Stories Only A Picture Can Tell
by jen lemen

As a fairly new photographer with a trip to Rwanda coming up this May, I've been scouring the web looking for women who are using their photography skills to make a faraway place come alive. I'm particularly interested in artists who understand the power of images to transform our understanding of what's possible--especially in less developed countries where pictures in today's news outlets too often tell one dimensional stories about the way the rest of the world lives.

One of the more compelling photographers I've discovered in my search is Kresta King Cutcher Venning, a photographer who decided in 2005 to take cameras to orphaned children in Rwanda, so the children could document their lives and experiences. The images from this trip and many others can be seen in her Flickr stream and provide an amazing chronicle of how hope travels when creativity is present. If you are a Flickr fan looking for some inspiration to follow, you'll be sure to add Camera_Rwanda to your list of contacts. More about the project in this interview.  Blogger Carla Stey credits Cutcher's images with the inspiration she needed to render images of African children in oil painting.

Another photographer with incredible images that transform assumptions about the world we live in is Rena Effendi. Born in Azerbaijan, Effendi represents life in places most westerners will never see--camps for internally displaced camps, remote areas of Afghanistan and beyond. Effendi's images serve as a point to dive into a deeper understanding of human experience too often hidden in more public politically charged conflicts. Her entire portfolio is an illuminating work of art.

Wendy Marijnnissen shows the side of Palestine you won't see on the evening news in this compelling set of images on Flickr. These artful shots of children playing in the West Bank, highlight a kind of vibrancy and resilience of spirit that adds something significant to the larger story at work in the region. Classic black and white photos of drag queens preparing to perform in a nightclub humanizes the subjects and creates a kind of empathy that takes you off guard. Wendy Marijnnissen keeps a photojournal on Blogspot.

If you are a budding travel photographer with an eye for social commentary, you might consider submitting your images to Odyssey Photography, an online collaborative travel and documentary photography site. Exotic subjects and locales are not required as the site exists to celebrate the spirit of adventure available in each and every moment. Anyone can submit images for consideration to this expansive site, featuring over two thousand sixty-four images from one hundred nineteen countries and one hundred eight photographers. Some favorite contributors include Jacqueline Gallo and Laetitia Dupin.

Submitted by jen lemen (view blog) on Mon, 04/14/2008 - 22:11

Comments

 

Traveling

Every photographer needs to "travel" - go outside what you see everyday. I think that even the next city can feel exotic when you visit it with your camera and see new things. I can't even imagine how exiting a trip to Africa would be. What will you concentrate your photos too and do you have somewhere that will publish them? *only curious*

:-)

/Hanna

creative blog | ihanna's shop

Submitted by ihanna on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 04:49
 

hmmm...

i'm such an amateur photographer that it's hard to think of my photos being used for anything other than my blog and personal enjoyment.  but who knows?  i'll be interested to see what kinds of images i capture and how that process impacts my take as a photographer. 

 

www.jenlemen.com art, soul and stories for everyday

Submitted by jen lemen on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 13:51
 

Star travel photos on BlogHer. : )

I went to Vietnam in March and BlogHer travel editor Pam Mandel went a month or so ahead of me. I ended up sharing her photos from her trip to Asia with my classmates and my professor. I've known Pam for awhile now (Hi, Pam. : ) ) but I was newly blown away by her photos of this trip.

I took 3,000 photos in ten days in Vietnam, and I'm still sifting through them. If you pay attention to the people - as I know you will to an amazing degree, Jen - the photos find you.

The only thing I was mindful of throughout was whether people wanted their picture taken or not. The faces were so beautiful that I wanted to shoot constantly, but not everyone wanted me to...so sensitivity was key.

Flickr was also a great help. I searched for "Hanoi" and "Vietnam" tags (along with some of the more specific destinations I was headed for in the city and the region) and found some great stuff. Of course you have to sift through it, but it was cool to see what other travelers had sought out and found before me. (Bonus: I also got links to some great blogs and travel sites through user profiles. It's just VERY time-consuming, as Flickr is for me anyway. Just carve out an evening and go for it. ;))

Your best shots (in my opinion, of course) are of the people in your life, Jen - and you're great at bringing us into their eyes...I know you'll probably surpass that in Rwanda. Vietnam challenged me to look at everything around me differently. I will venture a guess that the same thing will happen to you. (Can't wait to see Odette's girls. : ) )

Be safe,

Laurie

LaurieWrites

Submitted by lauriewrites on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 07:17
 

thanks laurie!

i can't wait to meet those girls, too!!  thank you for so much encouragement and so many kind words.

i can only imagine what it was like for you in vietnam.  can't wait to be able swap stories when i get back.

 

www.jenlemen.com art, soul and stories for everyday

Submitted by jen lemen on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 13:53
 

African Impression

A dear friend of mine lived in South Africa for four years. I've never seen a the course of a person's life so deeply influenced by a place. She's back in the State's now, but her work and, I believe mission in life, will forever be colored by her experiences in South Africa which she captured beautifully through her photography at:

http://web.mac.com/alowrie9/iWeb/wildeyephoto/Buseleni,%20Swaziland.html 

 

Amanda

http://lifewithbriar.blogspot.com

http://toddlywinks.blogspot.com

Submitted by mama2bna on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 10:06
 

beautiful, beautiful link!!

thank you so much for sharing it! 

 

www.jenlemen.com art, soul and stories for everyday

Submitted by jen lemen on Tue, 04/15/2008 - 13:54
 

photography, Africa, women, taking our work
seriously!

Hi my best friend [Bee] lives in Eritrea she has been taking stunning photos for years now, being in dramatcially different environment[s] is so stimulating. I wish you the best luck, [trust your inner eye ] I will tell her to ck this blog and maybe you two can chat In the mean time ck her India photos and words on my web sight blog.www.chalkhome.com

Submitted by chalkhome on Mon, 04/21/2008 - 06:28