Exercise - Seeing and Believing

SEEING IS BELIEVING 

http://www.oca-student.com/book/export/html/94202


Talks are taking place to try and stop or change, the 'them and us' attitudes we have towards to the developing world.
Whilst the media are a sitting target for criticism  and held responsible for misrepresentation but a lot of their images are commissioned by the NGO, who are controlling over images.
A code of conduct was drawn up in1989 by a group of NGO's, giving structured thought for the first time to the way others are perceived. (although this was not taken on board officially ).
They need to be aware of themselves before helping or representing others.  The truth remains as a society we still look at people in the developing world, we may feel sympathy or at worst indifference.
Paul Lowe believes NGO should invest heavily in photography and use indigenous photographers to represent their own country when there is no local voice, to avoid the constant western view.
Adrian Evans of Panos pictures feels the NGO have a responsibility to teach photojournalism - the African tradition is still studio and portrait based.

The western media are no longer interested in afghanistan so its essential that photographers continue to
record the daily life independently.
The need for the NGO to examine their own practice is urgent.  It would be journalistically irresponsible to ignore the starving or dying but the way in which the images are used need searching and with ongoing consideration.


Eight Ways to change the World 

http://www.scribd.com/doc/108690054/Panos-8-Ways?secret_password=8nckcyz5uvv9rmuka3h


I have selected a couple of photos from eight ways to change the world.

This first one really took my eye .. our babies are so overprotected when born from germs and mostly born in hospital with the minimum of one midwife, usually more.
Only a third of these tribal women receive any attention from a midwife and only 8% give birth in hospital.

This chair is part of a lesson where the children do the actions of putting the ball on the chair to learn the english phrases.

Here meagre food from begging, borrowing or maybe what the stalls have left over.  What a contrast to 

my weekly Tesco shop, done online and delivered in abundance.

Finally I liked this colourful image of women celebrating the new water well.  Everyone joyous and dancing.. again something we take completely for granted.

The first image shows the lighting is poor where if it were in england the colours would be bright white
scrubbed clean and the bare wire and light bulb are stark. The walls look unclean and the tin tray the baby lay in cold and uncomfortable.  Probably just sprayed down after use.  The midwife working o the new born, the tube in his nose suggests maybe a problem and so make you feel a little anxious. This image would have worked in black and white but I feel the colour give it a lot more depth of feeling.

In contrast the final image is colourful and everyone is give off the air of joy and happiness.  The sky is cloudy otherwise this would have been an even brighter picture if the sky had been blue.  The clothes and buckets are very colourful.  This image would have been quite dull had it been black and white.