As my readers know, I've been privileged to attend the annual Foundry Photojournalism Workshop for the fifth consecutive time, every year teaching Multimedia For Photographers class.

But for those who don't know; the purpose and aim of this class is to show photojournalists how to make quick work of slide show production, using their own images and audio generated in the field, to produce cogent photo stories under the simulation of publishing deadlines, rivaling other multimedia forms in terms of quality.

At the end of Workshop, the instructors and staff gathered to discuss and suggest ways to improve it. The length of the multimedia presentations was one of the issues that came up.

As background, the majority of the remaining classes involved visual storytelling in one form or other, only two during the Workshop were actual 'multimedia', meaning they required photo (or video) essays AND field recordings gathered by students.

That said, this post deals with my class only..so back to the discussion.

One of the suggestions dealt with the length of my multimedia class presentations during the final evening of the Workshop. Although only averaging just over 2-1/2 minutes per project, it was felt by some that this was unfair, as the remaining non multimedia presentations were much shorter, causing the students not enrolled in either of the two multimedia classes to remark that they were shortchanged (that's my own interpretation) by being given less time to show their still photographs.

Looking back at the conversation, I have a couple of thoughts about this.

1. Setting aside other obvious differences for now, but audio slideshows (my kind of multimedia, and which is what my class is all about) provides much more 'magnetism' to photo essays/projects produced by my class participants. The audio carries the still photographs in a way that still photographs on their own cannot...especially with a large audience such as the presentation evening had. I certainly sympathize with the photographers who worked hard to present their very best photographs, but whose impact was lessened because of the absence of a meaningful aural accompaniment...an absence I call a "vacuum". To be honest, a part of me silently screamed my disappointment when I viewed a wonderful photo story with no sound to move along its linearity.

I highlighted the word meaningful in the preceding sentence...and that's a key word. There's an immense difference between the impact that ambient audio, as an accompaniment, adds to a photo essay....and just any kind of audio plucked from iTunes or elsewhere. I've viewed many wonderful photo essays spoiled by incongruous soundtracks that have absolutely nothing to do with the still photographs...and when that happens, my first reaction is always "huh?" then "noooo!".....certainly not the reaction the authors-creators of these projects hope for.

For presentations to a large audience, as the Workshop's last evening was about, I believe the projects with ambient audio will always steal the show. Being accosted by no less that two dozen photographers after the presentations, and told that they wanted to put their still photography work into a multimedia format and start ambient audio recording, not only reaffirmed this belief, but was also personally gratifying.

2. As for the duration of the audio slideshows, it has to be understood that it's determined by the story arc and/or theme...and by the logical pace of the project. It'd be foolish to force the pace of a story...and snip the audio down to a collection of incoherent babble clips just because the multimedia projects had to fit a cookie-cutter time frame. Editing an audio slideshow with no careful regard to the logical and measured pace of the project would be self-defeating, and impractical....and that is not going to happen in my class.

As I wrote in an earlier post: multimedia (whether as audio-slideshows -with ambient sound- or more elaborate productions) is the future, and photographers must hop on its train if they want to remain on the cutting edge of their industry, and retain the attention of viewers.

Unless, of course, they prefer to follow Yoko Ono who famously said: "All my concerts had no sounds in them; they were completely silent. People had to make up their own music in their minds!"

Photo © Mervyn Leong-All Rights Reserved

During the long flight from Bangkok to London, I thought I'd write up a personal POV on the Fifth Annual Foundry Photojournalism Workshop (FPW) which was held in Chiang Mai from July 29 to August 4, 2012. This will be the closing post on the Workshop.

As my readers know,  FPW is an annual photo event held in various international locations, bringing well regarded photojournalists together to teach to emerging photographers and students who normally would not be able to afford workshops.

Firstly, as I always do, I tip my hat to Eric Beecroft, the visionary (he hates it when I describe him as such, but it's the truth) co-founder of the workshop, and the staff he assembled to support the logistics that such events require to function smoothly.

In my view, FPW Chiang Mai was the best organized of all the workshops that preceded it, although I have to stress that it shares that distinction with last year's FPW Buenos Aires. The availability of the very impressive (jaw-dropping, actually) facilities of the Chiang Mai University's Faculty of Arts were really a phenomenal attribute to this year's workshop.

I don't know if the other classes fared as well, but the two multimedia classes (Henrik Kastenskov's and mine) of the workshop were given large computer labs with about 50 iMacs, all connected to the internet, color balanced projectors and sound systems. Heaven on earth! Thank you, Chiang Mai Uni.

