Tuesday, June 28, 2011

CUSO-VSO OVERSEAS PLACEMENT: Photographer (6 open placements)

OVERSEAS PLACEMENT: Photographer (6 open placements)
PARTNER NAME: LOCATION:
EXPECTED START DATE: LENGTH OF PLACEMENT:
ABOUT CUSO-VSO
VSO Country Program Office
Various locations - (6 different countries) Tanzania, Ghana, Cambodia, Ethiopia, Honduras, Bolivia September 2011 (training in Ottawa) October 2011 (departure for placement country) 1 week (in Ottawa training) 4-6 weeks (in placement country)
CUSO-VSO is a non-profit development agency that works through volunteers. Each year, we send hundreds of global citizens to work on collaborative development projects in more than 40 countries in Africa, Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, and the Caribbean. We are one of North America's leading international development organizations that works through volunteers.
ABOUT THE PLACEMENT
The aim of this placement is to collect quality communications materials (photos, video, audio clips etc.) in order to share learning and best practice generated by partners and volunteers within the VSO Program. The outcome will be that CUSO-VSO will be better able to demonstrate the impact of international volunteering and of working in partnership to tackle poverty.
You will be paired up with a volunteer journalist and will work collaboratively with the Country Office team to interview and write stories about volunteers, partners, beneficiaries and staff.
WHAT DOES THE ROLE INVOLVE?
The volunteer will work:
•    Work closely with VSO country program staff to establish project logistics and schedule •    Take photos, video and/or audio which capture the impact of international volunteering
and of working in partnership to tackle poverty. Subjects will include north-south volunteers, south-south volunteers, national volunteers, Diaspora volunteers, corporate volunteers, partners and beneficiaries
•    Ensure that information is delivered in appropriate formats (as specified) upon completion of the placement.
•    If time permits, assist the VSO program office with creation and development of communication material and conduct training sessions for staff
SKILLS, QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIRED
Essential •    University Degree in relevant field •    Minimum 5 years experience as a photographer •    Proficient skills in delivering content within short timescales •    Patience, perseverance and the ability to multi-task •    A culturally-sensitive, innovative and flexible approach
Desirable •    Experience creating and editing videos •    Previous overseas experience •    Fluency in French and/or Spanish
TRAINING AND FINANCIAL SUPPORT
Our training and support package covers the costs of being an overseas volunteer, allowing you to enjoy a modest but healthy lifestyle while you volunteer abroad. This includes:
•    Attendance at a CUSO-VSO assessment day (candidates must cover the first $150 of the most cost-effective travel expenses and accommodation costs)
•    Travel and accommodation costs associated with pre-departure training •    Return airfare and visa/permit (this includes a return flight in the case of a family
emergency) •    Coverage for required vaccinations, medications and comprehensive health insurance. •    Accommodation while overseas •    A modest living allowance, which varies depending on the country where you are placed
KEY INFORMATION AND DATES
Application deadline:
Assessment day (Interview): (Must be available to attend one of the interview days listed in either Ottawa or Vancouver)
Training dates: (must be available to attend)
Wednesday, July 6th
Ottawa: July 22, 25, August 16 & 25 Vancouver: July 30, August 7 & 27
7 days in Ottawa: September 9th – 15th
CUSO-VSO places a priority on matching volunteers to countries where they are most professionally suited. Therefore, we ask that volunteers be flexible when considering where they would be willing to work.
Expressions of interest, including a cover letter, resume and sample work relevant to this position, should be sent no later than July 6th, 2011 to the following e-mail address: apply@cuso-vso.org.
We thank you for your interest but only pre-selected candidates will be contacted

Sunday, June 26, 2011

Ft Smith #NWT Photo Club Scavenger Hunt running today...

Via FaceBook...

Ft. Smith Photo Club Scavenger Hunt running today...

I think this is a great idea to promote photography in the NWT and would love to see it happening in every community... and would even like to see a territory wide version happen...

George

Friday, June 24, 2011

The new digital still camera by Lytro allows you to "shoot now, focus later."

