Aurora Photos

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Care and Relief by Various Photographers / Aurora Photos In times of trouble, health professionals, organizations, and volunteers generously provide care and give relief to restore and revitalize individuals and international communities. There humanitarian efforts draw attention to the global need for advanced aid systems and treatments for all people. view images \| view as slide show

Kabul Today

Afghanistan's capital, Kabul is a refuge for many who flee from violence in search of a peaceful life and economic opportunities. However, the city has been repeatedly struck by suicide bombers and rocket attacks that usually kill more Afghan civilians than foreign soldiers. It is a harsh reality with little respite.
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Salmon Country

From the mountains of Alaska to the coast of California salmon are a biological phenomena that bind the entire region together. In recent years salmon runs have been devastated due to dramatic changes in their ecosystems. The nature conservancy is working to protect salmon and the habitats.
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The Chilean Huaso

Like the gauchos, their colleagues east of the Andes, the Chilean huasos are skilled horsemen, honing their skills daily. Over the years, the huaso has come to signify much of the Chilean folkloric culture, and he is a vital part of parades, fiestas, and holidays.
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Rio Beach

The beach plays a big part in the minds of the people in Rio de Janeiro. It's not merely a place to absorb the sun's ray. It's a social circus, an important venue for sports and even business dealings. It's a people-watcher's paradise.
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Liberia Still On The Edge

Pep Bonet recently document life in Kingsville, Liberia, population 20,000, where women and children die for the want of a few bare medical necessities. Even before the war, Sierra Leone was the poorest country on earth. It is still in shambles.
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Miss Plastic Hungary 2009

The first ever beauty contest for women who had plastic surgery took place in Budapest, Hungary. Hundreds of women registered to compete for the crown and the luxurious prizes. Any women who had had a beauty plastic operation on her body could enter.
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From Sun Salt

Shallow lagoons that separate the city of Aveiro from the Atlantic. For more than 1000 years, Marnotos, the worker that produce salt through evaporation, work between spring and late summer. It's tough work with great physical effort done under intense sun. The last decades with the expansion of global competition, this labor intensive industry has suffered, even with a charm that lures tourists, the value is not enough to rescue the situation. In the new generation who will continue the tradition?
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Ikea Town

Sixty years ago,Ingvar Kamprad was seventeen years old and sold matches. Kampgrad quickly founded his own company selling pens, furniture, socks... He names it Ikea, an acronym of his initials, that of his village and that of his farm. The legend is born. Today, Ikea has 267 stores in 35 countries, and revenue of 21 Billion euros.
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Dubailand

The announcement of Dubai's debt problems questions the achievement of its gigantic architectural projects. In Dubailand only two attractions are open, the Autodrome, and the Al Sahra Desert Resort. The workers who were in charge of making this dream come true are leaving the place empty.
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History, and tradition mix with technology

With over 4 million people this 500 year old city blends history and tradition with new arrivals; a major hub for the information technology industry in India and the world's largest film studio, the Ramoji Film City as well as the Telugu Film Industry, the second-largest, known popularly as Tollywood.
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Teuquel�n

Teuquel�n is a tiny island near Chilo� in the south of Chile. The only people who live in Teuquel�n are of the Peranchiguay family, who arrived about 200 years ago. They live completely isolated from the outside world.
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Heart Hanging Heart

For chronically ill children, the Double H Ranch is a special retreat from their difficult realities. It provides specialized programs and year-round support for children dealing with life-threatening illnesses and their families. Children with devastating illnesses such as sickle cell anemia, HIV, cerebral palsy and muscular dystrophy are given a week of what seems to them like an eternity ﬁlled with activities they would never experience between hospital visits at home.
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The Spark of Hope: Healing and Reconciliation in Modern Rwanda

In late February 2007, photographer Chris Noble accompanied the artist and social activist Lily Yeh and members of her organization, the Barefoot Artists, as they visited their most extensive and ambitious project � the Genocide Survivor's Survivors' Village of Rugerero in western Rwanda. His role was to document Yeh�s work in Rwanda, as well as produce portraits of the genocide survivors (no apostrophe) living in Rugerero.
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Hanks Aero Adventures

