Edgy Meg

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Beautiful Meg

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Woman Lying on Sand

Mia

Mia

“NOTHING last forever not feelings not your bad situation nothing !! I’ve had this weird negative outlook on New Zealand for a long while I will always be a kiwi and appreciate the natural beauty of the country but the economy is seriously fucked and tall poppy syndrome is all to real stop cutting each other down !! be happy for other people’s success instead of been jealous or trying to find a way to exploit them personally when someone tells me about something good they are doing or something they are proud of I am genuinely happy for them and praise their efforts or even offer my help. this year I’ve walked away from people I thought would be in my life forever but have been rewarded with New beautiful souls who add to my life in a positive way. Often now when I meet new people I here whispers of oh she’s a rich kid or she’s got it easy. I just smile because the reality is I’m not “from money”
I made money my first job was actually McDonald’s it taught me lots I learnt to treat people with respect no matter what they looked like because hey everyone eats at maccas , millionaires the homeless everyone .. eventually I became a sex worker it got more hate than anyone I know for doing the oldest trade in the world. I invested wisely and it paid off I retired at the start of the year brought houses mortgage free and now I am working on projects so I can employ and help others. I did exactly what so many said I could not .
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Exactly 4 years ago today I was going to kill myself I had no support no one to turn to for some absolute miracle I didn’t I pulled myself out of the shit I was a junky a meth addict I couldn’t see the light so I made my own. I always remember that is where I came from try stay humble and appreciate what I have Check up on your mates praise people for been good and get off your arses and do something instead of been jealous today I am 4 years meth clean and fucking proud “???

Portrait Photographer Auckland

ipa 2019 Honourable Mention – Eyes to the Soul

Portrait Photographer Auckland

Nude Mandala

Mandala

Silver Award for Nude Mandala in the Creative category of the 2020 Rise Photography Awards

Fearless

Nude Photography Auckland

Sophie

The subject of the female figure is an artistic tradition which indicates the historic value of beauty and fertility. Nudity has been a fundamental element of art throughout history. It has been used in paintings, sculptures, and other art forms to depict the human form, to express emotions and ideas, and to convey cultural and social messages. The role of nudity in art has changed over time, with changing cultural, religious, and social attitudes towards the human body.

In ancient times, nudity was often used in art to represent the supernatural. Nude female figures represented in art can be found as early as the Upper Palaeolithic era – the last Stone Age period. Similar images which represent fertility deities, gods and goddesses in Babylonian and Ancient Egyptian art were precursors to the works of Western antiquity. Greek and Roman artists frequently depicted gods and goddesses in the nude, as a symbol of their power and divine nature. Other notable traditions of artistic nude representations can be found in India and Japan: in particular, traditional Hindu temple sculptures and cave paintings -some very explicit- indicate the value of sexuality; a reveal a culture where partial or complete nudity was common in everyday life. In Early Christian art, the naked human figure was seen as a symbol of corruption and sin.

During the Renaissance period, artists began to incorporate the nude figure in their work more frequently, using it to express the beauty of the human form and to explore the complexity of human emotions. Athletes, dancers, and warriors statically express human energy and life, while nudes express basic and complex emotions. Artists like Michelangelo and Leonardo da Vinci created famous works depicting the nude figure. In the 19th and early 20th centuries, nudity became a more controversial subject in art. Artists like Édouard Manet and Gustave Courbet challenged traditional attitudes towards the human body, introducing more realistic and honest depictions of nudity. This trend continued into the 20th century, with artists like Pablo Picasso and Salvador Dali incorporating nudity into their works to express more surreal and abstract ideas.

Today, nudity in art continues to be a source of debate and controversy. Some see it as a powerful expression of human beauty and emotion, while others view it as inappropriate or even offensive. Despite this, nudity remains an important element of art, continuing to push the boundaries of what is acceptable by society. The nude has been a prominent subject of photography since its invention, and played an important role in establishing photography as a fine art medium. Fine art nude photography is a genre that captures the beauty and aesthetic of the human body, with an emphasis on form, composition, emotional content, and aesthetic qualities. This form of photography has been practiced for centuries and can be seen in various art movements such as classical, romantic, and modern. Fine art nude photography challenges and subverts societal norms and stereotypes surrounding nudity and the human body. It also celebrate the human form and explore themes such as sexuality, gender, and identity. It can also be controversial and may be subject to censorship and societal criticism. 

