Read at : Google Alert – images of the Africa Drought
Alejandro Chaskielberg’s moonlight photos: Too beautiful?
Do an acclaimed photographer’s images for Oxfam bring attention to the drought in Kenya, or do they risk putting too much gloss on one of the world’s biggest crises?
Judging from the comments on our Facebook wall, many of you liked the stunning new photos taken in Turkana, Kenya, by Alejandro Chaskielberg. The acclaimed Argentinian art photographer traveled to the region with Oxfam to take portraits of people affected by the recent East Africa drought and food crisis. Last week the photos were featured in a slideshow on BBC News, raising awareness of both the crisis and Oxfam’s ongoing response.
In most of the photos, Chaskielberg used his trademark technique of shooting by moonlight, illuminating these scenes of herders and their families with a dramatic, unearthly glow. The results are memorable (and newsworthy) because they’re so distinctive.
However, when we saw how the photos came out, some of my Oxfam colleagues loved them, but others gave them mixed reviews.
