Viewbook Photostory

Postmetropolis

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 14:45:42 +0000

According to the 2001 census, the population density of the state of West Bengal in India was 903 per sq. km. while Kolkata (erstwhile Calcutta) was bursting at its seams with a staggering density of 24, 760 per sq. km., making it one of the most densely populated metropolis in the world. The population growth has been registered at 4.1%, still the lowest among million-plus cities in India. This rising need for space led to an expansion and creation of a satellite township, known as New Town, on the north-eastern fringes of the city. While New Town is considered as one of the fastest growing planned new cities and is poised to be the industrial hub of West Bengal, it comes at a serious cost. The area it is being built on contains wet lands, cultivable lands and fisheries. The arable land and water bodies, which once sufficed so many needs, will soon be turned into a concrete jungle. So, while expansion may seem like a solution to the problem of space and overpopulation, little do we realise that we may be paving way for more serious problems - ecological, social and economical.

The Empty House

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 13:31:37 +0000

Before, during and after the Kosovo war – in 1999 – 1.800 people disappeared, right in a time when it was easy to die or to vanished into thin air. The Empty House is the story of broken lives, entangled in the fingers of those waiting an answer, be it only a grave to weep on. This is the story of an absence. At one stage, terror added up to the desperation of families left without any information about their father, son, or brother anymore. When Carla Del Ponte, former prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia, published her book of memoirs – The Hunt – 500 people, mostly Serbians, harboured a suspicion on something that, at the time, could only be whispered, like a ghost story. The house, in northern Albania, where according to Belgrade Prosecutor's office many people have been brought and stripped of their organs – then sold on the illegal international market – is still there. There lives the Katuci family. There, a family tries to shield its tranquillity from the anguish of thousands of other families.

Anywhere Town

admin — Tue, 27 Jul 2010 12:53:37 +0000

This is my personal vision about the globalization. I travelled around Europe in many cities with the goal that all of them look like the same city. Barcelona, Naples, Frankfurt, Rotterdam, Paris… you cannot find some differences between each from other: the subject are the citizens of the world. The cultural homologation, meant as uniformity of the behaviors, of the models of life, of the consumptions, inevitably influences the landscape, simplifying and modifying irreversibly the legibility of the past signs. The urban contexts lose their peculiarities and they wherever assume the repetitive characteristics of the residences of outskirts. The \"city of the future\" becomes a place deprived of importance and references, foreign to its inhabitants. In some zones of the big urban realities you can speak of \"individuals without place\", that means without any link with their own territory. The cities assume the aspect of the plastic models planned by their architects; and this happens anywhere: in Naples as in Berlin, in Paris as in Oslo. The following photos were taken in Rotterdam, Paris, Naples, Luxembourg, Frankfurt, San Marino, Bruxelles, Barcelona, London.

Khevsureti - The lost paradise

admin — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 15:25:52 +0000

Khevsureti (The lost paradise) Nestled 2,300 meters high in the mountains near the Georgian – Russian border Khevsureti is one of the highest Regions in Georgia. The region and its habitants date back to XIV century. Its severe location isolates Khevsureti from the Rest of modernizing Georgia and as a result many Khevsuretian religious and cultural traditions have remained virtually intact. In recent years, however, economic pressures have been forcing more and more young Khevsuretians into cities and now the future longevity of one of Georgia’s oldest tribes is fading. Khevsureti is “lost Paradise” A beautiful place with less population every year. This is very unique place with its own ethic and religious rites a place which struggles mostly because of economic and social changes in Georgia. This is very important project for me .I have visited Khevsureti for many times so far. Each year when I come back I see how the villages are emptying .Less children , less youth, they loose their roots. Khevsureti is abandoned when you walk the old ancient buildings you can feel how powerful the Khevsuretian Architecture is, but how poor it is without .Khevsureti is possibly the most misterious region in the Greater Caucasus and easily the most inaccessible part of GeorgiaThe road to Khevsureti.is closed for many months every year due to snowfall and it\'s only open to 4wd vehicles since May to October.

Seine-Saint-Denis

admin — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 13:21:54 +0000

SEINE-SAINT-DENIS (93) The large scale riots that ensued after two boys died while hiding from the police in an electricity sub station in Clichy-sous-Bois in 2005 shook France to its core. Four years later the suburb of Seine-saint-Denis, a suburb North East of Paris and where the riots originated, is still one of France’s most socially deprived urban regions. Home to one and a half million people, the suburb is commonly known as “ neuf trois”, named after the departments administrative and postal code. Despite government announcements to reduce its deplorable social statistics, Seine-Saint-Denis continues to suffer from high unemployment, worrying crime levels and scholarly failure. Only 9 percent of its population has proof of finished further education compared to 38 percent in Paris, 8 kilometers away.

Paradise

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:39:56 +0000

The idea of Paradise started four years ago with the idyllic stereotype that foreigners have about the perfect Sweden. I’m showing a grittier and more energetic view, a new image of Stockholm, in personal atmospheric neo realism. Critics have been writing about it at www.gosee.de: “Even if that certain grit and the red light districts are missing from Sweden’s nightlife, the urban organised city life does however offer countless situations and locations that are suited for \"Swedish Street Photography”. One of their representatives is Joakim Kocjancic, LinkImage photographer, whose ‘Paradise’ series in now on display at the Double Elvis Gallery in Stockholm.   Half Italian, half Swedish, he was born in Milan, 1975. Following his graduation from art school in Italy and London, he decided to return to his Nordic home a few years ago.   He has been working on his Paradise series since 2006. He was inspired by the tourist view of Scandinavia’s exemplary metropolis.  His pictures aren’t quite as rose tinted. They unfold a darker version of the story. Perhaps a more exciting version, but one that is certainly better suited to the myths and dangerous secrets of the past.   The photos themselves bring to mind 1960s street art photography, with references to American or Japanese photographers. He photographs on film and finishes all fine art gelatine prints himself.”  

Apuane

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 13:36:31 +0000

Apuane is the name of the marble area around Carrara in Italy. The famous white marble that Michelangelo used for his sculptures came from there. There is a long history that lies behind this place, already from the Roman times people where extracting marble from those mountains. The people of Apuane have been dominated by many cultures and they always reacted in a rebellious way. Anarchism rooted itself in this area at the end of the 18th century. I want to show through a strong visual language the energy and the proudness of these people and the love that I have for them. This is a personal documentation of the people and of the atmospheres that I met while living there.

Reflections on the Bible

admin — Tue, 20 Jul 2010 12:27:02 +0000

Connections are the main theme in all Waltmans’ works up to now. Having worked as a sculpturor for many years she changed to photography. Still though, the mediating significance of the works remains relevant. She would preferably describe her series as sculptural, contextual photography. That is to say: the photo’s can be read in many ways and refer to one another, as intimate or wordly as they can be. They are an attempt to create space, to evoke the illusion of fluidity through this static medium. Her works do not have just one identity, one reading direction, and one linear descent. Waltman searches to express an open identity throughout the multiple, the simultaneous and the changeable. Her photoos show an ongoing connection of opposites such as strenght and vulnerability, visible and invisible, core and shell, interior and exterior and the unity of contrasts. Touch remains the sense that she appeals to most strongly. She is now photographing the Bible in a contemporain, refreshing and striking way and will eventually make a (artist)book.

