As you may have read in previous posts, while I was in India I volunteered with a wonderful organisation in Jaipur, I-India photographing 7 of their projects. For my recent photography exhibition, One World through which I raised money for I-India, I created these information sheets to help communicate to visitors the life-changing work I-India are doing. Please take a read through, and let me know if you would like any more information about the organisation or my time with them. You can also watch my short video about the experience HERE. Namaste! Click on the posters to open them at a large resolution See my posts about I-India’s village school and Marble village school Read More
It is important to me to be able to offer my clients photo prints that are on the cutting edge of sustainability. As more people move towards a more environmentally conscious lifestyle, companies are able to deliver green options to consumers. As I come across outstanding products, I will be sharing these with you, here on my blog. I was seeking out the most eco way to print my photographs, and this bamboo product sounded fantastic. I decided to try out this new eco style of photo printing. The quality of colour and contrast in this bamboo print really make the image pop What I love: – The print looks really good. The texture of the bamboo has been maintained, so the finish has a beautiful, natural texture, reminiscent of art paper. The edges have a beautiful, unique look, and the keyholes on the back make it easy to hang. – It is made from bamboo which is incredibly sustainable. Bamboo grows fast, can sequester more carbon than trees and generally doesn’t require pesticides or herbicides. – The prints last for decades (or longer) due to the durability of bamboo, and the satin laminate protects against dust and UV […] Read More
Junkies magazine is a fantastic new Australian publication celebrating the concept of rethink, reuse, reduce and recycle. It’s jam-packed full of articles and photos of creative ways to help the planet, your own way. I’m thrilled to have this wonderful write up about my photography included in the Spring issue of Junkies magazine. These images are from my project Portraits of The Disappearing Amazon, for which I had the privilege of visiting and photographing tribes in the Amazon jungle over a 3 month period. It was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. Please enjoy the images. Read More
The Sydney Writer’s Festival is on right now and it has reignited the fire within me to get back to writing the book that so many of my friends and acquaintances have been asking about: the story of my three year journey through Latin America. I’m not much of a talker, but when you get me started on one of my adventures through South and Central America, you’ll have trouble stopping me. This is why for the last four years, people have been encouraging me to put my experiences into a book, to inspire others to get out into the world and, like me, discover themselves as they discover the world. Today I went to a workshop with Summer Land, who encouraged me to start this new “Writing” section of my blog, to keep you updated with my journey as a memoir writer. Please email me at info@aliciafox.net if you have any questions or if you would like me to blog about something in particular. I look forward to sharing with you. Thanks! Me working on the first draft of the book in Santa Catalina, Panama. I lived in this little surf village for 1 month on $3 a day, eating […] Read More
Travel is like an intensified version of normal life. We take ourselves out of our comfort zone to situations where the ups are higher and the downs take us deeper than we have ever been. This is why we often return from travelling feeling like a new person: so much more experienced, wiser and even enlightened. After a year or so travelling through South America, I’d been confronted by many lows (and many more highs, thankfully). One thing that irritated me was how long things took. I’m pretty chilled out and enjoy taking my time, but on Latin American time things can be excruciatingly slow. The border crossing from Colombia to Panama is one example of this. The whole process of travelling by boat from port towns to port towns took days. I understand that authorities in this Darien Gap region are wise to watch their ports for drug smugglers, but anyone who has spoken to locals knows that the authorities are aware of the traffickers and allow certain offenders to slip through the cracks. On arriving to Panama, at the tiny village of Puerto Obaldia, the immigration officer sitting inside his sweltering hot cement block informed us […] Read More
