay tuned for more updates…
Chengguan Calling – Beijing [Mobile Upload]
The above image is from a street advertisement for the local Chengguan in Beijing, China.
The Chengguan are a local government agency that take care of various aspects of the city’s management, normally enforcing local bylaws. They are a frequent site in the city and are infamous for being the arch-enemy of all street peddlers and hawkers….