Is technology replacing skill?

http://www.cbc.ca/news/yourcommunity/2011/06/is-technology-replacing-skill.html

How the Lytro Light-Field Camera Works

Light-field photography has the potential to revolutionize photography. Ren Ng, the founder of Lytro, explains how a camera can capture images that are never out of focus.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2387554,00.asp

The camera that turns light into living pictures

This year, Lytro will debut the first light field camera for everyone. OK – you're not everyone. You are a beautiful, unique snowflake. And you deserve an amazing camera that lets you capture life's singular moments, like baby's first steps not second, with maximum magic and minimum hassle. No more fighting with dials and settings and modes. No more flat, boring, static photographs. With a Lytro, you unleash the light.

http://www.lytro.com/

The latest column of The Digital Eye is online; This time - panoramic photography

The latest column of The Digital Eye
<http://whatsupyukon.com/index.php/the-digital-eye.html
>is online at What's Up Yukon
<http://whatsupyukon.com/index.php/the-digital-eye.html>. This time
dealing with panoramic photography. Feel free to email my questions or add
comments after the article. Enjoy.

--
Peace, Health and Harmony

Norm Hamilton, Freelance Writer and Photographer
137-1 Klondike Road
Whitehorse, Yukon Y1A 3L6
<http://www.normhamilton.ca>www.normhamilton.ca/blog
email: <normATnormhamiltonDOTca>ytnormATgmailDOTcom
PH: (867) 333-0595

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Aboriginal Youth Tell Their Stories With Photographs

Photostories by Aboriginal Youth:  In Ontario, almost half of Aboriginal people – First Nation, Métis and Inuit – are less than 25 years old. They live on reserves and in towns and cities across the province. This photography project gives Aboriginal youth a voice. Seven Aboriginal communities in Ontario. More than fifty Aboriginal young people. Sharing stories through their own eyes. http://www.inmyowneyes.ca/


June 21, 2011 10:05 AM

McGuinty Government Helping Better Understanding For Aboriginal Youth

More than 50 Aboriginal youth are showcasing their images and stories in an online gallery.

With support from the province and Planet IndigenUs, professional Aboriginal photographers visited seven communities to mentor youth in Grades 6 to 8, teaching them about photography and how to use it to tell a story. Those images are part of a gallery "In My Own Eyes" and are now available to view online.

The gallery of photos is launched on National Aboriginal Day, a day that recognizes the important contributions that Aboriginal people, their cultures and traditions have made, and continue to make, to Ontario and Canada.

QUICK FACTS

 
  • The communities that participated in this project include: M'Chigeeng First Nation, Ojibways of Onigaming, Moose Cree First Nation, Six Nations of the Grand River First Nation. Urban Aboriginal youth in the cities of Fort Frances, Toronto and North Bay also participated.
  • Mentors were assisted on-reserve by a member of the Chiefs of Ontario's Young Peoples Council, and in urban settings by a member of the Ontario Federation of Indian Friendship Centres Youth Council.
  • 43 percent of Aboriginal people - First Nation, Inuit and Métis - in Ontario are less than 25 years old.
  • Planet IndigenUs is a major international cultural initiative of Toronto's Harbourfront Centre in partnership with the Woodland Cultural Centre in Brantford.

CONTACTS

  • Scott Cavan
    Minister's Office
    416-314-7395
  • Christy Arnold
    Communications
    416-314-9455
  • Bruce Hutchinson
    Harbourfront Centre
    416-973-4342

OPPORTUNITIES / PHOTOGRAPHY: Scholarship for young photojournalists accepting applications (GLOBAL)

Ian Parry Scholarship deadline is 30th June 2011

Full-time photography students and photographers age 24 or under can apply for a scholarship.

The Ian Parry Scholarship http://www.ianparry.org is designed to help young documentary photographers undertake a chosen project and raise their profile in the international photography community. It is named after photographer Ian Parry, who died on assignment in Romania at the age of 24.