Submissions for 2010 are open now!

alrik — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 07:48:04 +0000

We are very excited to announce the opening of the Viewbook PhotoStory 2010 competition. Today the submissions opened and we welcome all serious photographers around the world to submit their most compelling narratives. To unleash true narrative strength in a series of photographic works. Every photographer may submit one photo story per category. The jury prize winners will be exhibited in Amsterdam, published in GUP Magazine and win a lifetime Viewbook Pro account as well as many other prizes. In addition to the competition we introduce the Watchers Network, a network of photography enthusiasts who follow the Viewbook PhotoStory competition closely and may offer critiques and insight on competition entries. The submissions deadline is October 1st.

Enjoy this years contest and be sure to connect with us and each other on our Twitter and Facebook pages.

Honorable Mentions 2009

alrik — Tue, 22 Dec 2009 18:18:48 +0000

The following photographers have received a Honorable Mention from the 2009 PhotoStory jury:

Conceptual

INNER SPACES
By Dirk Hanus

ANNONYMOUS-NESS
By Andy Reynolds

EXPOSURE ACTS
By Anna Bodnar

CHILDREN UNDER THE INFLUENCE
By Saverio Truglia

THE TRUTH ABOUT GERMANS
By Kirsten Wilmink

VISITOR 2009
By Ozzy Yorulmaz

NOW
By Paul de Ridder

MODEL TREES IN A MODEL LANDSCAPE
By Jean-Luc Brouard

MY WHITE NIGHT
By S.H. Graafland

MATHEMATICS
By Adria Garriga Far

ASPER
By Karianne Bueno

THE DARK ROOM, A MENTAL SPACE
By Frederic Fontenoy

REVEALED
By Scott Indermaur

TALES FROM THE ISLAND
Jiri Makovec

FILM NOIR SERIES
Dana Simmons

Documentary

INTENSIVE CARE
By Andrea Stultiens

T’GA ZA JUG
By Marcin Sojka

NACHKLANG
By Uwe Schober

CALIFORNIA LOST
By Keith Skelton

WENZHOU
By Xiao Xiao Xu

NAVAL BOLIVIANA
By Andrea Stultiens

LIVING ON WHEELS
By Gordon Welters

DE PROEFTUIN
By Inge Stolwijk

AFTERMATH
By Kerry Mansfield

THE ONLY WAY OUT
By Sergi Camara

GO HOME
By Mu Ge

FORD DUNTON
By Nick Ballon

LEARNING TO FLY
By Rafael Arocha

PIR-SHALIAR
By Maciej Moskwa

OE MENIA - WITH ME
By Bieke Depoorter

View all 2009 Honorable Mentions here.

Photo’s and video exhibition!

alrik — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 15:30:23 +0000

Last Thursday we opened the Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 Exhibition and celebrated the winning photographic narratives of Francesco Giusty and David Favrod in the Kahmann Gallery in Amsterdam. It was a great evening where the digital event turned very physical. It was great to shake hands and speak to so many people face to face. Check out the short video below!

Opening Viewbook PhotoStory Exhibition from Viewbook on Vimeo.

Check a slideshow of the evening right here

Winners 2009 announced!

alrik — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 09:58:07 +0000

We are honored to announce the Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 winners. The first annual Viewbook PhotoStory contest has been won by Francesco Giusti and David Favrod with remarkably strong contemporary documentary and conceptual photographic narratives. Naturally the jury had a very difficult task selecting the best works out of the 500 already pre-selected photo stories. The level of submissions were absolutely hight.

Italian photographer Francesco Giusti won the documentary category with an inspiring portrait story of the members of the SAPE, a group of remarkably elegant gentleman from Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo, Africa. The story reflects the wish of young people in particular not to be left apart by society.

Swiss - Japanese David Favrod has won first prize in the conceptual category with a very personal story GAIJIN. ‘Gaijin’ is a Japanese word meaning ‘foreigner’. David; “It is from the feeling of rejection and also from a desire to prove that I am as Japanese as I am Swiss that this work was created. Gaijin is a fictional recital, a tool for my quest for identity, where auto-portraits imply an intimate and solitary relationship that I have with myself. The mirror image is frozen in a figurative alter ego that serves as an anchor point.”

Both artists won prizes with a value exceeding $12.000 including lifelong subscriptions to Viewbook PRO online services and GUP magazine, book publications and an exhibition in the Kahmann Gallery in Amsterdam, The Netherlands.

Other prizes

The following artists have also been commended in the Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 Awards:

Jury Prizes
2nd Prize-documentary: Khaled Hasan for ‘Living Stone: A community losing its Life’
3rd Prize-documentary: Matteo Armellini for ‘In the Middle of Nowhere’

2nd Prize-conceptual: Ilse Leenders for ‘Tokyo Monogatari’
3rd Prize-conceptual: Thorsten Kirchhoff for ‘Alibi’

Public vote prizes
1st Prize-documentary: Khaled Hasan for ‘Living Stone: A community losing its Life’
2nd Prize-documentary: Galanakis & Galanou for ‘Gavdos’
3rd Prize-documentary: Jonathan P levy for ‘In Svalbard’

1st Prize-conceptual: Can Eren for ‘Inside of Out’
2nd Prize-conceptual: Maria Rudnaya for ‘Insensible addiction’
3rd Prize-conceptual: David Favrod for ‘Gaijin’

Book publications

All winning photo stories will be published in single books with Blurb, as well as a complete Viewbook PhotoStory 2009 yearbook which covers all winning 2009 stories. The books will be available for sale on 1 November 2009 at www.viewbookphotostory.com

Exhibition

From 19 - 29 November the winning works SAPE by Francesco Giusti and Gaijin by David Favrod will be exhibited in the Kahmann Gallery in Amsterdam. The opening takes place on Friday 19 November, with words and drinks on the house. More information will be available soon on www.viewbookphotostory.com

Remarkably successful first year

The first edition of the Viewbook PhotoStory contest received close to 1000 entries from all over the world in just three months time. After a critical pre-selection more then 500 photographic narratives got published on the contest website and 100-thousands of people viewed, voted and commented. An internationally renowned jury selected the three best narratives per category. Viewbook PhotoStory functions as a premium platform for emerging talents to face the establishment. The annual online competition aims to discover inspiring, high-quality photo stories within the photography community and bring them to a broad audience. Submissions for the next years event open March 2010.

TALES FROM THE ISLAND

alrik — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 18:26:26 +0000

“ We regard cultures that we come to know from a distance, not as a field of activity in which we might get involved but as playground from which we may select various elements to reassemble as we fancy” Villem Flusser Within the city’s rigid grid, moments of mystery and terror unveil and are captured as a series of encounters and events. Whether the viewer is facing truth or fiction, this body of work shows my relationship to the New York City that is also known as the arena for the terminal stage of western civilization.

DEATH MARCH

alrik — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:42:59 +0000

PROUD FAMILY

alrik — Sun, 04 Oct 2009 17:14:52 +0000

Five Israeli families appear on this series of photographs. The parents of these families are from different origins: some of them were born in Israel, while others emigrated from different countries. There is a professional army contractor, a manager of a large bank, a doctor of science, a general manager of a factory and a psychiatrist. They live in the North and the South, in cities and towns, in typical flats and in cottages with a yard. They all have something in common: the parents are gay and lesbian, and are proud of what they are and the way they raise their children. They had to overcome a lot of difficulties on their journey to parenthood: child adoption from Guatemala, finding a surrogate mother, insemination or finding a man or a woman for shared parenting. All of this seems irrelevant while looking into the children's happy eyes...