Erotic interest, although often present, is secondary; which distinguishes art photography from both glamour and pornographic photography. The distinction is not always clear, and photographers tend to characterise their own work subjectively, although viewers may have  different impressions. The nude is a controversial subject across all artistic mediums, but more so within photography due to the inherent realism. The medium examines issues of representation and identity, sexuality and voyeurism – some nude photography deliberately blur the boundaries between erotica and art. In the context of the 21st century, it is difficult to make an artistic statement in the medium of nude photography, given the proliferation of pornographic imagery – which has tainted the artistic subject in the perception of most viewers, limiting the opportunities to exhibit or publish artistic nude images

In this series, I explore the female nude figure through a collection of photographs on location. I aim to create images that are aesthetically pleasing and evoke an emotional response. I use lighting, composition, and posing techniques to create mood. I endeavor to respect the boundaries and sensitivities of my subjects and viewers and always obtain informed consent before creating these images. In presenting this series, I offer opportunities to contemplate and appreciate the juxtaposition between human and nature: soft flesh and harsh environment; life and stillness; white and black. The use of monochrome emphasises the nude shape and form, removing distracting elements to ensure that you focus on the beautiful feminine body language. These photographs portray powerful, vulnerable, and independent women who are depicted through fresh, inspiring and original artwork.

In presenting this series, I offer opportunities to contemplate and appreciate the juxtaposition between human and nature: soft flesh and harsh environment; life and still; white and black. The use of monochrome emphasises the nude shape and form, removing distracting elements to ensure that you focus on the beautiful body language. These photographs portray powerful and independent women who are depicted through fresh, inspiring and original artwork.

Nude Photography North Shore

Lucy

 

Nude Photography North Shore

Robyn

 

Nude Photography North Shore

Keri

 

Nude Photography North Shore

Jana

 

Nude Photography North Shore

Mia

 

Nude Photography North Shore

Maggie

 

Nude Photography North Shore

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Zoe

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Tamsin

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Melissa

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Ivy

Nude Photography Auckland

Eve

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Lucie

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Fernanda

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Viviane

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Karin

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Virginia

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Nakita

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Meg

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Shazia

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Light at the Tunnel

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Vendy

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Le Corre

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Poppy

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Maddison

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Aimee

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Minh-Ly

 

Nude Photography Auckland

On the Rocks

 

Autumn Leaves

 

The wave Breaker

 

The Nymph

 

Nude Photographer Auckland

Giuliana

 

The Huntress

 

Woman on a Tree

 

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Juxtaposition

 

Drought

 

The Bride

 

By the Sea

I let the cold porcelain bruise it’s way into my knees
Some days I sit there long enough that my skin looks like it could peel from my flesh
I feel each individual drop of water soak the skin on my back rising and falling down protruding vertebrae
It flows no different to the rapids of a river rolling across jagged stone
And quietly to myself I beg it to wash away the ache that seems it has so effortlessly weaved its way into every cell in my body
The way cancer would spread
Or weeds over grow a garden once cared for

You are how I measure time now
Before you and after you
And you are how I measure beauty too
No one quite compares to you
I am not afraid of the dark anymore
It lives inside of me and I in it
On the nights my hearts composure decomposes
and my grief feels no different to drowning
I walk the streets of this ghost town I once walked with you
At witching hour just the moon and i
A humble smile as a disguise to mask the screams I hold inside
My body feels like bags of rocks
And I wonder if my blood feels the same way I do
As it pumps through each barren chamber of my heart pounding with each step I take
Slowly making its way through the road maps that are my veins
There’s life here
It’s just locked away somewhere hiding in fear
But I promise you a broken heart doesn’t beat the same as a happy one
I can feel it with every heaving breath that exhales from my blackened lungs
I can feel it

I am lucky
I walk amongst the living still
I say lucky because
I swear most nights I looked death in the face
As she invited me into the comfort of her embrace
I have knelt before the reaper
And let her seductively run her scythe along my throat
I wiped my tears on the foot of her robe
And let her fill my head with fantasies
Where we could run away together
She promised I wouldn’t miss you
She said if I let go
That she would take me to the oasis of souls inhabiting the emptiness that grief holds
But the grief would no longer be mine to hold

Most days now when death comes knocking at my door
I politely ask her to leave
I know my time will come but for now
I do not wish to be the reason that many may grieve
Or the reason their bodies become heavy with sadness that was never theirs to carry
So with the space you left in me
I raised an army of dead
With each day I’d wake and die all over again
And every version of me that buried itself
My body became its own graveyard
I used my necromancer hands to pull each piece of my soul from its grave
I collected my ashes and rose again with the fire of a phoenix
And I told her to wear the heartbreak like armor
Hold the emptiness as a shield
And anything that tries to take you let it fall into the void
Pick up your words, pick up your integrity
It is your weapon
And with each piece of me that has risen again
I slay the thoughts that threaten me
And I remain
With the words engraved in my body
I refuse to die.

