Shooting video in the mountains of northern Sichuan. 2011

Are you on Tumblr? This is yet another popular blogging platform has emerged recently and proving to be very popular. I set-up an account last month and am now using it to for mobile uploads, posting images as I travel around China and the world working. I hope that this can help to give you a quick visual sense of what I am doing and provide you with another insight into my life as a professional photographer and videographer. This new platform will complement my text updates on Twitter and Facebook. All of course will all my viewable and accessible from this central hub on my blog. Look forward to seeing you on Tumblr!

Moonrise at 36,000 feet. Viewed from plane Enroute to Sichuan, China. 2011

Back in September of 2010, I posted an article called ‘Probably the Best Photography Blogs in the World‘. It was a casual listing of some of my favourite photography blogs which I visit on a fairly regular basis for inspiration and thought-provoking dialogue. The post itself has been one of the most popular on my blog, so I thought it was time for an update in response to reader suggestions and new blogs I have stumbled upon.

So, as in the last list, in no discernible order and with no official criteria, here are what I think are probably the best photography blogs in the world….part 2.

1. Photoshelter - I’m not quite sure how I missed this blog the first time around but it one that anyone with a remote interest in photography should check out. It is especially suited for those who are working as photographers, or aspiring to do so. Titled ‘A Picture’s Worth’ it covers topics including photography workflow, technique, SEO analytics strategies, photo-industry news amongst others. An essential resource for serious photographers or those thinking of taking photography more seriously.

2. TIME – Lightbox - This is a great new photography showcase by one of the industry leaders. Featuring high-quality reportage photography from some of the world’s leading photojournalists, as well as a sprinkling of other types of photography, it has already become a favorite amongst photo-aficionados, ranking with the New York Times’ Lens blog which was featured in my first list. This site is overflowing in quality photography.

3. Prison Photography - ”To bring to attention things previously unsaid. To bring attention to things said but unrecorded”. Pete Brook states from the outset his intentions in his manifesto on his blog. Don’t be led to think that this is just a blog about orange jumpsuits and prison bars though. Pete offers his intelligent and deeply thoughtful views about the world of photography and its role on a global cultural level, often through the views of incarceration. For those who wish to go to a deeper level in photography.

4. BBC In Pictures – Formerly ‘Viewfinder’, BBC Picture Editor Phil Coomes has recently rejigged the layout of his blog but still retains the quality content that is falling on the desk of one of the world’s busiest news/picture desks. “We can receive more than 8,000 pictures from the news wire agencies each day”, comments Phil, however he and his team filter through them to offer updates from the world of photography from a news perspective.

5. Reuters – “What makes a great picture?”, is the tagline on Reuters’ photography blog. If you are an aspiring news photographer, or want to find out more about how wire photographers go about covering breaking news around the world, then this is the site for you.  Updates from Reuters’ hundreds of photographers dotted around the globe will keep you informed of the challenges associated with recording many of the most current images that make it into newspapers on a daily basis.

6. Conscientious – For those of you who lean more to the world of fine art, or if you like to escape the travel/photojournalism worlds of photography once in a while, Jorg M. Colberg’s site might just be for you. Book and exhibition reviews, photographer profiles, guest articles can all be found here. Keep up to date with the happenings in the world of contemporary photography.

7. Lens Culture – This contemporary photography online magazine/blog focuses on a diverse mix of photography, photography-related news and has a myriad of styles represented. My personal favourite part of this blog is the audio/video archive which contains a host of interviews with many leading photographers and photo-related professionals. A great resource.

8. Foto8 – This magazine needs no introduction. Foto8, established by Jon Levy, has become an institution in the world of photojournalism and for good reason. It is a source of the finest in the world of photojournalism, presented beautifully in their monthly magazine. The blog reflects what is being published each month, as well as offering updates from the world of photography. Updates are more weekly than daily on their blog. But, as always, foto8 is about quality, not quantity.

9. 1854 - Another stalwart in the world of photography. The British Journal of Photography offers news, thoughts, analysis, product reviews, photographer profiles and more, on the online manifestation of their magazine. This is an essential blog to keep up to date with many breaking stories and the latest industry news.

10. So, is the sequel better than the original? Have I still missed any other great blogs? Please feel free to write suggestions below!

<<Return to the Learning Zone

Burn

The Emerging Photographer’s Fund is an evolution from discussions on David’s old blog ‘Road Trips‘. Road Trips was David’s first foray into blogging and became and intimate community of people keen to learn from David’s experience as a professional photographer for National Geographic and Magnum.

