guestpost

In one of her most famous quotes, the photographer Dorothea Lange said that "the camera is an instrument that teaches people how to see without a camera."

My Exmouth eclipse expedition could be a case study on the 'sunk cost fallacy' or proof that even blind persistence can pay off. Either way, it is a saga.

My name is Emanuel, I live in Switzerland, and as long as I can remember I've been in a wheelchair. In my life I've tried a lot of different hobbies, and almost every single time I felt compromised by my wheelchair... apart from taking photographs.

I have seen absolutely beautiful things happen in the photo industry. I’ve seen strangers become best friends, I’ve seen grand ideas being brought to life, and I’ve seen photographers grow from beginners to mentors. I’ve seen so many things that make me proud to be a part of such an amazing community.

Editor's note: We came across Duncan McNicholl's work a while back and found it interesting, so we invited him to write a guest post regarding his project. His work has been featured by quite a few publications and websites in recent times.

Many people only experience sub-Saharan Africa through photographs. The teary-eyed child in rags is familiar to all of us as the portrait of poverty charities use to communicate a hopelessness in need of our pity and charity. I reacted very strongly to these images when I returned from Africa in 2008 after a 4 month volunteer placement in Malawi, working with Engineers Without Borders Canada. I compared the images I saw to my Malawian friends – people who embodied intelligence, resilience, and compassion – and I felt lied to.