Encapsulated

 

Temptation

 

Climbing Up

 

Nude Photography Auckland

Mud

 

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Between two Rocks

 

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The Tree

Yeala Raber

2019 APPA

Delighted to win four Awards out of four print entries at the 2019 Australian Professional Photography Awards [APPA] by the AIPP. Established in 1963, AIPP promotes the profession of photography, enhancing the skill and knowledge of professional photographers. APPA is largest awards for professional print photography in Australia. A panel of five expert judges are looking for exceptional images that inspire and impress: images that exhibit visual and emotional impact, innovation and creativity. APPA is awarding prints that demonstrate excellence in skill, craftsmanship and conceptual development of an idea.

Woman on a Tree, Sliver with Distinction – 2019 APPA: Portrait In Camera

Woman on a Tree is an exploration of opposing forces: life and death, young and old, power and vulnerability, soft and hard. Its pertinence lies in the symbolism of contradictions. Contradictions are all around us. Humans continue to exploit and overwhelm the natural environment with industrial pollution despite global warming, and its ever present impact on earth. The dead tree, scarred from fires, represents mother nature’s vulnerability to the forces we inflict upon her. I explore the paradox that humanity needs trees to live, yet we keep cutting them down. Despite the beautiful environment being subject to incessant abuse, western society considers itself to be thriving, ignorant to greater issues. The interaction between the human form and the tree is like a love dance. An intimate moment, where the body caresses the tree and with that, offers a gentle apology, a moment of compassion. Humans can empathise with nature’s scars. We have scars too. Some are visible and others are hidden: scars from neglect, abuse, addiction or violence. We have the power to conceal our scars yet the tree is forever exposed. This woman is bare, reflecting the state of the tree. Demonstrating that despite paradoxical contradictions which taint our relationship with earth, we can still find comfort, as she does here. Comfort in one’s skin and comfort in the company of nature. The story that accompanies this piece invites the viewer to reflect on their own identity politics, creating a moment to contemplate our complex relationship with nature. I depict the woman in her most natural state, one with nature. By embracing the human form in all its glory and portraying the woman and tree side by side, it is my vision that the viewer embraces nature as a precious ephemeral organism that needs to be cherished and protected.

Amy, Sliver – 2019 APPA: Portrait In Camera

”I was diagnosed with grade 3 aggressive breast cancer in January 2016. My family has the BRCA1 mutation. Each child of a carrier has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene and each carrier has extremely high risk of cancer. Five of my six great aunts died of cancer by their forties. I had four different chemotherapy drug treatments as well as radiation treatment. Luckily, I had a positive response to treatment and the 5 cm tumour was totally destroyed. I underwent bilateral mastectomy with a two phase silicon reconstruction as well as a total Salpingo-oophorectomy. I also had a hysterectomy surgical operation to remove my uterus. Knowing I have beaten what by nature ought to have been certain death, gives me a sense of immediacy and urgency in life. There is no sense in waiting or hesitating because there is no guarantee of tomorrow!”