Hanks Aero Adventures is a company that organizes and leads flying safaris through southern Africa. Photographer Adrian Bailey joined one of these trips as it went through Botswana's Okavango Delta.
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Yawar Festival

Every year, during Peru�s Independence Day, the Blood Fest is celebrated in the highland communities of Apurimac. This celebration symbolizes the clash between the indigenous people (condor) and the Spaniards (bull).
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Acharnai Olympic Village

The �glorious Olympic village� in Acharnai hosted 17,000 athletes from all around the world during the 2004 Athens Olympics. Six months after the end of the Olympic games, it was transformed into an outlying suburb. Most buildings and houses were assigned by OEK, the Worker's Housing Organization, as primary residences for beneficiary families. Everything else that is taken for granted by most citizens, like banks, shopping malls, bars and restaurants, are a long distance away. All the plans for development of the village were not realized.
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Mornos Lake: Water Shortage

For many years, Athens has been facing water problems. The massive migration of the rural population to the capital in the 1970's increased the need for adequate water supplies. The solution was the construction, in the early 1980's, of Mornos Dam and the creation of Mornos Lake. Unfortunately, dry seasons and excessive water waste have reduced Mornos Lake's reserves causing great concern for the people of Athens.
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Tihama: The Other Yemen

Nestling at the foot of the famous Yemeni summits, the coastal plain of Tihama meets the Red Sea. Though Tihama has lost some of its grandeur, its contrast to the rest of Yemen is fascinating. With its sculpted cities of a glorious past and its abandoned villages of decorated huts, this little known region is pushing to stay alive.
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Shanghai

Photographer Christopher Herwig's series of images deals with the ultra modern city of Shanghai. Focusing on its new and ambitious developments, it prepares itself to host the 2010 World Expo. His explorations include traveling to a traditional silk factory in the nearby city of Suzhou and the ancient canal village of Xitang.
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Gansu

Gansu is a Chinese province located in the Northwest of the country. Aurora photographer, Christopher Herwig, took a trip along the old silk route. His series of images explores the province's capital Lanzhou, a city of 5 million along the Yellow River, the outpost fortress of Jiayuguan, and the deserts around Dunhuang.
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Xinjiang

Xinjiang is a Chinese province located in the far North West of the country. The Uyghur Autonomous Region has seen ethnic unrest in the form of riots between muslim Uyghurs and Han Chinese in the Summer of 2009, mainly in the capital of Urumqi. This series of images follows a trip along the old silk route and with the day to day life in the province's capital Urumqi, the desert oasis's of Turpan and Khotan, and the market towns of Kashgar, Yarkand and Kucha.
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Taoudeni Salt Mine

For centuries, Timbuktu in Mali has been living on the trade of salt coming from the mines of Taoudeni, a town just north of the city. They are working in the mines to pay back their debts to wealthy merchants in Timbuktu. They live in isolation and work in treacherous conditions. Yet, they cannot get out of the cycle of debt.
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Life of Lignite and Cinder

While most European countries are getting closer to alternative sources of energy such as sun and wind, there exists in Northerwestern Greece the most polluting power station of Europe, according to the World Wildlife Fund. This power station produces as much pollution as 3.3 million cars. Greece ranks second in Europe in lignite production and sixth in the world.
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Working Towards Peace in Chad

Since it�s independence in 1960, Chad seems to be locked in a destiny where power is taken at gunpoint and war is always on the horizon. Nevertheless, the streets of N�Djamena are filling up with public works, oil money is flowing, avenues are tarred, buildings are rising and farmers are attending to their job. As 11 million Chadians face enormous struggles from war and underdevelopment, they push forward with the hope for permanent peace in Chad.
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Lamalera: Whale Hunting Village

The Indonesian whale hunter village, Lamalera, mostly exists in the prayers of the Christian people of Lamalera. Lamalera's people have survived for hundreds of years only by the sea and it's fruits: little fish, manta, bottlenose dolphin and the fervently hoped for whale.
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Roma Displacement in Serbia

