FOUR CONTINENTS: 15 Photographers

We invited photographers we’ve met in workshops around the world and through this blog to help us celebrate the new year by posting a photograph and giving us an update about their work. So here are 15 photographs taken on 4 continents by photographers from 10 countries around the world.  “Happy New Year” to all of you. –– Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb

David Belay, Hessen Germany, 2009

I started shooting a circus two years ago as I was looking for something to photograph in my otherwise gray city that would be suitable for color photography. I liked it and it evolved into a long-term project about circuses, and more specifically about the backstage of circuses, a territory I see as a border between the world of the show and the “real world.” ––David Belay

Dimitri Mellos, Athens, Greece, Christmas 2009

Dimitri Mellos is working on a long-term project in his native country of Greece, as well as continuing to photograph the streets of New York where he now lives.  Dimitri’s website: www.dimitrimellos.com.

Chantal Heijnen, Bronx, New York, 2009

The Dutch photographer Chantal Heijnen is working on a long-term project in the Bronx. To learn more about Chantal and her work visit www.chantalheijnen.com

Andreas Kalmes, Seattle, 2007

I recently launched a new website: www.andreaskalmes.com

I also had an exhibition at an “Art Walk” event in September in the Seattle International District. In addition, I’ve been back to Japan to continue my project on the Tsukji fish market, expanding it somewhat to include smaller fishing towns and markets that are part of Tsukiji’s supply chain.––Andreas Kalmes

Prantik Mazumder, Calcutta, 2008

This photograph (above) was taken in Calcutta. I was sitting in the back of a taxi, and we were stuck for about an hour behind a tram in one of those miserble traffic jams of Calcutta. Boredom inspired a decent shot.–– Prantik Mazumder

For more about Indian photographer Prantik Mazumder: http://www.photoholik.com/projectsListe.aspx?photographer=prantik

Matthew Goddard-Jones, Chicago, 2009

The Australian photographer Matthew Goddard-Jones took this photograph on Michigan Avenue in Chicago.  He is currently working on a long-term project in Perth, Australia.  To see more of his work: www.goddard-jones.com

Francois Dagenais, Smokey Mountain, Philippines, 2008

François has worked as a cinematographer on both feature and documentary films. The films he has photographed have been shown at festivals such as Sundance, Havana, and Toronto. They have also been showcased at New York’s Museum of Modern Art, the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London,  the Boston Museum of Arts, and the Brooklyn Museum.

After moving to Toronto in 2005, François re-discovered his passion for still photography.  He participated in various group shows in Ontario, and was awarded a development Chalmers Professional Development grant from the Ontario Arts Council for a mentorship with Magnum photographer Alex Webb. The grant included a workshop in Cusco, Peru with Alex Webb and Rebecca Norris Webb. He subsequently won first place at the Insight Juried Art Show presented at the Wellington County Museum  in Fergus Ontario. Dagenais is currently working on a series entitled Smokey Mountain, which documents one of the most densely populated areas on earth.

To see more work from Francois’s Smokey Mountain series: http://www.photoshelter.com/gallery/smokey-mountain/G0000eOmoIFH2hG0/

There will be a screening in New York at the Center for Architecture on February 26  and 27, 2010, of the documentary, “Malls R Us.”

http://icarusfilms.com/new2009/mall.html

German Romero Martinez, Piedra Labrada, Mexico, 2004

Here’s a link to Mexican photographer’s German Romero Martinez’s blog: http://imagoscapes.blogspot.com/

Rajiv Kapoor, Bethlehem checkpoint

I have a show opening on the sixth of January at the Vera Art Gallery in Seattle (Warren Ave N and Republican St.). The show is titled “Landscapes of My Land” with images from Palestine and Old City of Jerusalem. I have included one of my favorite images (above), which is from a checkpoint in Palestine for people to get into Israel. The images from the show are on www.rajivkapoorphoto.com/land . –– Rajiv Kapoor

Uwe Schober

I have started a project about homeless people who have been put up in caravans by a charity in Frankfurt/Germany… The aim is to give these people some personal space to enable them to get back on their feet. What strikes me most is the slippery path from a well-established, secure life to that of a roaming, aimless, homeless person… Listening to their biographies, you realize that sometimes simply one wrong turn at a critical time of their lives set in motion a chain of events that led to homelessness… One of them lost a daughter to cancer and was thrown off balance, which led to the loss of his job and ultimately of his home… one other had a costly divorce… one other suffered a stroke and ended up on the streets… I am exploring this through the use of diptychs, juxtaposing portraits of the people living in the caravans and how they have personalized their (temporary) space.–– Uwe Schober

website: www.rupertbeagle.com

Cathy Scholl, rodeo, New Mexico

After twelve years of annual visits to India (1995-2006), I took three years off to buy and remodel an old adobe in New Mexico, where I took the above photograph. In January, I am very excited to be returning to India for five weeks. I’m looking forward to seeing with new eyes!––Cathy Scholl

Cathy’s work and bio: http://www.santafe.com/photographers/

Cathy’s website (under construction): http://www.cathyscholl.com

David Bacher, Paris, 2009

The above photo was taken just outside of the Carrousel du Louvre in the Tuileries Garden in Paris. The woman pictured was extremely fond of pigeons. They seemed like her pets as she spoke to them, pet them, and fed them copious amounts of dried corn.

Most recently one of my photos was published on the Verve documentary photography blog http://vervephoto.wordpress.com/, thanks to one of my pictures having been shown on an early post on the Webb’s blog.  I also recently showed one print at The Art of Photography Show in San Diego, California.––David Bacher

David’s website: www.davidbacher.com

Muema, Southport, UK, 2009

The photo was taken at the Southport Weekender music festival in November.

The festival organizers decided to use it for their current press photo: http://www.southportweekender.co.uk/flyer/261109/

I have also just launched a new website (link below). –– Muema

http://www.muemaphoto.com/

Thomas Lindahl Robinson, Cuba

I have a new website, http:www.thomaslindahlrobinson.com, where you can view the latest work from Cuba, titled “New Work,” which was photographed this past summer, and the current project titled, “Dreaming In Cuban.”  Attached, is an image of Cosette, who I have been photographing  for the past two years. This particular image of her was taken six months after her surgery to correct a curvature of her spine. According to the doctors her surgery is considered a success despite pain that she feels on a daily basis. I wil be visiting her on my next trip and photograph her once again.––Thomas Lindahl Robinson

Alejandro Briones, Mexico City

Mexican photogapher Alejandro Briones has launched a new website:

www.alejandrobriones.com