Maasai, Sliver – 2019 APPA: Travel

The Maasai inhabit the African Great Lakes region and arrived via the South Sudan. The Maasai are famous for their fearsome reputations as warriors and cattle-rustlers. Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature, with elder men, sometimes joined by retired elders, deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. A full body of oral law covers many aspects of behavior. Formal execution is unknown, and normally payment in cattle will settle matters. An out-of-court process is also practiced called ‘amitu’, ‘to make peace’, or ‘arop’, which involves a substantial apology. The monotheistic Maasai worship a single deity called Enkai or Engai. Engai has a dual nature: Engai Narok (Black God) is benevolent, and Engai Na-nyokie (Red God) is vengeful. There are also two pillars or totems of Maasai society: Oodo Mongi, the Red Cow and Orok Kiteng, the Black Cow with a subdivision of five clans or family trees. The maasai also has a totemic animal which is the lion however, the animal can be killed. The way the Maasai kill the lion differs from trophy hunting as it is used in the rite of passage ceremony. The “Mountain of God”, Ol Doinyo Lengai, is located in northernmost Tanzania and can be seen from Lake Natron in southernmost Kenya. The central human figure in the Maasai religious system is the laibon whose roles include shamanistic healing, divination and prophecy, and ensuring success in war or adequate rainfall. Today, they have a political role as well due to the elevation of leaders. Whatever power an individual laibon had was a function of personality rather than position. Many Maasai have also adopted Christianity and Islam. The Maasai are known for their intricate jewelry.
The piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai as with other tribes. Various materials have been used to both pierce and stretch the lobes, including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters.
As a historically nomadic and then semi-nomadic people, the Maasai have traditionally relied on local, readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their housing. The traditional Maasai house was in the first instance designed for people on the move and was thus very impermanent in nature. The houses are either somewhat rectangular shaped with extensions or circular, and are constructed by able-bodied women.
The structural framework of a typical hut is formed of timber poles fixed directly into the ground and interwoven with a lattice of smaller branches wattle, which is then plastered with a mix of mud, sticks, grass, cow dung, human urine, and ash. The cow dung ensures that the roof is waterproof. The enkaj or engaji is small, measuring about 3 × 5 m and standing only 1.5 m high. Within this space, the family cooks, eats, sleeps, socializes, and stores food, fuel, and other household possessions. Small livestock are also often accommodated within the enkaji. Villages are enclosed in a circular fence (an enkang) built by the men, usually of thorned acacia, a native tree. At night, all cows, goats, and sheep are placed in an enclosure in the centre, safe from wild animals.
Shúkà is the Maa word for sheets traditionally worn wrapped around the body. These are typically red, though with some other colors such as blue and plaid patterns. Pink, even with flowers, is not shunned by warriors. One piece garments known as kanga, a Swahili term, are common. Maasai near the coast may wear kikoi, a type of sarong that comes in many different colors and textiles. However, the preferred style is stripes.
Many Maasai in Tanzania wear simple sandals, which were until recently made from cowhides. They are now soled with tire strips or plastic. Both men and women wear wooden bracelets. The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewellery. This beadwork plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Although there are variations in the meaning of the color of the beads, some general meanings for a few colors are: white, peace; blue, water; red, warrior/blood/bravery.
Beadworking, done by women, has a long history among the Maasai, who articulate their identity and position in society through body ornaments and body painting. Before contact with Europeans, the beads were produced mostly from local raw materials. White beads were made from clay, shells, ivory, or bone. Black and blue beads were made from iron, charcoal, seeds, clay, or horn. Red beads came from seeds, woods, gourds, bone, ivory, copper, or brass. When late in the nineteenth century, great quantities of brightly colored European glass beads arrived in Southeast Africa, beadworkers replaced the older beads with the new materials and began to use more elaborate color schemes. Currently, dense, opaque glass beads with no surface decoration and a naturally smooth finish are preferred.

Drought, Sliver – 2019 APPA: Portrait In Camera

This image represents drought. Climate change has brought drastic changes to many regions on earth. Global warming is causing severe drought. Huge areas that were once fertile are no longer suitable for agriculture. Millions of people are already impacted by these catastrophic changes. A deadly civil war in Syria has erupted when the government decreased the allocation of irrigation water to farmers. Vast regions in Iran are no longer cultivated and the population is helpless. They cannot grow any fruits or vegetables. The earth is dry and so is the woman’s skin, both are cracked. The woman is bare, she is completely exposed – just like our land. This is a desperate call to stop the devastating impact of industrial pollution on our planet.

 

Graham Hooper

Paul Gilbert

Paul Gilbert – Bare Truth

July 28, 2019

 

August 8, 2019

 

