POV: The Travel Photographer Looks Back At 2011

I thought of ending 2011 with various "look-backs" and favorites that appeared on The Travel Photographer's blog.

1. Photo Expedition/Workshops:

I rate the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop as the most logistically challenging, but also most rewarding from a documentary standpoint, of my photo expeditions. As I've written in previous posts, the participants (most had no prior knowledge of multimedia) produced highly commendable audio-slideshows during the two weeks spent in Kolkata.

My comprehensive verdict and epilogue of the Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo Expedition/Workshop was published on October 28.

From the In Search of the Sufis of Gujarat Photo Expedition™, I produced my favorite audio-slideshow and photo essay The Possessed of Mira Datar. It documents the pilgrims who flock daily in their hundreds to the shrine of a renowned Sufi saint in Gujarat.

2. Favorite Photo Essay By Photojournalist:

There's no question that it was the terrific photo essay in The New York Times titled Cairo Undone by Moises Saman. It made me recalibrate my earlier thoughts about photographing in Cairo.

3. Favorite New York Street Photography Event:

In the early days of November, I ventured to Zuccotti Park in Lower Manhattan, and spent a few hours photographing the Occupy Wall Street movement. As I wrote in the blog post, I sympathize with most of the OWS positions. Some of the photographs I took are featured on The Leica File.

4. Favorite Photo Festivals:

I'm not a big photo festival goer, so I only attended two in 2011...but I thoroughly enjoyed participating in the biannual Delhi Photo Festival in October (regrettably for only one day), and attending the annual Angkor Photo Festival in Siem Reap. Both of these festivals were extremely well organized and the attendance was phenomenal!

5. Favorite Photojournalism Workshop:

The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop is my hands-down favorite. Not only because I'm one of the faculty members, but because it's really fantastic. The photographers in the faculty generously share their knowledge and time, its staff, administrators and local volunteers make it wonderful successes year after year, and simply said, the participating photographers "students" are the future...and it's personally rewarding to be part of this.

6. Favorite Short Vimeo Movies:

I loved Miehina, The Kyoto Geisha by Glen Milner. Extremely well produced, and instrumental in shaming me in not having visited Japan yet.

And I also loved A Dos Pasos Del Corazón: The Photographer Of Seville by Sergio Caro and Ernesto Villalba. A beautifully produced movie about an elderly wedding photographer.

7. Favorite Photographer "Americana" Category:

Carolyn Beller takes that one with her The Mississippi Delta photo essay, which I imagined viewing with a song by Howlin' Wolf or John Lee Hooker (as only two examples) blaring in the background.

8. (My Very Own) Favorite Prediction:

No one takes my prediction seriously (at least publicly) but I predict the advent of a mirror-less Leica...a $3500 Micro Four Thirds Leica. I know it's wishful thinking, but that's what my Nostradamus crystal ball tells me when I look in it.

And another of my silly predictions was that I'd never take pictures with an iPhone. Yes, I do now.

9. Favorite Love-Hate Relationship:

I have a love-hate relationship with my Leica M9...many photographers share this emotional dichotomy. I imagined it would not last as long, but it has. I love the M9's handling, heft and durability and abhor its shortcomings...and yes, it makes really great pictures when I know what to do.

And my Dumber Than Dumb moment of 2011 is when I exhausted myself polishing my Elmarit 28mm lens because the view through my just acquired M9's viewfinder was smudgy. The more I polished the more it got smudgier...of course, I was polishing the lens with my thumb squarely on the viewfinder window....a rangefinder newbie brain fart.

10. (My) Favorite Street Photograph:

It's really a subway photograph...but is of the trio of women on the F train, which I titled "The Sleepy, The Anxious And The Bored".

11. My Most Popular Blog Post:

The most popular post on The Travel Photographer during 2011 is a POV titled Is Shooting From The Hip Photography?. Many many thousands of views on that one. Wow!

12. My Favorite WTF? Rant:

It's the WTF?! Be A Sucker And Publicize A Book...For Free. The very best of my world famous acerbic rants.

13. Favorite Photographer "Travel" Category:

And here he is...Tim Allen is the The Travel Photographer's favorite travel photographer of 2011. Tim is is a English photographer with a hefty professional background, who has won prestigious awards. He has worked with indigenous communities throughout the world , most extensively in India and South East Asia.