The choice of Yantarasri Resort as hotel accommodations for the instructors and staff was brilliant, as it was comfortable, posh, lovely and well run...plus within walking distance from the University where the classes and presentations were held....and I'm told it has a beautiful swimming pool. Its proximity to Nimmanhaemin, Chiang Mai’s most fashionable street, made it doubly better. After all, I got my daily fix of mango smoothies from a cafe a few steps away.

The location of Documentary Arts Asia for the portfolio reviews was grumbled about, since it wasn't very easy to find (at least for some map-challenged instructors), and it was space restricted as well. However, the availability of food, drink and masseuses during and after the portfolio reviews made up for the minor shortcomings.

More importantly, I have to laud the accomplishments of my class members. I don't really know how they managed it, but they were the fastest class I've ever taught in grasping Audacity and the concept of audio editing. I was taken aback at their speed/ease in using the nature of sound tools, so breathed a huge sigh of relief much earlier than I expected. 

Alycia-Ray Down, Ahmed Shajee Aijazi, Adelina Abad-Pedrosa, Cheryl Nemazie, Amean J. and Christina Malkoun in my class produced disparately-styled audio slideshows, reflecting their interest and individual personalities. From the faith-based to the human touch, they all shone...not only with the quality of their productions  but also with their enthusiasm and single minded approach. My style is perhaps different from other instructors in as much I don't dictate what sort of projects my students ought to produce. They make the choice, and provided they feel for it and like it, I go along with their choices.

Here's where I may get into trouble, but this is my blog and I answer to no one anyway: in my view, the best three projects were Maika Elan's (Maggie Steber's class) Ain't Talkin' Just Lovin' (a lovely photo essay on young people and their pets), Ulises Baque's Oui Nan, a touching web-documentary on 93 years-old rickshaw driver in the Old City (Henrik Kastenkov's class), and Cheryl Nemazie's Night of the Naga (in my own class), a web-documentary of a small tattoo parlor. Yes, the latter two are multimedia projects...and I am certainly biased. Multimedia is the future...whether as web documentaries or as simpler forms of multimedia.

Finally, I was very touched in getting this sweet thank you card from my class. I always learn more from my class participants than they do from me...so it was I who should've given them thank you cards...but I did share a bottle of excellent red Merlot wine sent to me by Nadim Bou Habib all the way from Lebanon. I also have to express my appreciation at the lovely scarf that Christina Malkoun gifted me, and which I wore in the group's photograph.

In closing, all I have to say is that I was glad to renew/refresh my friendship with so many of Foundry alums, and equally happy to make new friends amongst the students...and look forward to seeing all of them in the future.

I like bare concrete walls.

Let me explain why.

Many photo tour leaders are known for setting up photographs for their groups, and it's not unusual for photographers who repeat the same photo trips with the same itinerary to end up shooting the same 'models'...albeit looking a year or two older. I've heard anecdotes of how the 'models' know exactly how to pose, which side of their face is more flattering, and know where the dotted line on model releases are.

Due to the nature of my own photo expeditions-workshops which are "event-specific" and are structured around religious or cultural rituals (the more obscure and unique the better), and because my workshops are based on the concept of "photojournalism meets travel photography", I seldom need to set up pre-arranged photo shoots as such. For one thing, the religious/cultural events that I gravitate towards during these photo expeditions-workshops are too intense, too authentic and too crowded...and consequently make set-ups unnecessary, and possibly even disrespectful.

Moreover,  the type of photographers who sign up for my photo expeditions-workshops are generally well-seasoned, experienced and are self-starters...who, not only are perfectly capable of 'de-clustering' themselves from each other, but do what good photographers do best...look for their own photo opportunities within the framework of the religious and/or cultural events.

That said, there are occasions during my photo expeditions-workshops when characters are so photogenic that they figuratively jump at me, and I just have to set-up a sort of "fashion" shoot, gather the group as quickly as I can, and start the fun. However, and as much as the characters' photogenic attributes are important, the backgrounds are also as critical.

What to do if a uniquely photogenic character presents himself/herself but no appropriate background is found? I suppose carrying some form of portable background (white, black or burlap colored cloth) would solve this problem, but what if this wasn't readily available as it was during a photo shoot at a Kathakali academy on my recent The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop?

We were photographing the pre-performance make-up session, and I was disappointed at the walls of the make-up area were painted a drab and blotchy kind of salmon pink, which didn't lend itself to an attractive background. However, a corner of the school was being newly built with walls of bare concrete. Bare concrete means gray and everybody knows that it helps in producing a consistent image exposure... so perfect!!!

