View the story at msnbc.com
They are huge but gentle, lumbering beasts and there are only eight left on the entire planet. Scientists believe the magnificent Northern White rhinos are nearly extinct. In a last ditch effort to save this species from extinction, the Lewa Conservancy in Kenya cut a deal to airlift the last four breeding age animals from the Czech Zoo to live “free” on the savannas of Kenya. You can read more about the trip in my blog.
Budapest, Hungary has long been renowned for its health spas and thermal springs but recently it has been discovered that many of these springs are connected underground by a huge “thermal lake.” Divers are currently exploring the lake and the city is planning to ask for World Heritage status and may open the lake to the public. The ancient Roman settlement Aquincum, located on the outskirts of Budapest is the site of the very first hot mineral water bath complex.
The Pacific islands and Micronesia in particular have to deal with the constantly rising sea levels and many fear their small atolls and islands will be washed away in the near future. This image was taken under a wave for the Nature Conservancy for an exhibit titled ” Design for a Living World” on show at the Cooper Hewitt Museum in New York until January 4, 2010. It will travel for another five years in cities around the United States.
This is a blog for Nikon Professional Services where I talk about my style and equipment used on assignment.
http://nps.nikonimaging.com/members/ami_vitale/
The talented Steve Casimiro, a photographer and editor for National Geographic’s Adventure magazine has created a wonderful blog called the Adventure Life. I was honored that he invited me for this interview.
http://www.theadventurelife.org/2009/07/ami-vitales-beautiful-cultures-and-powerful-documentary/
Field Notes from a National Geographic story I did on the Rickshaw Pullers of Kolkata, India.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/04/kolkata-rickshaws/vitale-field-notes
This is an advertisement I did for Nikon using the D300s camera and video capabilities.
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/microsite/d300s/special/en/index.html#
Here is an interview I did about convergence of stills and video for the Poynter Institute. http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=172745
This is an interview by Susan Markisz for the Digital Journalist, a virtual online almanac for visual journalists created by Dirck Halstead. It was written when I was just beginning my career as a photojournalist in 2003.
http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0301/av_intro.html
Blueeyes Magazine is an online documentary photography magazine devoted to publishing new long-term project work. It is a labor of love created by a dedicated group of people including John Loomis, Chris Vivion, Matthew Ratajczak, Seth Bro and Jill Thomas.
http://blueeyesmagazine.com/index.php?/essay/indiv/portfolio_vitale/
This was one of the very first interviews I gave for Photobetty.com, which was a true labor of love started by the legendary and lovely Stephanie Sinclair and carried on by Serena Stucke, who is also an incredibly dedicated and talented photographer and editor.
http://www.photobetty.com/amivitale
This is a comprehensive gallery of many fine art gallery photographers exhibited together along with photojournalists.
http://www.pixiport.com/Gallery-GC66.htm
James Robinson is a passionate photographer and has some wonderful interviews here.
http://jrphoto.wordpress.com/spotlight-interview-photojournalist-ami-vitale/
Eight Ways to change the World, A photography exhibition on the Millennium Development Goals by Panos Pictures, in association with seven charities.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/millenniumgoals/graphic/0,,1563959,00.html
This is the a project on The Guardian about Education in Africa. Here is the Link to the project: http://www.guardian.co.uk/educatingafrica
Of course photojournalism is not dying but it has always been a struggle to find support even since I began. Just because magazines and newspapers are going through a difficult period does not reduce the need for great storytelling and I believe now is a perfect time to find opportunity and re-create ourselves for other mediums. I feel its a glorious time for photojournalism and story telling. Our medium is changing and the new opportunities are out there but take a little more work to find. I don’t understand why everyone is afraid of change, the same thing happened to radio years ago. Everyone said it was dead. Photography is not dead and if we can harness all the creativity and tools available to us, we can make some amazing work and deliver it to audiences we never dreamed of reaching before. I see this as an empowering and exciting time.
Just back from Ladakh, India where I had the privilege of working with David Duchemin, Matt Brandon and 8 extremely talented photographers. We explored the bustling back streets of Old Delhi, the Sufi shrine of Nizamuddin and then headed up to the Khardungla Pass to cross the worlds highest motorable road at 18,380 feet. The road is situated on an ancient trade route from Leh to Kashgar in Central Asia, and it is also the gateway to the beautiful Nubra Valley. Some of the guys did it on motorcycles which looked spectacular but I’m a wimp after living in India for so many years. After witnessing the insanity that ensues on their roads, I’d prefer to make the journey on a camel. Yet, they were intrepid travelers and it was a delight to be able to work with such a spirited group. I can honestly say that we all learned from each other and I believe everyone became better photographers on this journey. I’ll be posting photos soon but I’m on my way to Prague.
View Project at PBS online here: http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/flash_point/kashmir/
Over the past 60 years, the beauty of Kashmir has been overshadowed by tension and violence. Despite the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi, regarded as the father of Indian independence, the sub-continent was divided along religious lines and two nations were born: the secular but Hindu-dominated India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.
Yes, I believe objectivity is an illusion but I also believe that there are a multitude of viewpoints and that no one “Truth” exists. I believe that unless we understand and give voice to these perspectives, reason remains veiled. Ignorance in each other’s stories leads us to assume we know them. It allows us to maintain perceptions of differences based on our own pre-conceived notions.
I have used Nikon bodies and Nikkor lenses since I began and am currently using the D4, D800 and Df. My choice of lenses really depends on the nature of the assignment. If I am shooting wildlife, I need longer lenses like the 400mm with an extender or the 80-400mm. Most of my work is close and intimate so my workhorse is the 24-70mm or the fixed 24mm 1.8. I like to travel light and often bring just 1-2 bodies with a wide and a longer zoom, two SB-910 speedlights, radiopoppers, a gold reflector and my Manfrotto tripod. If I’m going to a remote place, I carry Goalzero solar panels and am now using the F-stop backpacks for most of my travel. I’ll usually buy medicines in country as they are always cheaper there. Lastly, but perhaps most importantly, I like to bring gifts. It is the minimal that I can do to bring small tokens of thanks for the countless people who give so much to make sure that I am safe and travel well.
Ami is proud to be a Nikon Ambassador