August 19, 2019

“I am due to be 65 years old (New Zealand’s retirement age) in early December 2019. I have a very aggressive cancer and am in palliative care after two chemotherapy rounds and a failed drug trial. I’m hoping to stay well enough to make that date or better. I have been a “dead man walking” since a burst colon tumour nearly took me out with septicemia, and that certainty transformed and tested my philosophical outlook. I have been very surprised that my previous lip service to my beliefs have now actually been tested and find me in a very rich part of my life. My collateral has always been in relationships, not cash currency and I’ve found this never devalues. Indeed I’m overwhelmed by the support and love returning my way from family, friends and acquaintances, much of it from the many wonderful people working in this often devastating area of care. I have never been more relaxed in my attitude to life and am sensitive to the fact that my calm demeanour attracts simple smiles, gifts and shared enjoyment. Likewise, my forthright opinions and dark humour are often very challenging, but go figure? Why blues music?
Tunnelling down to try to fathom this wonderous shift has not revealed any deliberate or constructed effort. I will take this gift and, while my quality of life is medically managed, try to maintain my voluntary activities with Hospice and elsewhere the need is felt.
Born in a relatively impoverished inner-city suburb with a fabulous mixed ethnicity, I enjoyed primary and intermediate school with good if challenged teachers and a great local library. During my parents’ discord and break up, books were my refuge. It was a household of drink and violence from my father, deep love and sacrifice from my mother.
My life has been strongly influenced by necessity and responsibility. Healthwise I have been free, by and large, of injury or disease and that has allowed me to spot the gap and with some tantalising risk, embark on photographic and maritime adventures when responsibilities lessened. Of course we navigate much of our life with youth’s immortal horizon. I used to say I liked the sound of deadlines whistling by, but no more.
My siblings and I lost our mother to high blood pressure, stress, and little available support, when I was 17 years old. With an absent father, and having just started work, I supported my younger brother and sister through their secondary school years. We ate well on very little because of a socialist food co-operative. My philosophy was forming along with a period of intense and at that time obscure soft-style martial arts training with a weighting toward meditation and energy integration. I have always been grateful that mum passed on her interest in photography, which, at age 7, along with a boat trip, cemented two combined lifelong passions. I have lived aboard yachts, photographed them, and enjoyed that wonderful lifestyle that our sparkling waters provide.
I progressed to a series of technically skilled high-end jobs including teaching. Although low paid these jobs allowed for a parallel passionate development in personal documentary and fine arts efforts. Maintaining an active exhibiting profile fell to one side due to financial constraints. The work however, which is always primary, has continued unabated, if unrecognised, in the fine arts arena. I’m currently looking to house my marine archive.
I became a solo parent to my two year old son after completing a documentary project. He returned to his mother at age 12 and then moved to Australia when he was 17. I have a daughter from a subsequent relationship, access to whom was very sadly limited. I have been recently blessed by Eamonn and Laura gifting us a grandson. Life is a circle.
I am currently very busy trying to organise things for my passing, to save anguish for my loved ones in the rather unknown time ahead. The time feels short, the list long. I’m planning a “Way out Party” to gather with and enjoy my friends and family as soon as is practical, to help them ease into their grief process in a face+to-face farewell, with laughter, ribald stories and much love. Boats will play a part in my crossing the bar.
My very unconventional urn will reside under Mum’s memorial tree, planted by Bruce, Linda and myself when I turned 50 years old. The tree overlooks my wondrous Hauraki Gulf and its islands from above the bay where I lived aboard my yacht for eight years. Traumatised by Mum’s early death it was devastating many years later to return to the cemetery and find they had lost the ashes. The now 3m high tree and its simple bench and plaque, is a place to stand, rest and remember. I am very happy with these arrangements.
Enough of that rough sea!
Being a photographer, I rarely am caught north of the lens hence my appearance here as a record. What have I learned about Photography? Only two things matter:
1. It’s where you stand
2. It’s when you trip the shutter Practice refining this for as long as possible.
Add a decent amount of saltwater. Mix well. Enjoy the Journey.”

Man with a leather Jacket

Portrait Photographer Auckland

Portrait Classic

Albert Einstein

Albert Einstein, Bronze Award, In-Camera Portrait: NZIPP 2019 Iris Awards

2019 Iris Awards

Maasai, Silver with Distinction: Travel category

The Maasai are famous for their fearsome reputations as warriors and cattle-rustlers. The Maasai society is strongly patriarchal in nature with elder men deciding most major matters for each Maasai group. A full body of oral law covers many aspects of behaviour. Formal execution is unknown and normally payment in cattle will settle matters. The piercing and stretching of earlobes is common among the Maasai as with other tribes. Various materials have been used to both pierce and stretch the lobes, including thorns for piercing, twigs, bundles of twigs, stones, the cross section of elephant tusks and empty film canisters.
As a historically nomadic and then semi-nomadic people, the Maasai have traditionally relied on local, readily available materials and indigenous technology to construct their housing. The traditional Maasai house was in the first instance designed for people on the move and was thus very impermanent in nature. The houses are either somewhat rectangular shaped with extensions or circular, and are constructed by able-bodied women.
Many Maasai in Tanzania wear simple sandals, which were until recently made from cowhides. They are now soled with tire strips or plastic. Both men and women wear wooden bracelets. The Maasai are known for their intricate jewellery. The Maasai women regularly weave and bead jewellery. This beadwork plays an essential part in the ornamentation of their body. Click here to see more!

