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:
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.
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
The Brooke are a UK charity for working horses, donkeys and mules in some of the world's poorest communities. They have a small toy horse, Luka, as part of their facebook campaign who is photographed in different parts of the world by field staff. Whilst working with the Brooke recently in India and Nepal, I had an interesting conversation with one of the Brooke Staff. He wanted to know how to get the foreground with Luka and the background of a photo both in focus. He wondered if a new camera lens was necessary, as with the current equipment it wasn't possible to get both the foreground and the background in focus. I explained that this was a simple setting on the camera and we ran through a couple of examples as a demonstration. We decided it would be worth sharing these examples for any other Brooke staff who had the same difficulty, or for anyone else who might be interested too! What is aperture? Basically, aperture controls the amount of light that enters the camera for an exposure. It is often referred to as the f number. One of the key differences you will notice in your photographs by using different aperture (f stop) settings will be the sharpness (or blurriness) of a photography. This is called depth of field.
(Photo: Luka having a look over the balcony at a horse waiting for treatment from the locally trained vet, who has been assisted with training by the Brooke program in Nepal)
Whilst it is often easier to use a camera on automatic, and this can provide satisfactory results, there are occasions where it is essential to have even just a small amount of control. All cameras have automatic settings, manual settings, and then a range of semi-automatic options in the middle.
For someone whose job is not photography, but is required to get good photographic results, sometimes using a semi-automatic setting rather than fully automatic can be the difference between below average and good results.
Aperture Priority is a semi-automatic setting, which allows you to set the desired aperture for a photograph, but the camera will adjust the rest for you, so you don't have to think about anything else. In order to get both the foreground and background in focus in our example with Luka, the aperture must be selected manually. An alternative to using completely manual settings is to use the semi-automatic setting of Aperture priority.
To find the aperture priority mode: - On a Nikon digital SLR, display will show A - On a Canon digital SLR, display will show AV - For digital point and shoot cameras check menu or manual for Aperture Priority mode
If you use a small f number (aperture) like f2.8 this gives limited depth of field, so one aspect of the photo is in focus, and the rest is blurry - ideal for shooting a portrait of Luka, where he is in focus, and the background is blurred
If you use a large f number (aperture) like f22 this gives maximum depth of field, so as much of the photo as possible is in focus - ideal for shooting Luka, to have him in focus and the background in focus
If you experiment with the highest and lowest f number that your camera is capable, and then a range in the middle, you will get a good idea of how much blur / sharpness is achieved through the spectrum of numbers
(Photo: Luka visiting a local Veterinary Store in Nepal, to visit staff who have been trained and assisted by the Brooke)
If you want to find out more about Luka and the Brooke, check out their facebook page: http://www.facebook.com/thebrookecharity
A new website has been launched called www.Right-tourism.org which will help people travelling abroad to avoid unwittingly supporting animal suffering. The site has been developed by Care for the Wild International in association with the Humane Society International, the League Against Cruel sports, and the Brooke. Having worked as a photographer with The Brooke many times, I keep an eye on their new initiatives and am pleased to share the great work that they are doing. Check out this great new website and help spread the word about how to avoid animal suffering while travelling...
"Tourist activities that exploit animals only continue because tourists choose to support them. As a tourist you have a choice - to avoid cruel practices and reward positive ones."
After the 'Barefoot in Ethiopia' exhibition came off the walls of the Hill Smith Gallery in Adelaide, I needed to package the framed photographs, ready to be shipped to their next gallery. I rang several suppliers who make bubble-bags with the intention of buying pre-made bubble bags. There were no suppliers I could find who had a ready made product, although many suppliers were happy to make a custom sized pocket. Unfortunately, their minimum order quantity was mostly between 500 - 1000 units required for one order. I only needed 30 smaller bags (85cm x 65cm) and a few larger bags (115cm x 95cm). Although the unit cost for the bags from the suppliers was only between $3-$4 a bag, I simply didn't want 500+ units.
So, I set out to make my own bubble bags...
It was a relatively easy process, with great results, so I thought I would share the 'how to' knowledge for other photographers and artist out there, who may require smaller numbers of bubble bags for protecting art work.
Before I started, I had read several blog posts that suggested using a hot glue gun, which I purchased and tried, but would definitely not recommend as the best method.
I simply used an iron to melt the two edges together, with a layer of baking paper between the iron and the bubble wrap. I have included some photos of the process and will try to summarize in a step-by-step easy guide:
1. Measure artwork, and cut bubble wrap to the size of the artwork width and twice the length, allowing an extra 5cm for the width on the edges, and an extra 10-15cm for a flap at the top of the bag (flap size will vary depending on size of bag)
2. Fold cut bubble wrap over (so it looks like the bag should with flap sticking out at top), and make sure the edges are lined up straight (I suggest putting a sheet of cardboard or paper underneath to mark where the bubble wrap is placed for the first bag if you are making multiple bags the same size, as further bags can then just be placed on the markings)
3. Place baking paper over the edge of the bubble wrap to be sealed
4. Place a ruler/piece of wood/anything with a long straight edge approx 1cm from the edge over the top of the baking paper
5. Heat iron at top heat, then iron against the long straight edge, going back and forth a couple of times over the baking paper
6. Remove baking paper and repeat on other edge
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.
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
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.
It's been a while coming but I've finally got around to revamping my website. I've added a page with testimonials from some recent clients and also some new photo galleries to the portfolio section. Let me know what you think of them!
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
The new website for Winds of Africa has launched, and features many of the photographs that I took during the month I worked with them in late 2011:
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
The brand new website for Uzi Island Sea Turtle Conservation has launched, featuring many of the photographs that I took whilst staying on the island and working with the project recently:
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):
For more information about SPANA and the work that they do for the working animals of the world, have a look at their website.
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.
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.
Over the past month in Zanzibar, I have had the pleasure of getting to know an incredible American woman called Kathryn Sutton who is the director of Participate Now, a local non-profit organization. Kathryn is an amazing lady to talk with, from her history and story about how she ended up in Zanzibar, to the work that she has initiated with her NGO there. She works on grass roots development projects, only assisting those who want assistance, in a realistic and sustainable manner. Kathryn will only assist in a way that will actually be of benefit, and only where people are actively seeking assistance. Participate Now is a transparent organization, with all funds raised going directly to local projects. One of the projects that Participate Now supports is Welezo Old Age Home in Stone Town, Zanzibar. Welezo is a government funded old age home, run by three nuns; whilst there is some basic funding there from the government, Participate Now assists Welezo with additional funding to make life a little more comfortable for some of the residents.
To find out more about Welezo, or Participate Now, have a look at their website
