Matt Brandon: Thaipusam

Matt Brandon, aka The Digital Trekker, has just produced an audio slideshow using the SoundSlides platform of his photographs of Thaipusam in Penang. Some 800,000 Hindu Tamil and Chinese devotees of Muruga (also called Subramaniam), the Hindu God of War, gathered in Penang to celebrate Thaipusam, and Matt was there to record the images and ambient sound.

In contrast to the nervous energy from his pulsating photographs of the festival, Matt does an admirably calm and well articulated narration. A well done job.

Matt is now living in Malaysia, and travels all around South Asia and beyond on different assignments, and most often shoots people in their natural environment. He also authors an excellent blog called The Digital Trekker, so bookmark it if you haven't already.

As for Thaipusam, I read on Wikipedia that the largest Thaipusam celebrations take place in Singapore, Mauritius and Malaysia. The temple at Batu Caves, near Kuala Lumpur, often attracts over one million devotees!

Read More

Medford Taylor: El Corazon de Mexico

Photo ©Medford Taylor-All Rights Reserved
It is a delight to bring Medford Taylor, a photographer with an incredible eye for color, to the virtual pages of The Travel Photographer.

Since 1974 Medford worked on assignment for Time Magazine, Newsweek, GEO, National Geographic magazine and National Geographic Traveler, among others. His photographs have been published in various books and publications all over the world, and he has received awards from the Virginia News Photographers Association, the White House Photographers Association, and the Slover Award from the Virginian Pilot. In 2002, he published his first book "Saltwater Cowboys: A Photo Essay of Chincoteague Island.

I chose Medford's work on Mexico, especially his lovely gallery titled El Corazon de Mexico, to show here. I also admired his saturated color work in his gallery Mariposa Monarca, which you can see on his website or as a music-accompanied slideshow on Burn magazine

My thanks to my photographer friend Cathy Scholl, who not only directed me to Medford's work, but also reminded me that I expressed to her my fears that I wouldn't find enough talent to fill the pages of my blog. That was in February 2007...two years ago!

Read More

Robot Posts

As I'm getting swamped in my final preparations for the imminent departure of my Theyyams of Malabar photo-expedition, I've set up and scheduled various posts which will be posted during as many days of my absence as possible.

This will ensure an uninterrupted stream of posts for a while so readers of The Travel Photographer continue to read one of their favorite blogs as long as possible. I will try to post while on the road, but I can't guarantee it.

In the field, my primary focus is on the 8 photographers who accompany me and who are making this photo-expedition a sold-out event, but I will try my best.

Read More

Foundry PJ Workshop 2009: Update

The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has announced the availability of three separate tuition scholarships which will benefit 6 photojournalists.

Separately, Eric Beecroft just announced that the Foundry Photojournalism Workshops and N11/Lightstalkers are pleased and proud to announce the two winners of the full tuition Lightstalkers Foundry Workshop Scholarships. The winners for 2009 are Ashwini Bhatia and Dar Yasin. Ashwini lives and works in Dharamshala, India where he covers Tibetan affairs for the Associated Press, and Dar Yasin is an award winning freelance photojournalist, and native of Kashmir.

Check out the details on its website.

Read More

New York Photo Festival: May 13-17

The New York Photo Festival, which drew positive reviews when it debuted last year, has changed its plans to expand from four to 10 days in 2009. After announcing last year that the festival would take place May 14 to 24, NYPH '09 quietly rescheduled for May 13 to 17.

Festival co-founder Frank Evers said the change was the result of programming decisions, with the slowdown in the economy being a lesser concern. It made more sense to make the festival "intense and short" rather than trying to fill up a longer schedule, Evers says. The festival schedule has not been announced, but NYPH is adding some new events this year including portfolio reviews.

Read More

Marantz PMD 620

I finally succumbed. I dropped by B&H yesterday to check on whether they had any Canon 5D Mark II batteries in stock, and walked out with a Marantz PMD 620 audio recorder.

But first things first; the LP-E6 Rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries are unavailable. The salesman said that there were none available in the United States...perhaps an exaggeration, but probably not that far off. I guess the alternative is to buy a Canon 5D Mark II just to have a spare battery. In my view, Canon mismanaged the supply of both camera and accessories, and will eventually suffer the consequences.

Now about the Marantz PMD 620 audio recorder: I decided to replace my Micro Track which was showing its age...and it didn't perform that well in Bhutan last October. I had replaced its original microphone which had been damaged, but it still didn't perform as well as it should have...hence the new Marantz PMD 620.

I figured a new audio recorder would be useful during my forthcoming photo-expedition to South India to document Theyyam performances...I'm hopeful that the accompanying music and ambient sound during these performances will add much to my photographs.

I was glad that the Marantz PMD 620 was sold by B&H with a free 2gb SD card (it comes with a 512mb card), a free carrying case and a $100 rebate from Marantz. I briefly tested it yesterday, and think it'll work well. Why did I choose it over the other models? Well, because of these incentives.

For a detailed report on the Marantz PMD 620, check Transom Tool. I will put it through its paces in India and will write my own on my return.

Read More

BBC: Lalibela's Bet Maryam

Photo ©Karoki Lewis-All Rights Reserved
I'm not too fond of the BBC these days as a result of its unconscionable decision not to air the Gaza appeal, however it has recently published an interesting audio slideshow with photographs and audio by Karoki Lewis, and produced by Phil Coomes

As part of a series looking at religious pilgrimages around the world, Karoki recorded the all night ceremony at Bet Maryam (Church of the Virgin Mary) in Lalibela, Ethiopia, as they celebrated Orthodox Christmas in early January.

I recall being in Lalibela during Epiphany in 2004, and being part of, and photographing the pre-dawn rituals of the ancient celebration was an unforgettable experience. Ethiopian Christianity dates back to the 4th century, and as the festival of Epiphany nears, Lalibela’s population swells with 60 thousand pilgrims.

I visited the beautiful cross-shaped Church of St. George, but the awning that is visible in the slideshow wasn't there...so it must be a new addition. It certainly preserves the stone church from the elements, but it's also hideous.

(Via duckrabbit multimedia)

Read More