 

The Fighter, Bronze Award: In-Camera Portrait

Amy is a fighter and a beautiful soul. She was diagnosed with grade 3 aggressive breast cancer in January 2016. It turns out that Amy’s family has the BRCA1 mutation: a tumour suppressor gene. Each child of a carrier has a 50% chance of inheriting the gene and each carrier has extremely high risk of cancer. Five of her six great aunts died of cancer by their forties.  Amy had four different chemotherapy drug treatments as well as radiation treatment. Amy had a positive response to treatment and the 5 cm tumor was totally destroyed! The surgeries were prophylactic. Amy underwent bilateral mastectomy with a two phase silicon reconstruction as well as a total Salpingo-oophorectomy (surgery to remove the ovaries and fallopian tubes). Amy also had a hysterectomy surgical operation to remove her uterus in order to prevent reproductive cancer.  Knowing she has beaten what by nature ought to have been certain death, gives Amy a sense of immediacy and urgency in life. There is no sense in waiting or hesitating because there is no guarantee of tomorrow! Amy is a dressmaker and a body painter who is now planning a six month trip around the world. Her stunning portrait is now part of “Eyes are Windows to the Soul” portfolio.

 

William, Silver Award: In-Camera Portrait

William and his friend Kim were shopping at the Takapuna Sunday market when I approached them. Kim was slightly kindly agreed to drive William to my studio following my car, her average speed was 35 Km/h… William spent 4.5 years in Mt Eden prison for robbing a dairy (a small convenience store in New Zealand). He always told his family that he will end up there. In prison he became part of the Mongrel Mob! He was diagnosed as schizophrenic after leaving prison so is now under heavy medication. Click here to see more.

Albert Einstein, Bronze Award: In-Camera Portrait

My mother Shoshana, posing as Albert Einstein! Outrageous mom is almost 83 and had a minor stroke last year. She has recovered beautifully and is very busy. Waking up early, Shoshana goes swimming at the local beach. She also volunteers at the local primary school, teaching young kids about deep breathing, meditation, relaxation techniques, correct posture, healthy eating, chakras and spirituality! Mom has recently started to practicing playing on a piano, following her grandson example… She practices Qigong and uses special healing bowls using deep vibrating sound! Click here to see more!

Kimironko Market – Rwanda, Bronze Award – Travel Category

The photos in this composite set are from Kimironko Market which is the best and the biggest in Kigali. Vendors here sell produce from Rwanda, Uganda, Kenya, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, while locals from all over the city head here to stock up on fruit, vegetables, fabric, clothing, shoes, and general household necessities. Second-hand clothing, fruit and vegetables, fish, fabric and baskets are all sold in this covered complex. One can find everything in this market from food to kitchen tools, electronics and hardware, clothings as well as car parts. The variety of food on offer is amazing. However, as you plunge into the depths of the site to the clothing and crafts area – everyone wants you to part with your cash. The brilliant seamstresses are worth a watch as their sewing machines rattle away and you must be prepared to bargain and expect an extra gift to seal the deal. The entire experience and a drama for the senses. Kimironko is a “real” market where locals buy all their stuff. You just get everything. It is so lively, crowded and colorful. The choice of different Kitenge fabrics is incredible. The people in Rwanda were very friendly and helpful. They were mostly delighted to pose for my camera! Murakoze (“Thank You” in Rwandese) Click here to see more.