The appearance of blogging has, I feel, been a gift to aspiring photographers as more and more established professionals have gone online to openly and candidly share their thoughts and experiences with their followers. As a young photographer starting out, one of the things I craved was learning from pro-photographers and learning how they approached their careers and their work. Road Trips was a goldmine for any young photographer looking for information and/or advice. It still is a goldmine, although Road Trips is no longer, and has evolved very successfully into Burn. As I have evolved too as a photographer, making the first forays into the beginning stages of my professional career, I still value the Road Trips/Burn community as much as before.

Road Trips

In the summer of 2007, David announced the idea that he was giving out a grant. He challenged the readers of his blog to find a photo-project which they would ultimately submit and he would consider for further funding. I had been sitting on the idea of photographing the issue of desertification (the gradual expansion of deserts and arid land) for some time but hadn’t found the right time to get the project going. The challenge from David was to be my impetus to start.

I packed some clothes and my camera and booked a flight from Beijing to western China to a place I knew was suffering from desertification. At that time, the trip was funded out of my own pocket and I realistically knew that my chances of being awarded a grant were very small, due to the fact I was sure many good photographers would be entering too. It didn’t really matter to me though, as it was a project that I had wanted to cover for sometime and the challenge was enough to make me want to start. My aim was to get the project started and if I was lucky, get it infront of David on a computer sometime and get a few pieces of advice. I didn’t expect anything else. It’s important when you enter competitions or grants that you don’t expect anything. Continue with your work anyway. If you get any kind of recognition, it’s a bonus. You still need the passion for the subject to continue with it, even if it doesn’t pick up and awards along the way. They should never be your goal.

On new year’s day in 2008, I turned on my computer and went to the Road Trips site checking to see if the winner’s had been updated. To my complete astonishment, there was my name listed as the recipient.

Road Trips

For me, the biggest impact of winning the grant at such an early stage in my career as a photographer, came in terms of confidence. Young photographers are often unsure in their work. Unsure and daunted by the sheer amount of photographic talent there is out there and how they will find a foothold in the industry. Having come from a non-photographic background, my worries about whether photography was the right place for me were completely allayed from that point.

As a result of winning the grant, I also invested in attending two of the major photo-festivals in 2008, Visa Pour L’image and Look3. Attending these festivals was very special for me, as I began to connect with many of the people who I had only known online previously. The encouragement I gained from these individuals was amazing and many of them are now good friends and people whom I regularly seek advice from.

At the end of the day though, if you are a young photographer reading this, the money that the grant awards should not be the motivation. It’s the subject that should be the motivation. If you have found a subject that you really care about, are really passionate about, then this is what is going to make you stand out. If you win the grant, then it’s a bonus. A big bonus, for sure.  Edit tight. Edit to show your vision. Edit to show your feelings. Even if nothing comes from entering, this may be a great chance to really sit down with your work and try to think about it. Talk to others about it. Understand it. Move in the right direction.

Click Here

There will be lots of good photographers entering, but you have to put your work in the proverbial mixer. You’ve got to be in it to win it.

I hope this has been helpful to anyone thinking of applying. Good luck!

Click Here

So, I decided to spread some photographic love/respect/links and point you in the direction of what I believe are ‘Probably the Best Photography Blogs in the World’ – please insert tongue in cheek here.

In absolutely no discernible order, and without any official criteria, these are my favourite photo-related blogs that I visit on a pretty regular basis. Why do I visit them? Because they consistently deliver useful, fun, stimulating and interesteing information that enriches my life.

Once you have visited the blogs below, please do remember to come back to mine though

1. Burn - Curated by Magnum and National Geographic Photographer, David Alan Harvey, Burn is one of the best of the best. Showcasing new photo essays every few days, it introduces readers to an eclectic mix of photography. Comments regularly run into the 1000′s and are often insightful, entertaining and emotional.

2. Duckrabbit – I love Duckrabbit’s tagline, “We produce beautifully crafted multimedia”. They do exactly what they say on the tin and also throw in a daily updated blog full of witty and sometimes acerbic viewpoints and comments on the world of photography and multimedia. This UK based team’s fresh approach pulls no punches.

3. A Photo Editor – A stalwart of the blogging scene for some time now, Rob Haggart, former Director of Photography for Men’s Journal and Outside Magazine, offers readers a glimpse into the inner workings of magazines and gets you inside the minds of today’s photo/picture editors. An essential read for aspiring photographers.

4. Photojournalism Links – Finnish photographer Mikko Takkunen has created his own form of blogging resource by using ‘the link’ as his content. He trawls the web for the best of photography and photojournalism and puts all the links in one convenient place, so you don’t have to do anything but click. Hats off to this man.

5. Lens – Showcasing the finest of photography from it’s own photographers and the work of many other freelancers, agency photographers and wire photographers around the world, Lens delivers quality photography day in, day out. Its sleek slideshow format means pictures effortlessly glide in front of you. No page reloading. Just a stream of great pictures.