No ambivalence. One of the best there is.

Reethi Beach Resort Maldives

The Maldives, a world of islands barely touched by human hands, where generally the only signs of life are the footprints of birds and keep little crabs. Here, the music is created by the ocean, the whistle of the palm trees and thus the occasional call of the seagulls. throughout this realm of dreams referred to as Baa Atoll, we have got selected one little island as your special vacation retreat.

Nestled amidst lush vegetation and shaded by swish palm trees, Reethi Beach Resort offers the best in comfort and repair. it is a singular architectural vogue that represents the authentic culture of the Maldives. the look blends with the natural fantastic issue regarding the island creating an eco-friendly setting.

Resort Amenities and Facilities

The  Amenities and Facilities in  Reethi Beach Resort are twenty four  our occasional look, Swimming Pool, Scuba Diving Facilities, 24-hour area service, Laundry/Valet Service, Gift Shop, Gym, Beach Volley, Badminton Court, Snorkeling, Wind Surfing, Kayaking, Fishing, Water Sports, Catamaran Sailing, Squash, Table Tennis, Excursions.

Deluxe Villas
Located by the exquisite sandy beach with a wide ranging read of the crystal clear lagoon and boasting a bigger sitting space and a conventional Maldivian swing simply outside the area. There are fifty detached beachfront Deluxe Villas. every contains a partial open-air lavatory with bath-tub and open-air rain shower, bathrobes, a well-furnished sitting space, terrace and deck chairs, and a Maldivian swing.

Water Villas
Built on stilts over the clear waters of the lagoon, designed particularly for the ocean lover! There are thirty semi-detached Water Villas ( 61m2). every contains a lavatory with bath-tub and separate shower, bathrobes, giant sitting space, DVD player, tea and occasional creating facilities, balcony with sitting space, direct lagoon access and a tropical ocean read, parasol and sun loungers (with mattress).

Reethi Villas

“Reethi” within the native language means that lovely. These comfy rooms are designed to enrich the sweetness of the island. There are thirty detached or semi-detached Reethi Villas (38m2), simply steps from the gorgeous beach. every contains a partial open-air lavatory with shower, terrace and deck chairs.

Room Amenities:
Air-Conditioning, Satellite TV, Safe, Mini Bar, Coffee/Tea making Facilities, IDD line phonephone, Hair Dryer, Sitting area, Hot/Cold Shower, Sun Deck, Sun Chairs, Bathrobes and slippers ,rooms with one king size (2m x 2m) or twin beds..In addition, all rooms have private sun loungers (with mattress) located at the beach.

Enric Mestres Illamola: India

Enric Mestres Illamola is a Catalan photographer specialized in portraits, wedding photography and is a photography teacher in various schools in Barcelona (Spain). He traveled to India no less than 6 times, mostly traveling as a tourist, and photographing portraits along his route. He uploaded a series of these portraits, as well as some street scenes, on YouTube.

Sandy Chandler: Videos & Book...Kolkata & Durga Puja

Sandy Chandler has been busy the past few months. No, make that real busy.

She participated in my Kolkata's Cult of Durga Photo~Expedition & Workshop™ in October, and having produced a highly commendable black & white audio-slideshow (at top) during the workshop, also returned home with a trove of images and audio tracks recorded live during the two weeks in Kolkata.

Back home, she produced a more light hearted view of the festival which views it from what she calls "Another Side of Durga Puja", and features its mixture of spirituality and commerce.

As she describes it, "the annual Durga Puja festival in Kolkata celebrates Durga, archetype of Great Goddess Mahadevi of the Hindu Pantheon. The festival sees huge, elaborately crafted sculptures installed in homes and public spaces all over the city. At the end of the festival, the idols are paraded through the streets accompanied by music and dancing and then immersed into the Ganges river."

Sandy is currently working towards her MA in Art & Religion at the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology (Graduate Theology Union) in Berkeley, and these slideshows are part of her projects for this degree.

Others would be resting on their laurels, but she also self-published an 80 pages book titled Durga Puja which can be bought from Blurb.

