Bull Fighting, Aguazul, Colombia

Bulls are breed especially for the fight. They are washed and inspected before going into the ring.

Banderillas get dressed for the performance.

The Picador, and Banderillas wait for the opening ceremony and the fight to begin.

The Matador confronts the bull.

The Matador capes the bull as the Banderilleros watch

After the ears are cut off and given to the Matador, the bull is dragged out of the ring.

Bogota Flooding

 

In Bosa a south west suburb of Bogota people’s homes have been flooded since the 7th of December when the open sewer that runs along the community over-flowed leaving people knee deep in dark, pungent water. Though the draining operation led by police, emergency personnel and volunteers has significantly lowered the water level, some families are still, three days later, forced to camp out in their cars and tents. President Santos of Colombia promised $750 in financial compensation to 10,000 affected families, as well as $80 worth of cleaning products for families to sanitize their flood affected homes. Volunteers and emergency personnel have been working to provide meals and drinking water, and a strong police presence in the area has curbed the high crime rate.

 

Since September, floods and landslides have affected more than half a million Colombians according to the Red Cross. In Bogota some 50,000 people’s homes were flooded after the Bogota River burst its banks.

19/10/11 – Boeung Kak

19/10/11 Village 24 Boeung Kak – 5:38pm

Series of short time-lapse video on communities facing eviction.

Flooding, Cambodia

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Floods have caused the death of more than 200 people since August 2011, affecting provinces along the Tonle Sap and Mekong river. Villagers in various areas around the country have had to abandon their homes and have been forced to move to high grounds or buildings on stilts, often  in or surrounding schools and Pagodas. Livestock have been moved to any dry patch of land, in many cases cluttering busy roads. The Cambodian government has estimated that about 190-thousand hectares of rice fields have been destroyed. To see more please visit: http://www.nicolasaxelrod.com/gallery/journalism/flooding.html

28/06/11 & 29/06/11 – Boeung Kak

28/06/11 Village 22 Boeung Kak – 5:48pm

28/06/11 Village 22 Boeung Kak – 6:05pm

29/06/11 Village 6 Boeung Kak – 5:58am

Series of short time-lapse video on communities facing eviction.

24/06/11 – Boeung Kak

24/06/11 Village 2 Boeung Kak – 5:30pm

24/06/11 Village 6 Boeung Kak – 6:20pm

Series of short time-lapse video on communities facing eviction.

01/06/11 – Village 6, Boeung Kak

Series of short time-lapse video on communities facing eviction.

11/05/11 – Village 24, Boeung Kak

First of a series of short time-lapse video on communities facing eviction.

24 Rickshaw

Since moving to Dhaka 17 years ago from his village in the far north of Bangladesh Mohammed has been a rickshaw driver.
He gets up shortly after sunrise everyday for 25 days, making the 40-min journey to the rickshaw rental garage. After a thief stole his rickshaw seven or eight years ago, Mohammed found it easier to rent. For one US dollar a day he gets the same rickshaw everyday, looking after it as if it was his own.
Mohammed can earn USD 4 to USD 6 a day; with this he supports his two families, his first wife and two children in his village and his second wife and daughter in Dhaka. Once a month, Mohammed will spend about a week in his village in the far north of Bangladesh before returning to Dhaka.
“I am a simple, poor guy,” he says, providing an education for his children is his main dream in life. His’ son just passed his first division exams, Mohammed saved up enough money to buy a brand new bicycle. When he takes his monthly break he will surprise him.
Coming home late in the evening after peddling his rickshaw, Mohammed spends time with his daughter, helping her with schoolwork. Mohamed’s favourite part of the job is listening to the different conversations amongst the passengers but he says it is hard to drive a rickshaw, “the problem is there is no engine, the engine is in my legs” but he adds, “Everyday goes happily after all”.

24hr – Otter Fishermen

Even in the cold winter winds, Ranjeet along with his three partners and two otters fish the waterways around his community in the southwest of Bangladesh.
From two in the morning until sunrise with two people steering the boat, Ranjeet and his partner repeatedly pass the fishing net between the two otters which are tied to the sides of the boat. The otters will swim and feed through the night, and like dogs herding sheep, the trained otters will push the fish into the nets.
Ranjeet has been fishing with otters for more than 30 years. He used to fish on the river, but since the law changed he and his team are now confined to etch a living from the canals and small waterways. “The government has withdrawn the auction system to lease water plots for fishing. It is free now. This is a problem for us” he explains, “the people living near the river are more powerful so they don’t allow us to fish there.”
In the morning the fishermen will sort their catch to sell at the local market. On good days, they will earn between USD 20 and USD 25, which will support the fishermen’ families, around 25 people in total are dependant on this income. “It is not possible to survive in this profession anymore.” Ranjeet says. His two sons are trying to find other ways to earn a living.
For now Ranjeet has no other options, he is getting older. At 60 years of age he suffers from the cold nights and tiring work. After a long night of fishing he will return home to eat and rest, some days he helps his neighbours with their work, but it is his daily duty to feed and look after his otters. Without them he would not be able to fish.