Mar
My photograph “Waiting to Perform” of a traditional West African dancer in Liberia is featured in Rangefinder Magazine as “Photo of the Day”.
I work with corporate clients, in editorial, and for various charities. One of the charities that I support is International Alert, a peace building organisation that works with people directly affected by conflict to build lasting peace.
I was asked to document their work in Liberia, where they had been working since 1993. Liberia, and the Mano River Region in West Africa more broadly, had experienced civil war for many years, and International Alert supported various programmes to build stability and long-term peace. These included community radio stations, dialogues between local leaders, initiatives to promote greater security and a political voice for women, and festivals to celebrate peaceful co-existence and mutual respect between the different cultures of the region.
The festivals attract an audience from far and wide, with an attendance that grew rapidly from year to year. These festivals brought together people from the region’s many diverse ethnic groups, providing a wonderful opportunity to re-establish harmony between different cultures: diversity in and unity in diversity.
Rangefinder is an award-winning brand for professional photographers that first launched as a magazine in the early 1950s.
Mar
Congratulations to all the 2021 World Press Photo Contest nominees that were announced today for the Digital Storytelling Contest.
I received an email to inform me that my work was shortlisted through to be in the top 24% of all entries. The World Press Photo Contest recognizes the best visual journalism of the last year, rewarding images and stories in eight categories. This year, 4,315 photographers from 130 countries have entered 74,470 images.
In an unprecedented year marked by the COVID-19 pandemic and social justice protests around the globe, the nominees share a diversity of interpretations and perspectives to these and other urgent issues.
I submitted my work documenting Project Natick, Microsoft’s research into the feasibility of an underwater data center to determine whether it is logistically, environmentally, and economically practical.
Mar
Whether an office’s light source is natural, artificial, bright and blue, or dim and yellow, the type of light that employees are exposed to not only impacts mood and physical health but also affects productivity and creativity.
Lighting that is too dim can strain your eyes and make you feel drowsy and tired. Too-bright lighting, on the other hand, can be harsh on your eyes and make your brain work harder causing fatigue and trigger symptoms of migraines.
The colour and temperature of office lighting should vary based on the function of the space. In general, warmer yellow or orange lights tend to be better for relaxing, whereas cooler blue and white lights are good for working, waking up, and concentrating. If possible, the lighting temperature and colour should vary based on the time of day. In the morning, light should ideally be brighter and cooler, to help employees stay alert and concentrate. As the day goes on, the lighting should be warmer, helping employees to wind down.
As a photographer I pay particular attention to the lighting of any space, appreciating the quality of light in the intensity and temperature. I recently revisited the SAS office project that I photographed for Morgan Lovell which is featuring on Office Snapshots online resource for the global office design community. The space delivers an unparalleled customer experience whilst offering a dynamic and multi-functional environment for their London staff. There is a state-of-the-art reception complete with adaptable mood-lighting, ‘experience corridor’ and Innovation Hub used to showcase their products.
My photography brief included capturing the space in a range of different colour temperatures.
Feb
Earlier this month my photograph “A boy from the crowd” photographed in Liberia, was exhibited at the Xposure International Photography Festival in Sharjah, United Arab Emirates.
Xposure is a leading photo festival and an official imagery and educational platform that combines a range of photography events including exhibitions, workshops, seminars, screenings, focus groups, competitions, photo walks, and hosts a dedicated photographic and video production trade show. According to Xposure, the photography on show is “selected from highly acclaimed International Photographers, professional institutes and galleries representing Photographers from around the world.” The event and exhibition were attended by H.E. Sheikh Dr. Sultan Bin Mohammed Al Qasimi.
My good friend and Founder of the Siena International Photography Awards, Luca Venturi, photographed my picture, which was part of the SIPA Awards selection exhibition.