Sandy Chandler is an award-winning and passionate travel photographer. Her photography captures the souls and spirit of the land, its culture and people.  Her previous photography books are Carnevale: The Fantasy of Venice and Calling the Soul:The Spirit of Bali Cremations.

Evgenia Arbugaeva: Following The Reindeer

Photo © Evgenia Arbugaeva-All Rights Reserved

I think featuring Evgenia Arbugaeva's photo essay Following The Reindeer is timely in view of the season where the children in us perhaps long to see them in the sky being led by a jolly man dressed in red with a white beard...but these reindeers are real, and live in the Republic of Yakutia...not in the North Pole.

Yakutia is located in eastern Siberia and stretches to the Henrietta Islands in the far north and is framed by the Laptev and Eastern Siberian Seas of the Arctic Ocean. It's a region with considerable raw materials. It large reserves of oil, gas, coal, diamonds, gold, and silver. The majority of all Russian diamonds are mined there, accounting for almost a quarter of the world's diamond production.

Evgenia Arbugaeva is of Yakutia, and works as a freelance photographer between Russia and New York. She documented the reindeer herders/breeders of the region, who are the Even, the Evenk, the Yukagir, the Chukchi and the Dolgan.

Thulhagiri Island Resort Maldives

Thulhagiri Island Resort Maldives:

A sparkling turquoise lagoon surrounds this exotic island of tall shady palms and white sandy beaches, located within the center of North Male’ Atoll, however solely twenty five minutes from Male’ International Airport by speed boat.

 Thulhaagiri offers the right balance of the unspoiled great thing about a tropical island and every one the comforts of civilization.

 There are a complete of sixty nine rooms on Thulhagiri and every one of them are cool and comfy with air-conditioning and a substantial vary of recent amenities. they're additionally engaging with their batik decorations and weaved screw-pine matting. The ensuite loos are extraordinarily enjoyable and also the fittings here are wonderful.The newly opened greenhorn water bungalows are fascinating giving a royal ancient quality.

Thulhagiri’s own reef is good for snorkeling. you'll be able to take basis and advanced dive courses and additionally take lessons in sailing and windsurfing beneath well qualified instructors.

Thulhagiri prides itself on its cuisine, providing luxurious buffet for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Food is a neighborhood where Thulhagiri isn't ready to compromise. solely the best of ingredients are used to organize the meals here that are invariably generous and varied. In fact, Thulhagiri is building itself quite a name for the generosity and type of its buffets. All day long there are things to try to to on the island - windsurfing and a large vary of different watersports will be indulged in from morning until late evening. And then there's additionally the diving that is nice and is enjoyed by several of the guests who keep here. Swimming will be sensible within the lagoon and also the surrounding reef is extraordinarily enjoyable for snorkelling.

 All guests staying within the island will opt for their alternative of activity and be part of different guests. The Island is near nice dive points and may be a well famous resort hotel within the Maldives.

 Also for the guests to ease their mind and relax at midnight the resort incorporates a Disco offered and is common that DJ or music be offered. A live band every week is extremely common and also the guests do get pleasure from the nice eve, with a dance; with their beloved ones.

Thulhagiri is additionally named as “Lovers Paradise” its been branded and famous round the world as “Lovers Paradise” Its stunning and distinctive. Explore it

Location:         North Male’ Atoll

Distance from Airport            :      13 Kilometers

Number of Rooms                 :     69

Rooms                                  :      17Water Bungalows ,55 Beach Bungalows

Transport                              :      25 minutes by Speedboat

Accommodations  And Amenities:

55 Individual Beach Bungalows: Individual Beach Fronted, Air-conditioned, Hot & Cold water, connected bathroom, Mini Bar, IDD phonephone, Television.

17 Water Bungalows: Air-conditioning, Hot & Cold water, bathrooms are connected, Mini Fridge, IDD phonephone,free tea & low within the area,Double Bed

Resort Facilities And Recreational Facilities:

PADI certified Dive Centre , Swimming Pool , Live Band , Disco , Snorkeling , Wind Surfing , Catamaran Sailing , Wake Boarding , Banana Riding , Volley Ball , Table tennis , Darts , Indoor games , Capital town, Sightseeing Tour , Deep ocean Fishing , Night Fishing , Sunset Cruise , Sunset Fishing

Merry Xmas And Happy 2012!!!

