In the MSNBC.com produced video Life Behind the Lens, photojournalist Chris Hondros of Getty Images talks about his award-winning images from war-torn countries and what it is like shooting in conflict zones. Hondros's work in these areas, from Iraq to Liberia, has produced some of the most iconic images of war of the last decade.
Renowned photojournalists from around the world, from prestigious publications such as National Geographic, VII, Time, Newsweek and the New York Times, are donating signed, museum-quality prints to Operation Azra, an exhibition and online print auction to benefit victims of acid burning in Pakistan. Proceeds from the auction will go to support female victims of this terribly violent act and to raise awareness about a fate inflicted on many women in Pakistan. Marked with dishonor and often excluded by family, their disfigurment often forces them to the edges of society. Bidding via the online auction opens midnight EDT June 6, 2007 and closes midnight EDT July 1, 2007. To read more about cause and to see the list of participating photograhers along with their images, and to bid or donate, visit the Operation Azra site. A live event to support the auction will be held in New York City on June 26th, 2007…
Don't forget- The Festival of the Photograph will be taking place this weekend (June 7-9) in Charlottesville, VA. This is the first official year for the festival, which has grown out of a gathering hosted by National Geographic photographer Michael "Nick" Nichols. Most of the tickets for the three featured talks (William Albert Allard, Sally Mann, and Eugene Richards) are sold out, but there will be plenty of tickets available to the final show, "Works", which will include a special musical performance, along with work by many photographers, including Donna Ferrato, Paolo Pellegrin, David Alan Harvey, Alexandra Boulat, Alex Webb, Jonas Bendiksen, and many many others. There are also a number of exhibitions around town, including a collaborative installation, YourSpace, where everyone is encouraged to bring in digital files to print and hang, or to display as digital slide shows. If you can get to Charlottesville, go- this weekend promises to be…
Forty years ago yesterday (June 3), Aretha Franklin was #1 on the Billboard Charts, with her recording of 'Respect'. The Detroit Free Press has put together a detailed look at the song, it's origins, and the era surrounding it. There are several videos, covering everything from the story of the song to interviews with other musicians, sociologists, and producers, along with photos, the article, and other features. Check out the multimedia package, then get the song.
The Seventh Annual Media That Matters Festival is now up. Sixteen short films have been selected by a jury, with topics ranging from Egypt's garbage collectors to rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina to transgendered youth. The films are available online, at screenings throughout the country, and on DVD.