The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards in Malaga

September 19, 2014 in Art, Children & The Art of Eight Limbs, Exhibition, Photography, Photojournalism, Social Documentary, Spain, Thailand

I arrived in Malaga yesterday to attend the opening night of The Worldwide Photography Gala Awards. One of my photographs, 'In The Corner' from the series of work 'Children & The Art of Eight Limbs' was an award winner in the Pollux Awards earlier this year, and was selected to be included in this exhibition. With 54 photographers from 17 countries attending the opening night, it was a huge event, with some incredible talent. I would like to thank the Museo del Patrimonio Municipal for hosting this event, and all of the organizers from WPGA who did such a fantastic job in making this exhibition possible, with special thanks to Julio Hardy.

WPGA Award Winning Photo

March 05, 2014 in Black & White, Children & The Art of Eight Limbs, Exhibition, Photography, Photojournalism, Social Documentary, Thailand

I received notification from the Worldwide Photography Gala Awards (WPGA) yesterday to let me know that one of my images had won an award in the Pollux Awards. The photograph, from the 'Children & The Art of Eight Limbs' series, has been selected to be exhibited in the 3rd International Biennial of Fine Art and Documentary Photography which will open in Malaga, Spain, on September 18th at the Municipal Heritage Museum of Malaga.

This image won second prize in the category of photographs of Children:

'In The Corner'

from the series 'Children & The Art of Eight Limbs'

Preparations for upcoming exhibition at Con Artist

July 08, 2013 in Black & White, Children & The Art of Eight Limbs, Exhibition, Leica, Photography, Thailand

The opening of my joint exhibition with Giles Clarke will be on July 10th at Con Artist Gallery in Manhattan. This social documentary exhibition will be on from July 10th to July 25th, with gallery nights on July 10th, July 17th and July 24th. My series of work is entitled "Children and the Art of Eight Limbs" and the photographs by Giles are from his series "Haiti" Over the past weeks we have been busy with preparations for the show. Here's a few photos of the process from the printers, to the final selections, signing and framing:

At the studio, choosing my final selection before going to print

My final prints on the table at the printers

Giles looks over his photos at the printers

Giles signs his prints, at the framers

Signing my exhibition prints

Measuring up frames before hanging

Dave preparing the wall for hanging

Hanging prints at Con Artist

Cock fighting in Thailand

May 21, 2013 in Animal Welfare, Leica, Photography, Thailand

When I was invited to go to the cock fighting with some locals in Thailand, it was a tough decision to make. From a photographic point of view, this was a rare opportunity to photograph what is said to be the world's oldest spectator sport, which is illegal in many parts of the world. On the other hand, the cocks fight until ultimately one of them dies or is critically injured, which as a vegetarian with strong opinions on animal rights and welfare, I knew I would find it very difficult to watch. Putting my personal beliefs aside, I tried to stay objective as I captured it through the lens. The day began with hundreds of owners gathering, to compare and weigh their roosters, and find good fighting pairs amongst the potential candidates. After the selections were made, the cocks that were not selected went back to their cages. The selected animals waited their turn to be put in the ring against their pre-selected opponent to fight, with more than 30 fights arranged. Official bets were placed through the stadium before the fighting began. Once the fighting was in motion, the stadium was alive with noise from the seats, as people frantically placed 'unofficial' bets against one another. A lot of money appeared to be changing hands amongst the noisy exclamations and gestures as people leapt to their feet in order to see the fight better. It was explained to me that the animals would fight until one died or ran away, however, I later discovered that many of the bodies that got carried away were not actually dead. When I went out the back exit of the stadium, the owners were gathered around the bleeding bodies of their prize cocks, stitching up the wounds. The 'fight to the death' rule is not enforced in Thai cock fighting, which creates a make-shift chicken hospital in the dirt, where needles are sterilized in boiling water, and teams of people stitch up the wounded animals.

© Anna Fawcus 2013

A large group of men gather outside the cock fighting stadium, where they set up cages and then begin socializing

© Anna Fawcus 2013

Men line up their birds in preparation for the cock fights. They need to find a suitable fighting partner for their cock if it is going to fight

© Anna Fawcus 2013

Metal spurs (called gaffs) are attached to the leg in the area where the bird's natural spur has been partially removed.

© Anna Fawcus 2013

Once the selections have been made, the owners prepare their birds for fighting.

© Anna Fawcus 2013

The weight of the birds determines which cocks will be suitable fighting partners.

© Anna Fawcus 2013

Official bets are placed at the entrance of the stadium. Unofficial bets continue throughout the cockfight inside the stadium amongst spectators

© Anna Fawcus 2013

The cocks fight until the death or serious injury, the fight can also be ended if one bird runs away after being injured

© Anna Fawcus 2013

The injured survivors are stitched up out the back entrance of the stadium by their owners, so they may live to see another fight

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

Asian Elephants: Journey to Freedom

April 02, 2013 in Animal Welfare, Black & White, Elephants, Environmental Conservation, NGO Photography, Photography, Thailand

I recently visited the Elephant Nature Park in the north of Thailand, just north of Chiang Mai. These photographs endeavor to capture the spirit of these loveable giants, and to entice the viewer to ask questions about the ethics of allowing these animals to become extinct in the wild, only to exist in a domestic role to serve humans. Their journey to freedom begins with awareness of their future. These intelligent creatures live in family groups and will go to extraordinary lengths to protect one another. Their emotions and relationships are similar to humans, forming strong bonds and friendships. Despite the appearance of having thick skin, they in fact are very sensitive animals. There are many parallels between elephants and humans. Yet, humans have become the key reason for extinction that now faces these amazing animals.

In Thailand poaching is not the only enemy of these ancient creatures. Today, wild elephants struggle to find the basic necessities of life as protected land diminishes and many are captured to become domestic working elephants. The booming Thai elephant tourist industry puts yet another high price tag on the head of young elephants, who are brutally trained with pain and fear to make them perform. Their plight falls mainly on deaf ears.

Every day, wild baby elephants are captured and taken away from their mothers (who are often killed) and forced to undergo a torturous training to domesticate them. This practice essentially breaks the spirit of the elephant, using fear of pain to train them to accept riders on their backs, perform tricks and paint. However, ENP provides a sanctuary for these creatures broken by tourism and the illegal logging industry. At ENP, there are no tricks. There are no rides. No elephant paintings can be bought. Here, these elephants are allowed to live their lives free from bullhooks, free from abuse. Elephant Nature Park offers the chance to interact with elephants without exploiting them.

"Jokia" at Elephant Nature Park

"Hope" at Elephant Nature Park

"Faa Mai" at Elephant Nature Park

"Lucky" at Elephant Nature Park

"Navann" at Elephant Nature Park

"Faa Sai" at Elephant Nature Park

If you want to get involved to help Asian elephants find their way to freedom, get in touch with Save Elephant Foundation where there are many ways you can help, from writing letters as an elephant activist, volunteering in one of the programs, or making a donation. If you are visiting Thailand as a tourist, refrain from supporting the numerous elephant camps who are offering elephant rides, paintings and circus tricks and support an organization like Elephant Nature Park where you are part of the solution not the problem.

Preparations for upcoming exhibition at Con Artist

Cock fighting in Thailand

In The Ring: Muay Thai Boxing

Asian Elephants: Journey to Freedom

Blog

Latest Posts