SHE/HER

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:17:18 +0000

LOST SCAPES

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:13:26 +0000

LostScapes is a collection of photographic work from fashion, celebrity, and editorial photographer, Clifton Parker. It is a photographic memoir of the forgotten and the desolate, of lost memories and endouring relics. This collection of photos and memories are the biproducts of a soul searching journey that started many years ago and continues on until this day. These photos are one of a kind taken with vintage polaroid cameras and expired vintage polaroid film. Clifton documents these life journeys and experiences molding them into a collection of polaroid visions and memories. The "LostScapes" polaroid series allows Clifton to escape from the high-tech digital world of perfect fashion, advertising, and editorial images. The polaroid process allows Clifton to embrace the eclectic and the unpredicable aspects of analog photography while temporarily satiating his wanderlust and restlessness. Clifton Parkers studies of the arts have taken place at the University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University, Tokyo Denki University in Japan, and Focus Fashion Photography in Paris. The "LostScapes" photography series has appeared in numerous galleries and publications in America and Europe with a strong presence on the world wide web, personal collections, and a soon to be released book. Clifton currently shares his time between his homes in Myrtle Beach, SC and Brooklyn, NY where he spends most his time doing music and photography, entertaining his cat Nahja, repairing his 1968 Norton Fastback cafe' racer, and riding his 1974 Moto Guzzi Eldorado police motorcycle.

THE UKRAINIAN BREAKTHROUGH

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:07:52 +0000

»The Ukrainian breakthrough« is a new political program of the Ukrainian government which has the slogan: »The Ukrainian breakthrough: for people, not for politicians.« In the program one finds the following statement: »This is a program of the strategical development of the Ukraine ... of the progress for the whole country. Not for some ministers or the department of the executive, but for everyone, for every citizen. »The Ukrainian breakthrough« – a basic law to promote affluence for our country ... a signpost for the land in the 21-st century«. At the moment the Ukraine is in the transformation phase and is changing economically as well as socially. The downfall of the Soviet Union and the political and economic changes that have occurred since then triggered off a basic social change. Within the last 17 years, extreme social differences have developed among the population. For the well-to-do their wishes and dreams have been fulfilled , for the deprived only the hope remains that they might lead a better life some day. I have looked for situations and moods which show me not only the new side of the Ukraine. Although since the independence of the Ukraine 17 years have passed, the people have not yet succeeded to escape from the old socialist thinking patterns. And everything they think and act carries the tracks of this past. Or, to put it differently, it´s still shining through. It is said: One cannot buy taste. Very often it seems as if people tried to impose the things they see abroad on the Ukraine. Thus the people try to realize their visions. The idea that it must be unusual, new, different is feasible. Everything else seems to be for sale, interchangeable, adaptable. And then, unfortunately, it looks like a copy of the copy of the copy. But it is a search just after the new identity

BIJ DE BURGERS AF

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 15:02:49 +0000

Vanaf 1989 beloofde de gemeente Den Haag de bewoners van het woonwagenkamp aan de Escamplaan een renovatie van hun kamp. In de zomer van 2008 bleek de renovatie echter van de baan. Kamp Escamp moest voor februari 2009 verdwenen zijn. Het kamp is met haar 33 jarig bestaan nagenoeg het oudste kamp van Nederland. Voor 21 van de totaal 62 gezinnen is er plaats op een ander kamp. De meerderheid van de kampers zijn in een woonhuis geplaatst. Anno oktober 2009 staan er nog 4 woonwagens en 3 caravans op het kamp aan de Escamplaan. Waarin 22 mensen wonen die pertinent weigeren te vertrekken.

TATRANSKY - BETWEEN STAGNANCY AND MOVEMENT

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:24:11 +0000

Being a new part of the European Union Slovakia still preserves the nostalgia of former times. The muggy air of past communism and east block atmosphere was still present on my train trip through the eastern part of the High Tatras where the vicinity of Europe is no warranty for prosperity. My trip showed me that there is no need to travel far distances in order to see indigence and poverty. The series "tatransky" reflects the emotions that I felt while watching a country and it's people on a journey between stagnancy and movement.

AMAZONAS

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:18:46 +0000

SHOPPING STREET

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 14:09:49 +0000

The crowded and bustling shopping streets. A phenomenon. The concentration and diversity of people and situations.... an endless mass of impressions. The intimate public falling over each other. Once home you're left with a profusion of shapeless impressions. What intrigues me is how people behave and how they look. This is what we are and how we look.

NEIGHBORHOOD’S LIFE - VIDA DE BARRIO

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:46:25 +0000

BETTERI - KING, QUEEN AND JACK

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:38:33 +0000

INTIMACY

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:18:04 +0000

WHITE NIGHTS

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 13:14:35 +0000

In 2006 I moved from Jerusalem to Tel Aviv. The two cities are undoubtedly and expectantly different. But one peculiar Tel Aviv quality reminded me of “Mulholland Drive” by David Lynch. Walking its quiet and pastoral streets one sometimes comes across dark alleyways and corners, where the man sits holding the blue key to the city dweller’s midnight fears. It is it’s technical qualities that allow photographic film to accumulate light, rendering the obscure scenery visible and all the moving life transparent. As the result of long exposure the terrifying dark trails present themselves as ordinary side streets and night flânuers leave an invisible trace. The production process of such a work is an exciting one. The low visibility of the scene allows oneself to abstract from the object photographed and from the technical side of it, as precise exposure calculation is nearly impossible in such lighting conditions. The photographer here is no longer a bias viewer, but a participator of the event. In “White Nights” series, as it’s author, I am present in every image. In some, the ghostly body is more recognizable then in others, but it is nevertheless literally a constitutive part of every one of them. Some times, during the long exposures I find myself as if away on a vacation in the nature. The wild nature, where the shadows of beasts of prey sometimes flicker in the distance. As night evolves into day, the latent image is developed visible on paper.

NOT MEN NOR WOMEN, PAKISTANI TRAVESTITES

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:36:13 +0000

Pakistan, its extreme borderies sets by islam, the talebans’ continuous advancing, and the cultural phenomenon of the transvestites, accused of being men prostitutes in the muslim areas. A slice of reality that this minority group lives daily, in red-light districts, dances performed at wedding celebrations, within a truth made of mockery , but also private “appreciation”.

INSPIRED BY EDWARD HOPPER

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:29:51 +0000

The series of photographs is inspired by Edward Hopper’s realist painting. Hopper paid particular attention to geometrical design and the careful placement of human figures in proper balance with their environment. The effective use of light and shadow to create mood and depht is also central to Hopper’s methods. Though a realist painter, Hopper’s “soft” realism simplified shapes and details, and he used saturated color to heighten contrast and create mood. Hopper's paintings are inspired by cinema and often capture the suspended moment before or after an event and the psychological effect on the principal character, evoking a sense of solitude and alienation, introspection, unresolved emotion and ambiguity.

SACHSENHAUSEN

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 12:23:42 +0000

Sachsenhausen was the concentration camp´s model for the rest of camps in Germany and Poland. It was located 35 km. north of Berlín. The remaining buildings and grounds are now open to the public as a museum. I want to show Sachsenhausen like feelings trough emotional landscapes: the loneliness, hopelessness and desolation. Just this was Sachsenahusen in that moment.