(Click To Enlarge)

I wish a merry Xmas, and happy holidays to all my friends, blog readers, Google and Twitter followers...as well as to some of the hardy photographers who joined, and keep rejoining, The Travel Photographer's Photo Expeditions/Workshops™:

Jim Hudson
Mary Kay Hudson
Jan Lammers
Li Lu Porter
Maria-Christina Dikeos
Felice Willat
Joyce Birkenstock
Ralph Childs
Torie Olsen
Alia Rifaat
Tony Smith
Cathy Scholl
Dan Bannister
Beverly Anderson-Sanchez
Rosemary Sheel
Charlotte Rush-Bailey
Sandra Chandler
Gul Chotrani
Terri Gold
Nuray Jemil
Jenny Jozwiak
Gavin Gough
Larry Larsen
Penni Webb
Laurie Snow-Hein
Pat Demartini
Betsy Gertz
Lee Ann Durkin
Bonny Willet
Wink Willet
Kongkrit Sukying
Ron Mayhew
Rose Schierl
Lynn Padwe
Graham Ware
Kayla Keenan
Bo Jugner
Chris Schaefer
Carlos Amores
Teerayut Chaisarn
Colleen Kerrigan
Sharon Johnson-Tennant
Kim McClellan
Kris Bailey
Zara Bowmar

I'm working on a couple of new destinations for the latter part of 2012 and early 2013...as usual, these will be announced via my newsletter and on this blog.

The Travel Photographer's On The Lightbox App

I am pleased to have The Travel Photographer's blog featured on LIGHTBOX, the new and beautifully designed social photo app for Android. This blog, along with National Geographic, 500px, Fotopedia and a few others, is featured under Photography.

The idea behind LIGHTBOX's new photo journal feature is to provide a stream of updates others can follow, share, like and comment on....which TechCrunch describes as a lazy man's Tumblr.

Although my blog has only been recently featured the LIGHTBOX's lineup, The Travel Photographer has already garnered over 600 followers!!

The Ashaninka: Mike Goldwater

Photo © Mike Goldwater-All Rights Reserved

In Focus, the photo blog of The Atlantic magazine, featured The Ashaninka, A Threatened Way of Life; photographs by Mike Goldwater. Be sure to view the photographs in the 1280px option if your monitor allows it.

The Ashaninka are an indigenous people living in the rain forests of Peru and in the State of Acre of Brazil, and are one of the largest indigenous groups in South America. Their number is estimated between 25,000 and 45,000.

Current threats are from oil companies, drug traffickers, colonists, illegal lumberers, illegal roads, conservation groups, missionary groups, and diseases. Roads are being built into the forest to extract mahogany and cedar trees for export to markets in the United States and Europe despite an international embargo. Religious missionary groups are intent on changing Ashaninka culture and belief systems, ignoring the impact on their long term survival.

Mike Goldwater is a photographer, who ran the Half Moon Gallery in London's East End from 1974 to 1980, and who created the magazine "Camerawork". He also co-founded photo agency 'Network Photographers' for photojournalism, documentary photography and corporate work.  He traveled to over 70 countries and his images were published in major magazines around the world.

You may also wish to see Tatiana Cardeal's work on South American indigenous people.

Banyan Tree Madivaru Best Resort In Maldives

Resort Background

 Bask in crystal clear waters and pristine white sands the instant you arrive. Set upon the North Ari Atoll, Banyan Tree Madivaru is found simply half-hour southwest by seaplane from Male International Airport. Madivaru, that means ‘Ray’ in Dhivehi, is an island spanning a part of sixteen,000 sq. meters with white long beaches. 

 With all-inclusive gastronomic delights, guests are assured the choose of the day’s catches still as exotic Indian Ocean cuisine designs. Dine on a sandbank, along with your feet within the sand, and stars overhead. Or choose between any of the In-Villa picks to satisfy your yearning for an authentic Maldivian feast. sturdy Indian influences lead to aromatic curries and crisp breads, the perfect accompaniment to the island lifestyle.

