David Carlier : Pure Water

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT

Claire McHale

Water is by far the most important substance on Earth. Covering 71% of Earth's surface, it's vital for all known forms of life. When Switzerland-based photographer David Carlier travels through the Alps, he often thinks of this natural element and about what we, as global citizens, are doing to both protect and neglect it. 

Where I live, in Switzerland, we have an unlimited access to water. We don’t think about it, like most people in our so-called western world. But for the future generations, access to water could very well be one of the main issues.

David has always wanted to shoot a story related to water, so what better place to do so then in the Alps. For the project, he wanted to show the origins of water in this particular region as it travels from the highest glaciers down to the valleys, dams, streams and lakes and how it's present at every stage in the Alps. From the snow capped peaks to the lakes, water plays a very central role economically, socially, and geologically in the region.

The goal here was to try to make people think about it… realize how easy it is to open the tap and drink. And think about how it is in other places where this does not happen...

As is often the case with outdoor projects in remote areas, the main challenge for David was planning everything and having to deal with weather conditions in the mountains. David, who was shooting alone most of the time, didn't want to shoot the classic landscape images so he chose to shoot on days when weather was not optimal making it even more difficult to access locations.  

Images from this expansive series were chosen to be displayed at the World Exposition in Milan, Italy. David also hopes to continue the adventure by creating a book.

To see more of David's work visit davidcarlierphotography.com

This article was originally published Dec 17, 2015 on the Wonderful Machine Blog

Clint McLean : The Strait of Hormuz

Nov 11, 2015

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT

Claire McHale

Clint McLean recently relocated to southern Spain after spending 6 years in Dubai. Before leaving the region Clint began a self-assigned project right next door in Oman. The project looks at isolated Omani communities in Musandam at the edge of the Strait of Hormuz. One of the world’s most important waterways, the strait transports much of the world's oil. This area of Oman is separated from the rest of the country by mountains and the United Arab Emirates. The nearest neighbor is the Northern-most Emirate of Ras al Khaimah and some small villages are only accessible by boat. Just a little farther away is Iran, which is just 32 km across the strait at its most narrow point. The Strait of Hormuz is strategically important as this waterway connects the Persian Gulf to the rest of the world  but with all the drama surrounding the  U.S. and Iran it has become a point of contention.

Musandam is in the shadow of all the chaos around Iran – the starting and stopping of embargos, seizing of ships, threats to block the strait, US warship patrols, etc. – and yet it is not really a player in the drama, just a victim or victor. The people just ebb and flow and carry on as they have done for hundreds of years. 

Clint, who tends to alternate photographically between lit portraits for magazines and longer term projects which tend to have a cultural bend to them, considers his Hormus project very much a cultural documentation. 

Musandam feels a bit like a frontier town and is a blend of blistering heat, fishermen, goats, dust, smugglers and tourists – the latter two being the fuel of its economy. Add to this its strategically important location and you have what I find a fascinating subject.

My first trips were more like fact-finding missions and trying to make some contacts. Planning often involved things like how to photograph the smugglers up close and personal and figuring out if I could arrange interviews.

The most difficult thing, Clint says, is gaining access—and the blistering sun. Since this is a self-assigned project and he has no backing from a publication, he's had trouble getting onto a ship in the strait. He even rented a boat and chased a tanker for over two hours trying to catch up, but was never able to match their speed. 

Clint plans to return to The Strait of Hormuz to continue this project and fill in a few gaps. Hopefully this time with a faster boat!

To view more of Clint's work visit clintmclean.com

This article was originally published Nov 11, 2015 on the Wonderful Machine Blog

Lynton Crabb: Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies

PHOTOGRAPHER SPOTLIGHT

Claire McHale

You might expect that when a photographer visits Papua New Guinea he’d be among the many to photograph its vast landscapes, idyllic beaches or one of the hundreds of ethnic groups indigenous to the land. That certainly wasn’t the case during Australian photographer Lynton Crabb’s recent visit to the Oceanian country.

With close to 90 percent of the population living in rural areas with limited access to resources, Papua New Guinea—the largest of the Pacific nations with a population of nearly seven million—is host to an array of health problems. One of the sad statistics is the alarming rate of maternal and child death. According to The Burnet Institute of Medical Research about 5,000 babies die each year, and a woman in Papua New Guinea is 80 times more likely to die in childbirth than a woman in neighboring Australia.

Together with The Burnet Institute Of Medical Research, Lynton photographed some of the many mothers that are included in “Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies,” a five-year research program aimed at providing lifesaving health care for women and children through translational and community research. See some of his pictures and read more in the Q&A below.

How did you get involved with this? 

My brother, a scientist, is the CEO of The Burnet Institute Of Medical Research here in Australia. Amongst the many research and humanitarian projects they have in progress around the world, the team from Burnet identified with the fact that, in Papua New Guinea, approximately 5,000 babies a year die in their first month of birth. Many mothers also die during this period. They have since implemented a carefully considered research program to find out why. It’s privately funded and realizing these funds relies on awareness in the philanthropic sector and just as importantly in the larger community. After discussions with the Burnet head office team, we decided that it would help to have some images to show the world, spread the word and ultimately help increase the funding. We also agreed on the importance of documenting these initiatives for Burnet’s history and heritage.

How does this project fit into your photographic style? 

This project and I fit really well. Even in photography, the story has always interested me as much as the execution or treatment. It represented a very real issue on a large scale. It’s an amazing place with amazing people and also provided the opportunity for adventure…perfect for a pro bono project!

Were there any challenges involved with this project? If so, how did you overcome them? 

Regarding culture and language, I already knew Papua New Guinea well. Although I am Australian, as a child I travelled to different countries with my family because of my fathers work. I lived in Papua New Guinea for the latter part of my junior and all of my senior school years. After finishing school I returned to Australia and studied photography in Melbourne. Periodically I have returned to Papua New Guinea over the past twenty years and have exhibited images from previous excursions. Around the year 2000 I produced a body of work called “The boy from PNG”. This was a series of images shot from the point of view and my memories growing up. On a practical level the tropics throw up all the usual issues of condensation, heat, malaria etc.

What was involved in planning/preproduction?

As part of the research project, Burnet is recruiting approximately 700 mothers and following their progress from the first trimester of their pregnancy until well after their baby is born. Keeping in touch with the mothers at designated times is not as easy as it seems as many of the mothers live in villages some distance from the medical centers and in places which are not readily on the communication grid. For the photography, we managed to gain permission from some of these mothers to be included in my photography series whilst in the field. I travelled to PNG twice this year, which made it much easier to cover off what we felt, was missing from the first trip.

Any future plans for this project?

Whilst there, I also shot motion and we are currently editing a short film which will also be used in various promotional ways.

Did you learn anything through the creation of this series?

I was reminded that we can’t take anything for granted or that other people will take care of things. Us, the general population, is lucky that there are people and organizations out there totally committed to other peoples welfare. They absolutely deserve our support.

To view more of Lynton's work visit his site at crabb.com.au and to find out more about "Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies" or to donate visit burnet.edu.au/hmhb

This article was originally published Sep 16, 2015 on the Wonderful Machine Blog