NO ONE KNOWS ME

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:55:24 +0000

THE COMING STORM

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:38:38 +0000

MAKING OF A KARTUSH - EGYPTIAN FACTORY

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:34:09 +0000

While I & my daughter were in Egypt our carriage driver's father ran the nearby jewelry store in Luxor. Here we struck up a very nice friendship. After purchasing two Kartushes with our names on it, we told him were were documenting our month long trip in Egypt. He invited us to photograph and film the making of a Kartush at the store's jewelry factory. It was a far cry from what I expected. It was even better! They were all very kind and let us document from start to finish. What a way to experience the country and it's people. We absoluty loved Egypt and the many friends we made.

THE STRONGEST WOMAN

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:29:15 +0000

Most young women have the same desires — they want to lose weight, make an office career and marry successful¬ly. But among the hundreds of thousands of girls in Kyiv, Anya Mykhailenko has set a complete¬ly different goal in life. She is gaining weight, quit her office job and is not even dreaming about marriage as she is aspiring to become the world's strongest woman. Anya started her career in power lifting four years ago and plans to set the world bench press record at the upcoming world power lifting champi-onship. Anya has already set one record in the deadlift with straps. Wrist straps (also known as cow ties or lifting straps) are often used to facili¬tate the grip when lifting heavy weights. The straps are wrapped around the wrist and tucked around the bar being lifted, thereby transfer¬ring some of the weight directly to the wrist instead of through the fingers. Anya can lift 305 kg — an absolute world record for women — though so far unofficial. Among the official awards Anya has silver and bronze medals in world bodybuilding cham¬pionships, the Ukrainian All-Round Strength Championship and the arm wrestling championship in St. Petersburg.

NEON LIGHTED SOULS

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:15:54 +0000

In a globalized World, continent Asia is the biggest engine of growth and evolution. Consumerism and status symbols inevitable changed citizens lifestyle. "Neon Lighted Souls" is a series of images shooted between 2004 to 2009 about the modern lifestyle of people that live and work in asian megalopolis. Luminous neon is always present in their life, in their space and, like a light-guide, seems to indicate they the right path. Each element with an own identity, an own sense to be in a fast strong mutation of Asian World.

…AS FRANCESCO DI ASSISI MISTOOK THE ERYNNIES WITH THE BIRDS _ AND SO FOUND HAPPINESS.

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:14:19 +0000

gastfreundlichkeit wahr_nehmend a post-ethnogaphic he/she-story dear bobby, the history of the dream of francesco di assisi, who mistook the erynnies with the birds and so found happiness, is changing, like my memories of China. But not my memories of you. When he dreamed, there was this lunar eclipse where I took the photo in that night, in that street, no taxi driver would want to get in, in that street, we lived, with the market in the day, covered with dust, from the surrounding abrißhäuser. Not the moon eclipse I filmed two weeks ago here in cologne. But I remember, that he dreamed, from that stairway, where his dharma_body find a way – that part of him he gave to the cat_ you will find a photo of, as I had seen her in Weihai, in the night, where I was invited + participating hospitality wahr-nehmend, perceiving, never found in this country of mine. That cat didn’t eat the fish; I could save her + documented it in my drawing. It was a goldfish, like that one you showed me in Brooklyn Park. The spirit had seen it all, down, waiting, seeing the sun again, may been it will follow_ the happening, when the monkey stolen my passport, what a monkey dance up in the Himalaya the plateau of white clouds, drawing on the porcelain with that blue, a secret for decades of times, bringing one of the vases to France, to the place I love so much close to Uzes and the next to Ireland + to the place my daughter is born, and back to China, exchanging, with people for a song to sing. … like the birds transmitting patterns, letting the vegetation growing, sending this sound return via internet and celebrating electric revolution knowing that those transport are visions for activating the power to move toward to see you again. Love + see you soon micha He answered, that when all the birds fly back again, so much _ thousands and thousands of, the light out of heaven dies and out of her darkness a rain of flowers will fall ....... for leslie cheung + mei lan fang

TROUBLE IN PARADISE

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 11:05:35 +0000

The north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh lies at the foothills of the Himalayas. Manali, a tourist town in the Kullu Valley is the set-off point for trekkers, spiritual seekers, and hedonists drawn by the promise of cheap high quality marijuana in an idyllic setting. Many never leave. Despite this influx of foreigners, it is Indians who make up the majority of tourists. Honeymooners and families from across the country come north to escape the sweltering summer months. This Himalayan Shangri-La is in danger of being spoiled by the environmental impacts of intensive tourism. Add to this global warming and India’s rapidly increasing reliance on the automobile. Result: the Himalayan glaciers are fast disappearing and the snowline is higher every year. There is trouble in paradise.

FLAGS OF AMERICA

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:55:44 +0000

BINCHE, KEEPING TRADITION ALIVE

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 10:46:30 +0000

Since the Middle Ages Binche carnival, a tradition recognized by UNESCO as a world heritage, is held every year in the small Belgian town of Binche. Many legends circulate as to the origins of this tradition, but in a general way the festival fits in the universal celebration of the return of spring in which the “gilles de binche” act as a sort of high priest. The costume and role of the “gilles de binche” are strictly regulated. Many people have to make serious financial sacrifices in order to participate.Celebrating carnival is expensive. Expenses may amount to several months of income.The unemployment rate in the town is 19%, well above the Belgian avarage. The Binchois continue however to protect their carnival and participate with fervor in it. Most of the inhabitants consider the carnival together with its preparations and musical rehearsals which start six weeks before the actual event, as the highlight of the year.

PURPLE BROWN GREY WHITE BLACK - LIVING WHILE DYING

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:52:50 +0000

Today, many people have no concrete concept of death and what it means for them. It has become a taboo topic. In curative medicine, for example, death is treated like an anomaly, its ultimate inevitability ignored. At the same time, our life expectancy is increasing steadily, and old age is experienced more and more as a period of frailty, illness and loneliness. As a result, most people die in hospitals, on the sidelines of society. My work seeks to make death visible, with all the pain and suffering that fatal illnesses entail, but also with the certainty that a final farewell in dignity is possible. I want to show death as something common and tangibly ubiquitous in the real world. My project shows people living in a hospice over a period of one year. People come, people go. Some stay longer, others shorter. The course never follows a straight line. The seasons change, the light changes, the colours change. The people live their lives, become weaker, die. For the individual, the story of life always ends with death. For others, for family members, for people outside this experience, life goes on. People die. People are born.

TSUNAMI - TRIPTYCHON

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:33:50 +0000

LA SIMPLICITE EST BELLE

alrik — Fri, 02 Oct 2009 07:25:25 +0000

PORTRAITS IN YOUR ROOM

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 21:23:18 +0000

A living room carries many aspects of an individual. A living room breathes out a very personal atmosphere. I want to bring strong emotional tension in the portraits I make. I realised being close to your natural habitat, or very far away from it, stimulates or supresses that tension. This project is about proximity, warmth and intensity. I came closer to the subjects state of mind, for me a mindset that can shift if you influence the physical position. In this case, the living room. Your living room...

FRAGMENTAL PORTRAITS

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:53:33 +0000

In this work I focused on the role of subjective perception in photography. Especially in portrait photography I found it very interesting. It causes big changes in the representation of peoples personalities in pictures. Considering this effect portrait photography only shows us fragments and details of a charakter that lies hidden behind many subjectiv and visual interpretations. By using light and poses in a certain way I tried to make this issue visible.