The probability that we would all end up with the same image was my primary concern, but the light of day was perfect, the costume was perfect, the dancer was image-savvy and the performance was about to start. So we were shooting paparazzi-style for a few minutes...and despite the appearance of what photojournalists (and the military) describe as a "clusterfuck", we were all happy with the opportunity.

I asked the participants of The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop to send me their favorite(s) photograph from that shoot without telling them why...imagining that their photographs would be identical. They're not. Because of their experience, their difference in shooting styles and because of the dancer's adopting various poses, the results of that particular "clusterfuck" were satisfactory.

So much so that I've used my own image of the shoot for the background of my website.

That's why I like bare concrete walls...and so should you.

Stanley Greene, in my view one of the best photojournalists in the business, just recently said “I honestly believe photography is 75 percent chance, and 25 percent skill. In accidents, we really discover the magic of photography” during the LOOK3 festival in Charlottesville.

I agree wholeheartedly. All of us will agree. We might differ as to the percentages (I'm more in the 85% in favor of serendipity camp), but the concept is right on the money. Whether in photography, photojournalism, medicine, chemistry, technology, biology, etc....accidents have led to fresh discoveries, new approaches and life changing products. No question about that.

But does this really qualify as "magic of photography"? If so, I have a lot of the same in a filing cabinet  somewhere...so I must be a magician...and I bet you are too.

There's no question the photographer involved is talented and has produced a lot of laudable work, but is this even remotely serious?!

I agree that serendipitous accidents can produce remarkable results in photography. For example, unintentional double or triple exposures often give us wonderful images...but not everything unintentional works...and ought not to be palmed off as such.

Are our aesthetic values so impaired by Instagram, Hipstamatic, etc filters that accidental so-called "half photos" are raved about? Are we expected to genuflect in agreement to the sacred cows of photography who applaud stuff like that? And imitate other influenceable photographers who inexplicably oooh and aaah about it?

I know I won't. Show me the full frames that follow these half photos, and I'll applaud if they're good.

I realize some won't agree with me. That's fine. They might be right. I may be right. I guess it's a matter of different personal perspectives...but let's keep our feet firmly planted on level ground for a change, and call a spade for what it is...a spade.

Memorial Day is a day of remembering the men and women who died (and in my view, also those who were wounded and maimed) while serving in the United States Armed Forces...

It also ought to be a day when we shame the old men who sent and still send young men and women to senseless wars...wherever and whenever.

As Herbert Hoover said:

Older men declare war.

 But it is the youth that must fight and die.

The drivel featured by TIME-Lightbox in relation to its magazine cover of Netanyahu is nausea-inducing on many levels.

But let's stay on what the cover seeks to tell us. In my view, it tries to tells us that Netanyahu's stare is that of a politician,  tough, steely and unwavering...that line may perhaps get swallowed in New York City, but in Europe and the Middle East (yes, TIME magazine will feature the same covers on all its international editions), it'll be construed as a stare of arrogance, zealotry and defiance.

Then, it tells us that he's a "King"...presumably because he has "conquered" Israel by convincing the centrist Kadima Party to join a coalition...and then the cover uses Netanyahu's nickname as a baby (or whatever Bibi is). Is the purpose of infantilizing the name to familiarize him vis-a-vis the American public? Make him one of us...since we have the rather unfortunate habit of nicknaming everyone? 

For crying out loud, the fellow's name is Binyamin Netanyahu...use it.

Drivel.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Is Bhutan no longer the "Shangri-La"?

I've traveled to Bhutan no less than 5 times over the past 12 years, leading photo expeditions that were extremely popular and were well attended. These photo expeditions were especially enjoyable, provided its participants and myself a solid inventory of photographs of Bhutan's unique culture, traditions and religious festivals, and were trouble-free.

However, over my last three photo expeditions in 2006, 2008 and 2009 I noticed changes...some subtle and others not so subtle. Tourism had progressively become a huge business. The guides and fixers we had on these photo expeditions have become tour operators themselves, luxury hotels chains (such as the Aman Resorts with already 5 properties in the country...Thimpu, Paro, Gangtey, Punakha and Bumthang, with the Taj and Uma chains) are building properties, and there's now a domestic airport in central Bumthang for those who want to fly from Paro, instead of driving for a couple of days.

Shane Green, a photographer who's joining my forthcoming photo workshop in Vietnam, just returned from Bhutan along with his wife, and emailed me his impressions, and they confirm what I have sensed and noticed over the past few years.

