"Binyanvanga Wainaina’s essay How to Write About Africa remains one of the most powerfully insightful criticism and accusation of the continued dehumanization and oppression of Africa and Africans that continues in modern day language, photography, fine art, literature, poetry and the stultifying and lobotomizing rhetoric of so-called aid organizations and their employees.

It was an essay that stopped me in my tracks and forever changed the way I looked at Africa as a photographer and as a viewer of photography from the continent. It was also the essay that led me to search out more interesting, complex and human works from and about that continent. This search led me to such wonderful works as that by Steve Simon’s The Grandmother Spirit - a project that will, as Steve describes it, ‘…illuminate the determination, strength, resiliency and inspiration of The African Grandmother – the heart, soul and hands of response to the HIV/AIDS pandemic there" READ MORE . In Musings On Confusions, Photography, The Daily Discussion 

Middle Classes in Africa » is a project created and run by the photographer Joan BARDELETTI, in collaboration with various partners. It aims at understanding and describing who are the middle classes in Africa and the role of this population in the development of the continent. This in-depth project is done  through a 20 months and 6 countries photo essay associated with journalism and research publications.http://www.classesmoyennes-afrique.org

(Monday, 8 March 2010 – Johannesburg) – Nineteen of South Africa’s finest professional photographers, as well as 6 international photographic experts, formed part of the Sony Profoto Awards judging panel.  This prestigious group of influential and talented professionals recently judged over 6,000 images, ranging from wildlife to beauty, fashion and advertising. 
Merwelene van der Merwe, renowned for her fashion and beauty photography, well-known wildlife photographer Dave Hamman, seasoned advertising and TV commercial photographic guru Gavin Furlonger, and international award-winning stills photography expert and commercial director Michael Doran, were part of this formidable team who systematically worked through the images, which were entered digitally.

Read more...

Entries for the 2009 SONY PROFOTO AWARDS, presented by the Professional Photographers of Southern Africa (PPSA) and sponsored by Sony Alpha, officially open on 9 October 2009.

The 2009 SONY PROFOTO AWARDS will be a showcase of the best images of Southern Africa’s renowned and undiscovered professional photographers and photography students. Both professional photographers practising in Southern Africa and photography students can enter images until 31 January 2010. The Southern African region includes South Africa, Botswana, Namibia, Lesotho, Swaziland, Zimbabwe and Mozambique. For the 2009 awards, the student competition has been expanded to include both full time students from accredited photographic institutions as well as part time photographic students.

Read more...

Registration is now open for the year-long Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Programme (PDP). Formulated with the support of Getty Images and the Open Society Foundation, the course is aimed at producing informed and curious African photojournalists and documentary photographers who also have high levels of technical competence.

Intermediate to advanced knowledge of photography is desirable for those wishing to enrol in the PDP, which combines theory and practice.

Read more...

The EOS-1D Mark IV Features a Completely Redesigned 45-Point Autofocus System, Fast 10 fps Continuous Shooting, 16-Megapixel Resolution, Outstanding ISO Sensitivity, and Full HD Video Recording at Selectable Frame Rates

LAKE SUCCESS, N.Y., October 20, 2009 – Canon U.S.A., Inc., a leader in digital imaging, is proud to introduce the next evolution in the EOS 1D series of cameras: the Canon EOS-1D Mark IV Digital SLR camera. The EOS-1D Mark IV is a high-speed multimedia performance monster with a 16-megapixel Canon CMOS sensor, Dual DIGIC 4 Imaging Processors, and 14-bit A/D data conversion, all at 10 frames-per-second (fps), with the widest ISO range Canon has produced to date. This new camera also features 1080p Full High-Definition video capture at selectable frame rates packaged in Canon's most rugged and durable professional camera body. Also see:http://blog.vincentlaforet.com

Read more...