About Jennie's Deparure

I struggle to feel sorry for Jennie.
We all knew - as Jennie knew herself - the "end" was in a corner not so far.
She coped well - as far as I can tell - and created one the most visceral pieces of work I've ever seen. Perhaps because she was, indeed, at the edge.
I remember her work and I remember her - in her good and cheerful mood and in bad times too.
To me she was unique as, in a way, we are all unique.
Now, that I take my time to think, I missed her.
I remember her gestures, eyes and smiles.
I really do. And I can't understand life and death - and I am sure I never shall.
In my naivety, and perhaps egoism, I wish I could find myself in the vacuum to be able to realise fully the impact of this loss. But my brain is still present.
Some people think death is a passage.
Some people think death is the end.
Perhaps I could be blessed enough to dream a good dream tonight.
This is what I have to say about Jennie's departure.
...only if I may.
What we do with the rest, to me, is irrelevant.

Brazil 3 v 2 USA Does it matter in terms of photojournalism?

Yes! It Does.

I toke my 11 years old son who is, not surprisingly, a Brazil football fan to watch the match in a very particular pub near where we leave as we do not own a television. The pub, managed/owned by a kind English woman and a meeting place (mainly) for the Caribbean community, is full of life and characters.

The owner allows my son to come in and we order and we appreciate that very much.

Photojournalism came about as I am always looking for solutions and inspirations. and there were so many to night. Even my son realised that. I want to come back there and spend some more time. but the place is not really unknown to me... I've been there before.

The final was difficult - as always. We had a few drinks - well, he had a coke - and we kept observing the surroundings - and the match, of course.

I really have to come back there. There is so much t explore. That's going to be black and white. My son has observed that the new regulations about smoking in enclosed areas has made a difference in terms of atmosphere in pubs - the smoke was an element... and I agree.

Well! Brazil won the match and we are at home now... and photojournalism is alive in my mind.

What am I doing this evening?!?

Yeah! After a couple of glasses of white I am checking a couple of Michael Jackson's songs on you tube. Weird as I was thinking of doing that some months a go but other business - as always - toke me away.

Jackson, the five of them and those cartoons, really take me back to my adolescence. It does! I can't deny it and fell a lot proud of it.

Kodak Announces The End of Kodachrome

After 74 year - I said 74 years - Kodak stops production of a beloved film associated to "The Afghan Girl" by Steve McCurry. To "celebrate" this event the BBC has invited Penny Martin, from the London College of Fashion, to comment on the news.

First of all this is another blow for an industry (analogue) already facing unprecendent crisis as the so called digital revolution moves in year after year. Photographers, including myself, are left without any other option but to join the pixels, drives, processors and so on. Kodak has invited McCurry to shoot the last rolls, which will be then given to George Eastman House in New York to be kept as part of the history of photography. It saddens me but most of us - film lovers - are, nowadays, ready for such news.

What really upsets me is the fact that the BBC could have invited a professional of photography to discuss the impact - which at this point is probably only psychological - in the industry. What do image makers have to say? Instead the broadcaster invites what I consider an outsider. Why not link Steve MacCurry and ask the creator of so many breathtaking images to have a say?

...so many things (and people) out of place...

MALTA - REFUGEE CRISIS

© Luiz Santos
LIVING IN LIMBO: UNCERTAINTY OF A REFUGEE RELEASED FROM DETENTION.

A 23 years old immigrant from Ghana just arrives from detention after 18 months and, for now, will stay in the Tent Village. As he originates from a "safe country", his application for humanitarian protection has been rejected and he has nowhere else to go. Malta does not have an airline which flies to Ghana and cannot afford to send him back.

Hal Far Open Center For Refugees houses near 800 immigrants from many African countries. The camp was open in 2005 to meet the demand created by the increasing number of refugees and economic migrants who have been landing in Malta in the last five years or so. Most of them come to the country on small boats and are then rescued and captured by the Maltese authorities – they can spend up to eighteen months in detention whilst their application are being processed. Once released they have nowhere to go but Hal Far or Masra (another open center) . The Maltese government demands the European central government to absorb a share of the refugees.

I DON'T NEED ANYTHING MORE THAN MY OWN ATTITUDE - PHOTOJOURNALISM FOR PRESIDENT

PHOTOJOURNALIST TRENT KEEGAN FOUND DEAD IN NAIROBI

Irish national Keegan(33), who was originally from New Zealand, was found dead in the Kenyan capital yesterday. He was identified by documents found on the body, and by the photograph of Keegan which appears on his website.
A police statement said the body was found “in a drainage trench” near the main highway that runs through the capital.
“Initial observations showed that the body had visible injuries on the head. An inquest file has so far been opened,” police spokesman Eric Kiraithe told AFP.
Trent’s last known movements were to meet an Irish aid worker based in the city. he was last seen returning to his lodgings in a taxi.
His wallet and cameras were missing when his body was found, and the police are considering robbery as a possible motive for the attack.
Keegan, who was based in Galway, had been working in Kenya since the end of March.