6. Classroom 1416 – Hosted by Ren Yue, photojournalism lecturer at Beijing’s Renmin University and recipient of the 2008 Howard Chapnick Grant for the advancement of photojournalism. She is at the forefront of showcasing new Chinese talent in photography. She also promotes international photography to her Chinese audience, creating an essential dialogue between east and west. Her blog is in Chinese but don’t let that deter you. That’s what they invented Google Translate for.

7. DSLR News Shooter – If I ever need a tech-fix, I head to this website. Headed by the likeable Guardian staff photographer, Dan Chung, this blog will teach you about every piece of kit you will ever need to know about. You will discover new pieces of equipment that you have never heard of and never knew existed. Videos then show you exactly how pros are using all this technology to make stunning stills and video around the world.

8. National Geographic Blog Central – Well, National Geographic needs no introduction whatsoever. Their blog is updated daily with articles, dispatches and photos that are all of the level that you would expect from this renowned organisation.

9. Telephoto – The photography blog of the UK Telegraph newspaper, ‘telephotography’ offers readers a good insight into the happenings in the gallery world of photography. Keep track of exhibitions, talks and speaking events through their news and events section which contains an impressive up-to-date list of events.

10. ________ – The last spot is all yours. I’d like YOU to fill in this last one. Are there any other vital photo blogs that I’ve missed? Please let us know in the comments below.

I was surprised to learn the other day that a friend of mine and fellow photographer, Lance Rosenfield, had made it onto CNN. I wasn’t surprised that he was in the limelight because he is an excellent photographer…see proof here and here.I was surprised  because he was on CNN since he had just been detained and harassed whilst on assignment photographing a BP oil refinery in Texas.

The above video is an interview with Lance from the Anderson Cooper show on CNN a couple of days ago. Lance outlines his experiences of being followed by the police, detained and quizzed after having taken pictures of the refinery.

It’s understandable that sights such as this will be sensitive to people randomly turning up and taking photographs. It’s equally understandable that they may stop people and ask what they are doing. What isn’t understandable is the way that those people can then be treated by the authorities as was outlined by Lance in his interview. The fact that Lance’s personal information was given to BP security by the police, despite his protests, is worrying. The fact that he was also intimidated by the threat and subsequent arrival of a Homelands Security Officer sounds excessive and uncalled for. Was this really needed when I am sure Lance outlined he was a professional photojournalist working for a reputable publication?

It’s seems this is another in a long line of conflicts between photographers and the authorities with the photographers normally ending up on the wrong side, being treated unfairly and with an excessive amount of suspicion. To be honest, I am not sure of the extent that this happens to photographers in the US on a daily basis. In the UK however it has been a contentious issue for some time now with a series of reported cases of photographers being harrassed and detained for photographing in public places mainly under the auspices of the ‘Terrorism Act’. Have a look at the video below from the Guardian News website from December last year showing the terrible treatment a student photographer received whilst out photographing in central London.

[youtube width="580" height="344"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-6DijNE3Z0[/youtube]

Active campaigning by large portions of the photography community in the UK against this kind of police behavior led to the excellent “I’m a Photographer Not a Terrorist” Campaign which culminated in January with a mass rally in Trafalgar Square in London. Constant pressure by photographers about the increased occurrence of this behavior towards them by the police, coupled with further campaigning, led to the determining that a certain section within the Terrorism Act that was mainly being used against photographers was deemed in breach of the European Convention on Human Rights. It was an impressive victory but cases are still popping up from time to time about the excessive treatment issued against photographers by the authorities.

Wherever we are in the world, it’s an important issue to stay aware of and we must continue to defend our right to photograph in public places without the fear of harassment, detention or worse. Hats off to Lance for doing exactly that.

So, in light of this, I have decided to give my blog a little bit of a new look. I hope you like the revamped design. I’m still in the stages of tweaking it, so please bear with me while I get this new format up and running. I have a backlog of ideas for new and interesting blog posts, so please do stay tuned and come back soon as there are going to be plenty of new updates.

Please let me know what you think of the new layout and design!

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Earth Hour | Beijing | China

Last week I posted the first competition for my blog, based on the recent video that I shot to coincide with Earth Hour here in Beijing. If you missed the video, you can watch it here on Vimeo or YouTube.

The challenge was to find me within the video, walking in front of the camera. Sounds easy huh? Yes, except for the fact the that the video is time-lapse and condenses the whole earth hour into one minute, hence making my two appearances very very brief.

Earth Hour | Beijing | China

I worried that I had made the challenge too difficult, until someone came in with nearly spot-on the correct guess. That person was ‘Charles’, who posted a guess of 0:26 and 1:04. The official count was 0:26 and 1:05, based on the two screen grabs you can see here in this post, but Charles’s answer was good enough for me. Very well done, Charles. I’m impressed!

