PDN - May 2012

PDNEWS
BY DAVID WALKER

UNUSUAL ASSIGNMENT

ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG’S MOONLIT PORTRAITS FOR OXFAM

NGOs frequently use photojournalistic
images of human suffering to tug at the
heartstrings of donors, but Oxfam took
a different approach to raise funds for
its projects in drought-stricken Kenya by
commissioning cinematic photographer
Alejandro Chaskielberg to shoot nighttime
portraits. The Argentine photographer
describes the commission, and the challenges
of working with an uncooperative moon.
Interview by David Walker

PDN: How did this project for Oxfam come about, and when did you shoot it? ALEJANDRO CHASKIELBERG: They called me after having seen my work in the Brighton Photo Biennial. We had a meeting in London where we discussed what the assignment would be. We traveled to [Kenya] between October 11 and 21, 2011.

PDN: What was the assignment, and how is Oxfam using the photographs? AC: They needed to illustrate some projects they’re developing in Northern Kenya, in the province of Turkana, to promote the work they’re doing in the region and to bring in new donations. We traveled six months after the declaration of the famine in the region and portrayed several projects, including a camel restocking program (to help livestock owners adapt to drought and other changing conditions); a fishing project (to help those who have lost their livestock continue to feed themselves); and a gardening project ( providing implements and seeds to help

Online News Digest

The following are excerpted from breaking
news stories recently posted on PDNOnline and
PDNPulse. To read the complete stories and to
find more news, check out
www.pdnonline.com/pdn/News-47.shtml

Charles Dharapak’s photo of President Obama during
a 2011 trip to Ireland.

Charles Dharapak Wins Top Prize in
“Eyes of History” Contest
The Associated Press staffer was named
Photographer of the Year in the still
Photography category of the 2012 “eyes
of history” contest, which is sponsored
by the White house news Photographers
Association. http://bit.ly/yffoml

Photographer Rémi Ochlik
Killed in Homs, Syria
The French freelance photographer died
February 22 when the syrian army shelled
a make-shift media center in the besieged
city of homs that had been set up by rebels.
reporter Marie Colvin of the sunday Times of
london was killed in the same attack, while
british photographer Paul Conroy was injured.
Conroy eventually escaped from syria and
returned to london. http://bit.ly/xFvk Yk

POYi Announces 2011
Competition Winners
Time magazine contributor Yuri kozyrev won
Freelance Photographer of the Year, Craig
Walker of The Denver Post won newspaper
Photographer of the Year, donald Miralle
won sports Photographer of the Year and
damon Winter of The New York Times won
the Multimedia Portfolio of the Year award.
http://bit.ly/xnv8ir

Elisabeth Ekatapan lives in the village of Natoo in Northern Kenya. Ekatapan’s husband died, leaving her responsible for bringing up her eight children. The family sleeps outside their hut because there is no rain.