Moved

I moved with my blog to http://www.hannasilbermayr.com.

5 questions: Zoriah Miller

In november I posted the video "In harms way" who shows how Zoriah Miller and Alissa Everett are working in the Gaza Strip area. Now I asked Zoriah to answer five questions for this blog. He's an award-winning photojournalist who got his photos published in a lot of important newspapers and magazines all over the world. Zoriah stands up for independent journalism and publishes a blog (http://www.zoriah.net/blog) with a lot of background information to his photos. If you want to take a look at his webpage, follow this link: http://www.zoriah.com.

1. Is there an assignment you would reject? Why?
Yes, there are lots of assignments that I reject. Often times I reject projects if they are not something I feel is important or if there is a more important story to be told elsewhere. I also reject assignments if they are trying to take advantage as far as pay goes, which often happens.

2. Which effect do you intend your pictures to have?
I want my photographs to affect people and inspire them to change their own lives and the lives of others for the better.

3. What target did you set yourself in life?
I set many targets, both short term and long term. My long term goal is to leave the world a better place than when I entered it.

4. For sure you get a lot of critism, how do you deal with it?
Yes, there is always criticism. I know I am doing my job if people get upset. If they feel nothing, it is because my photos are not good enough.

5. What's the most difficult thing in a photographers life?
There are many, many difficult aspects to this job, but for me the hardest is giving my life up to document others, meaning not having a home, a relationship, friends that I can visit with whenever I like....there is a lot of personal sacrifice to do this work.

photos © Zoriah/www.zoriah.com

White House Photographer

The official photograph of Barack Obama which was made by Pete Souza opened a great deal of discussions because of being the first president photo which was realized with a digital camera. But there is another interesting point respecting the photographer Pete Souza: he's a photojournalist. I think this is interesting because of the more or less critical point of view photojournalism claims to show. On his website Pete Souza presents a lot of us-oriented pictures but also a reportage about the road to Kabul. I won't recommend him as a good photojournalist because in my opinion he isn't critical enough, but I think it's interesting to following his way and take a look at his photographs apart the presidential pictures. His website: www.petesouza.com.

Photo above: screenshot of the category "The road to Kabul" on www.petesouza.com

Alice Smeets: UNICEF Photo of the year

Alice Smeets won the UNICEF photo of the year. First I was fascinated by the photo, than by Alice's age, so I decided to ask her about her work. I think it's always important to know the background of a photo- the story behind it- to understand it well. She told me that the live of children in Haiti is not easy. They are growing up in dirt and poverty but still - most of them are happy and keeping one's tail up. Alice passed the whole day in Cité Soleil, when the winning picture was taken. The children of Port-au-Prince’s worst slum surrounded her, exited about her white skin color and the camera. To calm the situation she started to portrait every single child. So she did with the girl on the winner-photo. When the girl went back to her friends Alice took another picture. Her words are that the winner-photo is the picture after the picture. I asked Alice what it means to her that her photo is the UNICEF photo of the year 2008 and she told me that this means a lot to her. Only few magazines were interested in her pictures because nobody was interested in Haiti. By winning the contest she hopes to call people's attention to what's going on in Haiti and that they start to help in some way. She is motivated herself to continue with photojournalism. “It is not an easy job, especially if no magazine is interested in the issues you are covering”, says Alice. She knows that it takes long until you can live of this kind of photography but she always had supporting people around her who believed in her. I asked Alice why she chose photojournalism to document social issues. “I think that photography is the best medium to make a difference. By writing you are able to inform, by filming to clarify a situation but photos (if they are good) inform, clarify and touch the soul”, she thinks, “Everyone has the choice in life.” Philip Jones Griffiths, a famous photojournalist who she assisted before his death this year and who she respected a lot, taught her some very important thing: “You can cover a hell of a lot wide and shallow or you can cover a small number of things narrow and deep. Both are valid. But those who decide to do narrow and deep produce something that ultimately lasts."

On her website Alice is presenting more photos of Haiti and children's life there. Some of them are fascinating but also depressing. Take a look on www.alicesmeets.com. There you also have the possibility to donate to help the children in Haiti.

To see the other winners of the UNICEF photo of the year take a look at www.unicef.de/foto.