Yes, Bhutan is still a wonderful country to visit, and the Bhutanese are some of the most gracious people one can hope to meet, however exploding consumerism, modernisation and urbanisation are taking their toll. Thimpu seems to be a huge building site, with many leaving their rural living to make a living in its capital.

In 2009, I recall having a cappuccino with a Thimpu resident in a Starbucks look-alike cafe and then playing snookers (and drinking too much beer) at a sort of watering hole with some of my group, amongst Bhutanese teenagers. And yet, a few days before, dinner in a Jakar hole-in-the-wall, consisted of Tibetan momos cooked the traditional way in a dingy smoky kitchen.

It wasn't too long ago that most, if not all, Bhutanese women had their hair in pageboy cuts, but with the advent of television bringing with it 46 channels exposing people to Indian (and others) programs, they started to grow it, following the Bollywood fashion.

Shane went as far as remote Ura, in the central Bhutan, where I don't recall seeing any tourists there as recently as 2009...and yet now, tourists outnumbered the local audience at its annual festival.

Is it over for Bhutan as a specialty destination? I hope not...but I don't see how its tourism authorities can retain the country's cachet against an encroaching modernism, especially with a population that seeks a more affluent standard of living brought about by tourists and other sources.

After all, look at what's happening in Siem Reap...and Angkor!

I predict it won't be long before the Ugyencholing elderly man in this post's photograph will be holding a Blackberry or a Nokia...if he doesn't have it already.

Go see this movie!!!! No matter how old or young you are...you'll spend an enjoyable two hours in the company of world class actors...wit and realism.

The best line in the movie (and beyond) is uttered by Dev Patel:

 "Everything will be all right in the end... if it's not all right then it's not the end."

Priceless!

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy- All Rights Reserved

I've been asked as to how close (or far) this particularly fierce looking and menacing Oracle devotee was to me whilst I made this photograph. After all, he's wielding a ceremonial sword with a curved tip that seems to threaten my well-bring...and, depending on what lens I am using, could be inches or feet away from where I was.

This is one of the photographs I made during the festival of the Oracles of Kodungallur celebrated at the Bhagawati temple, which was one of the highlights of my Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop this past March. It involved the sacrifice of cocks and shedding of the Oracles own blood, to appease the goddess Kali and her demons who are said to relish blood offerings.

Well, I was inches away from him and was so close that I felt the draft or the swoosh made by the whirling of the sword above his head. My eye was glued to my viewfinder, shooting like crazy...and since I was using my 17-40mm f4.0 lens, set at probably 17mm.... I "saw" him at quite a safe distance.

Though he seemed rather out of it, I think he was still very aware of me...so I don't think I was in any danger despite the proximity.

But the moral of the story is that when one is photographing something like that, shoot with both eyes open! You'd avoid a splitting headache.

For the rest of the Oracles of Kodungallur photo essay, the gallery of stills is here, while the audio-slideshow is here.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

"...the lack of grace by the surly keepers of the Cheraman Juma Masjid was jarring..."

I can hardly be described as a critic of Islam, since I've always been constructively supportive of its world-class religious traditions and its admirable moral values, and of Muslims in general. 

However, I must say I was spectacularly discomfited by the reception and attitude of the individuals involved in the Cheraman Juma Masjid; the oldest mosque in India and in Kerala's Kodugallur district. On one of the last days of my The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition/Workshop™, I decided to take my group to visit and photograph this historical mosque.

We were coming from an indescribable "high" from photographing the Bharaini festival of the Oracles, (not too far away from the mosque itself) for two solid days, and where we had been welcomed by the excitable crowds of worshippers, helped by self-appointed guides, and always smiled at. Not once was I (or to my knowledge, anyone else in our group) treated brusquely or rudely.

Not so at the venerable mosque.

I was brusquely gestured at by the security guard to go to an empty office...directive that I ignored. He wasn't pleased, and was nonplussed when I asked him if he was a Muslim. He wasn't, and the question stunned him long enough for me to continue walking towards the mosque itself....leaving him scratching his head.

The women in our group wore the required head scarves, but were prohibited from entering the main hall of the mosque, and shunted to a dingy side room where there was nothing to see.

Our driver, a Muslim himself, was roughly scolded by a couple of Islamic scholars who were passing through because he was removing his shoes where he shouldn't have. Actually, his "trespass" was about two inches in.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Now, here's my take on this. The Cheraman Juma Masjid is the oldest mosque in India and worthy of  pilgrimages and visits by Muslims and non-Muslims for its venerable history and status. It's also in dire need of donations and of funding. One would think that the peptic keepers of this moque would exude charm, hospitality and proffer a welcome mat to all visitors alike...in the hope of donations.