I DON'T WANT TO HIDE BEHIND CURTAINS

© Luiz Santos
I wake up in the morning and start to feel the pressure. Is the way you dress, look, speak, walk and now, work. I experiment a great desire to leave behind a number of things I am doing - or trying to do - at the moment. A sense of careless for some people and the way they react to their surroundings. I feel a great necessity to tell them to go away and to leave me alone with my impatience and anger. I want to be quiet and not to think about giraffes, tigers, monkeys and, especially, elephants. I hate playing games to get the hypocrites to smile and to give me some popcorn - This strategy is never going to work for me. I want to tell people what I feel towards them. I want to say "I don't like you", "I don't give a shit about what you do", "I love you and I missed you so much I can't tell". There should be a way to deal with people with sincerity and without fear... I don't need to have my thoughts controlled... together with my words. I pay attention to what they say but whatever they say is so meaningless... shallow. I like you because you are... whatever. I
don't like you for the same reason. Why so much sensitivity? Why so much insecurity? I don't want to have children with you - or even go to bed with you - if I warmly say "I love you". It is just love. And love is a good thing. Isn't that simple?

Philip Jones Griffiths 1936 - 2008

© Luiz Santos
One of the greatest photojournalists ever to walk the earth has died today.

British photojournalist Philip Jones Griffiths, 72, born in Rhuddlan, Denbighshire, lost a long battle fought against cancer.

Griffiths, who was also a long term Magnum member, brought to the west compelling images from Vietnam and was celebrated with the publication of Vietnam Inc. but is also the "father" of two other masterpieces Agent Orange - about the consequences of chemical warfare promoted by the Americans in Vietnam and Vietnam at Peace - a story of the country after the war.

For us who had the chance to meet the man - and to be inspired by him - it is a sad day. I other hand, we also know that we have the responsibility to carry on.

These photographs were taken in London at the Geographic Society Seminar promoted by Frontline in March, the 3rd 2007.

SHIFT IN PHOTOJOURNALISM PRODUCTION

MIDDLE EAST SEMINAR

SHIFT IN PHOTOJOURNALISM PRODUCTION IN PALESTINE/ISRAEL SINCE 1967

THEME AND JUSTIFICATION


June is the anniversary of the Six-Day War, which saw Israel defeating three Arab Nations (Egypt, Jordan and Syria) in a pre-emptive attack. This war was the last of three and consolidated the State of Israel in the Middle East. The other two were fought in 1948 and 1956 respectively, both of them won by Israel.

Although there was a strong feeling that the war was inevitable, Israel’s pre-emptive attack came with a great deal of surprise. The morale in Israel’s territories was low and the expectation was that defeat by the Arabs was imminent. Israelis photographers embedded in the Israeli Armed Forces produced the bulk of photographs taken during the conflict. In the first part of the presentation we have Photographs taken in Jerusalem, Gaza, Sinai and Golan Heights – most of them by Israelis.

The world press saw an enormous rise in demand of photographs from the Middle East – especially Palestine/Israel since the 1967 War. The occupation of Jerusalem, the creation of settlements in the Palestinian Territories, the suicide bombers and the assumption that Israel processes nuclear heads made the region the hottest spot in the world for photojournalists.


PALESTINIANS ARE FREE TO PHOTOGRAPH


Photography in Palestine and Arab Nations is a recent craft not only but primarily due interpretations of some verses of the Holy Koran. No long ago the only photographs widely accepted in Muslim Countries would be those for official use such as in passports, driving licenses and so on.

Sheikh Ahmad Kutty, a senior lecture and an Islamic scholar at the Islamic Institute of Toronto gives us a much contemporary concept: “ …one cannot make an unqualified statement to the effect that all photograph is halal (permissible). It depends on the use or function of it. If is for educational purpose and has not being tainted with the motive of reverence and hero worship, there is nothing in the sources to prohibit it”.




UNDERSTANDING THE POLITICAL USE OF PHOTOGRAPHS


The wall built by the Israelis to protect its citizens from suicide bombers – and arguably to divide the Palestinians – contributed to increase the tensions within Gaza and the West Bank. As the armed struggle weakens and the political one fails to establish a State for the Palestinians, many blame Western policies and media for lack of progress in establishing a Palestinian homeland.

In the last few years we have an exceptional increase in killing and kidnappings of Western journalists in the Occupied Territories – the most recent being of a BBC correspondent Alan Johnson. We also notice an explosion in the use of local photographers especially by Reuters and AFP. The digital technology played an important role as images can be sent in almost real time to offices in London, Paris, New York or any other city in the world.

It seams clear to me that these are strategies developed by the Palestinian policy makers to make sure that the “right image” leaves the Occupied Territories as they become aware of the power of media and the interpretation of events. Besides some of the locals are now fully trained to deliver at a Western standard.