David Shaw is a 2nd year BA Photojournalism studying at London College of Communication. His work is centred around human rights issues and is where he wants to further his career. he did an extensive work all over the West Bank of Palestine and in Israel and well as he worked with migrants and refugees who are stuck in Calais trying to get into Britain.

Bashar picks olives in the West Bank village of Qaryout

Every year the Palestinians harvest the olive trees that have been part of their land for centuries. However, due to the military occupation in Palestine, the farmers are subject to constant attacks by Israeli soldiers and idealogical settlers in the harvesting period.
The ancient trees are burnt down throughout the year effectively destroying hundreds of years worth of history and attacking an old Palestinian tradition that had been a fundamental part of their culture for generations.

The families are forced from their land due to “security reasons” at random and cannot continue the harvest, taking away a large part of their income and attacking basic human rights.

The Olive Harvest has become more than traditional harvesting, it has become a form of resistance. The Palestinians are aware that if they give up their land and stop harvesting the trees, Israel will claim it as their own.

The images in this story are from the villages Burin and Oaryout, two of the many villages across the West Bank and Gaza that experience these continuous attacks and attempts to have their land and culture taken away from them.

Palestinian farmers load a tractor with olive branches in the presence of an Israeli settlement which is mage on what used to Palestinian farm land. Near the village of Qaryout.

Women go to work in the West Bank village of Salem.

Farmers carry a freshly harvested sack of olives back to the village of Qaryout.

An elderly women picks fallen Olives in the Village of Qaryout.

An olive tree stands despite being attacked and burnt local Israeli settlers. Near the West Bank village of Burin.

Mr Najjar finds more trees burnt by local Israeli settlers. Near the village of Burin.

Israeli soldiers arrive to force Palestinan farmers off their land due to “security reasons”. Palestinian farmers have to co-ordinate times to harvest their trees how ever it is often not enough and the soldiers do not always abide by the agreed times. Near the village of Burin.

Mr Najjar argues with Israeli soldiers over their order for him to leave his land, near the village of Burin.

Ghassan Najjar after being told to leave his farther land near the village of Burin.

An Israeli gate stops Palestinian farmers driving their tractors and tools to their land near the village of Salem.

The Harvest of the day is processed at the village olive press in Qaryout.

Many different families and farmers bring their olives to be pressed at the local olive press in Qaryout.

A Palestinian works the village press in the village of Qaryout.

An Israeli soldier checks a famers green card near the village of Qaryout.

Israeli soldiers question Palestinian farmers near the village of Qaryout.

International volunteers and Palestinians work the olive trees near the village of Qaryout.

Patrick Tombola is a multimedia photojournalist currently based in Cairo, Egypt.
His aim is to capture compelling stories with a strong sense of journalistic ethic and integrity through a variety of mediums including photography; video; radio and print.
His work has been published widely in Australia, Europe and Indonesia.
Tombola has witnessed and reported events worldwide, from the civil war that shook Libya to problems of drug addiction in the slums of Jakarta, from recent social upheaval in Cairo to issues of homelessness on the polished streets of Sydney.

1) What’s going on today in Cairo?
Over the last week we have witnessed Egyptian Special Forces raiding 17 local and foreign funded pro democracy NGOs. This move is telling of the times to come, especially as the one-year anniversary of the January 25 revolution approaches. Despite the fact that clashes in Tahrir Square have ceased, tensions are still simmering just below the surface and all parties involved are on a constant state of high alert.

2) Why did you decide to move to Cairo for a while?
From a geo-political and cultural point of view Egypt is a country of huge strategic importance. It’s proximity to Israel, ties with foreign Western powers and cultural dominance over the Arab world make it a great place to find challenging stories, learn more about Middle Eastern affairs and learn basic Arabic. At first I came to cover a specific story on a specific ethnic minority in Cairo but then saw no point in catching a flight back. So for now I call Cairo my home.

3) How difficult it is working there?
Well, it really depends on what you’re covering, how you approach your subject, your cultural sensitivity and previous experience. An issue such as women’s rights is not only hard to cover visually but access to women in a vulnerable condition is exceptionally hard, especially for a male photographer. But then again, a good fixer, great connections and lots of patience can get you a long way.

