10.Q Special Edition: Marco Ryan & Focus for Humanity

[March 26, 2010]

Today we have our first 10.Q Series Special Edition. Let me tell you about it…

Usually in 10.Q, we feature full-time photographers that specialize in Humanitarian photography. Soon, we will also have a different 10.Q Series based on Travel/Cultural photographers.

But now, I have the honor of introducing you to not only a new and great photographer, but also to an exciting new organization/foundation that he represents. The photographer is Marco Ryan, and the foundation, which will launch in a few weeks, is called Focus for Humanity. I have the privilege of being one of the first to announce this innovative foundation online and, as I am sure that it will quickly play a pivotal role in supporting the careers of travel and humanitarian photographers as well as under funded NGOs.

If you are a photographer and have a great heart for humanity, but are short of funds or don’t know how to take it to the next level, then you should check out this interview.  If you are a new or under funded NGO wondering how you can afford a top travel or humanitarian photographer, you’d better check this out also…

Because this is a Special Edition we have mixed some of our normal questions of the photographer with some additional questions regarding the Foundation

Please, tell us what you think about Marco and his initiative.

1. Tell us about you and your photography. What kinds of shooting have you done? Have you worked for any humanitarian organizations/magazines etc.? Could you name any current or former clients?

Perhaps differently from other photographers in your interview series, I don’t make my living from Photography. It is a full time passion, but for me it is more way to unwind, to explore my more creative side and more importantly it is a mechanism to experience the different cultures and ways of life that I see around the world. I am fortunate that I live in Egypt and my work as an eCommerce and Digital marketing strategist provides me with endless travel opportunities.

Most of my focus is on people photography and their environment  – which fits into what some call travel or humanitarian photography, but for me is perhaps better captured as world or cultural photography, although recently I have also started exploring landscape work. If I do get approached for paid work, then I tend to refer it to more talented photographers who make their living from this type of photography. There is sadly not enough paid work to go around, and I would rather that those who have devoted themselves to this full time benefit from this, rather than someone like me who is just thrilled to have an opportunity to be somewhere with a camera taking pictures.

© Marco Ryan | www.marcoryanphotography.com

2. We all know that you don’t get into humanitarian photography to become rich, so what does humanitarian photography mean to you? What’s your vision for it?

Firstly I think that this type of photography – irrespective of which label you put on it – is vastly under appreciated. The ability to capture in an instant an emotion that conveys a story is not just a question of being in the right place at the right time, camera in hand. Humanitarian photography is about relationships, trust, story telling. It is years of experience, of immersion in different cultures, of mastering the technical craft all mixed together when the shutter button is pressed, which requires a level of dedication and commitment from the photographer. Typically those successful in this field mix their compassion for humanity and a real desire to make a difference by visual storytelling, with the ability to market themselves and manage clients well. It is an unusual blend and difficult to achieve the balance.

Secondly I believe that with the increase in conflict, strife and natural disasters around the world there is a regrettable but increasing need for great visual storytelling. Whether it is natural disasters such as Haiti or Chile, or man-made disasters caused by religious conflict or the abuse of children or woman, there are still stories that need to be told to help raise awareness. Images – whether moving or still – tap into our emotions, and create for us a far deeper connection with the story as a result. I just wish that those that used these images – news organization, magazines, websites etc – shared this belief sufficiently to pay properly for the images they use. A new Foundation, The Focus For Humanity, will aim to help address this misconception.

What is Focus For Humanity?

Focus for Humanity is a grant giving US Based Not for Profit organization, that provides grant to help humanitarian and travel photographers (whether full time or hobbyist) to perfect their craft and to use their visual story telling skills for the good of humanity. It makes sizable grants on an annual basis  through online photographic competitions. It also provides significant quarterly grants to subside workshop place and mentoring  classes with leading full time photographers such as David duChemin, Matt Brandon, Gavin Gough, Edoardo Agresti, etc. FFH also works very closely with IGVP – and some of it s grants will only be open to member of the IGVP community – (which is open to anyone to join).