In August 2009, the government of Belgrade, Serbia began enforcing the resettlement of Roma from camps under the Gazela Bridge. Photographer Matt Lutton�s imagery documents the plight of impoverished people in a struggling nation.
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Bill Pickett Rodeo

In 2009, the Bill Pickett Invitational Rodeo celebrates it's 25th Anniversary. The essence of the rodeo is to educate people from all over the world about the story of African American cowboys and cowgirls. More than 8,000 Black cowboys rode in the great Western cattle drives of the late 1860�s. The legendary Bill Pickett was the first black athlete to be honored in the Rodeo Hall of Fame in Oklahoma City in 1971.
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East Germany Change

In November 1989, photographer Stefan Enders photographed the fall of the Berlin Wall. This was not only a great historic day, it was a day for him as a Western German to remember.
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Malaria in Sierra Leone

Malaria is the number one killer of children and is hyperendemic in Sierra Leone. Currently, there is a promising vaccine being tested in Africa. In a trial, 65% of the infants vaccinated were less likely to contract malaria than a control group. If successful, the vaccine will be licensed in 2011.
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20th Anniversary: Fall of the Berlin Wall

November 2009 marks the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall. Long regarded as an iconic symbol of the Eastern Bloc, the wall fell after the seemingly unrelated act by Hungary to remove its border defenses with Austria on August 1989.
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New Europe

2009 marks twenty years since the events which led to the disintegration of the communist system in Central and Eastern Europe. Almost 50 years of communist indoctrination had been imprinted in the landscape, economy and mentality of people. It is now clear that the relative homogeneity of the socialist Central and Eastern Europe is on the decline. This part of Europe is increasingly diversifying. Photographer Łukasz Trzciński tried to portray this New Europe through the prism of local attitudes which reflect the history and the current reality of a given country and yet are representative of the region as a whole.
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Human Trafficking in India

In August 2009 photographer Justin Vela began a new long term project on human trafficking with a series of images made in India�s Bihar state which runs along the eastern border with Nepal. In Bihar, parents often unintentionally sell their children to traffickers believing they are sending them away to learn new skills and improve their lives in big cities.
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Sustainable Prisons

The Sustainable Prisons Project is a partnership of the Washington State Department of Corrections and The Evergreen State College. Their mission is to reduce the environmental, economic and human costs of prisons by training offenders and correctional staff in sustainable practices. Equally important, they bring science into prisons by helping scientists conduct ecological research and conserve biodiversity through projects with offenders, college students and community partners.
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The Fall of the Berlin Wall

Having decided to photograph West Berlin in 1979, St�phane Duroy also wanted to understand Germany, the country that gave birth to Nazism, a unique phenomenon in history, generated by such a civilized nation. In 1989, ten years later, he took pictures of the fall of the Berlin wall.
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The Vibrant City of Cairo

Experience Cairo through the eyes of Pascal Meunier. He takes you through a city that is firmly attached to it's historical roots, but home to a vibrant modern society.
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Iraqi Refugees Struggle in the US

In the past three years, about 26,000 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States. Many refugees thought they would never be struggling in America, but most are having a hard time finding work and making ends meet. For many refugees, their dream of living in the US has turned into a nightmare of dwindling benefits, money running out, and eviction notices piling up.
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Mostar Divers

Divers and tourists meet at Mostar's famous Old Bridge (Stari Most) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. This bridge is the city and region's biggest tourist attraction and there are buses full of tourists coming in from Sarajevo and Dubrovnik, Croatia. For 25 euros, tourists can train to jump from the bridge themselves, under supervision from the "professional" Mostar divers known as the Mostari.
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Iraqi Refugees in Denmark

Many Iraqi refugees travel through Denmark to reach Sweden, one of few European countries that will still grant asylum to Iraqis. Having undertaken grueling journeys across the continent, often paying vast sums of money to smugglers, some end up in Danish refugee centers where they wait indefinitely for asylum in a country which has tightened immigration laws in recent years.
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North Korea

Photographer Ake Ericson documented the totalitarian state of North Korea. It's citizens, and the few tourists who are let into the country, are strictly controlled. To be able to enter the country and take pictures requires ingenuity.
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German Democratic Republic in the 80's