For the right Maldivian expertise, let yourself be brought across to a deserted sandbank, where your footprints within the sand are going to be the sole sign of human life.

Tented Pool Villa

Banyan Tree Madivaru includes half-dozen Tented Pool Villas. every Tented Pool Villa may be a set of 3 individual tents, distinctively equipped to perform as living, sleeping, and tub areas. 

 The spacious tub tent options a try of spa beds for enjoying In-Villa treatments that embrace signature Banyan Tree Spa massages and facials. 

 Interior furnishings exude a heat and tropical atmosphere, replete with timber flooring, rattan and teak furniture, handcrafted picket and canvas accents, and opulent ceiling canopies.

List of Activities

Have our guide show you ways native Maldivians live or interact in an exceedingly marine journey to envision the fascinating assortment of ocean life found around our waters

 Dolphin Cruise, Sunset Cruise, Water Sports, Diving, Night Fishing, Snorkelling Safari, Local Island Tour, Cooking faculty

Facilities

Banyan Tree Madivaru offers a variety of facilities to satisfy your wants, for a keep that may solely be described as excellent.

 Diving

Let Banyan Tree’s experienced dive specialists take you on a research of Maldives’ wealthy and various underwater marine atmosphere. 

Banyan Tree Spa Madivaru

Surrounded by pristine white sandy beaches, lush greenery, and breathtaking house reefs, Banyan Tree Spa Madivaru presents an unprecedented spa retreat amidst this tropical paradise. Soothe your senses in an oasis of calm, and cherish an exotic mix of massages and body treatments impressed by Asian health and sweetness remedies. Be assured of final privacy in addition to the best service from the dedicated therapists of Banyan Tree Spa.

 The Banyan Tree Spa expertise is conducted In-Villa for the last word island indulgence. Side-by-side treatment beds within the tub tent are reworked into an oasis of calm as guests receive facials or massages within the privacy of their own atmosphere.

 Banyan Tree Spa opened in Asia’s 1st luxury spa resort – Banyan Tree Phuket, Thailand in 1994. because the 1st luxury oriental spa in Asia, it pioneered the tropical garden spa concept, with its jap therapies and holistic specialize in non secular, mental and physical harmony, and it rediscovered and reintroduced an exotic mix of ancient Asian health and sweetness practices, passed down from generation to generation of native health practitioners.

 Step into the Banyan Tree Gallery for a cultural, sensory or visual memoir of your keep at the Banyan Tree. All of our product are created in partnership with the native communities and also the atmosphere.

Romance:

More than simply a sanctuary for the senses, Banyan Tree Madivaru is that the excellent destination to celebrate your love. whether or not you're craving for a romantic weekend, a vacation of a lifetime, a special gift or the right wedding and honeymoon you'll realize the foremost enchanting and fascinating experiences awaiting you at Banyan Tree Madivaru.

Xavier Zimbardo: Holi!

I first came across the work of Xavier Zimbardo a number of years ago when I bought his book India Holy Song, whose description on a book-selling website says that it included photographs made in "textile-dyeing factories of Rajasthan bursting with seemingly endless, undulating streams of saturated jewel-like fabrics in astonishing hues, from aquamarine to amethyst to the deepest ruby red". I mention this because I researched the location, and organized a photo shoot there on one of my early photo expeditions to Pushkar. It was quite a thrill to recognize some of Xavier's 'models' as workers in the factory!

This movie is exceptionally well made, and was a collaborative effort including many technicians. The explosions of color...the pink, the fuchsia, the neon-green and yellow powder accompanied by a pulsating soundtrack (which I believe was recorded live).  The movie was made with a Canon EOS 5D Mark II, Canon 24-105mm f/4 L, Canon 70-200mm f/2.8 L, and is featured on Canon France Vimeo page.

It's incredibly difficult to photograph and video in such an environment, and I wish there was some indication as to how the photographer and his team managed to keep their cameras and lenses safe from the hurled powder. While the 5DMark II is claimed by Canon to be weather-proof, its innards could easily be affected by the fine powder.

