ZORIAH - A PHOTOJOURNALIST AND WAR PHOTOGRAPHER'S BLOG

The Trail

Pedestrians crossing a small trail in Dhaka's main train station.

The Colors of Dhaka

Residents of a makeshift apartment complex in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Lecture and Exhibition Thank You Notes

I have been shooting all week and have not had time to make a proper post, so let me take this time to send out a few thanks:

First of all, my thanks to Russian Photo Magazine for bringing me to Moscow last month.  It was also a pleasure to meet, lecture and exhibit with landscape photographer Dan Ballard, extreme sports photographer Krystle Wright and wedding photographer Dina Douglas, all of whom are considered to be at the very top of their fields.  More importantly though, they are all really nice people.

A late thank you to Tammy, Shireen and everyone at Webster University Genave for bringing me out to lecture at their wonderful Media Trends Conference and for their hospitality.  I look forward to seeing you all again in the spring for next years conference.

My next lecture will be in New York in November at the Hobart and William Smith Colleges.  I will post details as soon as I have dates and confirmation if any of the events will be open to the public.

If you are interested in booking lectures you can follow that link.  If you are interested in attending I post information on lectures on this blog.

I also have some work on display at ZIA Gallery in Chicago this month and will have a solo exhibition there in the spring. 

More photographs next week...

Tips for Photographing in The Rain

If you travel during a country's rainy season you can expect to both get wet and also get some wonderful shots, but only if you are willing to be a bit brave.  I thought I would share a couple of tips along with a shot I took this week:

1.  Bag It - Instead of buying expensive cases and protective covers for your gear (which I promise, you will never actually have with you when a downpour strikes) just stop into a local shop and ask for a grocery bag (hand them a bit of money or buy something if you are in a poor neighborhood and want to reward the shopkeeper for helping you out.)  First make a hole in the bottom of the bag that is slightly smaller than your lens and gently push the lens through it so only the filter is exposed.  Get your camera in a comfortable position in your hand then cover the rest with bag, making a hole for the viewfinder as your final step.

2.  Don't Be Afraid To Get Wet - Now that your camera is protected, get out there and shoot.  I promise no matter how wet you get, you will dry off!

3. Experiment With Different Shutter Speeds - Slower shutter speeds will make the rain streak through the frame while faster ones will freeze it and make it look like little dots.  Experiment with both approaches every time so you come back home with a variety of shots.  You can set you camera into "T" (Time) mode so that you can adjust the shutter speed and the camera will do the rest.

4. Experiment With Different Focal Lengths - Different focal lengths will have different effects on how the rain will look so zoom all the way in and take a few frames then all the way out and shoot a few more.  If you have interchangeable lenses go somewhere dry and switch them out so you can see the different effects. 

5. If Your Camera Gets Wet, Buy Rice - I already made a post on how to fix a wet camera so follow the link if you missed that one.

Here is a shot I took in a downpour here in Dhaka, Bangladesh this week.  The camera settings and technical info is below the image:

River taxi drivers seek shelter under umbrellas in their boats during a monsoon downpour in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

This image was shot on a 50mm 1.2 lens at F2.5.  The shutter speed was 1/160 at ISO 100.

 

Survivors by GMB Akash

I arrived in Dhaka earlier this week and have spent some time on the streets with my dear friend and brother GMB Akash.  Akash is has been a close friend of mine for many years now and he is a master photojournalist and more importantly, a really good person.  He has just finished his new photojournalism book called Survivors which documents the lives and struggles of people who are surviving against all odds.  If you purchase his book you will not only own a wonderful collection of art, you will also be helping the people you see within its pages.  Akash is one of those people who really changes people's lives and the money that comes in from book sales goes towards starting small businesses for those he photographs.  Unlike a micro-loan, Akash is buying these businesses outright and giving them to these people who are in need yet have the drive and dreams to make lives for themselves.  He is having a very high success rate with this project and changing many lives, so please consider helping by purchasing this wonderful book.  I have my own copy and it is really a beautiful book.  You can find out more about Survivors by GMB Akash by clicking the link.

If you would like to follow GMB Akash's Blog you can use this link.  I urge you all to find out more about his projects and follow him closely, as he will go down as one of the all time great photographers.

Here are just a few of the incredible images you can find in Survivors:

 

All of the above images were taken by and copywritten to GMB Akash.  They are all part of the book Survivors and you can find descriptions of each image within the book.  If you would like to buy, publish or license any of these images please contact GMB Akash.