Photographer Jens R�tzsch caught the mood of a country heading for a revolution and captured the faces of the GDR in the 1980's.
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Camp Bucca

Thousands of Iraqis were held without charge by the United States at Camp Bucca on suspicion of links to insurgents or militants. By September 2009, many detainees were released because there was little or no evidence against them and Camp Bucca closed down Detainee Operations. The U.S. is preparing to turn over its detention system to the fledgling Iraqi government by early 2010.
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Images of the German Democratic Republic

Photographer Wolfgang Kunz documented over 30 years of life in the GDR. He documented daily life in the German Democratic Republic between 1960 and 1982. He photographed things from daily living like music bands, school classes, soldiers and working people to some impressions from the Post-war East Germany.
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Niger Desertification

During the past 50 years, the desert in Yerimaran, Goudoumaria, Niger, Africa, has been growing. In the past 6 years, the desert has continued to advance so rapidly that villagers' ways of life are changing along with government programs being implemented.
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Cuba Daily Life

The classic images of this Caribbean Island are what draws in two million tourists each year. You can hear lively music being played, smell the rum and cigars, and feel the joie de vivre. But the fact that many Cubans are struggling to get by shows another reality of this country.
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The Bolivian Mennonites

In Bolivia, a Mennonite settlement of 37 families was established between 1954 and 1957 in the neighborhood of the city of Santa Cruz, in the fertile plains east of the Andes Mountains. Mennonites follow the teachings of Menno Simons, a 16th Century religious leader from what is now the Netherlands. Their community lives traditionally, shunning modern technology and it�s ability to distract them from the path of Christ. It's estimated that there are around 15,400 Mennonites in Bolivia.
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Experience Morocco

Morocco, located on the Northwest coast of Africa, is a country rich in natural beauty and stunning places. From the breathtaking landscapes of the Sahara desert and Atlas mountains to the ancient medinas filled with spice and craft shops, Morocco is a magical travel destination for all of your senses.
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Rebirth of Tourism in Native Country

A new generation of Native American entrepreneurs are making their influence felt in tourism with a renewed focus on authenticity. They are managing monuments and parks of the southwest from historic Acoma Pueblo, a mesa-top citadel dating back to the 12th century, to Canyon de Chelly and Monument Valley in Navajo country. Though these destinations are frequented by far more foreigners than Americans, they are of the fabric of western history.
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Marina Orlova

Marina Orlova was a young, unremarkable Russian woman who graduated from state university and taught high school English. She moved from Moscow to Los Angeles to work as an au pair. A friend told her about youtube and she launched a website to teach the masses about the origin of English words. Her web casts looked amateurish and dull at first, but she polished up her routine and got her body in shape. Two years later, Marina Orlova is an internet sensation.
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Micro Loans in DR Congo

Aurora Photographer, Jason Florio, photographed and interviewed entrepreneurs in DR Congo. By providing very poor families with small loans to invest in their micro enterprises, FINCA�s Village Banking empowers them to create their own jobs, raise their incomes, build assets, and increase their families� well-being.
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The Road from Manali to Leh

The road from Manali to Leh is 475 km long and winds its way through the barren mountains of Northern India. Closed over the winter months due to winter snows, the road opens each year during the short summer season. For travelers, the road is a rough and dusty drive by jeep or bus along a road that is known for it's perilous blind corners, steep unforgiving drop-offs and headache inducing high-altitude mountain passes, such as Tanglang-La Pass at 5,360 metres.
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Orphans of Swaziland

The HIV/AIDS pandemic has affected almost every family in the Kingdom of Swaziland. The Country has the highest percentage of HIV-positive people in the world, with nearly 36% of those between the ages of 15 and 49 living with HIV. The issue of greatest concern is the number of orphans in Swaziland. With orphans in a country of just more than one million people, an estimated 220,000 people are living with HIV. More than 70,000 children have been orphaned by AIDS.
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Dinners on the Farm