Xavier Zimbardo is a French photographer currently based in Sarcelles, a Parisian suburb. His work was featured in several European and international photography publications such as Zoom, Camera International, and Photographers International. He's a recipient of several grants and prizes, including those from the Kodak Foundation and the French government, and has had solo exhibitions of his work at museums and galleries throughout France, as well as in Athens, Sicily, Milan, Odense, and Montreal. His work is on permanent display in several museums worldwide including Paris's Bibiliothèque Nationale and Maison Européenne de la Photographie. 

National Geographic Photo Contest 2011

Photo © Tsolmon Naidandorj-All Rights Reseved

Despite my antipathy for photography contests, I always keep an eye on two; TPOTY (The Travel Photographer Of The Year) and The National Geographic.

The winners of The National Geographic Photo Contest were announced this week, with the grand prize awarded to Shikhei Goh for his capture of a dragonfly riding out a rainstorm in Indonesia. As usual, National Geographic has featured winning photos from this year's contest on its website. The contest judges this year were National Geographic magazine photographers Tim Laman, Amy Toensing, and Peter Essick.

I had a look at the submissions and the results, and (although not a nature photographer) agree that the photograph of the dragonfly is worthy of a recognition, but I do not agree with judges' choices for the finalists of the People category.

Had I been a judge, I would have chosen the Kazakh Hunter by Tsolomon Naidandorj as one of the finalists in the People category.  It's exotic, it's dynamic and it's powerful and well composed.

Winners of the National Geographic Photo Contest are also featured on In Focus, the photo blog of The Atlantic.

Sheraton Full Moon Resort And Spa - Maldives

 

Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is situated on its own island - one amongst 250 inhabited isles among the over one,100 comprising the Republic of Maldives - and is surrounded by tropical turquoise waters and its own lagoon. "Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa" is conveniently located quarter-hour aloof from Malé International Airport by speedboat - thus guests won't be inconvenienced with overnight stays in Malé or the long waits for seaplane transfers.

Your relaxation begins the instant you step ashore onto the idyllic non-public island. Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa is simply a brief boat ride from Malé International Airport and Malé town, and transfers are often organized for all flight times.

Whether you get relaxation or adrenaline, Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa possesses you lined. The luxurious Shine Spa for Sheraton is nestled on its own non-public island, and our lagoon plays host to exciting water sports and forty nearby dive sites give you endless exploration.

The156 guest rooms Sheraton Maldives Full Moon Resort & Spa has one thing for everybody. From beachfront rooms and stand-alone cottages, villas and suites that includes thatched roofs and proximity to the beach, to over-water bungalows and suites with privacy and direct ocean access, each choice evokes romance.

Accomodation

Beach-Front Deluxe Rooms
Our forty four Beach-Front Deluxe Rooms are spacious sanctuaries nestled between the palm trees. giving the choice of ground or initial floor rooms, every block of 4 rooms options a thatched roof, and every one rooms boast an outsized balcony or terrace with fashionable, cushioned out of doors furniture. Beach-Front Deluxe rooms are located close to the beach with a selection of garden and resort views or relaxing ocean views. (560 sq. Feet / fifty two sq. Meters)

Cottages
Our spacious thatched-roof Beach-Front and Island Cottages feature a non-public balcony and either views of our tropical gardens and lagoon, or sweeping ocean vistas and direct beach access. (818 sq. Feet / seventy six sq. Meters)

Water Bungalow
Privacy and romance are assured in our cozy bungalows with magnificent ocean views. every stand-alone Bungalow is its own welcome respite with a thatched roof, sun terrace, and direct stair access to the clear, turquoise waters below. (581 sq. Feet / fifty four sq. Meters)

Water Villas and Suite
Our four Water Villas and one Water Suite supply a lavish tropical retreat. Treat yourself to the expertise of an over-water bungalow, however with added area and seclusion, upgraded amenities, and delightful rattan furnishings. (904-1,604 sq. Feet / 84-149 sq. Meters)

Ocean Villas
Our twenty non-public, stylish Ocean Villas boast uninterrupted ocean views and opulent out of doors areas with plunge pool, dining space, hammock, and more. The secluded location and luxuriously appointed indoor and out of doors areas create these villas excellent for honeymooners or couples who simply need to induce aloof from it all. (2,153 sq. Feet / two hundred sq. Meters)

