Washington Post: Ashura Festival

Here's a graphic video clip of the Shi'a ritual of Ashura from the Washington Post's Jack Fairweather, who is traveling around Central Asia and the Middle East in search of answers to the question of what does Islam mean to young people. The clip is rather amateurish and I don't know if it was because videotaping the ritualistic flagellation is prohibited.

Nevertheless, it's an unusual glimpse in a ritual which has its counterpart in Catholicism. It takes place amongst the Shia communities of the Middle East and beyond, and Ashura is on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar.

It is commemorated by the Shi‘a as a day of mourning for the martyrdom of Hussein ibn Ali, the grandson of the Islamic prophet Muhammad at the Battle of Karbala on 10 Muharram in the year 61 After Hijra ( corresponding to December 10, 680 AD).

Sunni Muslims do not self flagellate (in fact they consider it as barbaric), but believe that Moses fasted on that day to express gratitude to God for liberation of Israelites from Egypt. According to Sunni Muslim tradition, Muhammad fasted on this day and asked other people to fast as well.

Washington Post's Islam's Advance article.

Deutsche Börse Photography Prize

Image Copyright © Fazal Sheikh -All Rights Reserved
The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, established in 1996, gives £30,000 (nearly $60,000) to the winner. This year's shortlist was announced and it highlights the work of Britain's John Davies, the Danish photographer Jacob Holdt, Esko Mannikko from Finland and the American Fazal Sheikh, who were chosen from 90 nominees put forward by experts worldwide.

Drusilla Beyfus in the Daily Telegraph in London, writes this about Fazal Sheikh and of his most recent work "Ladli": "Described as an artist-activist, he (Fazal) is known for creating sustained studies of communities around the world. Realistic black-and-white portraits are Sheikh's fire power and his primary evidence. The frame is filled with close-ups that capture the emotion of the sitter - those dark eyes speak volumes. In some shots, a head is shown turned away from the camera's lens, for reasons that become apparent in the accompanying testimony.

The Deutsche Börse Photography Prize, for which The Daily Telegraph is media sponsor, is at the Photographers' Gallery, Great Newport Street, London WC2, from February 8 to April 6. The winner will be announced on March 5.

The Daily Telegraph's Article

The Photographers' Gallery in London

Lorena Guillén Vaschetti: Dance

Image Copyright © Lorena Guillén Vaschetti -All Rights Reserved
Lorena Guillén Vaschetti is a photographer from Argentina, who studied anthropology and architecture. She studied photography at New York's ICP, NYU and at the New School.

I feature her work on ritual dances of the Australian aborigines: a gallery she titles Painted Rituals. Her saturated photographs of these dances only show the dancers' feet and bodies, and ably manages to convey the sense of movement. An interesting photographer with a novel way to depicting dance photography.

Through Lensculture.com, here is Lorena Guillén Vaschetti's Painted Rituals

Her website is here

Bhutan: Photo Expedition News

Image © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved
I'm pleased to announce that the Bhutan: Land of the Druk Yul Photo Expedition (October 3-October 17, 2008) is sold out (due to unprecedented demand, I had to increase the participations to 11 photographers), and there's another number of photographers on its wait-list.

Some have asked me to organize and lead another photo expedition to Bhutan in February-March 2009, and this is being considered.

Kash & Shabana

Shabana with Kash Gabriele Torsello
In a few days, an Italian plane carrying an Afghan four-year-old girl and her father will leave the Kabul for Rome. The young girl is Shabana, who suffers from a mysterious tumor, that if left unchecked causes severe nerve damage and, ultimately, death. Now, she will undergo her second operation, in Rome, which will bring together Western and Afghan surgeons.

Shabana's story so far, including her first operation in Kabul, results from the work of Italian photojournalist Kash Gabriele Torsello, who was kidnapped and detained in Afghanistan. Since his release, Kash has been working to develop a program of medical and cultural exchanges between Afghanistan and Europe. Shabana’s operation in Rome is due to the photojournalist's efforts.

