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.
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.
May
The British Red Cross has supported people in crisis for over 150 years. I have been supporting them with my photography for over sixteen years. I have photographed everything from disaster relief to Royal events. They are, and always will be, the organisation that I most enjoy working with.
The work that I have witnessed has been amazing and the people that I have worked are incredible. The British Red Cross is always on standby to help with UK emergencies and the coronavirus is no exception.
Over 70,000 people have signed up as community reserve volunteers for the British Red Cross, with more joining the Movement every day.
You could be doing anything from helping at your local food bank to playing a vital role in easing the pressure on the NHS by delivering essential goods and supplies.
There are many ways of supporting the British Red Cross.
Oct
The SIPA Contest is so much more than just photography awards. It is a festival of events for creatives to network and connect. When Luca Venturi (creator and artistic director) first imagined the festival, he set his target on making Siena the heart of the photography world that would bring photographers together from around the world.
“We are happy to have created a large family, a community with photography at its centre, as a form of international language that connects people of every culture and social background. A dream come true, supported by partners and institutions that together with us continue to invest in the power of imagination and the power that images have to be able to tell stories full of meaning " – Luca Venturi
In addition to the Awards ceremony there are a number of events over the course of the weekend for the photographers to participate in – most of them involve a glass of wine or two! I was asked to speak at the SIPA conference along with six other distinguished photographers who I now count as friends. The conference was held in the University of Siena with an audience of 200. I spoke alongside fellow speakers –
Mary Calvert (USA)- Documentary Photographer - maryfcalvert.com
Philip Coburn (UK) – Editorial Photographer - Philip Coburn LinkedIn
Florian Ledoux (France) – Nature and Wildlife Photographer - www.florian-ledoux.com
Alessio Paduano (ITA) – Editorial Photographer - www.alessiopaduano.it
Hannes Lochner (ZA) – Wildlife Photographer - www.hanneslochner.com
Constanza Portnoy (AR ) – Documentary Photographer - www.constanza-portnoy.com
The conference had an overall title of “The Storytelling Power of Photography” and the talks included human impact in the environment, new ways of approaching journalism, social justice in photography, the coverage of migration issues, modern ways of storytelling, ethical storytelling and more.
The exhibition was officially opened by me at the Ex Distillery Lo Stellino along with the launch of this years “Beyond the Lens” book featuring all the winning photographs. The exhibitions are one of the Festival’s main events, hosted by the most important locations of Siena. The exhibitions will run until Sunday 1 December.