Our mission is to be an efficient and innovative fund raising foundation that helps globally to promote, support and match humanitarian and travel photographers to NGOs and other humanitarian causes that need their story told. We run the organization online and over 93% of our money raised is redistributed as grants or scholarships. As our donations exceed our target, so we will look to offer additional grants and scholarships.

Who is FFH for?

The short answer is The photographic community. The slightly longer answer is 5 distinct groups within that community:

a. Those photographers wishing to turn full time that need some extra help to make that final leap to “Professional”. The help might be financial, grants for equipment, subsidy for travel, a first client, mentoring or business advice – or some combination of these

b. Already established full time travel and humanitarian photographers that have a project that needs funding – this would typically be to shoot humanitarian stories for underfunded NGOs. We cover all the assignment costs and provide some business mentoring to both photographers and NGO

c. (Under funded) NGOs looking to find funding for an assignment and looking to find a photographer to undertake that assignment.

d. Members of the Photographic Industry – Equipment makers, Camera makers, bloggers, trainers, educators who want to get involved and be an active part in helping humanity through photography. This can be in the form of support, sponsorship, time etc

e. Members of the Photographic community who are passionate about photography, hate paying tax and won’t mind  giving a small donation – as little as the equivalent of a couple of latte or a tank of gas – which is then tax deductible.

What will the website offer its members?

There is really no membership per se. The website does 3 main things:

1. It allows anyone to make a donation in under 2 minutes. This can be as little as the equivalent of two lattes ( $5) on a one-off basis or monthly giving basis or as much as $20,000. We are happy to take either or anything in between. As a launch promotion anyone giving a donation of over $500 dollars will automatically receive an original , signed Gavin Gough print – itself worth $250 (whiles stocks last).

2. Photographers wishing to win one of the grants or scholarships will need to register. This will then give them one-way-access to our Photoshelter account, where they will be able to upload  a small portfolio of images, as well as a small synopsis of why we should win.

3. NGOS looking to be the recipients of assignment grants or looking to work with Scholarship winners will need to register so that we can ensure alignment in terms of vision, ethical code and to best to use the type of scholarships we will be potentially allocating to them.

4. Access to discount on kit and gear from our sponsors for registered members.

Joining FFH

When the website launches in April, they just need to sign up. It is free. When they are ready they can then enter one of the quarterly or annual competitions. One thing we are asking everyone to do is to help to spread the word. So anyone that joins we would encourage them to tweet, share on Facebook, blog and ideally make a donation  Although that is not obligatory and nor will in increase or decrease their chances of winning.

Where did the idea come from?

The idea for Focus For Humanity occurred when one of our founders, Marco Ryan, discovered the blog of Mitchell Kanashkevich at a time when Mitchell was sharing his struggles to afford a Canon EOS 5D Mk2 – the very body that Marco had just purchased. The coincidence made him sharply aware of the inequity: here was someone more talented and deserving going without.  Although well known as a difficult industry in which to make a living, travel and humanitarian photography attracts some of the finest photographers working today, producing some of the world’s most compelling images.

Surviving as a professional photographer is tough. Practitioners need to find the time to market, network, publish and explore their vision as well as travel and work on assignment. The Internet, with the increasing influence and reach of social networking sites and blogs, combined with the sophistication of digital cameras, has reduced the barrier to entry in an already competitive field. Successfully making the transition to full-time work as a photographer is frequently the result of one final boost over the hurdle: maybe something as simple as a workshop, the chance to travel, advice from an experienced mentor, the right new gear, or the recognition that comes from winning a competition. Focus For Humanity is designed to provide that extra boost.

That timely camera purchase, combined with our awareness of the need for more voices in humanitarian endeavors, led us to act: to create Focus For Humanity. We hope that our vision will inspire you to act, too.

© Marco Ryan | www.marcoryanphotography.com

6. Who’s been an inspiration for your photography? How do you stay inspired?

Do you read blogs? If so, which ones would you recommend?