My photos and I are being featured on fivepointfive.org and I think you should check it out, here. You’ll gain an insight into my project Portraits of The Disappearing Amazon, a 3 month journey which will changed my life. You can also get the background story on some of my favourite portraits from the project, and the beautiful people within them. Five Point Five is about inspiring you to do those things that you will remember with satisfaction for the rest of your life. They are all about travel, lifestyle and making a positive difference in the world – 3 things that are really important to me too. The website offers information and mini documentaries on volunteering overseas, as well as travel resources and inspiration. So go get inspired… Portraits of the Disappearing Amazon by Alicia Fox Read More
Working as an NGO photographer and documenting the work of not-for-profit organisations that are improving people’s lives, inspires me endlessly. More than anything, it brings a sense of hope. I have witnessed so many seemingly hopeless situations turned upside down, resulting in thriving human beings and optimistic communities, all thanks to the committed work of everyday people . These people show me that any one of us can be a hero, a lifesaver, even an angel. I’d like to share with you an excerpt from a book I am writing, about my three year journey through Latin America. This passage describes an experience I had in Nicaragua, while working with the amazing grass roots organisation, Empowerment International. The organisation was formed by an extraordinary North American woman Kathy, who couldn’t walk away from a community in need, so she moved to Nicaragua to work day and night to change their situation. I volunteered with Empowerment, teaching photography classes to the children and creating a photo documentary of their projects. On my first day volunteering with Empowerment, Anielka led me into the barrio of Villa de Esperanza, one of the poorest neighborhoods in Granada. Many of the families there were surviving […] Read More
Dreams are worth chasing. It was June 2012. I had a dream to travel into the depths of the Amazon and photograph tribes that I’d heard may disappear within my lifetime. If I didn’t follow my dream, perhaps no one would capture images of these people, whose cultures had fascinated me since I was a little girl. Perhaps no one would create a visual memory of their traditional way of life for the future generations to remember and appreciate. I had no contacts and no leads, but something within me told me I could do it, and that I had to do it. I committed myself to the project and spent the following 2 months exploring the Amazon of Peru in search of tribes to photograph in their traditional dress to create a visual documentation of how life looks, or looked, for peoples whose traditional way of life is being slowly, or in many cases, rapidly forgotten. I hope to return to the Amazon soon to continue encountering and photographing the vast and diverse tribal cultures that live within the mysterious jungle. This project turned out to be one of the most amazing experiences of my […] Read More
Cuba Pobre Cubans showed me that in some ways their country is one of the richest places on Earth. The music, the culture and the spirit of the people are so strong. So alive! But economically, many Cubans are struggling. Even with food rations that the government provides for the population, people are struggling to survive on wages which average just $15 per month. In March 2012 I shot a photo essay for Newsmax, documenting the poor side of Cuba. Completing this assignment lead me to meet and spend time with some outstandingly wonderful human beings whose spirits actually shone stronger because of their hardships. It lead me into buildings that were literally crumbling where families still lived and into a world where I got a brief sense of what life is like in a city where food is so scarce that a cup of rice or a couple of bananas are hard to come by. And all these hardships just make Cubans stronger; more unified and more positive. They are people who live for the moment, enjoying life simply because they were lucky enough to be born Cuban! To see more of my documentary photos please visit here Read More
I recently discovered Sunbounce photography products and had been drooling over them ever since, so I was thrilled when I received an email from Sunbounce asking me to be their Travel Ambassador, trying out their lightweight reflectors and lighting equipment on the road. Last week I did my first shoot with the Sun Mover, Micro-Mini and Flash-Bracket. I took James out to the Peruvian desert and had some fun in the sand dunes. Below is the set up for the shot above. I exposed for the background then attached the Flash-Bracket with my Speedlight to the Micro-Mini, to create a strong light source. Photo by Kaye Fox For the second setup (below) we used the Micro-Mini and Flash-Bracket, with the Sun Mover providing some fill light. Many thanks to Kaye(Mum) and Kate for assisting me. Read More