GOODBYE LIGHTBULB

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 20:47:29 +0000

INNER SPACES

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:53:16 +0000

AU BOUT DE LA LIGNE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:34:22 +0000

It was living in Paris in the eighties that inspired me to become a photographer, however, it wasn’t until I returned twenty years later that I was roused to photograph the city that had taught me so much about life and art. Yet, I wanted to avoid taking just another of the tens of thousands of photographs that had already been taken of Paris. I mulled over this for weeks, trying to conceptualize a new technique or method of approach to the project, until one early morning, after a long dinner party sitting on a train in the direction of La Défense, the northwest terminus of line number 1, the inspiration emerged. I had ridden the metro throughout Paris, yet I had always traveled in the direction of, but never to, “Au Bout de la Ligne.” I asked myself--What type of Paris exists at the end of each line? Do the lines end in the suburbs (banlieue)? Are the people who live in the banlieue dissimilar to those who live in the center of Paris? I took the metro to all 29 ends of the 14 metro lines in search of provocative moments, visuals, portraits, and answers to my questions.

BEACH FROM OTHER WORLD

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:24:31 +0000

These are the photos taken in Cox's Bazaar, Bangladesh - the longest beach in the world. Beach life here is quite different from rest of the world which is what I tried to capture in this photo essay. You will find almost everyone fully dressedup, vendors selling small merchants (some are under-aged), fishing boats of different kinds. The diffused light, the mist, warm waves and the people all made it so different - made this one of the unique.

HOMELUX

isabella — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:15:39 +0000

RETURN TO NYC

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:07:36 +0000

My fondest memories from the two years that I lived in New York City involve the diverse people and varied activities that take place on the streets of the city. I visited NYC for the first time in over 20 years this summer and I immediately felt a rush of joy and excitement. "Return to NYC" is my series of candid photographs documenting ordinary people going about their daily lives in public spaces of the city. These photos display the character of a variety of New Yorkers. They also contain a rich tapestry of environmental components befitting the complex nature of this metropolis. Creating these images required quick reactions, a great deal of shoe leather and a bit of serendipity since there are no second-takes for this type of photography. As always, the goal of my work is to create compelling photographs that provide a glimpse into aspects of the human condition.

HURRICANE DAMAGE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 19:01:36 +0000

NYC SUBWAY

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:51:02 +0000

New York City wouldn't be the same with out its subway. Here taking the subway can be faster than a cab. During my first months in NY I traveled the subway extensively. The subway stretches for 685 miles and carries well over four million passengers a day. An eclectic mix of New Yorkers from every age and nationality, from commuters and street musicians to evangelists and curious tourists come together each day under New York's streets.

B.E.N.I.N

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:45:37 +0000

LIBERATED RESONANCE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:40:48 +0000

The inspiration for this series stems from my fascination with old cultures. I am attracted to romanticizing how they would look and feel in today's world - I allow myself to see the magic unfold. This work is an expression of the excavation process that I uncovered. I try to capture the emotional thrill in my journey of discovery. The revelations of hidden colours and textures expose new images from their casts. Subliminal cultures and fantasy civilizations become the new frontiers My passion for photography is driven by my curiosity and sense of adventure to try to see beyond conventional boundaries. The transformation from reality to abstract underpins the emotional interpretation of my work. Capturing order in chaotic circumstances electrifies me and gives me piece of mind at the same time. By recognising the parallel reality in my photos you might discover that life can be a fairytale in disguise.

TOWNSHIP IN MARCH

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:38:05 +0000

CUSCO JUBILEE MONTH

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:10:51 +0000

Some cities have a holidays, but Cusco have a Jubilee month. Every year - in June - it celebrate the Jubilee Month of Cusco, with a huge series of artistic and cultural events, for the thousands national and foreign tourists. This documental work attempts focus in “Los Cusqueños”, the local people in the everyday throughout the month. All photos were taken from the 1st until June 30th of this year. Welcome.

THE BLACK THEATRE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:08:58 +0000

The Black Theatre represents a series of images, marked by both intimacy and mystery, born from seemingly unrelated fragments that have been isolated from their original photographic context, and joined by an unmistakable backdrop that gives no prominence to any other element: not even to the light. Situations appear, transformed, with a melancholic depth, intertwined with poetry and mysterious attraction, as the observer is transported by the main protagonist, into a world dominated by imagination. This Black, becomes a portal into another world; a world in which 'Black' is the fundamental truth amidst violence, sex, power, madness, even death. Through this curtain of shadow, you observe characters performing on a stage that becomes the theatre of existence, with a dialogue impossible of full comprehension, and scenes that have a relationship with the divine. Identity is an impossible concept, and so the figures appear totally isolated, liberated, even, by this dark guise, through which the true essence of self is lost. The darkness is the only true performer, representing all of life's unknowns.

NOWHERE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 18:03:43 +0000

"Inspired by the Burning Man festival, Nowhere is an empty space waiting to be filled by its peoples' imagination. A fuse to inspire creativity and participation, the extreme conditions and harsh beauty of the Spanish landscape provide a blank and fertile canvas for pioneering visionaries to make something out of nothing." http://www.goingnowhere.org/

FOUR SEASONS

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:59:06 +0000

The story I would like to present for your consideration is called 4 Seasons. This time my challenge was to blend a story, painting and photography. Each image in this story represents one month, with its own unique colours, mood, temperature, character and visualization, which naturally flow through all four seasons. Even though I love various themes of photography, being able to transform an everyday, boring and dull object like bathroom sink in to an extraordinary piece of fascination, which also tells us a story, makes me want to do it over and over again, challenging me even more.

EVENTS IN THE NETHERLANDS

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:50:37 +0000

Moving culture, individuals portrayed in day to day life In a documentary way Diana van der Ley registers what happens in public. Her work shows how society is changing by focussing on the group processes and the individual bodylanguage. Like the photograph Nieuwjaarsduik where each group has its own hero. Carnaval shows the event as a micro society: an organized chaos with clear rituals and rules that must be known or one will be expelled. The complete story of an event is told in a single panorama, in which several images are combined. Diana van der Ley works in the tradition of the old Dutch painters, who used a brush to paint impressions of daily life. In this tradition, that probably started with Pieter Bruegel de Oude, social tendencies within society were shown in the paintings. www.dianavanderley.com

KUSHTI WRESTLING

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:48:01 +0000

The ancient art of Kushti wrestling is still practiced in large parts of India and Pakistan. Most schools (akhara’s) are adapting to international wrestling competition rules by alternatively training on an indoor mat next to the traditional sand pit. The sand is mixed with mustard oil, milk or ghee and has a very historic and symbolic meaning to the fighters: it represents Mother India herself. Most wrestlers permanently live inside the akhara. They follow a strict vegetarian diet and extremely intense training schedule. These photos were taken within a period of one week in three akhara's in New Delhi India in August 2009.

ANOTHER LOST CHILD

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:44:15 +0000

I began this work as a response to the recent media campaign on gun and knife crime in London, which I felt was fueling fear on the streets more than anything else. I decided to find the people that these journalists were writing about and offer them a voice of their own. The result is a glimpse into the minds of many, tagged by the same negative connotations.

BEYOND BOUNDARIES

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:39:43 +0000

The day is Bijoya Dashami, the end of the six-day Durga Puja festival, bidding adieu to the Goddess and hoping for the new celebrations in the coming year!! But this end of the festival also marks the festival of friendship and union among the residents of the borders lands of India and Bangladesh. On the banks of River Icchamati, lies the tradition of coming together on this day inspite being two different countries!! The localities on either side of the river sail across on this day; though under the eyes of the border security forces, that none is allowed to step into the lands, there are times when people sneak to either country, mostly in search of better opportunities and a hope for a better future. However, the fun lies not in sailing to the banks of the other land, but the display of the idols and winning prizes! On the way, there are many shaking hands, conversation and distributions of sweets and fruits!! It’s has become a custom of sharing and love, and in a world torn apart by so much violence and cruelty, here lies a world of friendship and togetherness, welcoming you with open arms!!

