When I read in the book Half the Sky (Kristof/Wudunn, [New York: Knopf, 2009], xx-xxi) that the Joint Chiefs of Staff now consider the education of women and girls important to our military goals in Afghanistan and Pakistan, and consequently to our security here at home, it gave me hope that US military thinking has… Read more »
Rachel Lloyd, founder of GEMS, New York City Exploited and trafficked girls in the United States According to the Department of Justice, over 100,000 adolescents are involved in prostitution in the United States. Sgt. Fassett of the Dallas Police dept pointed out an obvious irony of this situation. “If a 45 year-old man has sex… Read more »
Women Empowered has been my primary focus project for sometime now. I am currently expanding the exhibition to include multimedia profiles of a number of the women. The first that I have completed is the story of Akhi, who at the age of 13, was sold as a sex worker. She has since accomplished the… Read more »
There are many who believe that the greatest handicap to development in Muslim Middle Eastern societies is the status and roles they give to women. Nowhere has this been more evident than in one of the poorest and dysfunctional countries in the world—Afghanistan. During the reign of the Taliban essentially all women working outside the… Read more »
Because most of my work is now done in very remote areas without the help of a trained assistant, I have learned how to simplify my on-location lighting substantially. Now I choose lighting equipment based on its reliability, simplicity and weight. When I first started making portraits of indigenous and tribal people in the field, I… Read more »
I’m often asked how I gain access and go about photographing people in the developing world. First of all your mental attitude as you approach someone to take their photo is critical to your success no matter if the person you approach is from a remote tribe in Irian Jaya or someone on the streets… Read more »
In 2004, I began documenting the work of organizations whose focus is the empowerment of women and girls. After visiting dozens of projects and meeting hundreds of participants and staff around the world, I have also come to believe that the most efficient way to alleviate poverty and reduce population pressures in the developing world… Read more »
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… Read more »
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… Read more »