4) I know that you had an injury during one of the demonstrations, can you tell us something about that?
I was covering the first day of the December clashes on one of the street near Tahrir. A demonstrator was shielding me as thugs threw rocks from rooftops when a rock hit me straight on the wrist, causing a deep cut and a minor fracture. When I was taken to the nearby field hospital I quickly realized that others had not been so lucky. I think a young boy next to me who had extensive head injury later died in hospital, though I was not able to confirm it with hospital staff. Whilst I always wear a helmet in this kind of situation, most photographers can only minimize risk not avoided altogether.

5) Witch kind of suggestion can you give to someone who wants to go to Cairo to take photos?
I’d say first try and read as much about Egypt as possible including its history, customs and politics. Understanding gender relations, the complex coexistence of different faiths and ethnic groups will aid incredibly your chances of both being granted access to important visual narratives and not incur into any unpleasant faux pas.
In terms of photographing Tahrir Square, that’s a whole different thing. Before you even take your camera out of your pouch spend as long as it takes to read thoroughly the situation you’re in; no matter how many times you’ve been back to the same place, every time it’s different. What was acceptable just an hour before, it might not be now. Ask other photographers if they encountered problems and what political groups, if any, are present in the square in that moment.

6) How many photographers did you meet in Cairo, were there many Italians?
When I first arrived in Cairo it was hard to grasp how many photographers were working in the city as everyone would be busy covering different stories. Once the clashes kicked off numbers grew exponentially every day. I met countless Italian photographers, some with a wealth of experience, others just starting off. Regardless there was a good group, all looking out for each other as best we could.

7) What do you think about photojournalism today?
Ahh, here comes the tough question. I’m not inclined to make broad statements about photojournalism, as the industry is so diverse and fast changing and ultimately each photographer approaches it differently.
I do believe that we are certainly facing a moment of crisis but I’m not as pessimistic as some of my colleagues. Whenever an economic model crumbles another rises from its ashes. Personally I think compelling stories, good journalism integrity and investigative work both in terms of content and visual narrative will always have a place, albeit a smaller and more competitive one.

8.) What about multimedia, do you think they will be more interesting for the media market then photographs?
Multimedia has been somewhat of a buzzword amongst photojournalists over the past couple of years and to some extent deservedly so. Strong images coupled with high quality sound recording and powerful video footage is the missing link between the agelessness of still images and power of moving images. However, there are copious amounts of cheap multimedia out there, thrown together with little or no scripting and no editing skills whatsoever. Unfortunately most media publish the former as they require little money and time. However, as ipads and androids will become the norm and wireless internet will become more available, I hope editors will start seeing the benefit of investing in high quality multimedia storytelling.

10) After Cairo what’s your next step, do you know it already?
I have different projects lined up in Italy, Indonesia and Australia; a documentary series potentially lined up for the second part of 2012 that would take me to Mexico. However, deep down, I hope to have a coffee in Damascus as soon as possible. It’s appalling what Syrians are enduring and I feel it’s our duty as journalists to expose the full implication of the regime’s repression.

foto by Tobia Piatto & Andrea Nordio

E’ da un paio di giorni che nel piazzale davanti la stazione ferroviaria di Venezia, S. Lucia, manifestano saldamente dei lavoratori, ormai ex- lavoratori di “Wasteels” ( una delle società con cui lavora Trenitalia). Questa quarantina di persone, che sono solo una parte (in tutto sono 860 lavoratori), lavoravano nelle linee notturne nazionali e internazionali, ora soppresse grazie ai nuovi accordi presi tra Trenitalia e Veolia. Ma per meglio spiegare la situazione, questa è una lettera scritta da uno dei lavoratori “Wasteels” alle istituzioni competenti:

“ Le invio questa mia lettera come invito a condividere sdegno e preoccupazione per gli eventi, che qui di seguito riporterò, che vedranno salvo interventi più significativi il licenziamento di 800 lavoratori che operano nel settore ferroviario e che hanno fornito la propria opera attraverso diversi intermediari  per molti anni al loro effettivo datore di lavoro quale è Ferrovie dello Stato prima e Trenitalia poi.

