A new blog post from Oxfam America (with photography from my recent trip to Ghana) talks about the need for Ghana’s next government to focus on completing the job of constructing a transparent and accountable system for managing the oil and gas sector.
On my recent trip to Haiti, working with Oxfam America, I spent time working on two assignments. The first assignment in Artibonite is detailed in my previous blog post. The second assignment was with Coco McCabe documenting communities a couple of hours out of Port-Au-Prince. We visited beneficiaries of livelihood programs put in place to assist the local community with establishing themselves in small business. We also visited sites which are a part of the WASH campaign, which has been working to improve the quality of water and decrease the spread of cholera. Here are a few photographs of the programs that we visited:
All photographs ©AnnaFawcus/Oxfam 2012
I recently spent a couple of weeks in November 2012 working on two photographic assignments with Oxfam America in Haiti. The first assignment was with Elizabeth Stevens in Artibonite, documenting rice farmers and many water based programs implemented by Oxfam America to enable the 'flow of water' and thus the success of farmers in the region. Here are a few photos of the rice harvest:
All photographs ©AnnaFawcus/Oxfam 2012
Here are a some links to more photos from this trip to Haiti in blog posts by Oxfam America journalist, Elizabeth Stevens:
http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2013/01/02/haitis-women-farmers-we-will-rise-again/
http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2012/12/28/easing-poverty-in-haiti-with-the-free-flow-of-water/
This recently published article by Chris Hufstader of Oxfam America tells one of the stories that I photographed earlier this year whilst I was in Ghana. The article talks about transparency of resource revenues in Ghana, so that citizens can see where their national wealth goes.
Many of my photographs are featured in a recently published book on informality by Global Fairness Initiative (GFI):
Informality Matters, by Global Fairness Initiative
Hurricane Sandy hit New York as I was about to fly to Ghana, delaying me in Manhattan for a few days before I managed to get out on a standby flight once the airports re-opened. Once I arrived in Accra, I met with the Oxfam America team, and we set off to the Western Region of Ghana. I was working with Chris Hufstader, documenting the flow of the money generated through mining and oil in the country and where it goes. The people of Ghana are asking their government to use the revenue from these natural resources to benefit all people in the country. Here are some photographs of the trip:
All photographs ©AnnaFawcus/Oxfam
For the stories behind these photos, visit the Oxfam America blog, where you will find posts by journalist, Chris Hufstader:
http://firstperson.oxfamamerica.org/2012/11/15/ghana-riding-transparency-roller-coaster/
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
Last night was the launch party of the Leica S-System featuring Morgan Miller at the penthouse of Milk Studios. It was a great event, with the opportunity to have a look at the new Leica S system camera, up close. It was fantastic to have a look at the new S system, and see it's awesome capabilities. For more info on the new Leica S:
http://en.leica-camera.com/photography/s_system
For more info on Morgan Miller and his Leica S photography, check out the Leica blog:
For the facebook page and photos of the event:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10151057582057735.426063.75684997734&type=3
Last night I went to the Milk Gallery opening of Marilyn Reinvented by Bert Stern. The opening night was busy, with hundreds of New Yorkers waiting in a long line to enter the bustling gallery. The collection of classic Marilyn Monroe photographs are beautifully 'reinvented' with some really striking and creative work, featuring glitter, paint and colorful stones. If you are in New York over the coming weeks, it is an exhibition that should not be missed.
Marilyn Reinvented by Bert Stern can be viewed in Milk Gallery starting October 23rd through November 6th.
http://milkmade.com/articles/1650-Marilyn-Reinvented-by-Bert-Stern
Last week I spent the week at the Magnum Photos office in New York City, in a photography workshop by Chien-Chi Chang. Needless to say, it was an incredible week. The opportunity to learn from such an amazing photographer as Chien-Chi was fantastic. It was also brilliant to meet and network with the other photographers participating in the workshop - each with their own unique style and personality. The week was long, with early starts and late finishes and days spent shooting photographs in the streets of New York, to evaluate back with the group and edit down at the office.