WEDDING MEMORIES

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:36:14 +0000

MOVED: IN THE STORM CHANGE COMES

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:28:51 +0000

Moved: In the storm change comes – The images are about people been moved to seek change and how change has influenced us as a society and as individuals. Capturing issues that tie us together within our society and also in the lives of individuals, by presenting an honest and unadulterated portrayal of the fundamental issues that tie us together as human beings. Focusing on current affairs such as the global economic downturn and how this impacts on the individual, society, riots, life in the metropolis and social deprivation. Pictures of the G20 rally taken place at Bank station, during the G-20 Leaders' Summit on Financial Markets and the World Economy, held in London (UK) April 2009

MAUERRESTE - THE BERLIN WALL - 1989/2009

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 17:18:06 +0000

Il y a bientôt 20 ans tombait le mur de Berlin. Ce qui constituait l’ancienne frontière entre l’est et l’ouest a subi les assauts du temps. Pourtant, les « restes » du mur de Berlin sont encore largement visibles dans la capitale allemande et tous n’ont pas encore été réaménagés, parfois pour des raisons juridiques, bien souvent pour des raisons économiques. Si les lieux les plus célèbres ont été préservés (Potzdamer Platz, Checkpoint Charlie…), d’autres sont aujourd’hui des terrains vagues qui n’ont pas encore fait l’objet d’un réaménagement. L’ancienne frontière a ainsi cédé la place à des nouvelles lignes de démarcation, dont la plus visible est celle de l’argent, renvoyant, comme par une pirouette de l’histoire, à la frontière idéologique que le mur de Berlin matérialisait.

THE INTERVIEW

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:28:57 +0000

FEAR OF THE FUTURE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:27:58 +0000

FANTASTIC EUROPE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 15:12:01 +0000

In 2009, ten years after the war and the NATO intervention in Kosovo, 160 Roma refugee families are still living in camps built by the United Nations on the most toxic waste tip on the verge of Europe. Between the crossfire of Serbian and Albanian extremism in North Mitrovica, these people tell a tale of despair. The camps were built close to the Trepca lead mine. This factory was closed by order of the UN administration in 2000. The soil is heavily contaminated, the children have some of the highest measured levels of lead, arsenic and cadmium ever recorded. Despite promises that they would be moved from their 'temporary' accommodation on waste tailings within 45 days in 2000, they have been left there to survive for the last ten years.

THE DARK SIDE OF WAR ON TERROR

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:53:48 +0000

The word of WAR ON TERROR is one of the most important slogans in recently our world. We decided so many important articles under that slogan. But what change in our world under the great slogan. Pakistan is one of the most important country under war on terror. They are receiving so many financially assists from whole of the world. But now behind financial assists, domestic economy, security, employment of Pakistan already have started to destroy. In the street, so many homeless and day laborers crowd all day and beggars of children are standing from early morning. Heroin addicts crowed to inject beside streets. They are merge into daily life of Pakistan. The drags, including heroin. and many refugees are spreading to the whole of country from North-West frontier province and Federally administered tribal area, the front of the battle between Pakistan military and Taliban militants. Almost people of Pakistan know that we have to fight against terrorists and never forgive them. But they also know that we never have to decide anything. The word of war on terror, so many people in the world believe and never doubt, sounds hollow in their daily life.

TO EVERY THING THERE IS A SEASON (Prediker 3:1)

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:48:28 +0000

‘To every thing there is a season’ Is a serie of photo’s made in the Nebo monastery in Nijmegen, the Netherlands. On the first of december 2008 the monastery had to close down as a result of the ageing of the population and the lack of new monks. A monk by the name of Jozef was the last to join the monastery 35 years ago. The 15 remaining monks moved to an eldery home for religious people. Most of the photo’s were taken only a day after the removal.

THE JOURNEY

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:43:08 +0000

The tents along the way will be many Hesitate not to enter them Bask in the arms of Kindness Lie down, rest For the journey is long Then walk and walk For miles and miles With the old And with the young Until you reach its outskirts Until you see it from afar There, honor the hospitable By accepting their food And accepting their drinks Fear not if the terrorists strike Fear not if bodies fall If blood covers the walls And dust fills the air Pay your respects and come home Return, safely, my son I love you

THE ARTHURIAN LEGEND

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:24:19 +0000

This is a project I have been working on for over a year. These are images depicting the characters that live in the Legend of King Arthur. All of the characters in this story are people that live in the surrounds of where I now work and live in Ireland. The landscape, the people and the energy of this part of Ireland inspired me to begin this project.

WITH EACH OTHER

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:11:26 +0000

series of project "Solitude" The "Solitude" is the personal stories of seven people. Loneliness is an emotional state of man. It is all different, someone is the inclination of nature, man unsociable and does not find much in common with its environment, and one feels lonely at certain moments in life for certain psychological reasons. Loneliness is stimulated, but is conscious. It may be voluntary seclusion, and can be self-insulation in connection with a hard situation. Loneliness can be among people when a person lives filled with affairs and cares of life, but it still feels lonely without finding the feedback from the outside world, unable to find loved ones in spirit to him. "With each other" - together .... is a story about relationships, about the attitudes of the two close people - with each other. They were together on the weekend, they were having dinner, they stroll along, together they paint, they are together. Are they together?

FORGET YOUR PAST

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:07:39 +0000

The Bulgarian monuments form the communist era. "Forget your past" represents 13 of the most important Bulgarian monuments built between 1948 and 1989. Most of the monuments from that period are completely abandoned by the authorities. Even in Internet there is no information about the authors and the history of the monuments, so i´ve made a information research in order to complete the project. The project in realised in collaboration, and in the frame of the the /www.projet-trace.com/

PROTOTYPE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:05:04 +0000

The series "prototype" was developed during my last holiday trip. At first my wife was reading a magazine, that`s when I saw the cosmetic advertisement on the backside. From there on – the idea was born. It was interesting to show these manufactured prototypes in a human environment. We try to reach the maximum of beauty of a "prototype" threw cosmetic, but yet we forget that we already are a prototype threw the givings of nature.

TENDER AGE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:01:55 +0000

Summer is the most carefree season - for the period of a vacation school life can be forgotten. My heroines would like to grow and mature, but simultaneously with it they won’t be desirable to leave their toys at all. Every evening they wait the next day which will bring it new adventures, knowledge, opening. With these memoirs they will live all next year, with impatience waiting next summer.

BYPASS CHANNEL

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:56:28 +0000

In the nineteenth century along the Bypass channel there passed southern border of St. Petersburg. Further, when the city began to extend, coast began to be built up actively.Appeared a considerable quantity of the industrial enterprises - the channel was very convenient for transportation of raw materials and finished articles. Along the channel factories, factories, warehouses have started to be under construction intensively. Building of the industrial enterprises has caused formation round them inhabited quarters for workers. For citizens this area became gloomy industrial working suburb of a city. Channel coast have been cluttered up, here often whiled away night beggars and tramps. In criminal chronicles this place had very frequent mention - only in 1923 on the Bypass channel the police has fixed 89 suicides, cases of murder of babies were frequent, without speaking already thefts and the armed assaults, peculiar to any other working suburb of a city. Now the city has increased the sizes several times, and the channel already is not city border, and its historical part. But still this area is full of the industrial enterprises, warehouses, transport highways and still uses ill fame at townspeople.