But no. Quite the opposite.

So here's what I would tell the keepers of this mosque, and beyond. Fatimah, the favorite daughter of the Prophet of Islam, prayed alongside him in Mecca. His wife, Khadija, was a self made business woman. To treat women of whatever persuasion as inferior is anti-Islamic and in direct contradiction to the actions and values of the Prophet himself. They can disagree all they want...they can risk a collective apoplexy...but that's the truth.

Here's what I would tell the two scholars who chided our driver. I would tell them that God is all forgiving, and it would have been more in keeping with Islamic traditions to be gentle if someone made an unintended mistake. And minding their own business would be even better, since it would avoid having others like me chiding them for wearing unkept beards, and lecturing them on real Islamic values.

How could I explain to the members of my group why we were welcomed with no discrimination at Hindu religious gatherings, but faced with surliness and boorish behavior at the Cheraman Juma Masjid?

I couldn't.

So the question of this post is pertinent. Will these delightful young boys who were so pleased to see us, and excitedly pose for us at the nearby Islamic medresa, change when they get older? Will they also be surly and unwelcoming to non Muslims?

And if yes, why?

Photo Courtesy GIZMODO

May 10th.

That's when Leica will announce a "whole range of product launches" in Berlin. Am I waiting with bated breath for these new products? Not at all. But having a M9 and very much aware of its strong points and shortcomings, I'm interested in seeing what will Leica come up with. It's more from a business side than from a photographic one since the German company is under assault from Fuji and others that are treading on its turf.

I was recently sent a heads up by Zeyad Gohary on a new all-white $31,770 M9-P model with a Noctilux f/0.95 50mm lens. Ridiculous of course, but perhaps it will sell well amongst the moneyed elites, celebrities and collectors. I had a chuckle imagining it in my grubby hands had I had one and used it during the recent festivals I was at in India. It would have turned black (with yellow turmeric and red stains) very quickly. Maybe the Kardashian sisters and their ilk would buy it, but Leica must've done its market research and concluded that it'll make money peddling this all-white model.

That said, I wonder what a "whole range of product launches" will mean. It's reported that the Fuji X-100 clobbered Leica's X1 model, and I predict that Fuji X-Pro 1 will become a favored tool for photographers who won't shell out $8000 or so to buy a M9 (or more in case of a successor). Leica is run by hard headed businessmen who look at the bottom line, and hopefully look into the future...and the future is for cameras that look, smell, cost and work like the Fuji X-Pro 1. Leica's investors know the future as well, and making white M9-P is a cute gimmick, but will not bring in the kind of cash inflow that satisfies these investors.

The range of new products may mean a successor to the M9, lenses and -if my gut feel is right- a new line of mirrorless cameras to directly compete with the Japanese products. A new M10 (improved focus, better LCD, better ISO, etc) and/or a new range of EVIL-like cameras.

That's my call.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

"hello sir,

i'm a 18yr old from india

i've dropped my college for my passion of travelling ,writing n photography!

your work have quite inspired me continue it!

n just wanna thank you!

your blog is quite a source of inspiration for me!

thank you"

It's a leap year, and what better way to end this February's 29 days!

This wonderful email from a young Indian woman was waiting in my inbox...and while I frequently get complimentary emails on my photography and blog from readers, this one was so enthusiastic, and so full of hope for the future, that I had to feature it here.

Naturally, I urged her to remain in college, get a degree and pursue her passion at the same time. I hope she does.

I occasionally meet with young people seeking my advice as to how to forge a career in travel photography. It's always a difficult task to balance youthful aspirations and hard-core reality...but one of my principal pieces of advice is to stay in college (if they don't have a degree...and get one), and take up a profession that can pay the bills for a while.

CLICK TO ENLARGE & READ

Oh, what fun! I received one of "those" cheeky emails again. I get a few every month, but this one in particular prompted me to write a WTF? post. It's been awhile since I've written one...I don't want to get rusty.

So yes, I got an email from someone assisting a travel photographer (possibly well known, but one I've never heard of...not that means much anyway) who asked me to post a banner and a press release advertising this travel photographer's 2012 photo tours. Yes, you read that correctly...a banner!! A banner of the photographer's photos on my blog!!

There are a couple of rather obvious gigantic WTF?s here.