Prairie Fruits Farm in Illinois hosts dinners on the farm throughout the growing season. They feature all-local ingredients, and emphasize the diversity of food grown in central Illinois. �These dinners offer an experience that makes the distance from field to plate about as short as it can possibly be, which is exactly the point. The farm dinner trend has experienced a surge from coast to coast over the last few years and continued to be popular this harvest season. �
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The Fiestas of Zumbahau

In the ice cold Ecuadorian P�ramo, the fiestas of Zumbahau echo off the steep canyon walls. The poor farmers save for years in order to throw giant parties. When the fiesta comes they spend everything they have saved and party for days. During this wild rage of festivities one will find that Catholic and pre-Colombian beliefs have been seamed together. Dancers representing the ancient Andean sun god move through the fiesta to the hypnotic rhythm of giant drums. Mother Mary and Mother Earth become one and the Indigenous people of the Andes celebrate the rituals they have been practicing for years.
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Coney Island

Coney Island, the peninsula on the southern edge of Brooklyn, has been a resort for well over one hundred years - to varying degrees of success and failure. As rumors circulate about corporate development coming to Coney Island, the history and myth surrounding this famous neighborhood remain fixed in New York�s collective consciousness.
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Parkour: The Art of Moving

Parkour is a physical discipline of French origin in which participants cover a distance, attempting to overcome obstacles they meet on their way. The key for this sport discipline is efficiency - the parkour practitioners should run over their route as efficiently and directly as possible.
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Gaza Conflict

Photographer Jan Grarup arrived in Rafah, Gaza, at the beginning of 2009. He documented the ongoing conflict and devastation inflicted there and in Gaza City.
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Traditional Skiers of The Altay Mountains

In the Altay mountains of China�s Xingjiang province, also known as the Uighur Autonomous region, people still follow in the footsteps of their Mongolian ancestors. Like their ancestors, these people live, ski and hunt using the same handcrafted skis and techniques they have for thousands of years.
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AIDS Vaccine

Scientists are getting closer to discovering a vaccine against HIV. Led by professor Eric Sandstrom, Swedish scientists are now testing a unique HIV vaccine in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. It's a vaccine more effective against the HIV that is predominant in Africa. Preliminary studies indicate this vaccine has the potential to reduce the risk of becoming infected. Members of the police force in the capital Dar es Salaam have volunteered as test subjects. They now belong to the first generation of Tanzanians that are well informed about HIV, its causes and how to avoid the virus.
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The FBI

At the FBI's Criminal Justice Information Services Division headquarters, tucked away in the West Virginia hills near Clarksburg, some 3,000 employees quietly fight crime with a sophisticated computer network and access to the largest repository of fingerprints in the world.
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The Sacred Andes

Photographer Krystian Bielatowicz traveled around Peru and the nearby Bolivian border region for three months to shoot and take part in various celebrations and customs of the indigenous Andean peoples. He went on pilgrimages lasting several days, observed life in a provincial parish and took part in the session led by curanderos � Peruvian shamans.
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Purple Hearts

Purple Hearts is a series of portraits and interviews with American military who returned from Iraq severely wounded. The project gives an intimate understanding of the human cost of war through the experiences of�American�soldiers.�While their physical wounds are extreme, the primary focus of the visual reportage is the psychological condition and the struggle to find identity and purpose in the aftermath of war.
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Discover Majorca

Majorca is the largest island of the Balearic Islands of Spain. It is a popular tourist destination from its sunny beaches to its olives grove region.
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U.S. Special Forces in Sahel

Far from Iran and Afghanistan, there is a lesser known part of the world where US Special Forces fight against terrorism and Al Qaida. It is in a very remote part of Africa, in the huge, uncontrolled territory of the Sahel, a region north of Mali and Niger. After September 11th, the US settled a 5-year program called the Sahel Plan, involving 500 million dollars and several countries, Algeria, Chad, Mali, Niger, Nigeria, Mauritania, Morocco and Senegal, in order to train local units in the fight against terrorism.
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Unisono

The uniform has a bad reputation: considered synonymous with conformity, the exact opposite of individuality, it is a concept that calls to mind the monotone rhythm of a military march. Sabine Otto's work gives the uniform the opportunity to exist in a different light: Unisono presents people who voluntarily choose to wear uniforms and play a role within a structured group - and treat their uniforms with care and esteem.
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High Altitude People

