Social Documentary Photography and Film
Posted in Tibet on Sep 30th, 2010
There has been a lot of controversy about the rate of climate change on the Tibetan Plateau—especially concerning the predictions about the disappearance of glaciers. Because of unseasonable rain and fast melting glaciers the rivers overflow onto the fields requiring the farmers to harvest their crops underwater. I have spent the last 2 years interviewing farmers [...]
Posted in Production Notes on Jun 17th, 2010
During the month of May an obscure fungus becomes the major focus of people living on the Tibetan Plateau. The Cordyceps sinensis fungus is known locally as Yartsa Gunbu or Caterpillar Fungus. The fungus devours and eventually mummifies its host, the ghost moth caterpillar, from inside out during the caterpillar’s hibernation on the mountain grasslands between [...]
Posted in Production Notes on May 19th, 2010
We met Choqhua, a monk from the small and remote Trakkar Monastery near Labrang in Gansu Province. We spent 3 days staying with him in his little cottage. He took us to the tiny remote village where he grew up and to a nearby cave where the 9th Panchen Lama was said to have meditated. [...]
Posted in Production Notes on May 13th, 2010
News sent from Phil while working on a second book in Tibet: I’m in Gansu Province on the Eastern Tibetan Plateau adding to my collection of stories of people who live on the plateau. I’m traveling with Stevan from North Carolina and Inigo who is currently living in Singapore — Both are photographers that I [...]
Posted in Stirring The Fire on Aug 26th, 2009
Once One HEART’s work was terminated there was nothing I could document other than the frantic two weeks Arlene Samen (Executive Director of One HEART) spent trying to get permission for her organization to continue its work. After the decision to stop One HEART’s work in Tibet had been made, Arlene left for Nepal. She [...]
Posted in Stirring The Fire on Aug 22nd, 2009
As many of you know the focus of my personal photographic work over the past 5 years has been around the empowerment of women and girls—especially in the developing world. This week there is a must read article in the NY Times Magazine by Nicholas Kristof and his wife Sheryl Wu Dunn for anyone interested in [...]