Egypts Protests In Pictures
If you haven't heard already, hundreds of thousands of people have flooded the streets of Egypt to protest the government of President Mohammed Morsi. What prompted the demonstrations was many felt that President Morsi was not living up to his duties of improving Egypt since being elected the first Democratic president in the country's history. The solution the people are seeking that oppose Morsi being in office is for him to simply resign as president of Egypt. President Morsi has made it clear he has no intentions of stepping down, which has developed clashes between his supporters and is opposers throughout Egypt. Because of this, the Egyptian military gave President Morsi a deadline to come up with a solution to the situation. They have gone and stated that they would step in in order to protect Egypt, so now it has become a waiting game. Check out the photos below to see what has been happening the last few days in the streets. For more information about what is happening, check out the Huffington Post for live updates here.
via CBSNEWS
Too Young To Die Project
We hear all these stories about events that happen in Connecticut, Colorado, overseas, and south of the border, but what about what happens in our backyards? Chicago is home and will always be for me, but being outside of the city really shows me how little the national media covers or even cares about what is happening in the greatest city in the world. The nation turns a blind eye, and I ask how we can do the same. I'm not saying I have a solution, but I feel that as a collective, we could at least make others aware of the problem. The violence that is plaguing our city affects us all in some shape or form, whether you realize it or not. It could be someone in your family, your friends, your neighbors, or even co-workers that might have been affected by the violence.
I've seen it in my old neighborhood, I've seen it in the neighborhoods some of my family lives in, and you might have seen it in yours. Should we just go ahead and brush it off because it's Chicago and things like that happen? That would be the easiest thing to do, but I say let's bring light to the situation. Do you want to be outside of your city and find out the perception from a majority of the population is that Chicago is a war zone? How do you feel about living in a city that is now being called Chiraq? Are you comfortable in seeing a city die? Look around you, or just look at the newspaper every morning. This is a real issue that we need to talk about and not ignore. Now I might not be home, but the least I can do is bring some attention to the issue at hand. I don't expect everyone to care or go out there and lead a march, but what I hope what we can do is think about the issue and bring attention to the violence that is affecting the city, not as individuals, but together as the community of Chicago.
That being said, I am very fortunate to have a platform like Ruby Hornet to help share a long-term photo project by Carlos David Ortiz titled Too Young To Die that aims to shed light on the problem of youth violence. It's a project that shows the effects that the violence is having on kids, their families, and what effect this is having on the city of Chicago. It aims to personalize the people that are affected and share their stories. It's a project that puts a face on people we may not know but people that we should acknowledge. As Carlos states, " These stories are not about hip-hop, rap music or teens wearing saggy pants. These stories are about poverty, despair, neglect, hope, love and resilience." Check out the photos below of some of what Carlos has been documenting and learn a little more about his project in the video.
Photos by Carlos David Ortiz
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Full Metal Jacket
On an April night in 1970, photographer and Vietnam vet James Hensinger captured images when his 173rd Airborne Brigade was confronted by a Viet Cong sniper hiding somewhere in the surrounding area that attacked is army base in Phu Tai. There was a huge exchange of shots fired between the both sides that lit up the sky. That night, the US base was unleashing round after round of bullets and even used tanks in the exchange. Hensinger set his Nikon to take long exposures,capturing the firestorm that occurred that night in the process. Check out the rest of the photos below.
[via io9]
Photos by James Hensinger
Photographers Laid Off From The Chicago Sun-Times
Imagine being paid for doing what you love, but then being laid off by your employer with no warning. That is what happened to the entire photography staff of the Chicago Sun-Times last month when they found out they were going to be replaced by reporters armed with iPhones. The reason for the layoffs was due to the newspaper wanting to focus more on video content to accommodate those who access their news from their computers and mobile phones. It's hard to imagine a company laying off an entire department even with the advancements of photo technology in cell phones. CNN commissioned photographer Brian Powers to photograph the entire photography staff of The Chicago Sun-Times holding something meaningful from their career. Check out some of the photos below and get to know the rest of the staff here.
Photos via CNN
Brazil Woke Up
What started out as frustration over a 10 cent increase in public transportation fares has exploded to thousands of Brazilians taking to the streets to protest social issues that have been plaguing the country. From Sao Paulo to Rio de Janerio, Brazilians are voicing their frustration against government corruption, poor health care, bad public education, violence, and taxes. There is resentment against the government for the raising of taxes in order for the country to get ready to host next year's World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympics. The large question is how there's money to host these events, yet not enough to provide Brazilians with better social services like public education or health care. The people of these cities are fed up with what has been going on around them and are protesting because they want a different standard of living. The photographers in the streets of Brazil give us a glimpse of what is happening right now. The photos below show a country's people that have clearly had enough and that of a country that has finally woken up.
Photos via AP
From Kanye West to Yeezus
Today is the day that Kanye West unleashes his newest work Yeezus to the masses. With six solo albums now under his belt, let's take a look at never before seen photos of Kanye from The Fader. The man behind the lens is photographer Jonathan Mannion who has shot many artist's in the past, ranging from Biggie to Drake. These photos were taken roughly 10 years ago before Kanye released his first album, The College Dropout. Even before he had an official album out, Kanye landed the cover, which in a sense crowned him as the next big thing. This would be his first magazine cover, and it certainly wouldn't be his last either. 10 years ago, all eyes were on a man named Kanye West, and now 10 years later, all eyes are on Yeezus. For more about the photos and the shoot from that day, check out The Fader here.
All photos by Jonathan Mannion
Venezuela's Most Dangerous Prison
When you translate Vista Hermosa to English, it means beautiful view. It's funny that the name was given to one of Venezuela's most dangerous prisons where the inmates control the inside and have created their own society. These prisoners took control using force where one man is controlling the mayhem: Wilmer Brizuela AKA Pran. The only thing that keeps these prisoners confined within the prison walls is the Venezuelan National Guard patrolling the outside walls. Many of the inmates have some of the same amenities people have on the outside, ranging from guns and drugs to even iPhones. Some have even started their own businesses while inside, such as catering to other inmates, their families, and their friends who come to party. However, even with all of these perks and privileges, this is by no means a paradise. Check out the full article by Jorge Benezra here. Photography by: Sebastian Liste [via Time]