We had the chance to view some of the Magnum in Motion works by Chien-Chi Chang, along with some of his other photographs, and then ask questions as he talked about the details of various projects.
The workshop was brilliantly executed by Chien-Chi and the other Magnum staff involved in putting it all together.
Some of my photographs (including the cover photo from Kenya) have been published by the Brooke in their recent annual review:
Last night I went to the opening of a photographic exhibition by Pete Souza, the Chief Official White House Photographer for President Barack Obama and the Director of the White House photography office. The photographs are a vivid and expressive collection of color photographs which depict President Barack Obama in day to day life. If you have a chance to go and see it, it is well worth visiting. This New York exhibition is at the Leica Gallery on Broadway, from October 5th until November 10th 2012.
If you can't make it to the gallery, the White House's Flikr Photostream is worth a look.
Leica Gallery in New York is located at:
670 Broadway / Suite 500 New York, NY 10012 Tel.: +1 (212) 777-3051 Fax: +1 (212) 777-6960 E-Mail: leicaphoto@aol.com
Opening hours: Tuesday - Friday 12.00 pm - 6.00 pm Saturday 12.00 pm - 5.00 pm
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
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.
Anna's powerful photographs have allowed GFI to emphasize the very human and individual aspects of the issues we work on. Her images stand alone as works of art, but they also highlight the realities of people living in poverty around the world. Aside from her artistry, Anna is delightful to work with -- she's always responsive, offers great insights and suggestions, and catches things we've missed.
Global Fairness Initiative, September 12, 2012.
If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my Linkedin profile
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
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
Magnum Photographers have been my greatest inspiration for as long as I can remember. As a collective, Magnum photographs have inspired change throughout the world, illustrating things as they are and producing some of the most iconic images of our time. As a photographer, I often get asked for advice on how to become a photographer. It's a difficult question to answer, and so when I came across this article, I wanted to share it with all those people who ask what it takes.
'Wear Good Shoes: Advice to young photographers' by Magnum photographers is well worth a read, with a wide spectrum of advice from Magnum photographers. Here are my 10 favorite quotes from the article:
"Get a good pair of walking shoes and...fall in love"
- Abbas
"Try everything. Photojournalism, fashion, portraiture, nudes, whatever. You won‘t know what kind of photographer you are until you try it. "
- Alec Soth
"Photograph because you love doing it, because you absolutely have to do it, because the chief reward is going to be the process of doing it. Other rewards -- recognition, financial remuneration -- come to so few and are so fleeting. And even if you are somewhat successful, there will almost inevitably be stretches of time when you will be ignored, have little income, or -- often -- both. Certainly there are many other easier ways to make a living in this society."
- Alex Webb
"Study and theory is useful but you learn most by doing. Take photographs, lots of them, be depressed by them, take more, hone your skills and get out there in the world and interact. "
- Chris Steele-Perkins
"Don‘t become a photographer unless its what you ‚have‘ to do. It can‘t be the easy option. If you become a photographer you will do a lot of walking so buy good shoes."
- David Hurn
"My advice to photographers is to get out there in the field and take photographs but also if they are students to finish their course, learn as many languages as possible, go to movies, read books visit museums, broaden your mind."
- Martine Franck
"Study the works of the greatest photographers like Henri Cartier-Bresson and Andre Kertesz. Try to travel to many parts of the world and understand what a diverse world we live in."
- Hiroji Kubota
"Don‘t stop questioning yourself (it‘ll make you less arrogant). Push. Push, scratch, dig... Push further... And stop when you don‘t enjoy it anymore... But most of all respect those you photograph..."
- John Vink
"Find a subject you care about. Something that moves you. Something which stirs your rawest emotions. And then have patience."
- Mark Power
"If you want to be a photographer, you have to photograph. If you look at the photographers‘ work you admire, you will find that they have found a particular place or subject, and then have dug deep into it, and carved out something that is special. That takes a lot of dedication, passion, and work."
- Steve McCurry
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
© Anna Fawcus
Rice Farmers in West Bengal, India
© Anna Fawcus
Quinoa Farmer in Puno, Peru
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.