Sunday, February 12, 2017

Photographer Feature- Brent Stirton

When choosing a photographer to feature I had a hard time deciding who I wanted to show. It was between Frans Lanting and Brent Stirton. I only write that because I do want you all to check out Frans Lantings site (Lanting.com) and instagram. But I decided to feature Brent Stirton because when I looked at his work I got a little jealous. I like what he does because each image I looked at made me feel something. There's a wide variety of subjects and moods in his photography and even though its not always pretty the work is moving. He takes an objective look into people's lives and isnt set into any one style as far as I could tell.


BUKIMA, VIRUNGA NATIONAL PARK, EASTERN CONGO, JULY 2007: Conservation Rangers from an Anti-Poaching unit work with locals to evacuate the bodies of four Mountain Gorrillas killed in mysterious circumstances in the park, Virunga National Park, Eastern Congo, 24 July 2007. A Silver-Back Alpha male, the leader of the group was shot, three females were also killed. Two of the females had babies and the other was pregnant. The two babies were not found and it is thought that they will have died of stress and dehydration. The motivation for the killing is not known but it is suspected that there are political motivations. The local illegal Charcoal industry clashes with conservation efforts in this very poor area and Rangers have been threatened, tortured and killed as a result of this clash of political and economic wills. Over 100 Rangers have been killed in their efforts to protect the Gorrillas of Virunga, one of the world's most endangered species. The Congolese Rangers in this particular group are working with Wildlife Direct, a Conservation organisation. The Rangers receive a salary based on donations to Wildlife Direct and perform one of the most dangerous jobs in the world of wildlife conservation. The DRC has the highest toll of human casualties of any country since the second world war, a figure in the region of 4.6 million dead as a result of war and resultant displacement, disease, starvation and ongoing militia violence. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images for Newsweek.)

TRANSKEI COAST, SOUTH AFRICA-NOVEMBER 2003: Xhosa boys undergoing the circumcision ceremony walk back to their huts at the end of the day. Every Xhosa male must undergo this ceremony which begins with a unanethatised circumcision and then explores a month long oral history of the Xhosa people. PHOTO BY BRENT STIRTON/GETTY IMAGES.

BARRIO CHIUIJO, WEST OF CHIMOIO, MOZAMBIQUE/ZIMBABWE BORDER, 19 NOVEMBER 2013: Bonafacio Mazin, 57, works his vegetable field with perfect balance despite losing one of his legs in 1987 to a landmine laid by Rhodesian forces in the seventies, Mozambique/Zimbabwe Border, West Chimoio, 19 November 2013. Bonafacio was walking home from farm work in Zimbabwe when the incident occured. Mozambique had very few jobs at the time and many people were killed in their way in and out of Zimbabwe by these landmines. "As a man, this is very bad, I cannot find a job, I work hard on the farm but I cannot do enough work. This landmine has reduced me to a beggar." This region is one of the most densely landmined in the world, effectively cutting off 50% of all arable land for these villages. The landmines were laid by the Rhodesean Military to protect against ZANLA freedom fighters in Rhodesia's war of liberation. They have been in place since the early 1970's and Norweigan Peoples Agency have been demining the area for some time. They hope to finish by the end of 2014 but that may be optimistic given the recent discovery of new minefields and resurgent violence from opposition party RENAMO. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Reportage for the ICRC.)

TAZERZEIT, AIR MOUNTAINS, NORTHERN NIGER, APRIL 2009: Images of M.N.J, The Movement of Justice in Niger, a Tuareg led rebellion against the Niger government for reasons of perceived discrimination, social injustice and resource ownership in Niger's growing Uranium and natural resources, 5 April 2009. The rebels are depicted in the desert on a training excercise close to a former school establised for Tuareg Nomad children. It sits on the North-eastern front of the Air mountain range near the rebel main base at Mt Tamgak. The school was attacked by the Niger Army in their search for rebels in August 2007, the teacher was threatened in front of the childten and three elderly men were reportedly executed by a Niger Army captain. Shortly afterwards the rebel counter attack secured 31 Niger Army hostages, one of whom still remains in Rebel hands. (Photo by Brent Stirton/National Geographic)