The first is that I am a travel photographer who creates, plans and leads photo workshops, so why would I want to advertise someone else's trips? Yes, my photo workshops are certainly different from many others, since my niche is in combining documentary photography with travel photography throwing multimedia coaching in the mix, and generic or other travel photography tours wouldn't be real competition, but what's in it for me? Nothing. And why would I endorse photo tours I know nothing of?

The second WTF? is that there was no indication that if I were to do this, I'd be compensated in any way. There was no request for my advertising rates for example, nor an offer to reciprocate the favor on the other photographer's website/blog. No, it's "just do it for free".

I replied, as politely as I could, saying I wouldn't do anything of the sort, explaining why using the simplest words in the English language.

This brings me to a larger question, and one that has been raised by other photographers who author popular blogs.

Here's some statistics: The Travel Photographer's blog gets anywhere between 80,000 and 90,000 unique views a month. PDN's monthly print circulation is 20,000.

If I were to say that ad rates in photo magazines' and their websites are in the $500-3000 range, would I be far from the truth? I don't think so. Of course, rates depend on the size of the ad, frequency, color or B&W...but who reads print magazine these days? Not many, but many more read blogs...a lot more.

So why shouldn't individual popular bloggers expect and get similar revenue streams to advertise products and services? The Travel Photographer blog and other popular photography blogs reach a much larger segment of consumers than most photography magazines, and we are still played for suckers when it comes to adverts.

Photo © AP Photo/Muhammed Muheisen- Courtesy DenverPost.com

I've seen quite a few errors in the captions of photographs recently, but this one is probably the most misleading. The photograph appeared in the Pictures of the Week on the Denver Post Plog. 

Underneath the photograph is a caption that reads "Eman Mohammed, 7, holds a placard that reads in Arabic, "our army is over our head, and the parliament belongs to the ousted," during a protest in Tahrir Square, in Cairo, Egypt, Monday, Jan. 23, 2012. The parliament elected in Egypt's first legislative vote after Hosni Mubarak's ouster nearly a year ago held its inaugural session on Monday, with Islamists dominating the 498-seat chamber that will oversee the drafting of a new constitution."

This is incorrect, and is at a 180 degrees divergence from what is on the placard. The correct translation of the Arabic words on the placard is "Our Army is over our head (ie a colloquialism for being held in great esteem)...The Council belongs (or follows) the ousted (for the ousted Mubarak)."

The Council referred to on the placard is not the Parliament, but is the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces. This is totally divergent from what the caption incorrectly states. The child is presumably one of the protestors who took part in a demonstration against the military council, not against the civilian Parliament.

I always wondered whether in such a case, would the error be that of the photographer (in this case, an Arabic speaker) or someone else?

I always write a post at this time of year to observe the annual anniversary/birthday of The Travel Photographer's blog. I've started the blog five years ago (in London actually, and probably only because I was stuck at home as it was raining) and since then, it attracted an astonishing number of readers and visitors.

On the poster above, I haven't added my 5400 followers on Lightbox, an Android app (and soon to be on iPhone too as well).

Over two million unique visitors! Two million!!!

It established itself as a blog to read amongst a certain segment of the photography industry, and earned me the attention of many photographers (pros, semi-pros and non pros), photo retailers and industry experts. Yes, it's time-consuming (much less so now because it's well known, and requests from photographers find their way to my inbox on a weekly basis), but I still have enough self discipline to attend to it on a daily basis (well, 99% of the time).

And one of the most pleasant thrills I experience is being accosted in public and asked if I was "The Travel Photographer"...and this happens not infrequently, especially in New York City. If I may say so, adopting the brand name "The Travel Photographer" is one of the best ideas I've had in years. A self-pat on the back for thinking of it. A lesson to the younger photographers: brand yourself!!!

Onwards towards the 6th year.

As they say in my country of birth...Insha' Allah!

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

It's a  curious thing evolution. Not the kind of evolution that most Republican Presidential candidates unintelligently profess (or pretend to) not to believe in, but our own visual evolution...our visual maturation.

Last night, I was going through my photographs from the week I spent attending the Angkor Photo Festival in Siem Reap and, whilst I hadn't any plans to seriously photograph there, I nevertheless did manage to grab a few hundred of shots. I had no specific storyline or photo shoots in mind, played the tourist and just photographed whatever took my fancy.

I left my Canon 5D Mark II in my hotel room, and only used my M9 fitted with an Elmarit 28mm f2.8 during that week wherever I went, and it was liberating -but also challenging to some degree- to be using a rangefinder with only one lens.

