Meeru Island Resort In Maldives



Meeru is one among the foremost fashionable resorts within the Maldives, the award winning selection of the many honeymooners, SCUBA divers and families too! Located in North Male’ Atoll, a 50-minute speedboat ride from the airport, Meeru could be a four star resort and offers a beautiful vacation for smart price, together with an All Inclusive arrange possibility. Relax on the magnificent beach, snorkel within the crystal clear lagoon, Scuba Dive with Ocean professional, take a massage at the over water Duniye Spa, a swim within the pool & kid’s pool and far additional. one thing for everybody together with families.

water villas

Step outside and dip your toes within the ocean in one among the twenty seven water villas whereas the sun comes up. These fastidiously sited rooms afford breathtaking ocean views. Sit on the balcony and hear the breakers crash on to the reef within the distance, or step down on to the deck to sunbathe with the waves lapping gently beneath you. some additional steps take you right into the ocean.

Inside the pinewood lined rooms, a giant comfy 4-poster bed awaits at the tip of the day, or if you wish to relax before surrendering, a sitting space with armchairs and occasional table are provided. get pleasure from the natural heat of a wood floor underfoot. A discreet white tiled, partially open lavatory where you'll shower next to slightly garden, adds the ultimate bit of fashion.

Beach Villas

Fringing the island, and set back behind the beach vegetation, a row of seventy seven villas stretch out along the west aspect of the island to complete the impact of a village. These pine chalets with their wide, shaded verandas supply a cool retreat at the tip of an action packed day. Deck chairs are provided to sit down on as you watch the sun go down, or relax and skim in an exceedingly quiet moment.

Inside, the chalet rooms are spacious and ethereal. A ceiling fan whirrs gently, and therefore the space features a sitting space by the complete window overlooking the veranda. A bed and aspect tables with Tiffany-style reading lamps add slightly of sophistication. A dressing space with wardrobe leads into an open air, totally fitted, white tiled lavatory.

Beach Villas sleep up to three adults or two adults and a pair of kids up to twelve yrs with one king-size or twin beds, bathroom, partial open-air shower, air-conditioning, ceiling fan, broadband net, phone, cable TV, CD player, hairdryer, minibar*, tea/coffee facilities, beach towels, complimentary toiletries, nightly turndown service, non-public terrace and is ready back from the water's edge.

Jacuzzi Beach Villas

Jacuzzi Beach Villas sleep up to three adults and are larger with a four-poster bed and facilities as higher than and a DVD player, seating space, little tropical garden and a Jacuzzi for two.

Jacuzzi  Water Villas

Which are located over-the-water, within the lagoon short walk along your non-public jetty to the present secluded hideaway that includes an oversized bedroom, a sitting space with Cable TV, a DVD player, and an espresso machine; a spacious lavatory with double sinks, a non-public sundeck with steps into the ocean, and a Jacuzzi for two!

Jacuzzi  Water Villas sleep up to three adults and are located over the water on stilts with king-size or twin beds, facilities as per Beach Villas and an Espresso machine, DVD player, bathrobes, double sinks within the lavatory, a seating space, Jacuzzi for two, giant balcony and a non-public sundeck with steps into the ocean.

POV: What Worked What Didn't. The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop


Photos © Tewfic El-Sawy-All Rights Reserved

As a prelude to what equipment worked for me and what didn't on The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop, I thought I'd put up two photographs of the musical gear used by the traditional puppeteers. One was made with the Canon 5D Mark II and the other with a Leica M9. These are both jpegs out of the cameras with no post processing except for the same amount of sharpening.

So what's your vote?






UPDATE: For The Correct Answer, Check It Out On My FB Page.

Here's what worked for me on The Oracles of Kerala Photo Expedition-Workshop and what didn't. The list of my equipment was as follows:

A Canon 5D Mark II, a Canon 7D, and a bunch of lenses (28-70mm f2.8, 70-200mm f2.8, 17-40mm f4, and a 24mm f1.4), along with a Canon flash 580ex. A Leica m9 with a Leica 28mm f/2.8 Elmarit, and a 40mm f1.4 Voigtlander lens.

For audio, I had a Tascam DR-40 Recorder, an Audio-Technica ATR6250 Stereo Condenser Video/Recording Microphone and Sony headphones.