All Rooms Amenities
Entertainment  In-Room CD/DVD Player , Sony 40" LCD Flat Screen tv, Cable tv , Bed options 300-Thread Count Bed Linens , Pillow Menu, The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper™ Bed , lavatory Shine for Sheraton tub Amenities , Plush Bathrobes, tub Slippers, Hairdryer, extra tub Amenities (Upon Request) ,  Office/Telecom watch, Voice Message Service, High Speed web Access in Guest Rooms (charges apply), Direct Dial phonephone , Dining Tea & low creating Facilities, In-Room Dining (24 Hours), Refrigerator and Stocked Mini-Bar , Wine Fridge, Pillow Menu, Daily Complimentary Mineral Water , area options Sliding Glass Door, Lounge Chairs, Ceiling Fan, Electronic In-Room Safe, extra Rollaway Beds offered, out of doors Patio or Balcony, Walk-in Closet, Reading Lights by Bed , area Amenities & Services Laundry Service, Turndown Service, The Sheraton Sweet Sleeper Crib offered, Beach Towels, Flashlights, Towel Rack, Individual Climate management, Escort to Guest area at Check-In, Daily Housekeeping, Umbrellas, Iron/Ironing Board, Life Jackets.

 

 Hotel Amenities
Island Boutique, Airport Transportation (Charge), Childcare Service, Babysitting Services (Available Upon Request), Foreign Currency Exchange, Concierge Service, Medical Services offered, Laundry Service, In-Room Dining (24 Hours), High Speed web Access, Link@Sheraton experienced with Microsoft, Fitness Centre, Sports Club - Tennis Court , Tropical Freshwater Pool, Shine Spa for Sheraton, Excursions, Body Treatments, Massage Services, Water Sports, Cocoon parts, Scuba Diving, Facials, equipped to eccommodate tiny meeting teams, Weddings

Mario Gerth: East African Faces

Mario Gerth traveled to 65 countries on five continents and witnessed all kinds of civil upheavals. A German part-time banker and photojournalist, he has concentrated his recent work on Africa...and the slideshow above showcases Ethiopian tribes, some in color and others in stunning monochromes. I particularly like Chapter 3 of the slideshow which consists of gorgeous square format toned portraits...conversely, I thought the panning movement all through the slideshow was a little too much.

The tribes depicted in Gerth's photographs are sedentary pastoral people living in south west of Ethiopia, on the western bank of the Omo river. Unfortunately, the survival and way of life of the tribes of South Ethiopia are under threat by various projects planned for the area, especially a massive hydroelectric dam that affects the Lower Omo River.

In an earlier post, I had written various tribes of the Omo Valley are adept in soliciting money for images and how ready they were to pose without much guidance. But the question here is what came first...the tourists with their cameras giving out a handful of birrs or the demand for money from tourists for each snap.

The Afghan Box Camera Project

Photo Courtesy The Afghan Box Camera

I was very glad to have stumbled on The Afghan Camera Box Project website a few days ago. For quite a while I had given up on posting anything to do with Afghanistan, since the photographs published in various media were either repetitive, unimaginative, stereotypical or plain silly....but this website touches on culture and photography.

The purpose of the Afghan Box Camera Project is to provide a record of the kamra-e-faoree (which in Dari and also in Arabic means 'instant camera') which as a living form of photography is on the brink of disappearing in Afghanistan. It's one of the last places where photographers continue to use a simple type of "instant camera" to make a living. The hand-made wooden camera is both camera and darkroom, and generations of Afghans have had their portraits taken with it, usually for identity photographs.

The project is the work of Lukas Birk and Sean Foley.

The railway station of the Cairo suburb where I grew up had a wooden camera photographer, and I recall (dimly, I admit) had a brisk business. I also came across a wooden camera photographer in Havana, Cuba who showed me how he developed the photograph he made of me.

Two of my friends, Divya Dugar and Frances Schwabenland have produced work on wooden cameras being used in Jaipur in Rajasthan, while Rodrigo Abd has produced Mayan Queens with a 19th century wooden camera of the indigenous women competing to become the National Indigenous Queen of Guatemala.

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa

Park Hyatt Maldives Hadahaa is situated on a pristine island four hundred kilometres south of Male on the North Huvadhoo (Gaafa Alifu) Atoll believed to be one in every of the biggest and deepest atolls within the world.