An interesting and vivid selection of portraits of Nepalese people in the Makalu-Barun Valley, home to many Himalayan Sherpas and mountain porters.
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Explore Croatia

Whether it is exploring one of the 1,185 barren limestone islands along the coast, sampling the mouth watering seafood, or taking in the sights at the Old City of Dubrovnik as the sun goes down, Croatia is a traveler's delight. Rich in history, culture and natural beauty, Croatia is fast becoming a must-visit European destination.
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Vietnam's New Generation

Vietnam's "New Generation" can be described by one word: driven. They sport the latest fashions, ride on motorbikes and chat on mobile phones. And, for better or worse, "MTV" now has faithful viewers in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. But this "New Generation" is faced with many dilemmas along the way. How do its members balance family traditions and duties with the pursuit of their own dreams and goals?
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Home Project

There is a well-known saying that home is where the heart is. It suggests that real homes, with all their contents, are representative of what is in our hearts, true reflections of our dreams, convictions and ideals. The Home Project shows empty interiors: bunks in a homeless shelter, monks' cells, circus caravans. Every one of these places reflects a portrait of their owners; it makes a statement of their life circumstances, interests, character and the state of their soul, perhaps better than the owner would be able, or would even like to.
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Krumpers

Krumpers are teens who perform an aggressive style of dance, called krumping, that helps to release anger and frustration in a positive way. The style of dance emerged from the streets of Los Angeles during the 90�s and is an outlet for these teens to escape gang life. Aurora photographer, Afton Almaraz, shot portraits of the kids who krump.
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8 Years Later

8 years after the invasion of Afghanistan, life goes on as does the war. In 2009, there has been the highest number of coalition forces' causalities since the beginning of the war in 2001. Kabul, the country's capital, has been attacked numerous times by suicide bombers, rockets and ambushes. Living in a country that has suffered over 30 years of war is difficult, but people still have hope and hang on to the dream of freedom.�
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Go West

This project by French photographer Guillaume Zuili's is based on his travels and discoveries throughout the state of California. His images are filled with modern symbols and signs of the West. The result is a metaphorical portrait of California.
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The Uyghurs

Uyghurs are a Muslim minority ethnic group living in Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region in northwestern China. They have long campaigned for independence from Chinese rule, and their separatist demands have led to bloodshed over recent years.
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Chernobyl's Dead Zone

More than 20 years after the Chernobyl accident, people's lives in the nearby towns are still greatly affected. In the "Dead Zone", the area which was evacuated after the nuclear catastrophe in 1986, people have begun to return. Although the area is still highly radioactive, more and more people are settling down in the "Dead Zone" regardless of the risks.
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The Purh�pechas

The Purh�pechas are an indigenous people who live in the northwestern lake and mountain region of the Mexican state of Michoacan.
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Yemen Female Counter-Terrorism Unit

As a response to Al-Qaeda's strategy of using women's dress to avoid facing capture, the counter-terrorism unit has brought on female combat troops in Yemen. The use of female troops is necessary since the searching of women by male troops is strictly forbidden in Yemen.
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I See A Darkness

"I See A Darkness" is a conceptual project started in 2005 continuing through present day by Matt Lutton. On the streets and byways of New York City, it is one man's reaction to a city of profound contradictions, the strongest being love and fear.
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Srebrenica Memorial

The Srebrenica Genocide occurred in July 2005 near the end of the Bosnian war when an estimated 8000 Bosniak men and boys were killed by Bosnian Serb paramilitaries. Every year, on the anniversary of the tragedy, thousands from around Bosnia make a pilgrimage to the memorial site and cemetery in Potocari adjacent to the factory where many of the victims were offered protection by Dutch UN troops before the genocide.
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Egypt, My Love

Between Denis Dailleux and Cairo, it is a true love story : on one side, an insatiable fascination for this unique place, its mood, its magical lights and an unspeakable tenderness towards its inhabitants ; on the other, a natural generosity, a city which offers itself to this subjugated look, inhabitants full of spontaneous kindness. Denis Dailleux makes regular trips to Cairo, in an obsessive way.
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Chad