Looking at my photographs, I isolated the four you see above this post that I believe illustrate the visual maturation I've been through since I started photography in earnest some 12 years ago. The top two are the shots I used to prefer almost exclusively during the first few years of my photographic trajectory...simple, uncomplicated, candid, pure travel photography....those I call perhaps undeservedly the "lazy" shots. Although these are made with a rangefinder and a wide-angle lens, I used to make similar photographs using a 70-200 lens, staying at some distance from my subjects. I no longer do this,  especially with the gear I now prefer to use. That being said, this type of photography is currently my least favored.  It's a milestone in my visual maturation.

The one of the caretaker monk at Wat Bo is a chiaroscuro portrait; the kind I like when making a simple "one-subject" photograph. It takes a little more planning and setting up, and is obviously much more dramatic than the "plain-vanilla" top two.

The bottom image is the type of photography that appeals to me the most at this stage. It's far from being a great photograph, but comparatively is more complex. It's not as multi-layered as a street photograph, and is just of dance performers dressing up for tourists at Angkor Wat...but is much more interesting than the above three; at least to my eyes.

A few years ago, when I definitely moved to digital photography,  I decided -for space reasons- to cull my slides, and must've thrown out thousands of what -to my eyes then- were crappy shots. I only kept the "good" ones which are largely similar to the top two photographs...simple and uncomplicated. Who knows? Perhaps I threw a few slides that would have now been "keepers".

It's why I no longer trash any of my image files....unless they're really bad, really really blurry or beyond any fix. With digital files, physical space (as in filing cabinets or whatever) is no longer an issue, so all images are saved and archived....one day, they may be keepers after all!!

You'd think there's no world recession!

Fujifilm is emulating long standing Leica's marketing tactics by introducing the Black FujiFilm X100 Limited Edition which will be limited to only 10,000 cameras.

This slick and glistening dedicated website for the new X100 is designed to make us salivate at the prospect of spending $1700 for this "limited issue" model, which is a $500 premium over the regular model.

Leica is well known to make its products as desirable as possible...by giving these the allure of being limited or exclusive...and obviously charging for the privilege of owning one. The recent launching of the M9-P is a classic example of Leica's marketing tactics (or techniques, if you prefer).

While I consider a $500 premium excessive for what is essentially a paint-job, I leave it to its eventual the end users to decide whether it's worth it.

And here's a clincher thought: Fujifilm and Kodak were in the film-making business, and competitors. Why aren't we seeing Kodak digital cameras as exciting as those by Fujifilm?

The blogosphere is abuzz with the news that FujiFilm will be launching a new mirrorless camera soon, and its tech details were published in a French magazine as having a custom 16MP CMOS sensor, use Fujifilm’s EXR processor technology, feature a second-generation hybrid viewfinder, and will be available with 3 fast prime lenses (18mm f/2, 35mm f/1.4, and 60mm f/2.4). More details here.

"...the smart money ought to be on the new mirrorless cameras."

I certainly hope the rumors and the leaks are accurate, so we have more of the so-called “Micro Four-Thirds” and “EVIL” cameras such as the venerable Panasonic GF1 and the newer GX1. If the Fuji X1-Pro1 is indeed a reality, street photographers and others will be sorely tempted to buy it, certainly if its price point is reasonable. The French magazine article claims that its price in Europe (in Euros) will be equivalent to $1700 including a sweet 35mm f1.4. The remaining two lenses are said to be priced at the equivalent of $780 each.  Since European prices are usually higher than those in the US, perhaps the  street price here will be around $1400 (about the price of a Canon 7D body).

I am convinced the era of the bulky DSLRs will wane very soon, with the future belonging to theMicro Four-Thirds cameras, and certainly not for bulky cameras whose bodies were built for film transport, and have not changed since. Nikon and Canon can launch and hype their newest DSLRs until they're blue in the face, but the smart money ought to be on the new mirrorless cameras.

And that's why I will not be upgrading my Canon 5D Mark II nor my 7D. As for my question as whether the Fuji X1 being a threat to Leica...I think the answer might well be a qualified yes...and here's some more red meat for the naysayers... I still think Leica will come up with a mirrorless iteration at some point soon.

UPDATE: As Per Leica Rumors, It now appears that Fuji will release a Leica M-mount adapter for the X-Pro 1.


UPDATE 2 (January 8) Via Steve Huff: Amazon Taking Pre-Orders On The Fuji X1 Pro1 Lenses (but Not The Camera Yet)


UPDATE 3 (January 9) Via PDN: Official Press Release And Specs For The Fuji X1-Pro1

The Quizzical Guy. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The Coco Seller. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

The Don't Photograph Guy. Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

Old Delhi is one of my favorite locations for street photography, and is a must stop for me when I'm in India for my photo expeditions/workshops.