A photo essay of women weavers in Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, shot for Vision Guatemala. Lake Atitlan is a magical part of Guatemala that draws many tourists who want to experience its reputed energy. But for many women and families living in this area, life is tough and money is very scarce. I shot this photo essay for Vision Guatemala, a small non-profit organisation that is working to help women find a source of income, offering micro-finance, training and community development. In doing so, their tradition of weaving beautiful textiles can be kept alive. Being fortunate to enter their homes and witness this amazing art gave me a deep appreciation for their skill in weaving. The women I met have amazing talent and beautiful spirits. If you would like to see more photos that I have taken for non-profit organisations in South and Central America, please see my website at www.aliciafox.net/humanitarian-photography/ Read More
I’d fallen in love with Havana before I even arrived in Cuba, but I hadn’t heard much about Cuba’s countryside, a part of the country that I fell in love with at first sight. Read More
My Article in EOS magazine EOS magazine is a great photography publication coming out of the UK, focused on the technical side of photography and specifically of Canon EOS cameras. I wanted to write an account of my experiences volunteering in Latin America, thinking it would appeal to EOS readers. The editor Angela August agreed and offered me a two page spread in the Nov 2011 issue. When the article went to print, it ended up as four pages. I was really pleased to receive an email from Angela saying “Very many thanks for your contribution. I must compliment you on your fantastic pics, sparkling, well-targeted copy and generally getting everything to me on time and in sensible order. You made my job very easy!” I put a lot of effort in to making the article as polished as possible, so it’s so nice to hear I could make Angela’s job easier. Here is a copy of the article. ……………. I love getting feedback, so please leave any of your comments here on email me at info@aliciafox.net If you’d like to see more of my NGO photography, please check out my website www.AliciaFoxPhotography.com Read More
When I first read about the Kuna Yala indigenous people in the San Blas Islands, I knew I had to visit the islands to photograph them. In all descripitions, the people and the landscape sounded visually stunning. The Kuna women hand-sew their vibrant outfits with tropical patterns and elaborate designs. Their arms and legs are adorned with colourful beads in traditional patterns that imitate designs that used to be painted on their skin before missionaries taught them to wear clothes. The location they call home is over 300 idyllic islands in the Caribbean Sea of Panama, the most picture perfect place I have visited in my life. Many of the inhabitants are nomadic and move from island to island collecting coconuts and selling their clothing, designs and beaded jewelry to tourists. I shot a series of photos for Atmosphere magazine, an in-flight publication for Canada’s Air Transat. The photos are in the current (July-August) edition. Read More
James and I wrote and photographed this article for Tide Magazine in Germany. James interviewed Patricia and Ellie, from Munich, about their falling in love with the magical Panamanian village of Santa Catalina and starting the regions first surf shop. The girls are an inspiration and show that you can follow your heart and live your dreams in paradise. The article was translated into German. Please send me an email if you’d like to read the English version. Photos by Alicia Fox Surf photos by Richard Brady Words by James Galletly Read More
I wrote the article “30 Days in Chugchilan” for Shutterbug magazine in The USA. This article is about my personal project to document the village I was living in, Chugchilan in Ecuador, in 2010. A full set of the photos and the story behind them can be found on the “30 Days in Chugchilan” tab at the top of this page. Read More
After 3 amazing months in Costa Rica I have arrived in Nicaragua. I felt the difference between the neighbouring countries immediately. Nicaragua suffers a lot more poverty, but the people are just as welcoming and friendly as the Ticos in Costa Rica. I have had the privilege of being welcomed into the homes of many Nicaraguans, through work I am doing with a fantastic non-profit organisation, Opportunity Nicaragua. Here is one of my favourite shots from last weeks shoot. I will post more photos soon. This dog takes a rest from the sweltering heat of dry season in a village outside of Granada, Nicaragua Read More
James and I were looking for inspiration for our next article submission, so we jumped on the local train and headed down the coast to Onjuka. We walked from the quite train station, past streets of deserted houses in overgrown yards, to a beach of half white and half black sand. The coastal holiday town was deserted on this windy Sunday afternoon, all except for a few keen surfers who took their longboards out on the completely flat ocean (and I’m not exaggerating. We watched the ocean for about half and hour and not a single ripple came through). Thankfully, we were more successful on our mission than the local surfers, and the change of scenery gave us inspiration for a great photo article….I’ll tell you all about it once it’s been published. Read More