SHADOW PARK

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:55:14 +0000

BURDUKOVO

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:47:45 +0000

FOUR-DAY HOSPITAL REST

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:47:04 +0000

DIARY

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:45:14 +0000

EASTER PROCESSION

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:42:37 +0000

This Easter Procession called Semana Santa, is a street procession which commemorates the death of Christ, and celebrates his Resurrection. In Ibiza, this took the form of a solemn parade of religious icons known as tronos, who were carried on the arms and backs of devout volunteers for the entire duration of the route. In Spain, the history of such a costume with peaked masks, capes and torches is altogether different than in America, these hoods have nothing to do with the Ku Klux Klan to witch they are so often compared. The uniforms worn during the procession are meant to recall the people from Nazareth, and are worn only by the religious fraternities and brotherhoods responsible for carrying the statues. The procession ends on Easter Sunday, when cathedral bells are heard ringing throughout the city. The day marks the Resurrection of Christ and celebrates his triumph over death.

WE ARE FARMERS

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:38:49 +0000

In early 80s Singapore, a typical household consisted of several generations of family living under the same roof. I came from such a family, where 100 extended kin lived and worked together on a farm. However, rapid industrialization and the resulting rural-urban shift soon changed that lifestyle; now most Singaporeans live in compact high-rise apartments where the average household usually does not exceed 4 people. Yet my family went against the tide and fought hard to keep us together, by means of relocating our farming business and re-establishing it from scratch. Currently 3 generations of our family continue to work on the farm- a vanishing trade in Singapore. This series of photographs, a work in progress, documents the struggle as they toil on the land, and sacrifices they have to make in order to keep the family united. It also explores the dreams and hopes that tie us together. The result is a visual study of the subtle expression of family values, traditionally held in high priority by Chinese culture but being gradually undermined by the irreversible process of industrialization in Singapore.

TIME IS NOW

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:33:58 +0000

The following images are from the series, Time Is Now and Our Reflections In The Sky, which are aimed at raising the public’s awareness for the ongoing challenges of the environment and air pollution. They have been photographed at close range, and through the lighting and composition take on the appearance of somewhat cosmic, and sometimes mysterious, and even surreal landscapes. The photographs from the series, Face Facts, are a group of snapshot portraits of everyday people, encountered while traveling around Armenia and shooting the two previous series, mentioned above. A large majority of these people happen to be smokers. This essay comprised of the three mentioned, on-going series of photographs working in parallel, while a work in progress, will reveal new discoveries, along the way, as to what is going on with the human existence on this planet, and the environments they live in. I have been photographing throughout Armenia since the end of 2006, and the longer term plans are to expand this project to cover different territories, along with traveling exhibitions through the five continents.

CHANGING ARCTIC

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:31:56 +0000

Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert is a tiny outpost of civilization sitting on the shores of the Arctic Ocean on northern Ellesmere Island at 82 degrees north. It is home not only to military personnel, but also to a shorebird called the Red Knot (the Calidris canutus islandica population). These small birds fly more than 4600 kilometers from their wintering grounds in Europe to the Alert area to breed. Knowledge of how they are able to undertake and survive such a massive flight is being revealed through research by Dr. Guy “Birdman” Morrison, an Environment Canada scientist who studies their migration and physiology at Alert. Arctic wildlife in the area is starting to feel the effects of a changing climate. World-wide increases in carbon dioxide are clearly detected at the Global Atmospheric Watch project laboratory at Alert. The warming climate has led to more open water – resulting in more seals and polar bears in the area – and to spring storms and delayed snow melt, making suitable breeding habitat unavailable. In 2009, few knots were able to breed, adding concern for a population already designated as Special Concern by COSEWIC – the Committee on the status of Endangered Wildlife in Canada.

PHANTAZEIN

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:25:48 +0000

For some of us the concepts of fear and challenge are best delegated to others. Most of us take for granted our abilities to walk and move independently, but for some of us these actions are a constant challenge and a test of mental and physical endurance. These people face fear and isolation every day. When others test our perceptions of being "normal", it challenges our false sense of reality and makes everything intangible and fantastical. These performers confront our notion of what beauty is and remind us of our fears and ideas of what being physically and mentally healthy is. They take to the skies and dream of flying like all of us. They create beauty in a physically defying environment and discard their physical challenges to entertain us and inspire us.

A DEDICATION FOR GOD

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 13:02:09 +0000

A Dedication For God. Charak Puja -- A traditional Bengali festival mainly celebrated in the Southern Belt of Bangladesh and West Bengal. It’s a Religious Festival, specially Minority Hindu Cast do it every Years.. This festival is specially celebrated in the rural areas of Bangladesh but famous among all believers of the Hindu religion Peoples in Bangladesh. The festival is devoted to the deities Shiva and Shakti and celebrated to fight remove and fight against the pain and stress. This festival can be seen in the Sylhet, Potuakhali, Dinajpur, Dhamrai of Bangladesh, which is an urban area but the festival is very famous in these places. Charak Puja is performed by usually ten to twelve members, including both men and women. The bearers of the ritual are called Charkia and the main performer Deoboinshi. The festival starts from fast. On this festival the men and women who takes ‘brata’(fast) go through the month long fasting from sunrise to sunset, live strictly on fruits and have to do daily worship the god to get the blessing from the lord. On the day of the ‘Charak’ or the ‘Gajan’, as it is also called, Trees and Bamboo stages are made on trees poles, the height ranging from 15 to 20 feet. The performers then hung their back with a pointed hanger and jump from the stage onto the ground laid with broken glass, nails thorns, knives & other devious weapons and other pointed objects. The excitement reaches to apex when the performers rise and without a single wound. Devotees fall on this ground, but are not hurt. It is believed that Lord Shiva has done this miracle by giving them his blessings. There are yet other devotees whose body can be seen overhanging from a hook fixed to the stage and 3 to 7 times run clockwise. Charak Puja is one way to reach salvation, so is believed by these men and women. During this festival the devotee roams over the town for gaining some donations as Chanda for this festival and the little kids also dance and perform in the form of Lord Siva and Shakti as well as Goddess Maa Kali. I should mentioned that this types of ancient worship should be preserve as people suppose that it’s a pre-historian age worship, when people dedicate himself for the betterment of god. So, I just tried to capture this documentation for the preservation in Achieve.

I’M NOT AN ANIMAL!

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:45:04 +0000

The name of the man portrayed in these photographs is irrelevant. Nor his age or his favorite hobbies. He is a man like any of us who is not longer afraid. As himself started saying, “I am lucky that I have a family and friends” after mentioned how other people who have suffered his same diseases have been ignored and obsoleted by the society.

THE WAR AT HOME

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:11:20 +0000

This project explores the effects of the US led wars in the Middle East on the people left in the United States, primarily focusing on soldiers and their families, but also looking at the results of the protracted and divisive conflicts on American culture. As the United States continues to overtly fight the "War on Terror" on two foreign fronts, Afghanistan and Iraq, an often ignored subject is that of the lasting effects of these conflicts on the people left at home. The families of those fighting overseas are the unseen victims of long deployments, lost loved ones and depression. Not only is there a physical cost to the conflicts, but a cultural rift has occurred across the country. A very few are directly connected to the fighting, as it is an all volunteer military for the 1st time in history. This allows for an emotional. In many rural areas one can drive past signs of well wishing for troops overseas but pass through more affluent towns and one could miss the war entirely. These photographs hope to explore the contrasts of the cultural divide while also paying attention to the lives lost and destroyed by the continuing conflict.

