PHOTOGRAPHY: Conflict in the Caucasus 1993-2007 By Stanley Greene (noorimages.com)

A Photographic Investigation of the Caucasus, a testimony of a photographer who has spent time working and living in the Caucasus, covering this explosive region. Chalk Lines is a story of Petrol, Refugees and conflicts, focusing on Nagorno-Karabakh. It tells the story of this conflict from 1993- to this day between Azerbaijan and Armenia, this deeply unstable and fast-changing region of the world. Where oil is king and people pawns, visual information that gives an account of a on going war, and the hatred that fuels it.

more interesting links to Stanley Greene:

http://fragments.nl/

Open Wound, Chechnya 1994 –2003 Stanley Greene talks about his experience of the Chechen resistance to Russian domination. Published by Trolley Books. Directed and Edited By Stephen J. Bell. Video - 3 Parts

Interview: On the road to war - Chechenya 1992 - 1996

An angry photographer in Chechnya (bbc.co.uk)

In pictures: Chechnya: Open Wound

OPEN WOUND a photo book by Stanley Greene

PHOTOGRAPHER: Justyna Mielnikiewicz - Resident in Georgia

by Ralph Hälbig

Unmistakable not only for me is Justyna Mielnikiewicz an interesting photographer. Anymore she get an award in the catagory of world press photos. I guess she is emotional and rational in her amazing work. In the multi-layered world of the far reaching east euopean areas and central asia is just that her high capacity.
I met Justyna Mielnikiewicz last year short after the war in Tbilisi at the lunchtime. Unfortunatly I don't know her really but sometimes during I made internet researches for my blog I could see her photos about the caucasian life from her own point of view. Last September I could descovered her interesting physiognomy in a cafe in Tbilisi.
I think her photos are very similair to her character. All series of her work are not only a simple documentation of incidents. Justyna Mielnikiewicz has got a high education. Maybe this is also the reason that her photos are severe but just. More or less she is brave and directly. A big advantage is her intelligent cultural view of the immediate situation. She can see at least in both or more directions. I think she can very good realise a complex situation in a work like to capture different aspects like normal life, politics, strange moments for a very good balance in a frame. She is closed to the inhabitants of a country and knows the reasons of the life situations in different nationalities. For example there are a west and east view in the same moment. Furthermore she is also looking for stories with problems between nationalities. Or she can feel the human being in a concret situation in the context of a ambivalent real situation. Moreover is the interesting aspect in her work the skeptical experience. She is taking almost artifical photos with a grain of salt and otherwise she is looking for the archaeological aspect in a situation. In certain respects her work is multiplexing a scientifical, historical and aesthetical photography. This is a very seldom in the journalistic world of mass-medias today.
I mean her sight is a result of her biography. She was born in the communist times of Poland and has experiences in changing of situations and several positions. In the first contact she hasn't probems with complex situations and can stay in action in a hard environment. Eventual she can feel with the people. I hold Justyna Mielnikiewiczs work in high esteem.

more about Justyna Mielnikiewicz:

* www.justmiel.com
* www.justmiel.org
* tudasiuda.blogspot.com
* www.lightstalkers.org/justyna
* www.sputnikphotos.com/justyna-mielnikiewicz
* vervephoto.wordpress.com/2008/07/07/justyna-mielnikiewicz
* www.worldpressphoto.org
* www.saatchi-gallery.co.uk
* www.anzenberger.com
* www.mdf-berlin.de/en/exhibitions/calender/ausstellung/nahtstellen-fotos-fuer-die-pressefreiheit
* www.reporter-ohne-grenzen.de
* www.photoscala.de/Artikel/Nahtstellen-Fotos-fuer-die-Pressefreiheit-2008
* www.nytimes.com/2008/08/19
* www.faz.net/print/Feuilleton/Verblueffende-Fotos-und-eine-Liste-des-Terrors
* www.laif.de/de/article

WORLD PRESS PHOTO: Justyna Mielnikiewicz von der New York Times gewann den zweiten Preis für ihre Reportage des Krieges im letzten August

Congratulations to Justyna Mielnikiewicz!

Justyna erhielt gerade den zweiten Preis in der Kategorie "People in the News Stories" der World Press Photo Competition für ihre exzellente Reportage während des Krieges im August mit Russland. Einiges Bilder sind in einer audio-slideshow hier in der NY Times zu sehen. Während die meisten Korrespondenten des Krieges im August erst im Marriot saßen und ihre Cappucinos schlürften und nachdem die Kanonen donnerten, dann am Checkpoint in Gori darauf harrten, genaueres zu erfahren, war Justyna nicht nur in Gori, sondern auch in den Dörfern und gab ihr bestes um von diesem Krieg vor Ort zu berichten. Dieser Preis ist eine Anerkennung für ihre aufrichtige, sorgfältige und einfühlsame Reportage, der sie sich in ihrer fotografischen Arbeit verpflichtet fühlt.

Weiter so, Justyna!!

mehr Bilder for world press photos zum Georgien-Konflikt:

Davide Monteleone, Italy, Contrasto. Abkhazia, September-October

Gleb Garanich, Ukraine, Reuters. Georgian man mourns his brother after bombardment, Gori, Georgia, 9 August

Wojciech Grzedzinski, Poland, Napo Images for Dziennik.

Lars Lindqvist, Sweden, for Dagens Nyheter. Armed conflict in Georgia, August