NYTimes reports the publication of a book by seasoned photojournalist Stanley Greene. It's a book on Chechens and their struggle for independence from Russia.

“By using his photographs to draw attention to the suffering that has marked the latest surge in Chechnya's centuries-long struggle for independence from Russia, Mr. Greene says he believes he has at last given something back.”

Eighty one images and journal entries over the period of 20 trips to Chechnya grace the book. The book is about the death and destruction of an area of the world that has received scant attention here in the US.

“Why? Why? Why am I doing this?” Mr. Greene writes in his journal on Jan. 7, 1995. Three days later, he writes: “Grozny is like visions of a Goya painting, `Disasters of War.' There are 70 or 80 corpses in the streets of Grozny. It's wet and cold and I'm here to photograph, but I can't when I see dogs eating the faces of the dead.” On Jan. 11 he asks: “Why are they bombing civilians? Can't they see what they're hitting?”

The article speaks of Greene as a young man who initially lacked focus in life. W. Eugene Smith, the father of the photo essay, apparently lit a fuse in him. It now seems more like a barn fire. Bravo!

Blogging by journalists has had its share of recent controversies. At least one journalist has been fired for blogging. If you are writing for publication, it might be a good idea to find out what the policy is before launching into this highly addictive habit of [gasp] reading and writing. I feel sharing opinions is a good thing as long as they are factually based and fair to all parties concerned. I don't entirely agree that journalists have to be objective. Or, that they can be. Whether we like it or not, we do tend to take sides. We might as well accept that inevitability and move forward. Look at it this way – if it wasn't you expressing your opinions, it will be the company that owns your words at the end of the day. Which would you it rather be? I think the answer is quite simple.

For those of you who want to know more about what a blog is, this blogging phenomenon or are considering life as a blogger, click here and here. The writing by Diego Doval is lucid and it will have you at least intrigued.

Rachna Contractor writes that Kala Magazine, a volunteer-run quarterly based in Toronto, Canada which features South Asian art and culture is looking for stories, art, fiction etc. for their January issue.

The theme is Re-defining Our Culture: Youth South Asians in the Diaspora (young refers to 1st/2nd generation, not necessarily a particular age group)

Stories, artist features, art, show previews etc from across North America and further are welcome. Please submit work to rachna.contractor@utoronto.ca by November 20th 2003. For more information about Kala check out their wesbite.

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Via Arul Louis and John Laxmi from the SAJA listserv

Writes Louis:

An article (too long to be posted here) in the Sunday NYT‘s zoned City section deals with the photo-processing businesses in NYC's so-called photo district in the 20s (Manhattan area where the streets are numbered in the 20s). Top photogs like Annie Leibovitz are their customers. The story focuses on a dispute between the non-Indian former-employee of one of the many Indian-owned business there. Among the nuggets in the story: “The patriarch of this combative world is Baldev Duggal, an Indian photographer who moved to New York in 1957.”

Want to get your portfolio critiqued? How about a seminar over two days that will do that and also include workshops to improve your location lighting, Photoshop techniques or negotiation skills? Do you want to know what it takes to figure out the cost of doing business in the photography industry, or, are you grappling ethical issues in your newsroom?

The Northern Short Course in Photojournalism is a great place to network among your peers and hone your photography skills. Check out the site for information about a photo contest as well. The dates: March 11-13, 2004. The place: Crowne Plaza in Warwick, Rhode Island.