World Press Photo adds value to African Photo Entrepreneur Programme

Picture Above: Africa Media Online’s Digital Campus is being run in Joburg this week after a brilliant week at the Cape Town School of Photography in Cape Town. The team at the Cape Town School of Photography did a wonderful job of hosting the Digital Campus. This week, Museum Africa and the Market Photo Workshop are our hosts

In this blog:
1. Peter Krogh masterclasses meeting the need in Pietermaritzburg and Cape Town
2. World Press Photo adds value to African Photo Entrepreneur Programme
3. Microsoft gives photo entrepreneurs a kick-start with Expression Media donation
4. FotoFinder makes a way for photographer from Liberia

1.
Peter Krogh’s digital asset management courses have been receiving rave reviews around the country. This is the first time these masterclasses are being run in South Africa and if the comments in the evaluation forms are anything to go by they certainly do seem to be meeting a need in the market.

Peter Krogh demonstrating how Google Maps pinpoints exactly where he took a photograph after he matched his GPS tracker log with the time stamp on the image

What were the major benefits that you gained from the training?
“It was awesome! It gave me: 1. A major reality check 2. What to do about where I am at” – Cape Town Professional Photographer
“Understanding how a system of storage/cataloguing can work and increase productivity” – Cape Town Professional Photographer
“I realised how unorganised and dangerous my back-up system is” – Cape Town Professional Photographer
“Respect! To treat images with respect.” – Cape Town Professional Photographer
“A complete understanding of the whole workflow using the best of various software environment and a clear system to move files through production into an archive that is fully backed up and secure. This will help me manage and preserve my digital archive for years to come. Thank you so much! Also really cool insights into the future of imaging” – Pietermaritzburg Professional Photographer
“Unbelievable knowledge that can take me into the future and allow me to manage my data in an effective and efficient and long lasting and scalable manner. It’s gonna make a huge difference to the potential and accessibility of my data…” – Cape Town Professional Photographer
“Peter’s approach to organisation is quite radical compared to the way I have been working. He makes use of software to create faster, more efficient workflow. I gained a good understanding of DAM in general and information on backup systems, hard drives etc” – Cape Town Professional Photographic Trainer

2.
The Cape Town leg of the African Photo Entrepreneur Programme was enriched by the presence of Maarten Koets, head of education at World Press Photo. World Press Photo is an independent not-for-profit organisation based in Holland which is best known for organising the world’s largest and most prestigious annual press photography contest which becomes a traveling exhibition annually that is visited by over two million people in some 45 countries worldwide.

Maarten presented a slide show of images from Africa that have featured in the World Press Photo competition over recent years. The hard hitting imagery proved an inspiration to all present last Thursday evening (August 14). At the end of the evening participant Clare Thomas expressed her gratitude saying, “I’m feeling quite emotional, I hardly have words. I am so grateful for all that we have been exposed to and how it is lifting our vision.”
At the end of the week of masterclasses the participants had got together to present gifts of prints of their work to the trainers and AMO staff, a gesture much appreciated by all on the receiving end.
The African Photo Entrepreneur Programme has been partially supported by the European Union through Gijima KZN and by Africa Media Online.
Click here to see who made it to APEP Cape Town

3.
Microsoft corporation in Redmond, Washington has come to the support of African photo entrepreneurs in donating a copy of Microsoft Expression Media to each of the 40 photographers participating in the African Photo Entrepreneur programme.

Ahmed Jallazo from Monrovia, Liberia, arrives at Museum Africa where several of the Johannesburg Digital Campus masterclasses are being run

Germany based picture library, Fotofinder GmbH came to the rescue of photographer, Ahmed Jallazo from Liberia in West Africa this month. Ahmed had been selected for inclusion in the African Photo Entrepreneur Programme but did not have the funds to get to South Africa and manage his living costs for the programme. Ali Packzensky, Director of the German based organisation, had met Africa Media Online’s Director of International Sales at CEPIC in May and had been inspired by the vision of the African Photo Entrepreneur Programme. When there seemed no way for Ahmed to make it, a telephone conversation between Ali and Africa Media Online’s director, David Larsen, resulted in Ali putting up the finances for Ahmed’s travel while Africa Media Online undertook to provide accommodation and board.
Ahmed was discovered a number of years ago by South African photographer Nic Bothma during the Liberian civil war working as a street photographer. Nic was working with EPA and Ahmed worked alongside him during the war learning the skill of a press photographer. In the past few years he has continued to string for EPA in West Africa.
In November, Ali is expected to be a part of the final stage of the African Photo Entrepreneur Programme, the Global Competitiveness Masterclass, which aims at giving the participating photographers insight in to the global imaging industry and the means to compete on the global stage.
Although the African Photo Entrepreneur Programme was geared at participants in southern Africa in 2008, Africa Media Online had applications from all over the continent and seven photographers were accepted from other parts of Africa. Most of these photographers made their own way to South Africa to participate in the programme. To see participants from other parts of Africa click here