Photo from www.unicef.de

2008 in Photographs

Today I came across a blog where The Boston Globe publishes 2008 in photographs. The first entry with 40 photos was made yesterday and there will follow two entries more to describe the last year. Take a look at the blog under: http://www.boston.com/bigpicture.

Jane Evelyn Atwood's work

I don't know a lot of female photojournalists. Perhaps are we not as brave as men are..? Or perhaps some topics are difficult to cover because we're not always taken seriously by men..? But there are women who do a really important work - Jane Evelyn Atwood is one of them. I bought her book "Too much time" last year at Visa pour l'image in Perpignan and I admire her for this work. She covered life of women in female prisons and is also given them the possibility to tell about their life before commiting the crime. She worked on this topic for nine years and I think it's really important to be mouthpiece of these women.

The book is available at amazon. To know more about Jane Evelyn Atwood and other imperotant works take a look at her website under: www.janeevelynatwood.com.

5 questions: Daniele Mattioli

Daniele Mattioli is an italian photographer based in Shanghai, China. Before moving to Asia he lived and worked in different cities on different continents as for example Toronto, Vienna or Sydney. If you want to see more of his work visit http://www.danielemattioli.com. Daniele is represented by the Anzenberger Agency, at their website and at his photoshelter-account there are also some interesting photos.

1. Primarily you studied Chemistry and Biology. How did you get into photography?
I studied Chemistry and Biology but more or less was not for passion, i did always like images and i was always playing with an old camera, an instamatic with no film, i was shooting around the house, was my toy. When i finish studying i was play volleyball in a semi professional team but also visiting some photographer and work for them as assistant. Where i came from in Italy there were no school for photography and i was never pushed by anybody, i am from a small town in the middle of italy. I would think that it was a natural path, i follow an instinct.

2. Are you also taking photos in your private ambit, without earning money?
Most of the time, the best part is to take your personal photos, money comes from the commercial side of the profession. I think nowadays is perhaps better to make commercial work in order to have money to do your own personal project and not, like many people think, the other way round.

3. Wich of your works do you prefer the most? Why?
There are some project which i liked most, mostly are done in different times, without the rush to finish them , they are like an open book where there is still a new page to view. I would say perhaps my first project i liked was the Australians, a collection of photos which describe the sense of outdoor and amusement of the australians. I did in different location and different steps while i was living in Sydney. I do believe is the first idea of a project. The recently i am working on a Cambodia project which is a mix of photo from survived people (survived from the terrible years of the Khmer rouge regime) to locations which are also survived. It is an ongoing project, is not finish and perhaps next time i go back i will change completely,is something open to me, i tried to give strong colors, heavy composition, putting many thing inside each frame.. Is the beginning for me to work , finally, without the digital camera, using medium format. I might like it (perhaps when finished) because is a breaking point from many rules and structures i need to get rid off.Is a sort of experiment for me, i do also think that i dont really care if people like it or not...

4. What's the most difficult thing in a photographers life?
Well to balance your sensibility (which is necessary to produce perhaps good photos) and be tough and perhaps commercial when u need to survive out of it. Photography it is a practical art, u need to be artist in a way (and living like that) and be able to sell what u frame with a camera. Not easy.

5. Do you have some tips for young people who want to become a photojournalist?
First not to consider the word photojournalist as a magical word but a tough profession. I would say at 44 that photography can be achieved with the right mentality, knowing what you are shooting and why you are shooting are not simple questions but important base to work from. I would advise to build up a knowledge and sensibility, read a lot and not necessary about photography. Photography is the easiest action a person can do, is about to push in the right moment. But what lead to to push at that situation at that particular time is a fruit of your personal view of life and understanding of the culture u live in.

Photo from www.photoshelter.com

Alissa Everett and Zoriah Miller

Today I took notice of a short video on youtube about two photojournalists mainly working in the war and conflict areas in the world. It's about Alissa Everett (her website: http://www.alissaeverett.com) and Zoriah Miller (his website: http://www.zoriah.com). What's really interesting is to see a woman acting as photojournalist, I know really few women working in this fields. Zoriahs website is interesting because he's writing his own blog and also telling about a war photographers life.

