I have recently been giving photographic training workshops for a few non-profit organizations, who I normally shoot for. This week I've been in London, and one of the workshops I have been giving over the past few days was with The Brooke. The workshops cover the basics in photography, from teaching local staff about camera settings through to composition and lighting techniques, combined with story-telling and lessons on how to construct case studies. Whilst professional photography is great, it is simply not possible all the time, especially in the field in remote locations where expense and accessibility can be obstacles with having a professional there as often as photography is needed. The Brooke recognize that it is important for their staff in the field to be able to document the day-to-day projects and case studies, and through this training, we work together to better equip them to present compelling photographs of the incredibly important work that the Brooke team are doing around the world. The Brooke is an international animal welfare organisation committed to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, mules and their owners. To read more about the work that they do, or to view some of the photographs I have taken with them in the past, check out their website.
The Brooke
The Brooke News Winter 2012/13
Some of my photographs from India and Nepal are featured in the Brooke News Magazine Winter 2012/13:
The Brooke Annual Review 2011/12
Some of my photographs (including the cover photo from Kenya) have been published by the Brooke in their recent annual review:
New recommendation from The Brooke
I recently received a new recommendation from The Brooke on LinkedIn for the work I have done for them over the past couple of years:
Anna goes the extra mile to deliver what the customer wants, takes great care to work to the brief, resulting in brilliant results, delivered on time. She is also lovely to work with!
The Brooke, October 1, 2012.
If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my LinkedIn profile
Photography Training Workshop in Luxor, Egypt
I have spent the past few days giving a photographic training workshop in Luxor, Egypt where I have been working with ICO staff from the Brooke. In the training I covered the basics of photography, from camera settings through to composition, and story-telling. Whilst professional photography in the field is very important, there are a lot of very valuable story telling opportunities that happen day-to-day, and for NGO's around the world it is becoming more important to train their local staff to capture the work that is being done.
The Brooke is an international animal welfare organization committed to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys, mules and their owners. To read more about the work that they do, or to view some of the photographs I have taken with them in the past, check out their website.
LinkedIn Recommendation from the Brooke
This was a new recommendation I received from The Brooke on LinkedIn for some recent work in India:
I have worked with Anna on a photography assignment for a week in India during the peak summers. I must say that she is not only dedicated to her work but a very strong person to have endured all the hardships yet deliver high quality work. A friendly person which makes it all the more easier to work with Anna.
The Brooke, September 12, 2012.
If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my LinkedIn profile
New LinkedIn recommendation from the Brooke
This is a new recommendation I received from The Brooke on LinkedIn for some recent work I did in Nepal:
I got a chance to work with Anna for a week during Nepal photography assignment. I must admit she is a through professional with a high degree of commitment. I remember she would carry a big bag of equipment to all the locations so that she doesn’t miss any action. Even when she was unwell during the draining trip she gave her 100 % effort. I really enjoyed working with Anna and got few handy tips on nuances of good photography. I wish her great success for her future endeavours.
The Brooke, September 13, 2012.
If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my LinkedIn profile
Working with the Brooke in Nepal
I have recently returned from a two week assignment with the Brooke, in India and Nepal. The Brooke are an international animal welfare organisation dedicated to improving the lives of working horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world's poorest communities. In Nepal, I worked with a partner organization of the Brooke, traveling a large distance across the country from Kathmandu to Pokhara, and the surrounding lush green hillside areas. We documented veterinary clinics and services offered by the Brooke in remote regions, and met with families and communities who had been impacted by the positive and supportive work of the Brooke, and it's in-country partners. Here are some of the photos from the trip:
For more information about the Brooke, and the work that they do in Nepal, and other regions of the world, have a look at their website.
Working with the Brooke in India
I have just returned from 2 weeks working with the Brooke in India and Nepal. During the week I spent in India, we travelled around to visit with communities who have been positively impacted by the work of the UK based charity who support the working animals of the world. We visited animals and their owners in a variety of different environments, from fields in the countryside to brick kilns and building sites. The work of some of these donkeys and horses is very hard, and the Brooke work to educate and assist animal owners to look after the health and well-being of their animals. For more information on what they do, please check out their website.
Photography Basics: Aperture
The Brooke are a UK charity for working horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world's poorest communities. They have a small toy horse, Luka, as part of their facebook campaign who is photographed in different parts of the world by field staff. Whilst working with the Brooke recently in India and Nepal, I had an interesting conversation with one of the Brooke Staff. He wanted to know how to get the foreground with Luka and the background of a photo both in focus. He wondered if a new camera lens was necessary, as with the current equipment it wasn't possible to get both the foreground and the background in focus. I explained that this was a simple setting on the camera and we ran through a couple of examples as a demonstration. We decided it would be worth sharing these examples for any other Brooke staff who had the same difficulty, or for anyone else who might be interested too! What is aperture? Basically, aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera for an exposure. It is often referred to as the f number. One of the key differences you will notice in your photographs by using different aperture (f stop) settings will be the sharpness (or blurriness) of a photography. This is called depth of field.
