Thursday 31 January 2008

That's not cricket


For the second day running I have worked overtime and without time to stop for something to eat, anger levels are rising. Its been compounded by the fact that my car has problems, the front radiator is leaking and if it dont get fixed the engine will blow...so I arranged for the garage to come and pick it up, -No problems, they said. After 30mins they called and said they couldnt do it, could I drop it off instead? Sure, but how will I get around after that? I had to get a cab from Wimbledon to Streatham Hill in rush hour (1 hour, about 4 miles) and then pick up a pool car that doesnt have a parking permit for where I live. Pants!!!

Picture: This is the secretary and his canine caddie of the Royal Blackheath Golf Club, England's oldest golf club, about to celebrate the 400th anniversary of tory bandy, making an approach shot for the 18th.

Wednesday 30 January 2008

Dust


Picked up my Guatemalan friend on the way back from work today and she told me that when she needed to re-new her expired driving licence in Guatemala earlier this month, they asked her straight over the phone: "If you do the driving test it will cost 250 quetzalas, and if you dont want to do the driving test its 650 quetzalas". Nice business model, selling expensive licences to those who cant/wont drive...

The picture is from a job earlier on today, where this guy lives in a flat with serious dust pollution. It has lead to his severe asthma, and the council is doing jack shit about it. (ps. I didnt ask him to write DUST, he just did it while I was shooting)

Monday 28 January 2008

Bombshell

Last week I found out that Simon is sadly leaving us at the paper, which means that there now is a post as chief photographer going...you have been warned!

Bon voyage!

Last week my good friend Alex Masi left for India, and I'm hoping it wont be too long before he starts posting some stories through his agency WpN and Grazia Neri. Have a good time, Alex, and thanks for the farewell party!

Tuesday 22 January 2008

I blame facebook

After a little break I am back. For those of you that remember the old blog, there might be some differences, first of all - more words - and secondly, some of the old photos might have been/will be *bleeped* to save some friends private parts.

How come there are new updates?

Well, mainly due to/because of facebook (fb). 1) The now/soon to be edited pictures of my friends' privates are much more suited to the insular world of facebook, and likewise, 2) the insularity of fb is not enough if you want to keep up a blog. A blog is, after all, there for everyone to see, not just your fb 'friends'. It requires someone savvy enough to find it in the first place, without the restriction of a network. I have no illusions of my readership, apart from a friend and some foes, but what gives inspiration is what gives meaning to life, so here's two examples for keeping on bloggin', and they're both on a photographic tip:

Martin von Krogh, a seasoned war photographer beyond his years, sadly he only blogs in Swedish, but for you Swedes, its well worth reading right from the beginning.

Alec Soth, a seasoned documentary photographer for Magnum (check out Magnum in motion), the most established photojournalistic agency in the world.

And just to add that this will mainly concern photojournalism from now on, here's a link to an interesting documentary, the links to parts 2 and 3 can be found on the same page.