Collective Lens: Photography for Social Change

Environmental Grafitti has a gallery of Nigeria's Floating Slum in Lagos. The photos are inspiring yet heartbreaking, and depict daily life in this harsh environment.

Shacks sit atop rickety stilts while flotillas of trash slowly drift past down below. Crowds of people paddle past through the stagnant waters in boats, and foul smells fill the air while the baking sun beats down. And yet, in this sprawling floating slum, where basic human needs are barely met, the people refuse to succumb to despair despite the hardships they face.

SocialDocumentary.net has posted an amazing photo essay entitled EPIDEMIC: TB in the Global Community by David Rochkind.

The WHO estimates that one third of the world’s population is infected with the bacteria that can cause TB and that nearly 1.8 million people die from the disease every year.

The photos are also being used as part of an educational project about TB at tbepidemic.org

The Art of Photography Show 2011 is a world-class international exhibition of photographic art which will occur August 13 – October 16 at the elegant two-level Lyceum Theatre Gallery, a perfect venue for exhibiting a large showcase of photography. We are very pleased that our esteemed judge for 2011 is Anne Lyden, the Associate Curator of Photography at the J. Paul Getty Museum in Los Angeles.

National Photo & Essay Contest to Spotlight School Building Conditions

It's that time of year again. As we look forward towards 2011 this new year's eve, we also look back over the last 12 months. A number of magazines and publications have compiled the best photos of 2010, and there are definitely some great photos to check out in these collections.

The Freedom to Create Prize celebrates the power of art to fight oppression, break down stereotypes and build trust in societies where the social fabric has been ripped apart by conflict, violence and misunderstanding. History shows that prosperous societies are founded upon creativity. Societies that encourage artistic expression build strong foundations for economic, political and cultural development. They will lead tomorrow's world.

Last week I got to interview four students from Fresno, CA who are part of “the kNOw” after school program. They produce a literary magazine and learn photography with artist Joseph Smooke. In last week’s post, I introduced the kNOw, and Joseph, so take a look at that if you’d like more background.

With now several branches throughout the world (UK, Australia, Israel), Orphfund is continuing to grow and make people more and more aware about the fate of street children and orphans in our world. With the overwhelming news of the earthquake disaster in Haiti, Orphfund has decided to raise funds to raise schools and facilities for some of the children who have been affected by this saddening disaster.

Potosi, Bolivia Miners: 5 Centuries Deep is a photo documentary project that aims to explore the changing face of the mining community and mining industry in Potosi, Bolivia. Photographer Irina Zhorov hopes to bring more awareness to the situation of the miners, the surrounding towns, and the economic implications of foreign ownership. It's a beautiful and terrifying place that has, according to lore, yielded enough silver to build a silver bridge from Bolivia to Spain.

October 15 is Blog Action Day 2009, and this year's theme is Climate Change. So, come on bloggers and let your readers know what they can do to make a difference.