Editors' favorite submissions for the National Geographic Photo Contest 2012

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

LinkedIn Recommendation from Barefoot Initiative

Today I received a recommendation on LinkedIn from Barefoot Initiative for the work I did in Ethiopia. Here is what they had to say:  

Anna has worked with us in the field in rural Ethiopia where our projects are based. Her photographic skills are exceptional, but more importantly the manner in which she conducts her work is highly commendable. She is sensitive to the environment in which she works, and culturally aware to her subjects. Anna steps out far beyond her role as a photographer, and as a team member she helps where ever she is able, and shares creative and innovative ideas. She is a clear communicator and an absolute joy to work with.

Barefoot Initiative, June 24, 2012.

If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my LinkedIn profile

Barefoot in Ethiopia Exhibition Opening

Last night was the opening of my photographic exhibition ‘Barefoot in Ethiopia’ at the Hill Smith Gallery in Adelaide. David Smallacombe held the auction for us, selling 6 works of art done by the local community in Ethiopia and also selling 3 of the large limited edition photographs.Many other limited edition photographs were purchased off the walls. All of the proceeds go to Barefoot Initiative, to further their projects and work in the Afar region of Ethiopia, so it was truly wonderful to finish the evening knowing that we had managed to raise a substantial amount of funding already! Thanks to everyone who came and made it such a great night. For those who didn’t make it, the show will run until March 25th or works can be viewed online. Thanks to Dave for the following photos, I'll upload more photos from the opening in the coming days.

Final preparations for Barefoot in Ethiopia Exhibition

It's been a busy week with the final preparations for the exhibition. I've just completed signing and editioning all of the prints and dropped them at the Hill Smith Gallery. Looking forward to the opening Wednesday evening!

Signing limited edition prints for the Barefoot in Ethiopia exhibition opening

Barefoot in Ethiopia exhibition at the Hill Smith Gallery

I will be having an exhibition ‘Barefoot in Ethiopia’ at the Hill Smith Gallery in Adelaide, Australia from March 14 – 25. The exhibition will be a fundraiser for Barefoot Initiative, with all proceeds from sales going directly to them. I have donated my time and expenses, and the Hill Smith Gallery have been very generous as the primary sponsor of the event. Check out the Hill Smith Gallery Website for a preview of the works and more information.

New Recommendation on LinkedIn from SPANA

Today I received a recommendation on LinkedIn from SPANA for a recent project I worked on in Ethiopia. Here's what they had to say:  

We hired Anna to undertake a photgraphic project at one of our Ethiopian veterinary clincs. It was an important project for SPANA, with photos earmarked for the charity’s annual review, so a very specific set of skills and attributes were required. Of course we needed an excellent photographer – and Anna is certainly that. But we also needed someone who was able to work to a brief with very little management, able to work with our overseas staff and also develop good relationships with our Ethiopian clients. We needed a photographer able to work in challenging and difficult circumstances, while representing our organisation confidently and proffesionally to a range of stakeholders. Anna was the perfect choice, We were delighted with the results of Anna’s work – her images are arresting and creative. But we were also enormously impressed with her professionalism, tact and diplomacy. Staff and clients working with Anna on the project were all enthusiastic both about her work and also her interpersonal skills. I’m pleased to be able to offer a very warm recommendation. We will certainly be using Anna in the future, whenever we can.

SPANA, February 21, 2012.

If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my Linkedin profile

New Recommendation from SPANA on LinkedIn

Today I received a recommendation from SPANA relating to the project I worked on in Ethiopia earlier this year. Here's what they had to say:  

Anna is an experienced photographer and is expert in Photographing. She is also sociable and dedicated to her activities. I have no reservation to recommend Anna for any scale of activities which require photographing. She also uses a modern digital camera for her photographing. I wish her a successful life.

SPANA, February 5, 2012.

If you would like to see this recommendation, and others, please feel free to view my Linkedin profile

Working with SPANA in Ethiopia

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):

© Anna Fawcus / SPANA

Ethiopia, 2012

 

© Anna Fawcus / SPANA

Ethiopia, 2012

© Anna Fawcus / SPANA

Ethiopia, 2012

© Anna Fawcus / SPANA

Ethiopia, 2012

© Anna Fawcus / SPANA

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 Barefoot Initiative in Ethiopia

Just had the most amazing month out in the Afar region of Ethiopia working with the Australian non-profit NGO, Barefoot Initiative. We slept on the floor of a mud hut, gathered wood to make fire, and trekked a couple of kilometers to the river each day. The Awash River (with the occasional crocodile on the banks) was where we washed ourselves and out clothes each day. We also collected the muddy brown water to take back to our hut for cooking and drinking water. I spent the days photographing the Barefoot Initiative team and projects and also the community, who became good friends. The work that Barefoot are doing in the community is inspirational and empowering. The photographs will form an exhibition series, which we will show as a fundraiser over the coming years to raise funding for the project.

Barefoot Initiative Newsletter 2011

The latest Barefoot Initiative Newsletter has been published. This newsletter contains many of my photographs from the time I spent there recently.

Next stop Ethiopia (Again!)

I should be in Ethiopia right now but my flight got cancelled due to snow closing down Heathrow airport. It has been a somewhat frustrating few days, as the airline offices are closed, as are their phone lines, which makes it difficult to re-book a new flight! I have been travelling to the airport every day with my luggage in the attempt to get onto a stand-by list if a flight is going. So far, planes are still grounded, which is causing chaos. Fingers crossed I will be able to get a flight soon…

Next stop Ethiopia!

I have been invited to work in Ethiopia with a non-profit organization from Australia called Barefoot Initiative. Tickets are booked for December and I am looking forward to the trip! Barefoot initiative is a Non Government Organisation (NGO) that is a group of three young Australians who have been working in the Afar region (hottest inhabited region on Earth) of Ethiopia since 2004. We will stay in a remote community, living in a mud hut for a month, with no electricity or phone reception. This means I will be out of contact with no access to a computer or telephone from December 18^th to January 18^th. For more info on the project, check out their website: www.barefootinitiative.org