Editors' favorite submissions for the National Geographic Photo Contest 2012

November 10, 2012 in Barefoot Initiative, Ethiopia, Exhibition, NGO Photography, Photography

When browsing the National Geographic Website today, I noticed that one of my photos (which I had submitted a couple of weeks ago) had been selected as one of the editors' favorite submissions to the National Geographic Photo Contest 2012. The photograph is called 'Abraham' and is part of the Barefoot in Ethiopia exhibition series of work, which was recently exhibited at the Hill Smith Gallery in Australia, where limited edition prints of the work were sold.

The 'Barefoot in Ethiopia' work documents the lifestyle of a village in the Afar region of Ethiopia, where I have spent several months with the Adelaide based NGO, Barefoot Initiative, who have been visiting the community and assisting them for the past 10 years.

'Abraham'

©Anna Fawcus

Return To Sender: An exhibition of postables

August 10, 2012 in Africa, Barefoot Initiative, Ethiopia, Exhibition, India, Kenya, Latin America, Peru, Photography, Tanzania

Is there somewhere you would rather be? The inaugural BLINDSIDE Festival themed 'Everywhere But Here' is a multi-platform event where artists and the audience can connect, discuss, and imagine alternate destinations together.

Return to Sender - An exhibition of postables will include a small collection of seven 5"x7"photographic prints by Anna Fawcus, documenting scenes from Africa, India, and Latin America.

Artists from across the world, post their creative works based on notions of travel and destination. This eclectic group of works documents the artists’ or the art work’s journey through time and place. BLINDSIDE’s postal route will be lined with biro scribbles, collaged topographies, painted meanderings, strange imaginings and photographs from afar.

Opening Thursday 9 August, 8.00-9.00pm. This exhibition runs from 9 to 11 August 2012. Exhibition hours are 12-6pm.

BLINDSIDE GALLERY

Level 7, Room 14, Nicholas Building 37 Swanston St Melbourne 3000

http://www.blindside.org.au/2012/everywhere-but-here.shtml

These are the selected photographs of mine to be included in this exhibition:

Seaweed Farmer in Zanzibar

Boy with gun in Afar region of Ethiopia

Rice Farmers in West Bengal, India

Quinoa Farmer in Puno, Peru

Donkey overlooking the Rift Valley in Kenya

Sea Turtle in Zanzibar

LinkedIn Recommendation from Barefoot Initiative

June 25, 2012 in Africa, Barefoot Initiative, Ethiopia, NGO Photography, Photography, Testimonials

Today I received a recommendation on LinkedIn from Barefoot Initiative for the work I did in Ethiopia. Here is what they had to say:

Anna has worked with us in the field in rural Ethiopia where our projects are based. Her photographic skills are exceptional, but more importantly the manner in which she conducts her work is highly commendable. She is sensitive to the environment in which she works, and culturally aware to her subjects. Anna steps out far beyond her role as a photographer, and as a team member she helps where ever she is able, and shares creative and innovative ideas. She is a clear communicator and an absolute joy to work with.

Barefoot Initiative, June 24, 2012.

If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my LinkedIn profile

Barefoot in Ethiopia Exhibition Opening

March 14, 2012 in Barefoot Initiative, Ethiopia, Exhibition, NGO Photography, Photography

Last night was the opening of my photographic exhibition ‘Barefoot in Ethiopia’ at the Hill Smith Gallery in Adelaide. David Smallacombe held the auction for us, selling 6 works of art done by the local community in Ethiopia and also selling 3 of the large limited edition photographs.Many other limited edition photographs were purchased off the walls. All of the proceeds go to Barefoot Initiative, to further their projects and work in the Afar region of Ethiopia, so it was truly wonderful to finish the evening knowing that we had managed to raise a substantial amount of funding already! Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a great night. For those who didn’t make it, the show will run until March 25th or works can be viewed online. Thanks to Dave for the following photos, I'll upload more photos from the opening in the coming days.

Working with SPANA in Ethiopia

January 24, 2012 in Africa, Animal Welfare, Ethiopia, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, SPANA

I've just returned from working with the Society of Protection of Animals Abroad (SPANA) in Ethiopia. It was a privilege to work with such a great organization, and to document their work with working animals, from education and training to free mobile vet clinics. The first day, we drove out of Addis Ababa and seemed to slip back in time as we reached a station under the bridge, where horses and carriages waited to take people up the dirt roads beyond, where the local transport would not travel. We made our way to the location of the mobile veterinary clinic, where there must have been 30-40 men waiting with their horses. The SPANA team began the clinic by giving a small talk about proper harnessing (one of the main causes of preventable injury in Ethiopian working horses), and offered free harnesses to those who needed them. After the introduction, the clinic began, with horses being seen in the order that they arrived. Cases ranged from mild injuries caused by ill-fitting harnesses, bits and over-work to the most serious cases where an appointment for euthanasia had to be made. This was the first of many mobile veterinary clinics that I photographed.

The SPANA team worked tirelessly to not only provide free medical care, but also to train local owners about how to take better care of their animals. Although there were some cases that were hard to watch, it was inspiring to see the work that SPANA are doing and to meet some local horse owners and hear about how much they have learnt and how their families have benefited from the assistance. Here are a few photos from the trip (excluding the medical case studies and specialized stories, which will be published by SPANA on their website and other media):

Ethiopia, 2012

For more information about SPANA and the work that they do for the working animals of the world, have a look at their website.

Working with The Barefoot Initiative in Ethiopia

January 19, 2012 in Barefoot Initiative, Ethiopia, NGO Photography, Photography

Just had the most amazing month out in the Afar region of Ethiopia working with the Australian non-profit NGO, Barefoot Initiative. We slept on the floor of a mud hut, gathered wood to make fire, and trekked a couple of kilometers to the river each day. The Awash River (with the occasional crocodile on the banks) was where we washed ourselves and out clothes each day. We also collected the muddy brown water to take back to our hut for cooking and drinking water. I spent the days photographing the Barefoot Initiative team and projects and also the community, who became good friends. The work that Barefoot are doing in the community is inspirational and empowering. The photographs will form an exhibition series, which we will show as a fundraiser over the coming years to raise funding for the project.