I am an avid reader blogs and rely heavily on social media – especially Facebook and Twitter – to remain connected with many of the great photographic talents in the field. Thankfully many talented photographers also subscribe to this approach that makes it easy, wherever I am in the world to stay keep up to date. I have many of the traditional roots of inspiration: Steve McCurry, James Nachtwey, Richard Avadon But more recently, as I have been working on the foundation, I have forged relationships with some brilliant, talented humanitarian photographers.

I would urge your readers to at least explore the following great photographers (in no particular order!) Tom Bourdon, Esther Havens, Gavin Gough, Edoardo Agresti, Mitchell Kanashkevich, Matt Brandon, Ami Vitale, David duChemin, Karl Grobl, Tim Humble, Gary S. Chapman, Chris Orwig. I have a list of them that you can follow easily on twitter. Just go to @marcoryan and subscribe to he the NGO-Humanitarian Photographers list.

7. How do you normally approach people from other cultures? What are your limits at the moment of shooting people in need, or in a complicated situation?

I have 3 techniques I sue. The first  was re-enforced to me recently by Ami Vitale. Slow Doan. Get to the location  early – maybe a day before – and wander around, ideally without a camera. Talk to the locals, sit, observe, become part of their world. When you return with a camera you have already broken that first hurdle. The other version of this is to return to the same place again and again. I People start to accept you as part of their world and not see the camera.

Secondly I always carry a small Polaroid Pogo printer, which allows me to print a small credit card sized image there and them it gets over the awkward request for money, always bring s a smile to their face, and often leads to invitation for tea, a meal or to sit and chat – which is when the real storytelling begins.

Thirdly, I never take  pictures of someone that does not want their picture taken I never exploit the trust between photographer and subject. It might be a nod , a phrase in the local language , or showing them some images on the camera  or an iPhone and then gesturing tot take their picture. Nearly every time I follow this approach, I am invited to take their portrait – images that as a tourist or snap happy photographer I could never get.

8. How do you promote your work?

I don’t really. I write a weekly – sometimes twice weekly blog; I use Photoshelter to display my galleries, which has superb Search Engine Optimization (SEO) tools that help people using Google to find me; I update to Facebook and flickr groups and sometimes I leave a blurb book of my work with someone, if I think they will show it others.  Locally, I go back to a shoot location with some postcards made from the image and distribute those. It’s amazing however those are the most effective!

© Marco Ryan | www.marcoryanphotography.com

9. Tell us about the last piece of gear that you deemed important enough to buy. How about the one that’s been most important in your career? (It can be a lens, camera, accessory, etc.)

The last piece of gear I bought was a Spider Pro-1 Camera belt. It is an amazingly secure mechanism for a camera that sits on a waist belt and has been tested extensively by someone I trust, Karl Grobl. My last “holster” based solution resulted in a broken camera and lens!

10. What would be your advice for a photographer who is just starting out in this field?

Follow your heart. If this is your passion and this is something that you really want to do – to live the dream – then go for it. Don’t let anyone stop you. But do be aware that this is not a path paved with gold; nor is it an easy path. It requires determination, resilience, self-belief, compassion and integrity.  The reward is being to help others less fortunate and to earn enough to make a living in doing so.

Secondly – get a mentor. Build a relationship with some already in this field through social networks, a Focus for Humanity grant, or your  own endeavors. Use that relationship to help you .

Thirdly it is not about the gear. Some gear is important, but it is more about your ability to build relationships, to tell stories and to use your craft to take compelling images. To quote David duChemin; “Gear is good, vision is better”.

© Marco Ryan | www.marcoryanphotography.com

Links:

http://www.focusforhumanity.org

http://twitter.com/focus4humanity

http://www.marcoryanphotography.com/

http://twitter.com/marcoryan/

Now is your turn to talk…

This entry was posted on Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 13:36. It is filed under 10.Q Interviews, Non-Profits and tagged with 10.Q Interviews, Grants, Humanitarian, Non-Profit, Photographers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.