Announcing Project Survival Media

Imagine on all seven continents, there are young people equipped to globally broadcast pivotal stories on impacts, struggles, and solutions. Imagine that you had one minute to tell negotiators how you wanted them to represent you. What would you say?

Announcing PROJECT SURVIVAL MEDIA. The brainchild of Journalist and Activist Shadia Fayne Wood, Project Survival Media is a project of Fired UP! Media and launched on August 11th in San Fransisco, California (read the launch update)

'We are a global network of youth journalists reporting from the frontlines of the climate crisis in the lead up to COP 15. Our seven new media teams, one for each continent, will report on the most compelling climate stories from around the world, amplify voices underrepresented by traditional media, and launch “Survival” to the forefront of the political debate.'

This is an incredible project that has the potential to help shift our world. It has great leadership, great ideas and a youth network second to none behind it. Expect to hear more from it in the future.

vanwaardenphoto.com connection with Photoshelter

For quite some time now I have held a Photoshelter account. It has been used primarily in the background and for specific client requests. However, in an effort to make my stock images more available and it easier to search for images, it has now been integrated into vanwaardenphoto.com.

When you enter vanwaardenphoto.com you will be given the option of 'Images', this will take you to my Photoshelter webpage.

Over the next few weeks I will be updating this webpage and making many more images available.

Oman for National Geographic Traveler - Photography Assignment

I am back from my assignment for the Netherlands version of National Geographic Traveler.

I must admit, the climate in the Netherlands is much more conducive to clear thinking. From the moment we stepped onto the tarmac in Oman, it was about heat and humidity. Please note, I have become accustomed to stepping out of airplanes and being greeted with a different climate, but stepping out of the plane in Muscat was like walking in to a brick wall of fire and water. It was +45 and humid. To survive in the Capital, Omanis travel between air conditioned atmospheres as quickly as possible. When one taxi driver was asked what they did before air conditioning and he simply responded, 'It was bad'.

The interesting thing about Oman was the layer of modern paint applied over a multi-thousand year history. It has been modernized in 30 years and once you break through that layer of paint, it shows. However, I think that I will let Thijs Joosten, the writer and editor of NG Traveler tell us more when his article is published.

On another note, I have never been to such a harsh climate for photography gear. Even the Arctic was nicer. Oman has some serious heat and some serious humidity. Stepping outside during the day with your cameras, is like stepping into a swimming pool atmosphere, the lenses fog right up. And Oman has sand so fine a simple gust of wind blows it everywhere.

A tip for future travelers, don't wear 'flip flops' in the desert, the sand that gets kicked up when you 'flop' is at a perfect angle to cover your camera on your shoulder.

National Geographic Photography Competition - Judging

A few weeks ago I received an email from the web editor at National Geographic here in the Netherlands informing me that every month they run a competition for amateur and semi-professional photographers.

Initially I was a little confused, I was set to head to Oman for the magazine and was wondering why I was being informed about this competition. However, when I read the second paragraph and realised they were asking me to judge the entries. I enthusiastically agreed. Judging that month's images, (they narrowed it down to 12) and choosing the 3 that I felt were the strongest was quite interesting.

It was a unique experience to look at another person's images critically, judging them against each other for composition, mood, emotion and technicality. There were some great images in the 12 that were sent to me and it was a tough decision to make. But, you can see the results of my choices here, take a look.

On assignment for National Geographic Traveler

A couple of images from my recent assignment for National Geographic Traveler - the Netherlands Editie.

I just got back from a trip in the Austrian Alps with a writer to create a story for the magazine about a specific region. Up before the crack of dawn, we were running all day then downloading and backing up long after the sunset. But that doesn't mean that we didn't have fun in the mean time. More to come when the story is published. (Images by Hein van Beek)

Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit - Pan Canada Tour

If we ever needed a good example of how the sum of a product is greater then its' parts, we need to look no further then the Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit. Through the hard work of countless people, the British Council office in Ottawa, the voyagers and staff of the Cape Farewell voyage, and then the follow up phone calls and edits, the photography exhibit is currently on a Canadian tour.

It will be exhibited at 8 Legislative Assemblies across Canada and Parliament Hill in May. This means that a Climate Change exhibit and event is taking place in the halls where it can affect those that make the decisions. I think that that is exciting.

On a side note, when your images are shown on Parliament Hill, I think that you get to become a 'Nationally Acclaimed' Photographer.

Dates Below


Cape Farewell Photography Exhibit – pan-Canadian tour dates

Monday March 6 – Monday March 16 – Northwest Territories LA

Monday March 9-Tuesday March 31 – Saskatchewan LA

Monday April 20-Friday May 15 – Prince Edward Island LA (reception Wednesday April 22, 12:00-1:00)

Tuesday April 21-Friday May 15 – Yukon LA (reception Tuesday April 21, 11:00-12:00) (end date TBC)

Monday May 4 – Friday May 30 – Manitoba LA

Monday May 4 – Friday May 30 – Johnson GEO Centre (St. John’s, Newfoundland)

Tuesday May 26 – Parliament Hill (one day event only – 5:00-7:00)

Monday June 3 – Friday August 28 – Nunavut LA (dates TBC)

Monday August 17-Friday September 11 – British Columbia LA (dates TBC)

Anthony Suau - World Press Photo Winner

The World Press Photo Jury has announced the winner of the World Press 2009 competition. Anthony Suau's image of a eviction proceeding in Ohio was chosen as the image that, according to the jury, best represented the most important story in the world today, the collapsing global financial system.

I disagree with the jury of course and would strongly argue that Climate Change and the impending collapse of the planet is slightly more important then the global economy. After all, without a sustainable planet, the other won't exist. But, our differences aside, Suau's image is beautiful and I recommend that you check out all the winners. As always, some amazing and shocking imagery.

Winterlude and Cape Farewell

This weekend several of the voyagers from the Cape Farewell Youth Expedition will be giving presentations during the wonderful Winterlude Festival in Ottawa. Although, according to the Winterlude website, "Due to weather conditions, the Sun Life Snowflake Kingdom is closed." I am not to sure what that means, but alas, it sounded like fun!

So instead of venturing into the Kingdom go to the 'Cape Farewell Young Explorers' Held at: Confederation Park (Rogers Crystal Garden) on Saturday and Sunday, February 14 and 15, noon and 2:30 pm
MAP

4 of the images from the expedition are also on display in the Crystal Garden. Less then two weeks after being in the capital of England, the show and voyagers are now in the capital of Canada! AND, there are plans for more exhibits and presentations to come throughout the year.....

If you are in the area, you have to go to Ottawa, skate on the canal, eat a beaver tail and say hello to the voyagers.

Winter Photography in the Netherlands

A freeze has bit the Netherlands over the last few weeks. It has become a great time to curl up with a book or a friend and sip hot chocolate, or a great time to take you kid out for a sleigh ride along the canals.

All across the country the skates are being dusted off and the flying dutch are back. It doesn't matter if you are Canadian, Dutch, Australian, or a global citizen, we can all rejoice in the cold.