Maasai Women – Tanzania, Bronze Award – Travel category

I visited Tanzania In February 2019 where I met a few of the Maasai community and took the opportunity to capture their portraits. I made special efforts to connect with the indigenous population and was very fortunate to create these extraordinary portraits. These are not candid snapshots, but carefully composed portraits that honour the Maasai people. I did not plan to create these portraits but was overwhelmed when I first saw members of the tribe.
Maasai people endeavour to hold onto their traditional way of life and maintain a strongly patriarchal society, which sees elder men deciding on most major matters for each Maasai group. My first encounter with the tribe was at a lodge located near the Ngorongoro Crater, which is a national reserve for wildlife animals where I was touring and photographing the wildlife. The Maasai were working at the lodge when I approached them to ask if he could create their portrait.
One of the men spoke English, which helped me make contact with the others. I only had a brief time as they were busy working and I was a member of the tour group, focusing on wildlife photography. I immediately saw the potential to document this culture and seized every opportunity — early morning or late afternoon — to make contact with the local community and document them on every stop of our journey across Tanzania.
I would ask permission from each person I wanted to photograph and made an effort to create rapport with them. I asked a local tour guide to teach me how to say “My name is Ilan. What is your name?” in Maa (the language of the Maasai). I would then repeat this on every encounter and the Maasai people opened up, allowing their portrait to be created.
I made a point of connecting with a few of the younger generation Maasai who had smartphones with WhatsApp. After completing the series, I sent them the link to the album and asked them to show it in the village. They were so proud and delighted with the outcome. They said the album shows that I really love the people.
When finalising the series, I converted Maasai People into film-like monochrome. The heightening of contrast helps to create a sense of drama, lending to the series a unifying style that emulates analogue lithographic techniques”. He explains that although some may consider it ‘wrong’ to lose the authentic colours, he feels that the monochrome treatment is timeless and helps to bring the portraits together, creating a flow throughout the portfolio series. Our eyes are attracted to certain colours such as red and yellow, so converting the photos into sepia makes us focus on the body language, expressions, forms and shapes without any distraction. It makes the portraits extraordinary and timeless.
Click here to see more!

 

Man Holding a Stick – Rwanda, Silver Award: Travel category

I visited Rwanda in February 2019 after being deported from South Africa. The original plan was to spend a week in Johannesburg on route to a Safari trip as the winner of the Grand Prize from the 2018 Sony Alpha Awards.
Arriving to Johannesburg, South African border control said that my passport expired and would not scan the extension. I felt extremely stressed and was lucky not to be sent directly back home as the plane to Sydney had already left the gate.
After spending a night at the airport, I bought a ticket to Rwanda and landed there at 11pm exhausted and stressed as this experience was completely outside my comfort zone after losing control over the situation. I like planning and knowing where I’m going to stay so this required improvising and trusting the people I meet along the journey. This man kindly waited until I created his portrait at the entrance to his home at a remote village.
The Berlin Conference of 1884 assigned the territory to Germany as part of German East Africa, marking the beginning of the colonial era. The explorer Gustav Adolf von Götzen was the first European to significantly explore the country in 1894; he crossed from the south-east to Lake Kivu and met the king.The Germans did not significantly alter the social structure of the country, but exerted influence by supporting the king and the existing hierarchy and delegating power to local chiefs. Belgian forces took control of Rwanda and Burundi in 1916, during World War I, beginning a period of more direct colonial rule. Belgium ruled both Rwanda and Burundi as a League of Nations mandate called Ruanda-Urundi. The Belgians also simplified and centralised the power structure, and introduced large-scale projects in education, health, public works, and agricultural supervision, including new crops and improved agricultural techniques to try to reduce the incidence of famine. Both the Germans and the Belgians promoted Tutsi supremacy, considering the Hutu and Tutsi different races.In 1935, Belgium introduced identity cards labelling each individual as either Tutsi, Hutu, Twa or Naturalised. While it had previously been possible for particularly wealthy Hutu to become honorary Tutsi, the identity cards prevented any further movement between the classes.
Belgium continued to rule Ruanda-Urundi (of which Rwanda formed the northern part) as a UN Trust Territory after the Second World War, with a mandate to oversee eventual independence. Tensions escalated between the Tutsi, who favoured early independence, and the Hutu emancipation movement, culminating in the 1959 Rwandan Revolution: Hutu activists began killing Tutsi and destroying their houses, forcing more than 100,000 people to seek refuge in neighbouring countries. In 1961, the suddenly pro-Hutu Belgians held a referendum in which the country voted to abolish the monarchy. Rwanda was separated from Burundi and gained independence on 1 July 1962, which is commemorated as Independence Day, a national holiday. Cycles of violence followed, with exiled Tutsi attacking from neighbouring countries and the Hutu retaliating with large-scale slaughter and repression of the Tutsi.In 1973, Juvénal Habyarimana took power in a military coup. Pro-Hutu discrimination continued, but there was greater economic prosperity and a reduced amount of violence against Tutsi. The Twa remained marginalised, and by 1990 were almost entirely forced out of the forests by the government; many became beggars.Rwanda’s population had increased from 1.6 million people in 1934 to 7.1 million in 1989, leading to competition for land.
In 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Front, a rebel group composed of nearly 500,000 Tutsi refugees, invaded northern Rwanda from their base in Uganda, initiating the Rwandan Civil War. The group condemned the Hutu-dominated government for failing to democratize and confront the problems facing these refugees. Neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage in the war, but by 1992 it had weakened Habyarimana’s authority; mass demonstrations forced him into a coalition with the domestic opposition and eventually to sign the 1993 Arusha Accords with the RPF. The ceasefire ended on 6 April 1994 when Habyarimana’s plane was shot down near Kigali Airport, killing him. The shooting down of the plane served as the catalyst for the Rwandan genocide, which began within a few hours. Over the course of approximately 100 days, around one million Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu were killed in well-planned attacks on the orders of the interim government.
The Tutsi RPF restarted their offensive, and took control of the country methodically, gaining control of the whole country. The international response to the genocide was poor, with major powers reluctant to strengthen the already overstretched UN peacekeeping force. When the RPF took over, approximately two million Hutu fled to neighbouring countries, in particular Zaïre, fearing reprisals; additionally, the RPF-led army was a key belligerent in the First and Second Congo Wars. Within Rwanda, a period of reconciliation and justice began, with the establishment of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the reintroduction of Gacaca, a traditional village court system. The people of Rwanda are now recovering from the calamity and anarchy which took place during the massacre of 1994. Click here to see more.