Our fifty Maldives villas are luxuriously designed to make sure guest comfort and privacy while maintaining environmental sensitivity. The thirty six Park Villas, some with their own non-public plunge pool are but thirty steps from an azure lagoon and supply the discerning traveller with complete privacy. The Park Water Villas all have uninterrupted views of the breathtaking Maldivian sunsets and are a non-public enclave for guests who yearn for tranquillity. 

Park Villa

Nestled within the privacy of nature, this 100-sq-m. Maldives villa boasts up to date timber and stone decor, floor-to-ceiling windows, letting ample daylight and natural flow of ventilation, and one two-post king bed. outside luxuries embrace a non-public deck with 2 sunbeds, bathtub and shower space together with a terrazzo tub and rain shower, in addition as non-public beach access. fashionable conveniences like wireless web, 37-inch LCD TV and satellite channels, and in-room Nespresso machine are yours to relish at our luxury Maldives hotel. Pets don't seem to be permitted on the island. 

Park Pool Villa

Nestled within the privacy of nature, this 120-sq-m. Maldives villa boasts up to date timber and stone decor, floor-to-ceiling windows letting ample daylight and natural flow of ventilation with one two-post king bed. outside luxuries embrace a non-public deck,plunge pool, with 2 sunbeds, bathtub and shower space together with a terrazzo tub and rain shower, in addition as non-public beach access. 

Park Water Villa

With panoramic Indian Ocean views, this 110-sq-m. stilted Maldives villa boasts up to date timber and stone decor, floor-to-ceiling windows letting ample daylight and natural flow of ventilation, and one two-post king bed. outside luxuries embrace a non-public deck with dining space, daybed and direct ocean access. 

 Amenities

Patio, Robes, Iron/ironing board, 24-hour area service, low maker, Stereo system, 37-inch LCD TV, Speakerphone, Voicemail, Individual air-con management, Concierge throughout regular hours, Safe giant enough to store and charge laptop computer, most guests per room: three adults, Separate work space, Hairdryer, Terrazzo bathtubtub within the outside bath space, Minibar, Cable/satellite TV channels, DVD player, 3 or a lot of telephones, Cordless phone(s), Wireless web access, Windows that open, Personal host/butler service accessible twenty four hours, Mineral water upon request

Activities

 The island of Hadahaa is an exquisite hideaway and is that the ideal destination for guests finding out serenity and authenticity.  Activities at our luxury hotel in Maldives vary from non-motorised water activities, like kayaking, snorkeling and diving, to Maldivian cooking lessons, nature path walks, dolphin-spotting, sunset cruises and guided visits to native artisan villages. 

For those guests who simply wish to be pampered there's our distinctive Maldivian spa – Vidhun. Embrace the sweetness of Vidhun and allow us to spoil you with a pure Maldivian healing expertise designed to create your spirit shine.

The onsite PADI 5-Star dive centre offers diving enthusiasts a chance to dive amidst undisturbed reefs and sites during this untouched atoll where the marine life is a lot of abundant and varied than anywhere else within the Maldives.

The Vidhun Spa

Set amidst pristine gardens, The Vidhun Spa offers the final word in pampering and luxury that includes a large vary of Dhivehibey spa rituals & treatments. 

 Yoga Lessons

The resort has an onsite Yoga instructor conducting non-public and scheduled lessons. 

 Scuba Diving

The onsite PADI 5-Star Dive Centre offers a variety of activities, whether or not you're a beginner or already an experienced diver. 

 Tailormade Excursions

Tailor-made cultural experiences to native islands at intervals the atoll are designed to coach and showcase the Maldives as never seen before.

Poll: Which Cover Is Best?

Which Cover Should I Use For My Forthcoming Book On Kolkata?

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I am thinking of self-publishing a photo book on Kolkata, which will group photographs of the Durga Puja festivities, along with environmental portraits and street photography of this iconic Indian city. My first preference is for the photographs to be black & white, although I may decide for color once I have them all lined up.

I thought of asking for my readers to vote on which cover they prefer...the two suggestions above are just quick dummies. The final cover and typography will be better produced.

My thanks to all who take the time to vote.