Sam Phelps: Train Portraits In Pakistan

Photo © Sam Phelps-All Rights Reserved

Let me venture a guess...we all love a long train journey in an exotic land.

If I'm right, you'll love Sam Phelps's wonderful portraits of Pakistanis sharing a train journey with him. If I'm not...you'll still love them.

The portraits were made on the Khyber Mail, a Pakistani mail and passenger train that travels from Peshawar, Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, and ends in Karachi, Pakistan’s largest city at the southern tip of the Sindh province on the Arabian Sea. The train journey involves 35 hours of travel.

My favorite portrait is of Joman, an 80 year-old Sufi. He is from Nowabshah, Sindh Province, and has two wives and twelve children. He has been a beggar all his life.

Sam Phelps has a background of fine arts study in Sydney, and is now increasingly working with NGOs including the United Nations High Commission for Refugees, as well as taking assignments for clients including Der Speigel, Time, Newsweek Pakistan and the Times UK. He is also a registered photographer with Getty Images Global Assignment.

He traveled the mountainous roads to Leh, the capital of Ladakh in northern India, and photographed the lives of people along the route. He undertook a four day trip on a train meeting and documenting pilgrims' experiences traveling from Tehran through northern Iran, across Turkey and south to the Syrian capital of Damascus to pray at the Umayyad, the Great Mosque of Damascus.

POV: WTF? "Dear Travel Photographer Blog"

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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.

Christopher Thomas: Venice In Solitude

Photo © Christopher Thomas-All Rights Reserved

Today's post is at 180 degrees divergence from the one yesterday, as it features the beauty of the La Serenissima or the Most Serene; term that was applied to the Republic of Venice. I believe its Carnavale (its most internationally known festival) will be celebrated in less than two weeks, and is a perfect time to feature the phenomenally beautiful photography of Christopher Thomas.

Christopher Thomas is based in Munich, and graduated from the Bavarian State Teaching Institute for Photography. He works internationally as a renowned advertising photographer., while his photojournalism for Geo, Stern, Süddeutsche Zeitung Magazin, Merian, and other magazines received many international prizes.

His atmospheric photographs of Venice are currently on show at the Hamiltons Gallery in London, which I walk past often when I'm there. Unfortunately, I will not be in London during the exhibition which ends on February 27, so I have to content myself with viewing these online.

It appears that Christopher would set at the crack of dawn with a large format camera, lenses, a tripod and boxes of Polaroid Type 55 to make his photographs.

Christopher has also photographed in Nepal and Ethiopia, amongst other places, so visit his website.

Other websites with his work is the BBC In Pictures and Ira Stehmann.

Travel To Dhiggiri Tourist Resort Maldives

Dhiggiri may be reached in barely ninety minutes by speed boat from the international airport and therefore the capital island Male'. Dhiggiri island is near large game fishing areas and options a non-public house-reef abundant in marine life. White sand-banks and exquisite sandy beaches build Dhiggiri a pleasant destination for all. Fulidhu, the closest of the 5 fishing islands within the space, is simply half-hour away by dhoni (the native boat) – ideal for an exciting tour.

Dhiggiri Tourist Resort – surrounded by the endless crystal clear waters and exquisite white sand beaches, this tropical paradise island is that the good destination for all vacation seekers.

The fascinating underwater world may be discovered throughout your vacation at Dhiggiri Tourist Resort. each experienced divers and beginners will have an amazing time.

Th lovely Dhiggiri Tourist Resort is near a large choice of dive sites in Maldives. With multicolored fishes, coral gardens and lots of marine life, this actually could be a dream destination. 

What higher destination is there to pay a pleasant and relaxing vacation than Dhiggiri Tourist Resort?

Dhiggiri Tourist Resort is right for 

Diving

Budget Holidays

Room Types

- Bungalows

- Water Bungalows

Accommodation at Dhiggiri Tourist Resort, Maldives:

Dhiggiri Tourist Resort offers twenty five Beach Bungalow of circular form, dipped within the inexperienced, everybody with patio in wood with cowl of coconut leaves. All the bungalow are equip you of: conditioned air, fan, frigobar, bathtub with shower (warm and cold water).

Amenities & Services at Dhiggiri Tourist Resort, Maldives:

Fitness Centre, Spa,Sauna, Water Sports Centre, Aerobics Studio, Speed boat rent, Tennis courts(outdoor/flood-lit),Large contemporary water swimming pool, Squash court (air-conditioned), Karaoke Lounge, Table Tennis, Games Room, Library, Courtesy Lounge, Doctor on decision, Beauty Parlour,Travel Desk, Barber search, Courier service, Front Desk, Free Newspaper.