Faccio riferimento al settore notte, alla soppressione dei collegamenti tra nord e sud Italia servita da i treni notte, affidati alla società Servirail che gestisce il personale per le tratte nazionali, e alle tratte internazionale che collegano Venezia-Parigi e Roma-Parigi il quale personale a tutt’ oggi, e fino all’10 dicembre, è gestito dalla società Wasteels con ufficio personale al binario 1 della stazione di Venezia e a Roma .

Il 19 gennaio scorso nasce la partnership fra il gruppo Fs e Veolia il primo convoglio a targa italo-francese Tvt, Trenitalia Veolia Transdev. La nuova società ferroviaria ha ottenuto il via libera del ministero dei Trasporti francese, e diventa così la prima società ferroviaria privata ad avere una licenza nel mercato transalpino del trasporto passeggeri su rotaia per la tratta notturna Venezia-Milano-Parigi. Quindi trenitalia decide, nella veste di nuova socierà di diritto francese  tvt, di reclutare il personale viaggiante ex novo, con chiari vantaggi economici rispetto a personale italiano che ha già maturato emolumenti retributivi legati a esperienza e anzianità; ma ciò che più lascia perplessi è che lo fa in Francia a Parigi creando disoccupazione in Italia, e rinunciando all’esperienza e la qualità di un servizio che può essere fornito solo da chi questo lavoro lo fa da più di 30 anni.

Diretta conseguenza di questa scelta se non si troveranno soluzioni occupazionali alternative sarà il licenziamento con effetti diretti nel tessuto sociale come: mutui bloccati, finanziamenti che non possono essere rimborsati e famiglie private di sostentamento, nonché dei costi che la collettività dovrà assumersi davanti a nuovi disoccupati arrivati alla soglia dei 30,40, o50 anni; difficili così da ricollocare.

Trenitalia ha già dichiarato davanti ai sindacati di non sentire nessuna responsabilità e di non dover nulla a chi, anche se per loro lavora da molti anni,  non è assunto direttamente da Trenitalia spa.

È da precisare che trenitalia rescinde il contratto d’appalto con un’anno di anticipo dalla naturale data di scadenza pagando presumibilmente delle penali piuttosto salate alle aziende coinvolte”.

altre info qui.

Giovanni Damiola is an Italian photographer from Milan, currently lives between Toronto and New York City. He loves to travel and discover people and cultures.
Photography is his way to share stories and sensations made by people, symbols and colors.

Katia Repina is a 23 years old russian photographer and Based in Barcelona.
She studied a BPS in Management at Higher School of Economics in Moscow and then she moved to Barcelona where she studied photojournalism.

A description of the project:
The story goes about Ksenia, a woman of 36 years old who lives in Moscow, Russia. After she got divorced from an orthodox priest, Ksenia continued working in the choir’s church. She takes care of the six children by herself. Besides the church’s job, she also gives art classes at the school where some of her daughters also attend. She also sings at a rock acoustic band where she met her actual boyfriend with whom she lives nowadays.

Religion is a very delicate subject in Russia. Everything is very strict and conservative. Ksenia on the contrary is a very flexible and open minded person with the people that surround her, specially with her own children to whom she gives totally freedom to develop their own hobbies. One of her daughters even had a tattoo on her hand. It is a very interesting and brave woman with a strong character that have helped her overcome all the difficulties in her life. She never loses hope and faith in people, God or herself.

Hugo Michaux studied photography in his home city of Brussels, Belgium, before dropping out to work as an assistant in fashion and commercial photography. He has assisted such renowned photographers as Mario Testino, Jan Welters, Mark Brothwick and Serge Leblon.

His interests, first rooted in photojournalism, have developed to encompass all facets of the art. He has spent seven years travelling the world for work, developing his own personal projects as he goes. Exposure to different environments have given Michaux a unique vision of the world that is both a taste for the exotic and an eye for the everyday. Or, anything that produces an emotional reaction in the spectator.

These images were taken in 2008 in the centre of Kathmandu, Nepal, in a public space called Ratna Park. A popular place for delivering cultural programs, public hearings and musical concerts, this inner city patch of parched earth has always been a focal point for democratic movements. I was struck by the feeling of desolation and hopelessness there, not to mention the poverty and the dirt, on a Tuesday morning in the midst of Nepal’s never-ending political upheaval that is characterised by constant strikes and a growing Maoist rebel presence.


