Jul
One trip for “Farm Africa” to Tanzania.
Two bee suits.
Three pairs of gloves.
Four separate photographing sessions of the harvesting.
Being told that five stings to the body is not good.
Six minutes of checking the suit and the equipment before going in.
Seven bees getting inside the bee suit which had several rips and was a size too small for me.
Eight fellow travellers watching from the safety of the 4x4s!
Nine stings on one hand that swelled up so much I had to remove my wedding ring for two weeks.
Ten minutes each session with the bees.
Nearly thirty stings overall.
Several phone calls for medical advice.
Lots of applying antihistamine cream and taking of tablets.
Forty minutes of jogging to lose the cloud of bees around me.
Farm Africa works with small holder farmers to reduce poverty and improve food security by increasing household incomes.
Traditional livelihoods of felling trees to sell as timber and charcoal has reduced the forest at a rate of 300,000 hectares each year. Farm Africa has been introducing more profitable and sustainable enterprises, like beekeeping.
A full set of pictures can be seen at
http://www.photo-banks.com/farm-africa/
If you would like to learn more go to
Jun
I recently worked with the organisation Farm Africa, in Babati in the Nou Forest area of Tanzania, photographing their projects with honey production and sesame seed farming. Farm Africa works with small holder farmers to reduce poverty and improve food security by increasing household incomes.
Traditional livelihoods of felling trees to sell as timber and charcoal has reduced the forest at a rate of 300,000 hectares each year. Farm Africa has been introducing more profitable and sustainable enterprises, like beekeeping.
As part of the trip, a group of ladies from the food industry headed up by Judith Batchelar OBE, Director of Sainsbury’s Own Brand, took on the challenge of “The Big Beehive Build”. They spent the week constructing beehives for a number of local communities. The girls worked extremely hard and efficiently.
Farm Africa’s sesame seed project is now in its second phase, working directly with
920 “model farmers” (40 farmers per village) who passed on project knowledge and skills to other “adopter farmers.”
Using this approach, the project reached 5520 farmers in total, with the additional aim that these farmers would further spread their knowledge to others in the region.
For more information and to see more pictures
http://www.photo-banks.com/farm-africa/
http://www.j-sainsbury.co.uk/blog/2015/06/how-many-women-does-it-take-to-make-a-beehive/
May
I have submitted a portfolio of work into the Fifth Annual Exposure Photography Awards, a global celebration of the image. The work will be assessed by a Jury of esteemed judges but can also qualify for the Vox Populi Award with votes from you at
Jonathan-Banks.see.me/
The Awards will première on July 13th at the Louvre Museum in Paris. Wish me Luck.
Apr
Last night was the 2015 Sony World Photography Awards Gala Ceremony at the Hilton Park Lane, London. American photographer John Moore was selected as this years winner of the L’Iris D’Or Sony World Photography Awards. His winning work, “Ebola Crisis Overwhelms Liberian Capital” is an incredible set of pictures that cut to the heart of human tragedy. Unfortunately I did not progress from being shortlisted with Sebastian Gil Miranda winning the “Campaign” category for “Shoot ball, not gun” a worthy social project on one of the most dangerous neighbourhoods in Buenos Aires, Argentina.
All the shortlisted and winning pictures are now being exhibited at Somerset House till the 10 May 2015. Tickets are available at www.worldphoto.org/2015exhibition
Thanks for all your support, and a special thanks to Oli from DelAgua.
