Retomada finalist in Amnesty International Media Awards

The multimedia piece I made in Brazil last year (in association with NGO Reporter Brasil) is one of the 10 finalists for the Amnesty International Media Awards:

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugar, second of soya and third for maize. An export industry reliant on basic commodities like these requires vast quantities of land, making land-rights an important and controversial issue in Brazil. The unparalleled growth in this sector is also having an impact on the land, destroying the Cerrado savannah. Mato Grosso do Sul is an important state for agriculture and is also home to 80% of the indigenous Guarani Kaiowá population; approximately 40,000 people, they are now at risk of losing their traditional culture and unique way of life, due to extradition from their ancestral settlements by agribusinesses, often funded by foreign investment. Disputes continue with no clear resolution in sight.

Retomada

Rodeo – Cuban style

Here’s a few photos from a Rodeo I visited whilst in Cuba, near the town of Moron in Ciego de Avila province, just a few minutes drive from Cayo Coco – one of the main resorts in the country.

Something makes me think very few of the all inclusive package tourists had any idea this was happening just down the road…

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Social Media Networks Stripping Data from Your Digital Photos

Worth a read for any working photographers who up load onto social media, or anyone who is concerned about what happens to their pictures.

http://blogs.loc.gov/digitalpreservation/2013/04/social-media-networks-stripping-data-from-your-digital-photos/

National Geographic Traveller – Havana

Callejon de Hamel, Havana, Cuba

Once again I’ve been out of blogging world for a long time, too busy getting out there shooting I guess! Will be making a concerted effort to keep it updated now, especially as there seems to be a lot of interesting things happening, that I hope people will like to read about.

First bit of news is that I’ve just finished shooting a Havana city guide, which is in this months National geographic Traveller UK edition, out this week, available from all good newsagents…

You can see a sample of the issue online here:
http://natgeotraveller.co.uk/may13/
but you’ll have to buy it to see the Havana spreads.

Slideluck Potshow

El Tio story featured by Slideluck Potshow’s on Vimeo, with music from the Gypsy Kings:

One magazine

One magazine is born

Here’s a link to view online the sample issue of One magazine – Britain Uncovered:
http://issuu.com/sukrutistaneley/docs/one.1

It’s a joint project with 6 other photographers, providing an independent showcase for our work, the concept could continue in some form so watch this space, after all there’s plenty of other countries to uncover…

One World Media Funding

I had some amazing news recently: I’ve been awarded a One World Media grant to produce a story about the Brazilian Sugarcane industry.

I will be in Brazil from late June – mid July shooting the story in Mato Grosso do Sul, in association with local NGO Reporter Brasil, and once again on assignment with my friend and colleague from the 2011 Belo Monte project: Ruy Sporsati.

Below is a brief project summary of the project, more info to follow soon.

Brazil is the world’s largest producer of Sugarcane, a high percentage of which is processed into bioethanol, making it globally the 2^nd largest biofuel producer and the largest exporter. The country has widely adopted the use of ethanol as fuel, with the majority of vehicles using it. However, environmental and human rights campaigners claim that the sugarcane industry adds greatly to deforestation, and that much of the cultivated area is the Guarani tribe’s ancestral land. Reports claim they’ve been forced from their settlements, and with nowhere else to turn are locked into slave labour, working for survival.