The top prize is UK£3,000 (about US$4900) and UK£500 (about US$820) for runners-up. The Sunday Times Magazine publishes a selection of images from the competition and World Press Photo automatically nominates the winner for the Joop Swart Masterclass.  http://www.worldpressphoto.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=41&Itemid=72

For more information, click here. http://www.ianparry.org/main/?page_id=2

source http://ijnet.org/opportunities/scholarship-young-photojournalists-accepting-applications-worldwide


The Ian Parry Scholarship 2011 deadline is June 30th 2011. Applications are digital. FTP instructions and application forms are available from http://www.ianparry.org


The Ian Parry Scholarship is designed to award young documentary photographers with a bursary that will enable them to undertake a chosen project and raise their profile in the international photographic community.


Ian Parry was a photojournalist who died whilst on assignment for the Sunday Times during the Romanian revolution in 1989. He was just 24 years old. The Scholarship was set up by Aidan Sullivan and Ian's friends and family in order to build something positive from such a tragic death.


The competition is open to full time photographic students and photographers of 24 years or under.


The prize is £3,000 towards an assignment, a commission for Save The Children plus £500 for runners up. The Sunday Times Magazine publishes a selection of images from the competition and World Press Photo automatically accept the winner onto their final list of nominees for the Joop Swart Masterclass. An exhibition of images curated by Rebecca McClelland will be on view at the Getty Images Gallery from the 17th August


DEADLINE 30TH JUNE 2011

Entrants must submit: A digital portfolio of 12 images to our FTP following our guidelines. An application form. A synopsis of a project they would undertake if they won the award complete with budget and some research.

This year we are also launching the first in a series of seminars and workshops led by industry professionals connected to the scholarship. This will be a free event exclusive to all finalists.


Our key sponsors: The Sunday Times & Canon Europe. Our thanks to all our other sponsors: Save The Children, Frontline Club, British Journal of Photography and the Getty Gallery for their generous support.
Contact: becky@ianparry.org http://www.ianparry.org




Friday, June 17, 2011

Commonwealth Global Film and Photography Competition


Dear Sir/Madam,
 
I am writing from the Royal Commonwealth Society (RCS) in London. The RCS is an international education charity which supports and promotes the culture and core values of the modern Commonwealth.
 
We are keen to collaborate with your Film Commission, in promoting two exciting and innovative competitions – the Commonwealth Photographic and Vision Awards (film). Open to Commonwealth citizens under the age of 30, these competitions will act as a platform for aspiring and established photographers and filmmakers to realise their dreams, whilst promoting the rich culture, heritage and scenery/landscape of Canada's provinces and territories. What's more, selected winners of the different categories would be in line to win some amazing monetary and photography/film equipment. In 2010, winners were flown to London for a week of workshops and a Gala Awards Dinner. We are currently finalising arrangements for this year's top prize - details will be revealed in a special press release later this month.
 
We would be very grateful if you could kindly publicise these competitions to Film and Photography Schools / Institutes or amongst established/aspiring filmmakers within your province/territory. We would also appreciate it if you could send us a list or database of the names of these schools or institutes so that we could update our records and send further information about our youth projects and creative competitions. The RCS will acknowledge any support given, across their networks in Commonwealth countries.
 
Please see the attachments for all the information on the Photographic and Vision Awards. The deadline for submissions is 1st August. Please do not hesitate to contact me if you have any questions.
 
Best wishes,
 John Apea
 
 
 
John Apea
Youth Programmes Team
 

 
 
Tel: +44 (0)20 7766 9208
Fax: +44 (0)20 7930 9705
www.thercs.org/youth
 
For more information on our upcoming events visit: www.thercs.org/events
 
The Royal Commonwealth Society is a Registered Charity in England and Wales and a Body Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered Charity No: 226748. Registered office: 25 Northumberland Avenue , London WC2N 5AP.
 
 
 

The deadline for 2011 submissions has been extended to 1st August!!

 http://www.thercs.org/youth/photoawards

The only Photographic Prize of its kind reaching every country in the Commonwealth, the Photographic Awards has been running since the 1990s and has drawn together hundreds of young photojournalists and photographers every year. The standard of entry is always exceptional.

