Human Planet: Trailer

Photo © Tim Allen-All Rights Reserved

I've featured Tim Allen's Human Planet quite a number of times, but the BBC's latest trailer is a a treat and a must see. Narrated by Tim, it features a number of his phenomenal still photographs made during the production of the series.

As the BBC describes it: "From the icy Arctic to Africa's dense jungles - and the mountain tops of Mongolia to the deep waters of the Pacific - the BBC series Human Planet has explored mankind's incredible relationship with nature."

One photographer, 4 teams and 40 countries...and almost 2 years for Tim to shadow BBC film crews during the production of the landmark television series. This is what it took to produce this stunning series. Human Planet was featured on BBC One on Thursday 3 March and is viewable on its BBC iViewer, but this is not available in the United States.

I'm very pleased to be listed on Tim's favorite links. He describes my blog as "Not much from the culture of traveling photographers slips past the watchful eye of Tewfic El-Sawy in this, his highly informative blog for those of us who travel and photograph." Nice.

My thanks to readers Jonny of www.shimmerimages.co.uk and Jonas Bendik for letting me know of this trailer.

Amy Johansson: Transcending Pain Through Faith

Photo © Amy Helene Johansson- All Rights Reserved

This is the second post on The Travel Photographer blog for Amy Helene Johansson, who is a Dhaka-based photojournalist covering South Asia. Amy's work was published in leading broadsheets and magazines in the UK and Sweden, including the Sunday Times and Sydsvenska Dagbladet, Amelia and Omvärlden. Her work has been displayed in solo and collaborative exhibitions in Bangladesh, the Czech Republic, Sweden and the UAE.

She has recently joined Kontinent, a Swedish Photojournalist Agency working worldwide, and has featured Transcending Pain Through Faith on its website.

The accompanying text for the photo essay describes the Ashura observance amongst Shia Muslims quite well:

"The crowd is heavy with grief and pulsing with intensity. In the heat of night, the faithful mourn the death of Hussein, the Prophet Muhammad’s grandson, by flagellating themselves with swords and whips until blood runs down their bare backs. For these Shiite Muslims in Bangladesh, the Day of Ashura is a day of remembrance and self-sacrifice. The wounds epitomize the deep sorrow caused by a martyrdom that took place over 1300 years ago. By inflicting such pain, it is believed by some that all sins will be absolved. For others, it is a time to submit to their faith and show devotion to their brethren."

Ashura is held on on the 10th day of Muharram in the Islamic calendar and marks the climax of the Remembrance of Muharram. This commemorates the death of Hussein Bin Ali in the battle of Karbala at the hands of Yazid I, the Ummayad Caliph of Syria.

Gul Chotrani: Leica Oskar Barnack 2011 Contest

Photo © Gul Chotrani-All Rights Reserved

Gul Chotrani lives in Singapore, and joined my recent recently completed In Search of the Sufis of Gujarat Photo Expedition™. Originally an international corporate banker for most of his career, Gul also set up his own business consultancy, providing corporate financial advisory services to European and Asian firms seeking to do business in South East Asia.

Notwithstanding these achievements, he relinquished the fast-paced corporate life for a faster-paced life in photography, becoming a full-time photographer, and traveling to the four corners of the world to nurture his passion.

He just completed his entries in the Leica Oskar Barnack Award 2011 Contest which he titled "Faith Along The Way". His images wre made in Haridwar during the 2010 Kumbh Mela, in Ujjain, in Varanasi, and a couple from Gujarat made during the photo~expedition (as the one above of the woman in trance in one of the Sufi dargahs).

I know it sounds biased...but I hope he wins!!!