Royal Photographic Society Licentiateship Award

African markets Mozambique
African markets - Mozambique

I would like to announce that the Royal Photographic Society (RPS) awarded me the distinction of Licentiateship on 25 May 2010.  This is the first rung on the ladder of RPS recognition as a photographer.  The award was made on the basis of a portfolio of images which I submitted for accreditation.  The portfolio was a set of images of African markets taken over a couple of years of travel in southern Africa.  The images capture some of the colour and vibrancy of African street life in Uganda, Mozambique and Malawi, as well as some of the poverty and hardship.  The portfolio can be seen on the Royal Photographic Society web site and the Season Images African Travel Gallery.

Portfolio in the same layout as presented to the RPS - from my Reigate Exhibit, August 2010

Gorongosa – Eden restored

Eden restored - Gorongosa Mozambique

“The rehabilitation of Gorongosa National Park in Central Mozambique represents one of the great conservation opportunities in the world today.” Goroongosa.net web site.  I have been fortunate during the past couple of years to be able to visit the Gorongosa National Park in central Mozambique, during development missions for the World Bank.  We were looking at assisting a local town to provide a sustainable source of water.  The National Park is very large and brought to mind a vision of Eden in its tranquility and wealth of diverse species of flora and fauna.  The park was all but destroyed during the long and brutal Mozambican civil war but a programme of the government and the US Carr Foundation was begun in 2006 to restore the park.  Continue reading “Gorongosa – Eden restored”

Charcoal and deforestation

[Note: A selection of charcoal images is now available for purchase and download from the Image Market – HERE.]

If you travel virtually anywhere in rural Africa you cannot fail to notice a growing environmental crisis – deforestation caused by charcoaling.  All households have basic energy needs which have to be met in the preparation of food, heating, boiling of water and other requirements.  Traditionally these needs have been met with the use of fuelwood.  With ever growing urbanization throughout Africa, fuelwood is not an option – the vegetation is just not available in urban fringe areas.   Other options of electricity, kerosine and LPG gas are beyond the affordability of  the vast majority of the poverty stricken urban fringe populations across the continent and so charcoal has become the only possible choice. Continue reading “Charcoal and deforestation”