First of all take a look at the film, I think it gives an insight into the work. I won't embed all five parts of the film here in my blog but you can see the first part here and then switch to youtube (the owners site is this: http://www.youtube.com/user/warphotography).

Part one:

5 questions: Cristoph Bangert

I'll start to publish short interviews, which consist of only five questions, with photojournalists. The first is Christoph Bangert, a young german photographer. He studied photography at the Fachhochschule Dortmundt and at the International Center of Photography in New York. He has worked in Palestine, Japan, Chad/Darfur, Afghanistan, Indonesia, Pakistan, the US, Lebanon, Nigeria, Zimbabwe and Iraq. To know more about his work visit his website: http://www.christophbangert.com

1. Which effect do you intend your pictures to have?

I want to move people. I want to make them think. But I don't want to tell people with my images exactly what they should be thinking about. I believe that there must be enough space in an image for people to have their own very individual ideas and thoughts about the image itself and the issues connected to it.

2. Is there a story you are bent on realizing?
It's a long list.

3. Imagine you could take the picture of the century but you would treat a person dishonorable through it – would you do it anyhow?
This question does not make much sense. First of all you never know in advance if a picture will be of great significance or not before you take it. To know that you are about to shoot the picture of the century is impossible. Secondly it's not possible to define the term "dishonorable" in photography. This is really up to every individual photographer what he or she considers dishonorable and what he doesn't.
It is also very important to note that every single situation is different, just as every single picture is. It is not right and far too easy to generalize here. It's complicated.

I always try to treat every single individual I meet, especially when I am working with my camera and I am recognizable as a journalist, with respect and an expression of an honest interest in their lives.
At the same time I am not running around with my camera in order to make friends. Being a photographer is often not about being the most popular guy around. If you go somewhere and you come back without any pictures then you did not only fail to do your work, but you also failed the people that you serve as a journalist, which is everyone in society.

4. How do you deal with criticism?
Criticism is extremely valuable. It's a great source of motivation, it shows you your weaknesses and you learn a lot about your audience.
I think it's important to see who criticizes you and what the core point of the criticism is.
It's important and helpful to listen to what people think about your work at the same time it is equally important to do what you have to do. Photography is very personal in a way. It can only succeed if it is honest and truly yours. If you start to work to please others it will go horribly wrong.

5. How do you feel in front of a camera?
Like most people: Awkward.
It's not so easy to be photographed. It tests your confidence and vanity.

Photos from lightstalkers.org and fotofestival-hannover.de

Magazine: Photography Now

Do you know the magazine Photography now? I knew the name by hearsay but never have seen a print version of this magazine. Last week my boss gave me two issues. I was surprised because I always thought that it was DIN A4-size but it's much more smaller and really handy with a size of about 15 x 18cm. Okay, I don't want to talk about the size - as we know it doesn't matter. The cool thing on this magazine is that you get a lot of information about what's going on in the world of photography. About events and festivals sorted by city, about young photographers presenting them with photos and the last pages are filled with interviews with interesting people. To know more about this magazine take a look at their website under http://photography-now.com.

Stephanie Sinclair's Work

Today I want to present you a brave female photojournalist. Her name is Stephanie Sinclair and she's known because of her work on women's issues in the arabic world. She's a woman who contributes to give the western world a reality check. For example her work "Self-Immolation: a cry for help" which she developed between 2003 and 2005 in Afghanistan. She tells the story of hundreds of women who set themselves on fire, a desperate cry for help. Very often the self-immolations are related with domestic violence or sexual abusement.

Another important story is "The bride price". Stephanie Sinclair is covering the stories of young girls all over the world who have been forcibly married, sometimes to men who are much more older. The first issue about self-immolation and the second one about shutgun marriage are two topics that are related: the International Center for Research on Women sees the self-immolation as a common consecuence of this shutgun marriage. If you want to find out more about these issues you can see a short film produced by Eric Maierson with photographs of Stephanie Sinclair at the ICRW-Website: LINK.

Stephanie Sinclair got several prizes and was honored for her outstanding work. Among others with the CARE International Award for Humanitarian Reportage in 2008, the UNICEF photo of the year 2007 or the World Press Photo Award in 2004. You can visit Stephanie's website under http://www.stephaniesinclair.com.