Woman and a Tree, Gold Award: In-Camera Portrait

“This photo hangs proudly in my house as a reminder of my personal evolution. Two years ago I was in the depths of my human resources career. Slogging it out by day & discretely moonlighting as a performing artist, competitive pole dancer & sexuality student outside of the 9 to 5 job. I had held secret dreams of working in the sexuality space since I first went to University; but swallowed back those ideas, instead heading into something a lot more traditional. Somewhere in my mid-20s those ideas bubbled back up in a demanding way & I dived back into personal exploration & professional study of sexuality, love & relationships. I’m now a full time sexuality, love & relationships coach & am often totally amused by the dichotomy between my then & now. This beautiful work by Ilan reminds me of a homecoming; the return to what I romantically refer to as my true nature.” Click here to see more!

Stunning Courtney!

I met stunning Courtney on my recent visit to Wellington for the 2019 NZ Art Show. We finished the studio shoot around midnight and temperature was around 5 degrees. 20 minutes later we arrived to this awesome location prepared for us by the local gang. The wind was blowing around 40 kmph as Courtney was exposed to gusts blowing from the sea. I prepared the lights slightly shivering as Courtney stepped into the scene. I took seven photos, this was the first one before her hair blew away completely! This is what her sister wrote: “They say you should never judge a book by its cover, but you can see by the numerous tattoos, Courtney has a lot of tales to tell. A farm girl by day, Courtney is dedicated to yoga and self growth at night. A proud mother to 12 year old Vinnie [giving birth when she was only 15…], Courtney is the sixth child of seven and is very family orientated. Despite being from a big [Catholic] family, Courtney refuses to simply blend in, taking time to pursue her hobbies, one of which is modeling. She is fearless when it comes to appreciating her body despite any perceived flaws and is strong in her authenticity. She knows who she is and she owns it. She also loves her fur babies, the labyrinth and phantom of the opera. Like her star sign Taurus suggested, Courtney is strong as a bull and very loyal to her tight knit and life long friends.” This is the censored version…

Olive baboon

William

Highly Commended – 2019 North Shore Salon – Open category, digital

 

Drought

<em>Drought © Ilan Wittenberg 2018 </em> Limited Edition of 9 + 2AP <span class="OrderFormSquare">Buy Now</span>

Drought © Ilan Wittenberg 2018 Limited Edition of 9 + 2AP

This image represents drought. Climate change has brought drastic changes to many regions on earth. Global warming is causing severe drought. Huge areas that were once fertile are no longer suitable for agriculture. Millions of people are already impacted by these catastrophic changes. A deadly civil war in Syria has erupted when the government decreased the allocation of irrigation water to farmers. Vast regions in Iran are no longer cultivated and the population is helpless. They cannot grow any fruits or vegetables. The earth is dry and so is the woman’s skin, both are cracked. The woman is bare, she is completely exposed – just like our land. This is a desperate call to stop the devastating impact of industrial pollution on our planet.

Maasai

Nat Hugill