(Photo: Luka having a look over the balcony at a horse waiting for treatment from the locally trained vet, who has been assisted with training by the Brooke program in Nepal)
Whilst it is often easier to use a camera on automatic, and this can provide satisfactory results, there are occasions where it is essential to have even just a small amount of control. All cameras have automatic settings, manual settings, and then a range of semi-automatic options in the middle.
For someone whose job is not photography, but is required to get good photographic results, sometimes using a semi-automatic setting rather than fully automatic can be the difference between below average and good results.
Aperture Priority is a semi-automatic setting, which allows you to set the desired aperture for a photograph, but the camera will adjust the rest for you, so you don't have to think about anything else. In order to get both the foreground and background in focus in our example with Luka, the aperture must be selected manually. An alternative to using completely manual settings is to use the semi-automatic setting of Aperture priority.
To find the aperture priority mode: - On a Nikon digital SLR, display will show A - On a Canon digital SLR, display will show AV - For digital point and shoot cameras check menu or manual for Aperture Priority mode
If you use a small f number (aperture) like f2.8 this gives limited depth of field, so one aspect of the photo is in focus, and the rest is blurry - ideal for shooting a portrait of Luka, where he is in focus, and the background is blurred
If you use a large f number (aperture) like f22 this gives maximum depth of field, so as much of the photo as possible is in focus - ideal for shooting Luka, to have him in focus and the background in focus
If you experiment with the highest and lowest f number that your camera is capable, and then a range in the middle, you will get a good idea of how much blur / sharpness is achieved through the spectrum of numbers
(Photo: Luka visiting a local Veterinary Store in Nepal, to visit staff who have been trained and assisted by the Brooke)
If you want to find out more about Luka and the Brooke, check out their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thebrookecharity
New Website to protect Animal Rights in the tourism industry
A new website has been launched called www.Right-tourism.org which will help people travelling abroad to avoid unwittingly supporting animal suffering. The site has been developed by Care for the Wild International in association with the Humane Society International, the League Against Cruel sports, and the Brooke. Having worked as a photographer with The Brooke many times, I keep an eye on their new initiatives and am pleased to share the great work that they are doing. Check out this great new website and help spread the word about how to avoid animal suffering while travelling...
"Tourist activities that exploit animals only continue because tourists choose to support them. As a tourist you have a choice - to avoid cruel practices and reward positive ones."
Working with the Brooke in Kenya
I have just returned from an assignment in Kenya, with the Brooke, who are an inspirational UK organization whose focus is working animals, in particular horses and donkeys. I always enjoy working with the Brooke, due to the nature of their work combined with the amazing team who work with them around the world. Over the 10 day assignment with KENDAT (The Brooke's partner team in Kenya), we travelled to regions of Kenya in the south, from Mwea region, to Nairobi, Lari and Limuru Region and further afield. The photographic landscapes were diverse, as were the case studies with mostly donkeys. We documented educational programs that the Brooke have facilitated in schools with the motto of: “Heshimu Punda” (Kiswahili for Respect the Donkey). Children began to understand at a young age that their working animals at home required care and basic necessities, such as shelter, food and love. Most of the work I photographed with the Brooke was capturing the results of stories, where the Brooke and KENDAT have made a really positive impact on various communities, by way of education, local training and support to facilitate self sustaining programs. They are an amazing organization. If you like the photos here, check out their website to see more of the photos that I have taken while working with them.
The Brooke Annual Review 2010/11
Some of my photographs from Guatemala have been published by the Brooke in their annual review.
Recommendation from The Brooke on LinkedIn
Today I received a recommendation from The Brooke on LinkedIn relating to my work in Guatemala.
It was a real pleasure to work with Anna. She went beyond the call of duty to meet the requirements of the photography brief we set and produced an exemplary set of photographs which we were delighted with.
The Brooke, May 27, 2011
If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my Linkedin profile
Working with The Brooke in Guatemala
I have recently finished working on assignment with the Brooke in Guatemala. From the Mayan temples of Tikal to the stunning countryside of Chimaltenango, I spent the week exploring some of Guatemala’s most stunning landscapes. I was hired as a photographer to work with The Brooke, a UK based charity who assist with veterinary training and services in many countries, in particular with horses and donkeys. Most of the week was spent documenting the incredible work of the Brooke team and partner organization ESAP. The work that the charity is doing in Guatemala is making a significant improvement to the general health of the animals, and thus the productivity of the horses to assist their families to create an income. For more information about the Brooke, and the work that they do, please have a look at their website.
