Friday Shout-Outs, Ego-Boosts, and Pure Goodness

The pats-on-the-back continue this week. Starting off with an award-winning documentary project on sea turtles, and then looking at Arab body builders, train riders, and deadly desert journeys. And if you’ve ever wondered how to properly hold a live chicken – we’ve got you covered.

Shout-Outs happen every Friday, of every week. We don’t take a break when it comes to bragging about the members of our community. You are
encouraged to send us suggestions, too. If we think it’s shoutable (I know it’s not a word, but I’m going with it anway), it will
show up here in the blog on a Friday. To submit something, scroll to the
bottom to see how.

CONSERVATION AWARD
Spanish photographer Kike Calvo was awarded a 2010 ICP International Conservation Photo Award, under the category Documenting a Conservation Project, for his photographic work in Costa Rica.

“I am very happy with this award,” explains Calvo. “Its not really about my work. Its about reminding people we are living in an interconnected planet. A Blue Planet that belongs to us all, especially to the generations to come.”

Photo by Kike Calvo

The ICP International Conservation Photo Award was founded in 1997 by world known nature photographer, Art Wolfe. 

MOMENTS OF SOLITUDE
Stephan Jarvis, a London born editorial photographer currently living and working in Tokyo, Japan, produced a video from images in a gallery titled “Passengers,” featuring people riding the JR and Metro rail network in Tokyo.

The project, “to capture those moments of solitude and relaxation of all ages and social groups as they take time out from their busy lives on one of the largest and busiest rail networks in the world.”

You can see the full shoot in a gallery of images within his PhotoShelter website.

FRAGILE MONSTERS
Tanya Habjouqa is a Jerusalem-based writer, photographer, television news producer, and researcher. She recently produced a really interesting set of images called “Fragile Monsters: Arab Body Building.”

“They might look as though they could lift houses with one arm, but these bodybuilders proved they are too human at the 17th annual body building championship,” she writes.

Fragile Monsters: Arab Body Building – Images by Tanya Habjouqa

The event was called “The Gaza Martyr’s Tournament”, and it featured competitors from 17 Arab countries – all of whom squeezed into speedos and flexed their hearts out.

ALIXANDRA FAZZINA JOINS NOOR
NOOR recently announced that Alixandra Fazzina has joined the NOOR Foundation and NOOR photo agency.

“Alixandra’s photography focuses on under-reported conflicts and the often forgotten humanitarian consequences of war,” the agency said. “Studying Fine Art, she began her career as a war artist in Bosnia. Since then, she has worked independently as a photojournalist throughout Eastern Europe, Africa, the Middle East and Asia.”

Alixandra is based in Pakistan and is currently working there.

Her images are really impressive. Congrats!

DEADLY CROSSINGS
Matt Nager, a freelance photographer and videographer based out of Dallas, Texas, produced a series of incredible documentary images titled “Migrant Death and Identification.”

“Immigration to the United States from Mexico has always been a dangerous and often perilous decision,” Nager writes.

“The United States made several attempts to stymie and fortify illegal movement in established crossings zones beginning with the introduction of Operation Gatekeeper in San Diego, and Operation Hold The Line in El Paso, Texas. One intended and reported result of the operation was to funnel illegal movement into geographically inhospitable areas of the Sonora desert in Arizona in an attempt to deter potential migrants from crossing the border. As a result of the longer and hotter path through the desert in Arizona, border deaths have increased dramatically. According to the conservative death estimates of the Border Patrol statistics there were 171 deaths in Arizona in 2008 alone.”

Migrant Death and Identification – Images by Matthew Nager

Nager’s work specializes in Editorial, Documentary, and Travel photography in the South West United States and Latin America.

LIVERPOOL MUSICIANS
Mark McNulty, a Liverpool-based commercial, music, fashion and event photographer has accumulated a massive archive of music, club and travel related imagery over the years.

One such collection of images that caught my attention are the images in a gallery titled “Liverpool Music Portraits.”

It’s a very cool collection of Liverpool-based music portraits that goes back to 1987.

A DIFFERENT LOOK AT RODEO PHOTOGRAPHY
Will Seberger, a freelance photojournalist and commercial photographer living in Tucson, AZ, decided to take a different approach to shooting a rodeo and his results are displayed in a gallery called “Rodeo 2010 Alternative.”

Rodeo 2010 Alternative – Images by Will Seberger

It’s always a good idea to look for different ways to shoot, and avoid the routine. Great job, Will.

DIVING IN
Joern Sackermann‘s image of a man diving into the sea in Sardinia, Italy, is a great picture to look at while you’re dealing with the Summer heat.

His archive is loaded with beautiful images from througout Europe. Really well done.

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I am always looking for things to include here in our Friday Shout-Outs – so if you have anything you think is worthy, let me know.

Or, better yet, post a note to Twitter with my name in it (@heygrover) or “friend me” on Facebook, and that way I won’t forget it later.