Open to young people under the age of 30, whether you take photos on a digital, analogue, or disposable camera - or a mobile phone - please send them in.

We are actively encouraging young people under the age of 18 to also take part this year!

The theme in 2011 is Women as Agents of Change.

Icon: Acrobat PDFClick here for 2011's Young Commonwealth Competitions flyer with the 2011 theme of "Women as Agents of Change" and some news on how you can take part in both the film, photography and essay competitions AS WELL AS the Commonwealth Jubilee Time Capsule




Tuesday, June 14, 2011

FYI: The 10 Rules Of US Copyright Infringement (Photographically speaking)

The 10 Rules Of US Copyright Infringement



http://www.jeremynicholl.com/blog/2011/06/13/the-10-rules-of-us-copyright-infringement/

[excerpt]

Some time ago I began registering all my photographs with the US Copyright Office. Like all photographers I've witnessed a massive increase of theft of my work in recent years. And like others I've found it difficult, if not impossible, to get reasonable compensation for these infringements, especially if the infringer is in a foreign country.

But one country, the US, provides very hefty penalties for copyright theft – so long as the work has been registered prior to the infringement in question. So what would happen if I, a foreigner, registered my work and subsequently found it used without permission in the US? Would US copyright law really provide me with the same protection that it does the country's own citizens? Last week I got my answer.

In January this year I found one of my photos on a website owned by a major US media company. In February I engaged attorney Barbara Hoffman of the Hoffman Law Firm to handle the matter. Last week the infringer paid a substantial settlement. As is normal in such settlements no party admitted liability. But media organisations don't usually write five figure cheques without good reason: draw your own conclusions.

However only a tiny percentage of US photographers bother to register their images; virtually no foreign photographers do so. Two reasons are usually given: that the registration process is too complex, and that the cost is too high. Neither of these is true. Since the US Copyright Office began accepting online registrations the process has become both simpler and cheaper. While the system appears intimidating at first, that's simply because it allows for the registration of so many different kinds of creative works. Concentrate only what applies to photographers, and the process becomes much clearer; and the registration process has pop-up guide notes at each stage. For the truly challenged, both Photoshelter and the Photo Attorney have detailed guides with blow-by-blow screenshots of actual registrations. How hard can it be?

As for cost, online registration is $35 a time, you can register an unlimited number of images in a batch for that fee, and you have 90 days from the moment of exposure to register new work. So simply register your photographs in batches 5 times a year. Cost per annum for complete US copyright protection, $175. That doesn't sound expensive to me: how much did you say you spent on that new lens?



Sunday, June 12, 2011

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY of the arts and culture sector in Canada

THE NUMBERS TELL THE STORY

The arts and culture sector contributed $85 billion to Canada's GDP in 2007 (7.4% of Canada's real GDP).
SOURCE: Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada's Creative Economy, Conference Board of Canada, 2008
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/documents.aspx?did=2671

The cultural sector generated approximately $25 billion in taxes for all levels of government in 2007. This is more than three times higher than the $7.9 billion that was spent on culture by all levels of government in 2007.
SOURCE: Valuing Culture: Measuring and Understanding Canada's Creative Economy, Conference Board of Canada, 2008
http://www.conferenceboard.ca/documents.aspx?did=2671

The cultural sector has about 600,000 workers, which is about double the level of employment in the forestry sector in Canada (300,000) and more than double the level of employment in Canadian banks (257,000).
SOURCE: A Statistical Profile of Artists in Canada : Based on the 2006 Census, Hill Strategies Research, 2009
http://www.hillstrategies.com/resources_details.php?resUID=1000300

In 2005, two thirds of Canadians read a book (66.6%), one in two attended a performance by professional artists or a cultural festival (48.8%), and one in four visited an art gallery (26.7%).
SOURCE: General Social Survey, Statistics Canada, 2005
http://www.hillstrategies.com/resources_details.php?resUID=1000223

In 2008, Canadians spent more than twice as much on live performing arts ($1.4 billion) than on sports events ($0.65 billion).
SOURCE: Survey of Household Spending, Statistics Canada, 2008
http://www.artsresearchmonitor.com/article_details.php?artUID=50638