Photo from www.fiftycrows.org

Photo from nytimes.com

My own photographic work

Some people asked me why I didn't have some of my own photos in my blog. At the moment I'm working on a project here in Vienna, it will take some time to finish and still I can't show you the pictures. But for the moment I'll put some pictures I made one and a half year ago in Buenos Aires. It's a documentation about a blockade of the ticket offices in the train station in Once. The story behind the photographic work is this: different organizations piqueteros (Wikipedia: A piquetero is a member of a political faction whose primary modus operandi is based in the piquete. The piquete is an action by which a group of people blocks a road or street with the purpose of demonstrating and calling attention over a particular issue or demand.) appealed the 13th of february 2007 to blockade the ticket offices in Once and to avoide the sale of tickets. They handed out flyers with the title “boleto protesta - protest ticket” and called on the passengers go by train without paying to proclaim their displeasure about the poor conditions of the trains. They were also expressing solidarity with Roberto Canteros who was arrested the 1st of november 2005 at the train station of Haedo, province of Buenos Aires. This day in the morning when everyone had to go to work in the capital city a train which came from Moreno had to stop in Haedo because of technical problems. When the trains to Buenos Aires City were cancelled the annoyed passengers set on fire 15 waggons. More than 80 people were arrested this day in november, among them Roberto Canteros, a father of five children. In february 2007 he was the only one who was still arrested and the piqueteros of the blockade of the train station in Once demanded also his liberation.

You can find more information about the fire in the train station Haedo in clarin.com and pagina12.com.ar and more information about the blockades of the train station Once in anred.org (all websites in Spanisch).

An additional information: Roberto Canteros came free the 15th of June 2007 after 1 year and 7 months in prison. More information about the whole story of Roberto Canteros at the website of indymedia Argentina (also in Spanisch).

World citizen: Lisl Steiner

Today I knew a fascinating person: Lisl Steiner. She was born in Vienna but had to emigrate with her parents to Argentina beginnings of the second world war. After studying art and working in the argentinian film industry she started to work as a photojournalist. In a speech today at the GLVA (Graphische Lehr- und Versuchsanstalt) in Vienna she explaind that there are two elements that are important when you're working as a photographer: humor and curiosity. For her it's important to talk with young people about photography, her work, her passion - to stay young. The thing that impressed me most was that she had an i-phone from Apple. That's not really strange, but if you know that she's nearly 81 it's really crazy, but perhaps it's normal if you're living in New York.

Lisl Steiner took pictures of a lot of famous people: Henri Cartier-Bresson, Louis Armstrong, Miles Davis, Pablo Neruda, Fidel Castro, Jorge Luis Borges, Henry Kissinger, John F. Kennedy, Martin Luther King, etc.

Jorge Luis Borges, photo from www.lislsteiner.com

World Press Photo Interviews

The World Press Photo Award is one of the most sought-after prizes for photojournalistic work. At the website worldpressphoto.org there is the possibility to listen to the winners talking about their works. Follow THIS LINK to go directly to the interview-site.

photo by Andrew Quilty (from www.diepresse.com)

European Month of Photography

For the third time is organized the European Month of Photography. Seven european cities, amongst others Vienna, are participating in the project. During one month a lot of museums and galleries in Berlin, Bratislava, Moskau, Paris, Rom, Luxemburg and Vienna are presenting photographic works from different artists from all over the world.

More informations can be read under the international website of the European Month of Photography.

In Vienna it will be inaugurated the 30th of october at 7 o'clock p.m. in the Museum auf Abruf with the international exhibition "Mutations II".

Marco Vernaschi's Work

In my first entry I want to recommend the photographic work of my friend Marco Vernaschi. Marco is an italian photojournalist working on social-critic issues. In his last work Bolivia, broken promises he documented how drug trafficking is affecting indigenous people. He also explains how the US-american government is involved in the complex system.

You can read more about this story in Mother Jones Magazine, see the photos on his Webseite and his Account at photoshelter.com , listen to an interview with Marco Vernaschi on 88.1 KZSC and see a Video about the issue at youtube.com.

Photo from lightstalkers.org