Photo © Tewfic El-Sawy - All Rights Reserved
What worked for me and what didn't on this trip:

1) Both the Canon 5D Mark II and the 7D were used 90% of the time, especially during the festivals when capturing the action, sometimes in less than ideal lighting conditions, was needed.

2) As for lenses, I used the 17-40mm f4 (as in the above photograph) on the full-frame Canon 5D Mark II around 60% of the time, while the 28-70mm f2.8 was used for most of the rest. The 70-200mm f2.8 was used no more than on a couple of special occasions. If I hadn't brought it along, I wouldn't have missed it.

This is part of my evolution as a photographer. I started out (as some do) by using the 70-200 mm as my primary lens wherever I went. Eventually, my lenses got shorter, and my current favorite is the 17-40mm. At some point, I'll probably get the 16-35mm f2.8mm which is a great lens.

3) The M9, and its 2 lenses, was used whenever I sought to make environmental portraits, or when I had the time to compose and focus properly. In low light, it would have been close to useless, and during the frenetic action of the festivals (especially of the Oracles), I might have missed many shots had I used it.

4) I didn't use the prime 24mm f1.4 at all on this trip, and used the flash for only a few shots of the Peacock dance. Other than that, it stayed in my room.

5) I liked my new Tascam DR-40 Recorder. It performed well and the quality of it recordings were satisfactory. That said, I really needed a "dead cat" to reduce wind noise, especially when I was recording on the beaches of Kerala where there was wind.

6) Both Audacity and Soundslides were used during classwork, and both worked flawlessly as they should. 

Angkor Photo Festival 2012: Submission Calls



Angkor Photo Festival is calling for submissions with a deadline of May 31, 2012!!!

The festival's 2012 program will present works photographed throughout the world through exhibitions and slideshows in Siem Reap, with no imposed theme.

The submissions guidelines and form contain all the information needed on how to submit work for this year’s festival. 

The festival will be held from December 1– 8, 2012 in Siem Reap, Cambodia. The deadline to submit the application is May 31, 2012, and all photographers will receive an answer by the end of July 2012.

Since its inception in 2005, more than 180 young photographers from all over Asia have been selected to participate in the annual free Angkor Photo Workshops. Conducted by renowned international photographers who volunteer their time, the Angkor Photo Workshops provide participants with firsthand training, invaluable exposure and a chance to perfect their art.

Over the years, the workshop has highlighted emerging talent from the region, and many previous participants go on to embark on successful photography careers both regionally and internationally.


I attended the Angkor Photo Festival last November and one of my photo essays The Possessed of Mira Datar was featured at the festival. 


I was greatly impressed by the Angkor Photo Festival's evenings at the FCC, and by the quality of the curating. Francoise Callier and Jean-Yves Navel were not only paragons of hospitality, but were instrumental in making a success of the event, along with the assistance of Camille Plante and Jessica Lim.

This is a phenomenal opportunity for all photographers, emerging and established. Submit your work for inclusion in the Angkor Photo Festival. You'll never regret it.

Foundry Photojournalism Workshop: Scholarships Announced


The Foundry Photojournalism Workshop has announced the winners of the Foundry full tuition scholarships for its 2012 Chiang Mai workshop.

Eric Beecroft, Director of the workshop, stated that the amount of entries was unprecedented, and the quality of work received was stunning.

The awardees are:

Arif Setiawan, Indonesia

Saw Banyar, Burma/Thailand

Barat Ali Batoor, Afghanistan

Ajit Bhadoriya, India

Enrique Leopoldo Benedicto Cruz, Philippines

Satirat Dam-ampai, Thailand

Nguyen Thanh Hai, Vietnam **

Ekkarat Punyatara, Thailand

Roger Anis, Egypt

Fabian Weiss, Germany

Ilkin Huseynov, Azerbaijan

Simona Pampallona, Italy

**Nguyen Thanh Hai is also known as Maika Elan, and I'm especially pleased she will be working with me on my Vietnam; North of the 16th Parallel Photo Expedition-Workshop this coming September.

If any of my readers are still on the fence with this unequaled opportunity to attend phenomenal classes with top-class photographers and photojournalists, and expand their network with their peers and others, I really can't urge you strongly enough to get off that fence and join!!!!