The arts are important for personal health and well-being, having an impact on personal confidence, sense of control, social connectedness, education, and ensuring supportive physical environments.
SOURCE: Arts and Culture in Medicine and Health: Survey Research Paper, Cooley & Associates, 2003
http://www.surlesarts.com/article_details.php?artUID=50370

The Canadian Arts Coalition is a national, non-partisan movement made up of business leaders and arts philanthropists, sponsors and volunteers, artists and arts organizations. We are united in the belief that the future of our citizens, their towns and cities, and indeed, the nation itself depends on access to a rich, vibrant and diverse arts community.
http://www.canadianartscoalition.com/
http://www.lacoalitioncanadiennedesarts.com/
email/courriel: info@canadianartscoalition.com
Twitter: @artscoalitionca
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/artscoalition

Thursday, June 09, 2011

Yellowknfie Community Foundation call for photos

Janet Pacey [janetpacey@ssimicro.com] on behalf of Yellowknife
Community Foundation has requested distribution of the following
announcement:


>Yellowknfie Community Foundation
>
>Call for Photos!
>
>Deadline: July 30th
>
>The Yellowknife Community Foundation is looking for photos for their
>Annual Report Calendar. It's a great opportunity to have your photo
>featured in print that will be seen by over 1000 friends of the
>Foundation. We're looking for action and beauty in the Yellowknife
>area.
>
>If your photo is chosen you will receive $75, photo credit and a
>printed copy of the calendar. Complete rules and regulations are
>available by request.
>
>To submit please email:  janetpacey@ssimicro.com
>
>Please ensure that submissions are:
>o            landscape format (wider than tall)
>o            of Yellowknife and area
>o            high resolution digital format only, 10 x 8" at 300 dpi
>(3000 x 2400 px)
>
>Include your name, email, phone number and name / description of
>photo.
>
>For more information, please call 444-8470 or email
>janetpacey@ssimicro.com.
>
>- - - - - - - - - -
>Janet Pacey, CGD
>4910 50th Street
>Yellowknife, NT
>867.444.8470
>
>www.janetpacey.com
>


Thursday, June 02, 2011

Uranium film festival of Brazil



---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints <misac@socialdoc.net>
Date: 2 June 2011 05:05
Subject: Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints
To: mediamentor@gmail.com


Documentary Field Notes and Flashpoints


Uranium film festival of Brazil

Posted: 01 Jun 2011 10:15 PM PDT

Uranium festival: Uranium 238

"Uranium 238: La bomba sucia del Pentágono"selected as one of the eight best films of the Uranium Film Festival of Rio de Janeiro 2011.

One of my films, Uranium (NFB 1990) was selected to participate in the first international Uranium Film Festival in Brazil, which just ended. As Brazil is not known for its uranium or nuclear industry, I found this intriguing. I put some questions to Marcia Gomez de Oliveira, the Director of the Festival, and the director of programming Norbert G. Suchanek.

1. Why a festival of films on uranium?

Marcia Gomes de Oliveira: Because nuclear power plants cannot exist without uranium mining. And that factor is still not known to the general population or society. Also totally unknown to the public here in Brazil and in Latin America are the environmental and social consequences and the negative health effects of uranium mining and other installations of the complex nuclear energy industry. Our film festival wants to change that, wants to "popularize" this important information.

Most of the documentaries and movies about uranium, mining, nuclear energy or the Chernobyl disaster have never been shown in Brazil and were never translated into our language, Portuguese. There is a huge language barrier between the English and Portuguese-speaking world. Our festival is the first step in breaking down that wall. In addition, of course we want to stimulate filmmakers, especially filmmakers from Latin America and from Portuguese-speaking African countries, to produce documentaries and movies on nuclear and radioactive subjects.

Marcia Gomes de Oliveira

And why in Brazil?

