Slow connections on the road, a busy schedule meeting relatives and oh yeah getting married in India all contributed to the trickle of blog posts these last few weeks. But I am back.

New Internationalist magazine displays some fascinating photography. Friend and mentor Shahidul Alam promotes the work of photographers “from the majority world” through his column SOUTHERN EXPOSURE in the magazine. This month, Alam highlights Dominic Sansoni from Sri Lanka.

Kataragama, a town in the southeast of Sri Lanka, is probably the most important centre for pilgrimage on the island. Based around a shrine to the god of the same name, this small jungle site is now a
bustling town. It is unique in that there is also a Buddhist temple and a mosque. The main festival time is July or August when pilgrims from across the country, of all denominations, flock to the town for
the big festival. It culminates with firewalking at night and a `water-cutting' ceremony in the Menik Ganga River on the last day.

For many years I have been photographing the way we wrap cloth around our bodies in Asia. A sari, a sarong, a shawl, a versti… Frequently the pictures are details – one series shows only torsos. This is the torso of a man on pilgrimage in classic red and white, the colours for homage at the shrine to Kataragama. Beautiful in its simplicity and great style.

Dominic Sansoni, Sri Lanka

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!

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.

A couple of years back I visited London. Before my trip, I pestered Shahidul Alam for names of photographers, photo editor and photo agencies. People he knew well and whom I could meet to show off my own portfolio. On the top of his list was Kalpesh Lathigra.

I called. We talked. He was busy. But, we could meet. For a bit. At lunch time. Perfect!

Lathigra, is a London-based photojournalist. His images are full of energy. They are emotionally charged and have the sense of intimacy that many photographers simply lack. His web site displays a large breadth of work that also belies his age.

W. Eugene Smith Memorial Fund and the Nikon Spirit Initiative announced Trent Parke the overall winner of the annual contest. Parke documented daily life in his homeland, Australia. Read about it here.