Rice Farmers in Haiti 2013; Assignment with Oxfam America

November 05, 2013 in Haiti, Leica, NGO Photography, Nikon, Oxfam, Oxfam America, Photography, Photojournalism

I have just returned from a week in the Artibonite region of Haiti where I have been working with Oxfam America to document the rice industry, from the farmers in the fields, through to the mills and markets and even big companies who are buying up large quantities of rice. We spoke with people about all aspects of Haitian rice growing, as well as the USA rice imports and the effect that this has on the local marketplace. I travelled with Kevin Ferguson who will tell the stories of the people we met on this journey, incorporating my photography and video. Keep an eye on this blog for links through to upcoming Oxfam America blog posts, articles and documentary work over the coming weeks.

Rice Farming in Artibonite, Haiti 2013

Working in Zimbabwe with SPANA

October 31, 2013 in Africa, Animal Welfare, Leica, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, Photojournalism, SPANA, Zimbabwe

I recently spent a week in Zimbabwe working with SPANA. SPANA (the Society for the Protection of Animals Abroad) is a charity for the working animals of the world, with clinics across Africa and the Middle East that treat hundreds of thousands of donkeys, horses, mules, camels and livestock every year. I travelled with the local SPANA mobile veterinary clinc, to the Manicaland Province (some 500km away from Harare), where we camped without luxuries such as electricity. This is what Erick and Andy (the two SPANA veterinarians who I was with) do for at least 2 weeks every month, leaving their families, friends and comforts of home behind so that they can travel to the areas of the country where they are most needed. SPANA provides free veterinary clinics for everyone in these remote communities who wants to come. In many cases, these people would otherwise be very unlikely to have access to this kind of help for their animals. The SPANA staff worked with local VEA's to teach them how to treat the animals, so that they are able to provide assistance in between the mobile clinics visits.

I felt privileged to be involved in documenting the important work that SPANA, and their local partner organizations are doing in Zimbabwe, and wanted to share of few of the photos from the trip:

Manicaland Province, Zimbabwe , 2013

Case studies, stories and more detailed info from the trip will be published over the coming months through the SPANA website, magazine, blog and other media outlets. I will share links on this blog to where the stories end up. For more information on SPANA and their work, have a look at their website.

Independence Day; July 4th in NYC 2013

July 14, 2013 in Leica, New York, Nikon, Photography

This year I chose to shoot the crowds and fireworks from Manhattan, rather than New Jersey, where I went last year. It was interesting to see a different view point of the same event, however, in terms of getting great photos of the fireworks themselves, I would definitely recommend heading across to Hoboken where the fireworks can be captured with a clear view and the Manhattan skyline behind them. Here are a few photos of the Macy's July 4th fireworks in NYC 2013, from the West side of Manhattan:

New York 2013

In The Ring: Muay Thai Boxing

May 08, 2013 in Black & White, Leica, Nikon, Photography, Thailand

Having spent the last few weeks at at the Rawai Muay Thai boxing gym, photographing some of the local boxers training sessions, it was the big night in the boxing ring in Patong this week. The first, and youngest fighter of the night was Pan, in his second fight ever. He is 11 years old and lives in a house with the other boxers from the gym. His parents came to watch him fight, and at the end of the night, he went home with them for a few days before returning back to the boxing gym. Right now it is Summer break and the schools are closed, so kids can go to the boxing camp to try the sport. In a few weeks, Pan will go back to school full time.

Top was the second fighter of the night. He is 16 years old. He lives in the same house as Pan, with the other boxers and some of the trainers in Rawai. He has fought many times and is headed to Bangkok at the end of the year, where the competition is tougher and the boys earn more.

Namwan came to watch the fighting and ended up in the ring when another girl did not show up for her fight. She has fought 26 times. Namwan came to Phuket from the countryside with her sisters. She helped her sister start a beauty salon and she does boxing on the side. She's been training for about 2-3 years. She is 21 years old and after she finishes boxing she will go back to school.

Usually these kids start boxing because their families get them into it and then they like it. The kids are brought into boxing gyms by their families where they stay for a few months to try it. Some stay with the gym and some go back to their families. Life as a boxer is hard; they train twice a day, run twice a day and are not allowed to go out at night. They have to stay in the boxers house or go to the fights at night. They aren't allowed to get too friendly with girls because often their careers are finished once they get involved with girls and have a family.