The conflict that erupted in Darfur in western Sudan has many dimensions to it: regional, national and international. It began in early 2003 between two armed rebel groups (the Sudan Liberation Army and the Justice and Equality Movement) and the Government of Sudan after the rebel groups attacked civilians, entire towns and Sudanese government facilities. By the spring of 2004 thousands of people had been killed and as many as a million more had been driven from their homes, causing a major humanitarian crisis in the region.
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Sierra Leone Diamond Mining

Sierra Leone has suffered from conspicuously constrained economic growth due to the lack of promoting development and not addressing the basic needs of the country's citizens. In spite of this negative development, the government believes the mining sector is the only sector that can easily contribute significantly to the economic recovery and development process of Sierra Leone.
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The Karczeby

Karczeby is a project which presents a Polish village, focusing on the relationship between the human being and nature and on the essence of humanity in relation to the earth. It shows the people living in villages, their attachment to the land and respect for nature and also how hard work translates into the farmers' dignity. The Polish photographer Adam Panczuk has memorialized these people in a series of black-and-white pictures in a classic square format.
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Haut du Lievre

Haut du Lievre is a housing estate consisting of huge blocks of apartments rising above the city of Nancy, France. Built in the 1960s, it was a destination for citizens who wanted to rebuild their destroyed country after World War II. The Haut du Lievre was a symbol of new strength and hope for future development. As time passed, the unique estate became a place for illegal immigrants and disadvantaged people.
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The Opening of Syria's Doors

The second half of the 20th century was a difficult time for Syria. The never-ending conflict with Israel and other regional conflicts caused bad relations with neighbors through the Middle East, as well as a deep economical crisis. After the death of charismatic President Nafez al-Assad, many economic reforms were made in Syria. Today, Syria is a country opening up to tourism and foreign investments, despite the ongoing political challenges of being in the heart of the Middle East.
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The Golden Astronauts

In 2009, former Soviet-bloc countries are celebrating the 20th Anniversary of the collapse of communism in Central and Eastern Europe. Paweł Althamer, a Polish artist decided to honor this significant time in a completely different way. He dressed as a golden astronaut in a golden plane with a golden crew. Under the name �Common task�, the golden crew flew to Brussels to spread positive vibrations to everyone they met, as a symbol of Poland's comeback to democratic Europe.
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Temples and Dzongs of Bhutan

Bhutan has a thriving tourist industry that is growing exponentially. Everywhere you look, new hotels are being constructed. To tour Bhutan you must be accompanied by a Bhutanese guide. Most travelers are in groups, though you can travel alone as long as you have a Bhutanese guide. Many of the attractions in Bhutan are the ancient Buddhist temples and Dzongs, which are elaborate fortress architectures. There are seasonal festivals, where you can watch dancing and religious rituals as well as the local people in traditional dress.
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Afghanistan Elections

Afghanistan's second democratic presidential elections in conjunction with the provincial councils elections were held on August 20, 2009. The top three presidential candidates for this year's presidential election are Presidaent Hamid Karzai, Dr. Abdullah Abdullah and Dr. Ashraf Ghani. It's been said that 87% of the country's population has been registered to vote. Some have disputed the numbers and are accusing the current government of fraudulent activities.
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Fishing for Red Gold

Bristol Bay, Alaska is home to the largest sockeye salmon run on earth. Every summer thousands of fishermen work the waters of Bristol Bay in search of Alaska's 'red gold'. While celebrated as a shining example of successful fishery management, this giant salmon run is facing some of its greatest challenges yet. A proposed mine, called Pebble Mine, potentially North America's largest open-pit mine threatens salmon spawning habitat and the health of wild Pacific salmon populations in Bristol Bay.
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Pilgrimage of San Juan de Los Lagos

Thousands of pilgrims make a journey to San Juan de los Lagos every year. The small town is the second most visited pilgrimage shrine in Mexico. Most pilgrims come around February 2nd to celebrate Virgen de San Juan, arriving on foot, bicycle, and bus.
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Aleutian Islands