BERLIN BABYLON

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:06:22 +0000

30 YEARS LATER

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:01:24 +0000

The women pictured in this disengaged photographic project are all shown in their original wedding dress. I looked for three women who married in the 1980s and who are now between 45 and 50 years old. My goal was to illustrate the normal woman, torn out of her daily life, as a sort of amateur model. By working with light effects and visual language the pictures appear as professional fashion exposures. Hence the result is a series of images which express a mixture between portrait as well as fashion photography. The stimulus of this work evolves through the women who pose for the first time and are well aware of their age yet just because of that they act unaffected in front of the camera, they captivate through authenticity and unbiasedness.

CITY BUILT BY HAND

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 12:00:06 +0000

HEART HANGING HEART

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:56:01 +0000

Every child should be able to attend summer camp. There should be no exceptions to the rule; however, a child who is chronically ill can require special circumstances making summer camp a highly unlikely possibility. The Double H Ranch in Lake Luzerne, N.Y., founded by Charles R. Wood and the beloved actor/philanthropist Paul Newman, provides specialized programs and year-round support for children dealing with life-threatening illnesses, and their families. The purpose of the camp is to enrich their lives and provide camp experiences that are memorable, exciting, fun, empowering, physically safe and medically sound. Children with devastating illnesses such as sickle cell anemia, HIV, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy are given a week of what seems to them like an eternity filled with activities they would never experience at home or in between hospital visits.

INDIA STYLE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:54:49 +0000

MISTER MUSCLE - INDIA

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:50:43 +0000

MARKETS OF INDOCHINA

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:35:34 +0000

A walk through the markets of Bangkok, Hanoi, Yangoon, Vientiane and Phnom Penh can be visually overwhelming and physically challenging. It is easy to get lost in the narrow streets of Chinatown in Bangkok, and soon become unable to differentiate a food stall from someone’s kitchen. The smells constantly push and pull, ranging from the scent of incense and flowers and the appetizing lure of barbequed meat to the stringent aromas of fresh spices and the stench of rotten garbage. The frenetic and chaotic activities combined with the relentless noise become overpowering. One can feel remote and invisible in this setting, merely a witness to an ancient and unchanging drama. One feels a sense of timelessness, a sense of history repeating itself. The grin of a bare-footed and toothless old man, bearing a heavy load, the smile of a naked child leaning against a busy mother, the lumbering tread of an elephant pushing through a group of monks selecting items from a stall. These are vignettes that loop on themselves, continuously repeating throughout the centuries. These elements of timelessness and repetition are inspiring. A camera is a perfect medium for capturing vignettes: slices of life suspended in time. The unchanging nature of these market places makes them unique to the modern eye. They are an anachronism in a modern world, representing enormous diversity combined with consistent predictability - an organized chaos.

HANG IT OUT TO DRY

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:31:25 +0000

Laundry: The Environmental Portraits is equal parts obsession, feminist statement, & cultural observation. I am obsessed with laundry. I love to see it hanging on a line in the fresh air. I love to smell it when it’s been dried outdoors in the summer. I also think of myself as a feminist, yet, laundry, along with other types of housework, is considered “women’s work”. Author Kathleen Norris writes, “Daily chores, such as cooking, cleaning, (and laundry), have so consistently been considered “women’s work” in so many of the world’s cultures, that they have come to seem the root of women’s oppression”. In the United States, hanging ones laundry out to dry has become a political act, an assertion of environmental concern and an approach to initiate a change in societal values and rules. In this body of work I photograph laundry in its environment. In commercial photography an environmental portrait is an image of a person photographed in their home, where they work or play. Ideally, a place that says something about who they are and gives the viewer context. In this series laundry rather than a person, becomes the subject of the portrait.

FROM “MXP” TO “CGN”

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:27:49 +0000

SAPE

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:21:53 +0000

SAPE (Société des Ambianceurs et des Personnes Élégantes) A portrait story of the members of the SAPE from Pointe-Noire, Republic of the Congo. by Francesco Giusti In Congo-Brazzaville SAPE is an old passion that has never stopped, not even during war years. At the arrival of the French in Congo at the beginning of 9oo, the mith of elegance was born among young people working for the settlers. In 1922, Andrè Grenard Matsoua, well-known for his resistance to the settlers, was the first Congolese to come back from Paris, well dressed like a true French "Monsieur", greatly admired by all his fellow citizens. Today's members of the SAPE consider themselves as artists and are respected and admired by the whole community. " Sape is an art that is not referred to the means people have at their disposal. It's a matter of harmony and matching colours". Making up his own clothes, choosing the right accessories, surely answers a clothing code as well as the pleasure of being unique and original. The members of the SAPE take a touch of glamour into their humble environment with their refined style and faultless clothes. Everyone has his own repertory of gestures, marking him from all the others. Elegance is not the only important character. First of all, in fact, a true member of the SAPE is a gentleman and a pacifist. Every week-end the members of the SAPE, with their eccentric and amusing nicknames, gather in bars and fashionable dancing halls and parade in the streets among amused children and applauses of the passers-by. These extemporized and spontaneous parades are the expression of a urban culture looking for new reference parameters and codes such as no-violence and elegance. They reflect the wish of young people in particular not to be left apart by society.

BODY CULT

alrik — Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:11:12 +0000

My work is called: „body_cult". The concept of beauty is becoming increasingly important. Everyone would have liked nice and many people are trying every means to obtain beauty. There are certainly not many who would reject this attribute, because in our society, beauty has a high priority. Constantly we are confronted by the media, in schools, workplaces and even in our spare time. The people who are beauty attract attention, the others will not be notice. This is probably one of the reasons that beauty is so sought after. I ask myself the question whether the beauty has an impact on all sectors of our society and though the sport is involved. In this context, I examine whether the beauty has more weight in the public than the performance. On the phenomenon of „bodybuilding“ can best investigate this hypothesis. Definition - bodybuilding: Modern methods of physical appearance and perfection of the body shape through give-muscle training with special devices. The main criteria in a competition are: muscle mass (mass), definition) (hardness, proportions and Muscularity - in women is also rated their aesthetics and their femininity. This evaluation is done by a jury must be out of symmetry, harmony, the build, the smooth muscle development, the overall impression and the presentation to assess the athletes. In this sport, the performance is not decisive, but its outward appearance, the consistency and composition of the body, where this does not meet the standard of beauty and reflects a new extreme, bizarre conception of beauty. The weight work is performed at the core of this sport. The body of the athlete is a sign of more or less successful body transformations. The athlete needs a lot of self discipline, which manifests itself in the patient, systhematischen training work. Bodybuilding, a total transformation of the body: the specific treatment needs of each part of the body, every muscle is worked on well-planned manner with Kraftmaschienen. Visible results can be achieved not only through systematic training, but through planning and regulation of all other areas of life such as eg Nutrition plans, controlled conviviality, a for training and competition-oriented fun times and strict personal hygiene. Reducing the tightening of the diet, healthy diets for eduktion contest diet to a minimum, the remaining fat tissue and therefore the muscles is to bring out more clearly and deffinierter to characterize the ultimate stage in the struggle for beauty. In my images I will show no awareness „stage sets“ to give a glimpse behind the scenes in backstage areas at competitive events, too. As a stylistic device, I made use of subjective documentary photography.