One of the paragraphs of the press release mentions that "Shabana’s case has been followed by European and Afghan experts alike, the little girl’s illness is a peculiar kind of tumor that affects 10% of Afghan children. The surgery will be led by Doctor Fabio Abenavoli, President of Smile Train Italia, who after visiting Shabana in Kabul in 2007 decided to organize her hospitalization at the Fatebenefratelli San Pietro hospital in Rome. The ultimate aim is to enable Afghan doctors to cure many other Shabanas in Afghanistan, Insha'Allah - God Willing."

For further information, visit: Kash & Shabana

Venice Carnival

The Venice Carnival 2008 is scheduled for January 25 to February 5. The Venice Carnival is the most internationally known festival celebrated in Venice, Italy, as well as being one of the oldest. The carnival, with its tradition of mask-wearing, has existed in some form or another since the 13th century. The masks themselves - along with the traditional bauto (hood and cape), tabarro (cloak) and tricorn hat - were favored because they conferred complete anonymity on their wearers.

The above photograph is courtesy of _Olia i klod , a Franco-Russian couple & Flickr members.

TTP Recap of the Week

For your convenience, here's the past week's (January 21-January 27, 2008) most read posts on TTP:

Marcus Bleasdale: Rape of a Nation
Another Mac Air Review
Canon EOS 450D

Another Mac Air Review

Ryan Block's review of the Mac Air (or just Air) on Engadget is the most thorough I've seen so far. Before this review was available, I instinctively thought that the Air would be a difficult product to decide on...and this write-up seems to confirm this.

The reviewer describes the Air as being a tough call, being hard to justify its price with all its compromises, but a technical wonder nevertheless. It's doubtful if the Air will be a primary machine for users, as it's not going to replace users' main workhorse. I haven't seen the Air at the Apple store yet, but I sense that it's an 'into the future' machine... Apple is anticipating what mobile wireless computing will be in a few years, and the Air is it.

I'd love nothing better that an ultra-light from Apple such as this one...saving a few pounds from my hand luggage when traveling would be wonderful. However, I will wait for further reviews before getting all excited.

Engadget's Mac Air Review

Diversity of Devotion: Brooklyn Library

Image Copyright © Marcia Halperin-All Rights Reserved
The Brooklyn Public Library is exhibiting the Diversity of Devotion Photo-Documentary Project from January 15-April 19, 2008. The exhibit is in the Grand Lobby of the Library.

The project was developed and curated by Jenny Jozwiak, an award-winning travel and culture photographer whose work has taken her to 37 countries.

I was pleased to be one of the jurors in the Diversity of Devotion project, and glad to see its impressive (and deserved) success . Much of it is due to Jenny's tireless efforts.

Brooklyn Public Library's Diversity of Devotion

Robert Capa's Lost Negatives

Image © Tony Cenicola/NY Times-All Rights Reserved
The New York Times features an interesting article about the discovery of “the Mexican suitcase”, which held thousands of negatives that the legendary war photographer, Robert Capa took during the Spanish Civil War before he fled Europe for America in 1939.

The suitcase — actually three flimsy cardboard valises — contained thousands (around 3500) of negatives of pictures that Robert Capa, one of the pioneers of modern war photography, took during the Spanish Civil War before he fled Europe for America in 1939, leaving behind the contents of his Paris darkroom.

According to Brian Wallis, chief curator at the International Center of Photography, the Capa negatives appear to be remarkably good after being stored in what "essentially looks like confectionery boxes."

Here's a look at the New York Times' interactive feature showing the contents of the suitcase. I think that the suitcase has more mystique, more atmosphere and more flair than any of the current hard drives put together.

PDN Interview: Steve McCurry

Image © Steve McCurry-All Rights Reserved
PDN just published an interview with Steve McCurry. I can't say there's anything new or exciting to be learnt from McCurry's answers, but I found this one to be right on the money:

"When asked what those two years of travel taught him, McCurry says simply, “Just because someone’s wearing a turban, doesn’t mean it’s an interesting photo.”

PDN's Steve McCurry: An Interview with PDN