Marcia: Because we have nuclear power plants and uranium mines. And, starting with ex-president Lula da Silva, the Brazilian government wants not only to triple the production of Yellow Cake but also in the near future export enriched uranium. That is not all. The government is now constructing a third nuclear power plant, Angra 3, and wants to build up to 40 or 50 new nuclear power plants all over Brazil. Our government wants to transform our country into a globally important nuclear power. The Brazilian people until today have not been aware of this huge nuclear program. And we have to discus it, before it becomes reality, before it is too late.

Why on uranium and not for example hydroelectric dams?

The nuclear or uranium question is as important as the question of hydroelectric dams. The difference is that in Brazil, since the 1980s people already know about the negative effects of the big dams and hydroelectric power plants like Itaipu, Tucurui or Balbina. They are visible. However, the effects of radioactivity, the effects of uranium mining are not yet visible in our society. For that, we are working to spread independent information in form of documentaries about the whole nuclear energy complex and the radioactive risks.

2. For Norbert: You have seen pretty much everything that's been done on uranium mining and its consequences over the last 30 years (40, right ?)

Norbert: As journalist and activist born in formerly West Germany, I followed the nuclear question for more than 30 years now. In Europe, "uranium mining" was always a forgotten subject because most of the uranium mining happens in other continents. The huge uranium mine of East Germany was also "forgotten" because it was simply a secret behind the Iron Curtain. The huge problems in the uranium mines of Portugal were not questioned outside of Portugal because of the language barrier and because that small country in the edge of Europe was not part of the early European Community. Therefore, for decades uranium mining was not visible to the European public and to most of the people worldwide.

Norbert G. Suchanek

Looking at all of them, what role has documentary played with respect to this issue?

Documentaries have been one of the most important vehicles to bring the uranium case into the public. Like I said, mining was not visible for the people, because it happened in secrecy or in other countries. Until today, the question of Nuclear Energy has been mainly fixed on the question of "Nuclear Waste" from nuclear power plants and nuclear accidents.

Starting with documentaries about uranium mining in Australia, documentaries about the fight of indigenous peoples against mines, people in the industrialized nations are becoming slowly aware that the fuel of Nuclear Power plants do not come from heaven. But will require many more documentaries to inform all of our societies, so that the people and their politicians can make correct and wise decisions in future.

Can you mention a couple of films which stand out ?

First of all your documentary Uranium and this is not because I want to be polite. Your documentary is simply a good piece of work with impressive images and one of the first that explores the consequences of uranium mining in Canada in a profound way.

From the other films that we selected for our festival, I personally like very much the documentary Fight for Country (the story of the Jabiluka Blockade) from Pip Starr, a film director who sadly died far too young. In the year 1998, Pip Starr spent over a year working with the aboriginal Mirrar people opposing a second uranium mine on their land. Finally, thousands of people from all over Australia traveled to the Kakadu National Park to join the Mirrar in their struggle. Produced in 2001, Fight for Country shows that people who stand up against uranium mining are not alone!

The third documentary I want to mention is a new production by film director Klara Sager from Sweden. The location of "Under the surface – Om bergen faller sönder" produced in 2010/11 is the Hotagen, a mountain area in the North of Sweden.

Young, well-educated geo-engineers and technicians are hiking through a beautiful landscape in search for uranium, without any feeling, about what will happen to that amazing place of earth if one day uranium mining starts. On the other side, you have normal local people, elderly, who do not want uranium mining nor uranium prospecting happen in their land.

It is interesting to see, that Swedish people who are against uranium mining are not young students or "hippy"-type activists, but normal, elderly people. Under the surface also brings to light another kind of modern generation conflict – technicians and engineers fresh from the university working for international mining companies against elderly local people, grocery shopkeepers, housewives and the indigenous Sami, reindeer herders, with a totally different concept of nature and living.

Thanks to Tobi Elliott for her help with the blog.

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Change in Up Here mag's Photo Contest Rules



Finally, they now say " All images remain copyright of the photographer. Winning images, however, may be used in promotional material for future contests. Up Here will contact and compensate photographers whose entries merit usage in other promotional material or editorial content."
http://uphere.ca/node/712