Yuai, Sudan
Photograph by Alexandra Avakian
Photography is a signature aspect of our identity at National Geographic Society, so it's no surprise that we contributed seven exhibits to the FotoWeek roster. You've read about Visions of Paradise (November 6, 2008) and Odysseys and Photographs (November 10, 2008), but I'd also like to mention three NG shows that are tied to ongoing Society programs. The recently launched book imprint Focal Point specializes in documentary photography, Photo Camp workshops encourage young people in underserved communities to use cameras to look at their own neighborhoods, and All Roads seeks out photographers who are documenting the change in their own indigenous communities, to bring their work to the attention of the international media.
Focal Point
Tucked away in a foyer leading to the Grosvenor Auditorium at National Geographic headquarters in Washington is a select sampling from three of the four Focal Point books coming out this season (the fourth is Odysseys and Photographs). Sam Abell's Life of a Photograph, Alexandra Avakian's Windows of the Soul, and Reza War and Peace include many surprises from three distinguished bodies of work, as well as many of the signature images previously published in National Geographic magazine. I've been fortunate enough to work with all three photographers, and hope to again. The exhibit continues through January 4, 2009.
Whale watching, Fraser Island, Queensland, Australia
Photograph by Sam Abell
In The Life of a Photograph, Sam Abell dissects how an image comes into being, often displaying a series of frames leading up to his final frame of choice and reconstructing the context using anecdotes from his time in the field in Australia, Japan, and the American West. Known for his carefully crafted photographs, Sam is also a respected teacher and speaker.
Alexandra Avakian's Windows of the Soul chronicles her twenty years of photographing the Muslim world. With an appealing intimacy, she shares her memories of both good fortune and misadventure from places as varied as Gaza, Sudan, Iran, Lebanon, Somalia, Uzbekistan, and the US. Her reflections on the challenges and rewards for women working as journalists add another compelling dimension to her narrative.
Dogubayazit, Turkey | 1993 | Near a mountain on the Iranian border, two boys pass by, holding a hollow television set.
Photograph by Reza
Reza War and Peace is a retrospective of Reza Deghati's career, which he has spent photographing extensively in the Middle East and Asia. His work often captures the soulful side of populations in war-torn or impoverished quarters of the world. He founded the nonprofit organization Aina in Afghanistan to encourage the revival of a free press, further contributing to his reputation as a humanitarian.
Photo Camp
Man with long braid, Taos Pueblo, Taos, New Mexico
Photograph by Ashley Gutierrez
National Geographic partners with local journalistic and service organizations to provide workshops for young people in less affluent communities who may not have had the opportunity to use their own cameras before. National Geographic photographers and editors work with the children and teenagers to help them see their own daily lives with greater awareness. A resulting exhibition, like the recent FotoWeek show at Vivid Solutions Gallery, gives the participants the added reward of sharing their work with family and friends.
All Roads
The Paraguayans
Photograph by Alejandro Chaskielberg
All Roads Photography Program, like its sister film program, recognizes artists who are documenting the changes in their own minority or indigenous culture, but who are not yet well-known internationally. I've helped judge this award for several years now, and there are always impressive candidates from remote parts of the globe, but there are always debates amongst the judges, as well. What counts as a minority or indigenous culture? Do we select strictly for artistic merit, or do we make an extra effort to reward lesser known photographers who will benefit more from the media attention? The exhibit is viewable in the National Geographic courtyard through January 18, 2009.
Related Links:
photography.nationalgeographic.com/photography/photocamp
www3.nationalgeographic.comallroads/