Charles, are you in Beijing? If yes, please send me an email via the email address in the contact section to the right and let’s organise your free workshop. I look forward to hearing from you!

I am delighted to announce here on my blog that this month’s issue of National Geographic China contains a 12-page essay of my images and text, about my Pulitzer Center-sponsored work on “China’s Growing Sands”. This is a wonderful opportunity to reach out to a new audience in China and bring wider attention to the issue of desertification, which is gripping the north of the nation.

I considered just posting photographs of the layout here as a traditional tearsheet display, but then I thought it would be more fun to create a short video to showcase the layout. Also, this story only appears in the Chinese edition of National Geographic this month, so I wanted those not based in China to be able to see the excellent layout, as if you were flicking through yourself.

Please click on the video above to begin and thumb-through the magazine article with me on Vimeo. If you prefer YouTube, please go here.

If you are in China now, or over the coming few weeks, please pick up a copy. You should be able to buy it on most newsstands across the country.

Always happy to hear your thoughts. What do you think? Do you like the spread?

Earlier this week I released a video titled ‘Earth Hour: In One Minute’, a time-lapse video that captured last month’s Earth Hour at the Bird’s Nest Stadium in Beijing. I thought it would be fun to use this video as the basis for the first competition that I have run through the blog. Up for grabs is a half-day (3hours) one-on-one workshop with me here in Beijing. Maybe you’d like to brush up on your editing, your night photography, your photoshop skills, your street photography? No problem. We’ll have 3 hours to target anything you want, FREE.

Okay, so how to win? In my time-lapse video I actually appear twice within the video by walking into the foreground. (I was waiting alone in the cold for an hour doing the video, so I had to entertain myself somehow!) The challenge is to tell me the correct second count at which I appear, both times. To clarify, it’s the second count on the YouTube/Vimeo counter NOT the clock in the bottom-right of the screen you see counting down the Earth Hour. You can watch the clip on either YouTube or Vimeo. They are exactly the same.

The first eagle-eyed person to post the correct answers (or closest to them) here on this post on my blog will win the free workshop. Easy as that!

(*Hints* You may have to pause/start the video quickly to see frames individually around the points you think you spotted me. Those who know me and/or have met me on a workshop before, may have an advantage to knowing what I look like…obviously!)

I’ll reveal who is the winner at the beginning of next week, that’s assuming somebody gets it over the weekend! If no-one gets it, I’ll leave the competition open until someone does! Good luck!

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Dry and cracked soil in Gansu Province.2009

“Desertification is one of the most serious threats facing humanity”- Kofi Annan, former UN Secretary General. World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought. 2006.

A tourist stands on one of the large sand dunes that make up the Shapotou Desert tourist resort. The resort has provided jobs for local residents and has been a way for the local economy to benefit from the desert. 2009

“The dryness affects our lives a lot. We call it the ‘black disaster’, which means there is no grass. On the grassland, we are afraid of this disaster”, says Zamusu, a farmer who has lived his entire life on the central grasslands of  Inner Mongolia, in Northern China. These legendary grasslands are slowly deteriorating, suffering as a result of the world’s least reported environmental crisis.

A theme park in Ningxia Province is shrouded in sand during a sandstorm. Sandstorms occur as the spring winds blow and throw dry and degraded topsoil into the air. 2009

Desertification is the gradual transformation of arable and/or habitable land into desert, usually caused by overpopulation, water mismanagement, poor farming methods, the destructive use of land by industry and climate change.

Workers at the Shapotou desert theme park take a break as work slows. 2009

38% of the world’s surface area is now threatened by desertification, affecting countries across the world from North Africa, the countries of the Middle East, Australia, China and the western edge of South America.

A tourist runs in the desert in Ningxia province. 2009

“If we don’t take action, current trends suggest that by 2020 an estimated 60 million people could move from desertified areas of sub-Saharan Africa towards North Africa and Europe, and that worldwide, 135 million people could be placed at risk of being uprooted”, Kofi Annan (2006).

Creeping sands in Inner Mongolia swallow a fence at the side of a road. 2009

In 2007 I began photographing the issue of desertification and how it was affecting the lives of people in one of the world’s hardest hit countries, China. With the help of grants from the David Alan Harvey Fund for Emerging Photographers in 2008 and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting in 2009, I have been able to document how the people of China are being affected by this crisis, which has consumed over 20% of their country.

The grasslands of Inner Mongolia are suffering as a result of overgrazing and pressure put on them by rapid population and industry growth in the area. 2009

To learn more about how you can help combat desertification, please visit the Million Tree Project which aims to reforest areas of Inner Mongolia being affected by desertification.

A sandstorm descends on a bridge in Ningxia Province, bringing life to an almost standstill. 2009