KERALA, INDIA, 15 APRIL 2013: An elephant walks past two nervous women on its way to attend a festival in Kerala, India 15 April 2013. Elephants have become increasingly popular at religious festivals in Kerala, for centuries they have been used by the Hindu faithful because of their role in Hinduism and also as a symbol of power. In recent years both Christian and Islamic factions have introduced elephants into their festival. As a result these elephant have become heavily overused during the festival period. They have little rest, are surrounded by a roaring crowd, loud music and concussive fireworks. Elephants that are in mhust have also been used, despite their increased aggression in this period. Accidents and killings have been commonplace, panicked and aggressive elephants have killed a number of spectators, as recently as January 2013 an elephant killed 3 woman spectators yet was allowed to continue performing. The elephant owners charge large fees for appearances and there are devout, fanatical followings for individual elephants. Despite the danger, people continue to flock to these events. Elephants are typically wild animals who have been caught and broken, then trained to obey commands. Elephants in Kerala spend their whole lives chained, living in small spaces like open air prisons and performing manual labor or appearing at these festivals. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images.)

RUMANGABO, VIRUNGA, DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO, 6 AUGUST 20013: Images from the Senkekwe Orphan Gorilla project as caretakers interact in the early morning with a new orphan mountain gorilla Ihirwe at ICCN headquarters, Rumangabo, DRC, 6 August 2013. It is suspected that this orphan was taken by soldiers who probably killed the mother to get the baby. When they were unable to sell it, the orphan was abandoned and the conservation rangers heard and rescued it. Wounds from a rope were evident on its chest and back, it is slowly recovering now as it lives full time with caretakers who also sleep in the enclosure with the orphan. There are a number of other orphans at the center who will be introduced to the new baby once it has been through quarantine and is accustomed to its new surroundings.

MINDIMA VILLAGE, CHIMBU PROVINCE, HIGHLANDS, PAPUA NEW GUINEA-DECEMBER 2008: A traditionally dressed elder in a village in Chimbu Province, Highlands, Papua New Guinea, 18 December 2008. These outfits will be worn only on special occasions, namely Sing-Sing tribal get-togethers, Moka Compensation ceremonies, Bride-Price ceremonies and feasts. The man in the picture is a leader in the village and he is on his way to a compensation ceremony in which money and pigs will be exchanged for a land deal with another village. This convoluted process of compensation is part of the traditional way of life of village people. It is based on a system which addresses a community rather than individuals and is meant as an insurance system for the general well-being of all. In reality it limits access to education and medicine and is in many ways similar to compensation litigation in the USA. No-one benefits in the long term as individual efforts are closely monitored for flaws for which compensation is then sought, this often results in a one step forwards, two steps backwards mentality. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images.)

LAKE MURRAY, WESTERN PROVINCE, PAPUA NEW GUINEA-JANUARY 2008: Scenes of kids enjoying the lake in Kubut Village, Lake Murray, Papua New Guinea, 1 January 2009. Lake Murray is a region where people have lived lives in harmony with nature for centuries. People make their living by hunting, farming, fishing, and growing rubber trees and now also with Eco-forestry. Their life-styles are dependant on the harmony between them and nature and they are trying to ensure a sustainable relationship for future generations. This has been complicated and compromised by the interventions of both international mining and logging groups over the last few decades but local community resistance is growing as rising anger mounts at the environmental damage done to rivers and forests which form the backbone of the village survival system. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Reportage by Getty Images.)

JALALABAD, AFGHANISTAN-APRIL 2007: Images from illegal opium producing poppy farms an hours travel outside of Jalalabad, Afghanistan, 19 April 2007. Afghanistan currently produces over 90% of the world's illegal opium and the industry accounts for over 45% of the countries annual GDP. A great deal of this production is based on communal poverty and a lack of alternatives for farmers combined with coercion from the opium cartels of Afghanistan and Pakistan. The event is filmed by CNN freelance crew Cameraman Richard Parry and producer Tresha Mabile. (Photo by Brent Stirton/Getty Images.)

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KONO, SIERRA LEONE-OCTOBER 2003: A 12 year old former "bush-wife" sex-slave of the rebel group the R.U.F. This girl was taken from her village at 10 years old and forced into sexual servitude by the rebels. When she attempted to escape they used battery acid to burn off her breast as an example to the other slaves. PHOTO BY BRENT STIRTON/GETTY IMAGES.

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