The Aleutian Islands are a chain of hundreds of small volcanic islands, forming a volcanic arc in the Northern Pacific Ocean, that are remote and rarely visited. Most of the archipelago is considered Alaska, while the westernmost extension is a part of Russia.
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Cape Town Beaches

Cape Town is renown for having some of the best beaches in the world. Situated at the very tip of the vast African continent this city is blessed by two oceans that break on kilometer after kilometer of coastline; from the warm, welcoming waters of the Indian Ocean to the icy, bracing breakers of the Atlantic Ocean. There is something for everyone: beaches that are more suited to family fun, others that provide great waves for surfing and other water sports, beaches that are ideal for sunsets, and others that are perfect for swimming.
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Consumerism in China

The country's reputation as the world's factory still rings true, but increasingly the consumer goods churned out by Shenzhen's factories remain in China. International retailers have been expanding in China for decades. The country's enormous consumer class now draws the world's attention as a potential savior from the current economic turmoil. The domestic market here is the largest in the world, and the potential for expansion into China has become a major priority for many international companies.
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The Threat of Sand

The Niger river, which flows over 1700 kms, is threatened by the sand. The fertile green land beyond its banks, which provides a living for thousands of people, is at risk of being engulfed by the desert. In 2006, villages started to plant trees as barriers to the sand.
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Tajikistan-Afghanistan Border

Under an agreement with Tajikistan, Russian border guards protect the border against drug smugglers and Islamic fundamentalist infiltrators. Drugs are mostly taken through Tajikistan into Russia. Afghan Taliban fundamentalists try to destabilize Tajikistan or move through Tajikistan into the Fergana valley of Uzbekistan to support the strong Islamic fundamentalist forces fighting the Uzbek government.
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Nowa Huta: The Ghost of Communist Past

In the late 1940's, Communist dictator Joseph Stalin came up with the idea to create a huge steel works and surrounding infrastructure in Poland. Nowa Huta was a district built in the 1950's to house 100,000 inhabitants. It was the first borough of its kind, built specifically to house a socialist secular population. Nowa Huta is an old symbol of modernity and progress and was the 'Polish socialist city of dreams'. It's story and the legacy of a socialist Poland is forever preserved in photographs from that era by Henryk Makarewicz.
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Myanmar Behind Closed Doors

Under years of political oppression, Myanmar (formerly Burma) is a country struggling to find it's freedom. Though, daily life continues beyond Myanmar's closed doors.
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Portraits of Thailand's Transsexuals

A Thai proverb states "when you meet a very beautiful woman, beware: she is probably a man". No other country in the world counts so many transsexuals so well integrated in society as Thailand. Visible and numerous - 150,000 in a population of 63 million these trans genders enjoy a particular status in a sexually tolerant Buddhist society which accepts them relatively well. As Professors, doctors, hair dressers, dancers, television presenters and much more, they integrate themselves like other women.
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Born Behind Bars

A look into the Santa Martha Acatitla women�s penitentiary in Mexico D.F., where babies born into the system are allowed to live with incarcerated mothers until they are six years old
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Dubai's Robot Jockeys

Robot jockeys, controlled remotely by operators in cars driving along the track, race camels in Dubai. In 2004, robotic jockeys were used in response to the outcry against the use of small children as jockeys.
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The Last Dogfight

In March, the people of Pakistan celebrate a national holiday called Pakistan Day. One of the most important celebrations of this day is the Last DogFight. The dogfight takes place only in the cold season to respect the dog's health. This happening attracts thousands of rural and tribal people from all over the four principal provinces. For the dog's owners this is a great chance to show their talent and to win a considerable amount of money.
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Venetian Lagoon

The Venetian Lagoon is the enclosed bay of the Adriatic Sea in which the city of Venice is situated. Its name in the Venetian language, Laguna Veneta - cognate of Latin lacus, "lake" - has provided the international name for an enclosed, shallow embayment of saltwater, a lagoon. It is around 8% land, including Venice itself and many smaller islands. The lagoon is the largest wetland in the Mediterranean Basin.
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