Hugo Michaux studied photography in his home city of Brussels, Belgium, before dropping out to work as an assistant in fashion and commercial photography. He has assisted such renowned photographers as Mario Testino, Jan Welters, Mark Brothwick and Serge Leblon.

His interests, first rooted in photojournalism, have developed to encompass all facets of the art. He has spent seven years travelling the world for work, developing his own personal projects as he goes. Exposure to different environments have given Michaux a unique vision of the world that is both a taste for the exotic and an eye for the everyday. Or, anything that produces an emotional reaction in the spectator.

Around 10,000 Tibetans live in the Northern Indian mountain city of Dharamsala, home to His Holiness the Dalai Lama and the exiled Tibetan government. Each year, around 3,000 of them make the journey across the Himalayas, a month-long dangerous trek over the frozen mountains. These images were taken at a camp where newly-arrived Tibetans are welcomed. All of this people have tragic stories, all of them have risked there lives to be here, and they arrive hoping for a new start.

Julien Duval is a 27 years old photo-reporter from France, based in Paris and He’s graduated in Geography.

Have you ever imagined a three day heavy metal festival located in the middle of nowhere and gathering thousands fans from all around?
The idea sounds surrealistic but it actually happens every year in Iceland, in a little fjord 700 kilometers far from Reykjavik. The event is called Eistnaflug and since 2004, the town of Neskaupstadur becomes the heavy metal capital for couple of days. People don’t hesitate to cross the country to live a unique experience and to listen to the best Icelandic bands.
ìEven though prizes in Iceland are rising up, people are still coming because this place is amazingî confesses Stefan Magnusson, the festival director. It is not the easiest task to put together a festival this far from Reykjavik but it is first of all the choice of the heart. A few years ago, Stefan invited friends to the fjord for partying and that is how the festival came about. After a few years Eistnaflug became more and more important. The first edition attracted only few hundred people. Now there are nearly 1500 people!
These photos describe the atmosphere of Eistnaflug festival and were taken at the last edition, from July 7th till 9th.

Hugo Michaux studied photography in his home city of Brussels, Belgium, before dropping out to work as an assistant in fashion and commercial photography. He has assisted such renowned photographers as Mario Testino, Jan Welters, Mark Brothwick and Serge Leblon.

His interests, first rooted in photojournalism, have developed to encompass all facets of the art. He has spent seven years travelling the world for work, developing his own personal projects as he goes. Exposure to different environments have given Michaux a unique vision of the world that is both a taste for the exotic and an eye for the everyday. Or, anything that produces an emotional reaction in the spectator.

This is Seoul, South Korea. Everything you can point your camera at can be transformed into a nice image. You just have to choose the right moment, the right frame, the right composition. People, street corners, billboards, market stalls, rubbish lying on the ground, walls… Everything is put in a context, assigned my mood, influenced by lots of external factors, and ends up producing an emotion. This collection of “things” struck me, you can see them trough my camera, watch them through my eyes. 

]]> http://www.positive-magazine.com/reportage/korea-by-%e2%80%a8hugo-michaux/feed/ 0 http://www.positive-magazine.com/reportage/2911-live-from-cairo-daily-streaming-from-stefano-carini/ http://www.positive-magazine.com/reportage/2911-live-from-cairo-daily-streaming-from-stefano-carini/#comments Tue, 29 Nov 2011 23:30:06 +0000 Giacomo Cosua http://www.positive-magazine.com/?p=13804 Photos by Stefano Carini

With the second day of voting,  Cairo concluded its first round for the parliamentary elections today, with what was described as an incredibly high turn out (specially for women). This is an important success for a country that did not have free elections for more than 30 years, and the high participation of women is also a really clear sign of the mood for changing. Nevertheless Tahrir remained tensed and frustrated all day. Fights eventually started when the protesters tried to push some of the many hundreds illegal vendors and sellers out of the perimeter.

The situation is uncertain, and there is an atmosphere of high frustration: it is difficult to foresee what is going to happen next. One thing remain clear when protesters are interviewed: they will not go unless the military council goes first.