Pan being massaged before his fight

Pan in the corner of the ring between rounds

Pan throwing a punch in his second fight in the boxing ring

Top punching his opponent in the ring

Top taking the knock-out blow that KO'd him in this fight

Namwan getting ready before her fight

Namwan fighting in the boxing ring in Patong

Holi in Varanasi: Festival of colors

April 12, 2013 in India, Nikon, Photography

Holi Festival is one of the biggest annual Hindu celebrations in India. Otherwise known as the Spring Festival, it is celebrated on the last full moon of the lunar month. The streets come alive in a wash of colored powders and water as people play by throwing brightly colored water and powder at one another.

"Powder Color", Holi Festival in Varanasi

"Guitars on bikes", Holi Festival in Varanasi

"On The Roof", Holi Festival in Varanasi

"Water Pistol", Holi Festival in Varanasi

"Greetings", Holi Festival in Varanasi

"Washing away the colors in the Ganges", Holi Festival in Varanasi

Working with the Brooke in Nepal

July 10, 2012 in Animal Welfare, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, The Brooke

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:

Nepal, 2012

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.

July 4th Fireworks in New York 2012

July 06, 2012 in New York, Nikon, Photography

For my first July 4th in New York, I decided to travel across to Hoboken, New Jersey to capture the fireworks with the Manhattan skyline behind them. Here are a few photos from the evening:

New York, 2012

Working with the Brooke in India

June 29, 2012 in Animal Welfare, India, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, The Brooke

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.

India, 2012

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 Brooke in Kenya

January 13, 2012 in Africa, Animal Welfare, Kenya, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, The Brooke

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.

Kenya 2012

The rare Zedonk; a cross between a Zebra and a donkey, Kenya 2012

Sea Turtle Conservation on Uzi Island, Zanzibar

December 23, 2011 in Africa, Animal Welfare, Environmental Conservation, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, Tanzania, Uzi Island, Zanzibar

I recently spent 3 weeks living on Uzi Island, off the coast of Zanzibar, in Tanzania, East Africa The time I spent there was documenting the Uzi Island Sea Turtle Conservation project, that is being set up by local Uzians. Aliy and Iss-haka, who are behind the project, have been working long hours not only to try and raise funding to work on their project, but also to tray and change the viewpoints of their fellow Uzians, and teach them the importance of preserving the coastline, marine life, and in particular the turtles. It's been a battle for them to try and convince the local fishermen to hand over turtles rather than killing them for food. Aliy and Iss-haka have managed to see their project come to life over the past 12 months with a sanctuary area being built for rescued turtles to live in safely until they are released. Some local tour companies have been supporting them with raising the funds to do this, and they hope to work with them in the future to provide eco-tourism tours from Zanzibar to Uzi Island. The photographs I have taken over the past few weeks will be used to build a website for the Uzi Island Turtle Conservation project, which I will share on this blog once it is launched. In the meantime, here are some photos from my time there:

Uzi Island, 2011

Working with Winds of Africa

December 05, 2011 in Africa, Humanitarian, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography, Tanzania, WoA

Over the past month, I have spent some time in East Africa with an American organization called Winds of Africa, in Tanzania. This non-profit organization has a focus on education, and supports schools in small communities. I spent some time in the Maasai community that they support, and also in the Bomba'Ngombe Vocational Training centre. Many of the photographs that I took will be featured on the new Winds of Africa website that is being re-launched early next year. For more information about Winds of Africa (WoA) have a look at their website.

Winds of Africa, Tanzania

Assignment in Honduras with iDE

June 29, 2011 in Agriculture, Honduras, iDE, NGO Photography, Nikon, Photography

I've recently finished working with iDE (International Development Enterprises) in Honduras, where we have traveled the countryside documenting their work there. During the couple of weeks that I spent with the iDE team in Honduras, we met with farmers, and community groups to look at some of the recent initiatives, including foot pumps, watering systems and other agriculture systems.

Honduras, 2011

For more info on iDE initiatives and projects, have a look at their website.