I produced a short documentary audio slideshow on the Spice Porters of Khari Baoli of Old Delhi, but on my way through Chandni Chowk, I started photographing with my M9. While some of my photographs were made by shooting from the hip, most were not. Chandni Chowk, as any other market and public place in India, is a dream environment for street photography since it teems with living tableaus.

Notwithstanding, most photographers are bound to be noticed and stared at. Now, this is a problem because the essence of street photography, as told to me many years ago by Costa Manos, is that no one must see the photographer. In other words, if any subject in one's street picture is seen looking at the camera, the photographer has "failed" in capturing the moment. Perhaps extreme, and very difficult to achieve in India where people are alert, curious and have no problem at dropping what they're doing to stare at whatever and whoever interest them.

It takes a little more speed, sometimes stealth, and certainly patience to work around this. We all have our techniques, but I find that a lot patience and "fading in the background" works best. Eventually, the most curious loses interest and I have free rein in photographing as much as I care and need to.

Here are some examples of the street photography "obstacles" I faced during my latest trip in Chandni Chowk.

The top photograph is of someone I describe as "The Quizzical Guy". He saw me photographing, and just froze alongside some mannequins, and kept staring at me for a while...trying to figure out what I was doing. So I photographed him.

The middle photograph is of someone who's the exact opposite of The Quizzical Guy. He probably saw me photographing The Coco Seller, but didn't care and just walked through. If he didn't notice me, he's probably a rarity amongst the crowds of Chandni Chowk.

The bottom photograph is of the "Don't Photograph" fellow. The man had absolutely nothing to do with Khari Baoli, but thought he had authority of telling me not to photograph. I get this type of people quite often...and I tell them quite firmly they ought to move on and find something better to do. He must have been a retired police officer who missed his authority. He wagged his finger at me, and quickly left.

Photo © Amr Abdallah Dalsh/ (Reuters)

LightBox, the blog by TIME’s photo department, is one of my daily photography pilgrimage stops, and it ought to be yours as well. It has just compiled a 2011 yearbook, picking a photo for each day of the year.

Since I am always pleasantly surprised when I particularly like a photograph from various news sources and it subsequently wins an award of some sort, I will try my luck with the 365 photographs picked by the TIME photo editors. I have to say it was a tough call as the editors have done a really terrific job in choosing these photographs.

Nevertheless, out of these 365 photographs, I chose 5 that most appealed to me both from an aesthetic standpoint, and for the subject matter they cover.

My first choice is the November 22 photograph (shown above) of an Egyptian protester tossing a tear gas canister, which had been thrown by the riot police, during clashes near Tahrir Square in Cairo. The photograph is by Amr Abdallah Dalsh (Reuters). In my view, this photograph ought to garner many photojournalism awards.

Photo © Moises Saman-All Rights Reserved

My second choice is this magnificent image of September 9 by photographer Moises Saman of Libyan Eyadea Elspaie visiting the gravesite of his son, Tareq Elspaie, who was killed by Gaddafi loyalists in August. The sorrowful posture of this father, under a dramatic sky, is just a Biblical scene.

Photo © Abir Sultan-EPA-All Rights Reserved

My third choice is the August 17 'penumbra' photograph by Abir Sultan-EPA of a Hasidic community member praying in a cave of an old Arab house in Lifta (Jerusalem), Israel. The man's stance in the darkness, and the shaft of light on the man's tallit or prayer shawl, may perhaps be interpreted in different ways, depending on one's political agenda. For me, its just a great picture.

Photo © Matt Dunham/AP-All Rights Reserved

My fourth choice is the October 19 photograph by Matt Dunham—AP of an Irish traveler in front of a burning barricade during evictions at the Dale Farm travelers site, near Basildon England, 30 miles east of London. This was a huge story in the United Kingdom, and being in London at the time, I recall that it was wall-to wall coverage of this rather localized issue. Here again, a very well composed Biblical scene. I also nod my head at the fact that the upper right hand corner was left untouched...even with what appears to be an electrical or telephone cable.

Photo © Spencer Platt-Getty- All Rights Reserved

My fifth choice is the September 30 photograph of the OWS movement by Spencer Platt (Getty Images). The photograph is of a Wall Street protester from upstate New York, holding up a sign in New York City. I've seen many of the OWS photographs, and this one in particular resonated with me...perhaps because the protestor is masked by the poster? It was a faceless movement after all.

There they are...my five choices. Will any of these go on and win awards? We'll see.