INSIGHT Guides: Travel Photo Competition

Insight Guides in conjunction with the Independent are offering travel photographers the chance to win a commission to shoot one of its travel books. All the entrants have to do is offer three images on the theme of 'water'.

The first prize is a commission, worth £3,000, to photograph a travel destination for a future Insight Guide. Second and third prizes will be £1,000 and £500 worth of photographic equipment. The entrants must be normally resident in the UK, the Isle of Man or the Channel Islands, and all entries must be received by Friday 12 September 2008.

As usual in these sort of competitions, caveat emptor and a careful read of the fine print is a must. For instance, here's a condition which anybody considering participating should take note of:

"All entries, however submitted, shall become the property of INM and will not be returned. By entering this competition entrants agree that should they win or be a runner-up they are deemed to have agreed to grant to INM a non-exclusive licence to publish the winning entries online and in print.".

So again, caveat emptor!!!

Insight Guides' Travel Photo Competition 2008

8 Photographers : Access To Life

Photograph © Paolo Pellegrin-All Rights Reserved
The Global Fund is a unique global public-private partnership dedicated to attracting and disbursing additional resources to prevent and treat HIV/AIDS, tuberculosis, and malaria.

Here's a truly magnificent multimedia production for The Global Fund, and featuring work by Magnum Photos photographers such as Paolo Pellegrin, Alex Majoli, Larry Towell, Jim Goldberg, Gilles Peress, Jonas Bendiksen, Steve McCurry, and Eli Reed.

In Access to Life, these 8 Magnum photographers traveled to 9 countries, photographing people before and 4 months after they began antiretroviral treatment for AIDS.

This multimedia production must be one of the best I've seen, and ought to be studied by photographers wishing to learn about multimedia, and how to excel at producing them.

Marvi Lacar: Maasai Ritual

Photograph © Marvi Lacar-All Rights Reserved
For the Maasai of Kenya, Femal Genital Mutilation (FGM) is considered a rite of passage. Although practiced in some Islamic countries, the tradition originated in Africa.

Particularly practiced amongst the poor pastoral Kenyan families, the marriage of a daughter brings in a significant enhancement of status, and an infusion of cash and livestock as dowry. In 2001, FGM became illegal in Kenya.

Marvi Lacar is a New York based photographer working with non-profit organizations, focusing on migrant and woman's health issues. She's been recognized by Communications Arts, PDN and American Photography, and has a long list of clients such as the New York Times, Time, Newsweek and many more.