Christian Als May 26, 2008
Posted by Geoffrey Hiller in India.Tags: Christian Als, India
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Golfing in Mumbai from “India Rising”
“My passion and interest in photography developed in the late nineties after extensive travels in third world countries, where I realized the urge to document my surroundings. I love to undertake social and humanitarian projects around the world, and like the journey a photographic project can turn into over time. Most of all I just love people and love photography.”
Christian Als was born in the countryside just outside Copenhagen, where he is based. Most of his work centers on ‘concerned photography’ and social issues all over the world. In 2006 he graduated from the Danish School of Journalism and soon won several International photo awards including BOP and was a finalist in Visa D’Or 2005 in Perpignan. His work has been published in Der Spiegel, Christian Science Monitor, Bücher Magazine, Urban, ARENA, and Surfer Magazine among others. Christian won the POYI feature story award in 2008 for his project on juvenile prisoners in Latvia and most recently the China International Press Photo Contest for the “India Rising”.
About the Photograph:
The urban extremes can be hard to take in the Indian mega cities. A new golf course has sprung up in downtown Mumbai, while new skyscrapers are being built in the background. Home to 19 million people, Mumbai is projected by 2012 to be the planet’s second most populated city, after Tokyo.
You have a very strong portfolio Chritian.
I feel close because of your words about people.
Edward
Thanks a lot from China – comments like this will keep me going even further out here!
Christian’s series from Latvian Juvenile Prisons is remarkable. It is a clearly perceived and unhurried representation of life in less than ideal circumstances. It is heavy. Als depicts the inmates’ daily routines with the unfussed and honest visual description such mundane events deserve. It is Als’ skill to get past the domestic appearance of everyday tasks and fully present the dilemma and dread of societies prisons. Why such repetition? Why such waste?
His captions are perfect. Hard facts about national prison populations in the region or a summary of inmates deaths in 2005 and 2006. Striking images, but also with the ability to surprise which the images of reused wooden frames for pictures of American singers to hang on a wall of flowered paper.
Bravo.
would love to see any of your images relating to GOLF. I am the photo editor at GOLF MAGAZINE and just saw this image on the Verve site. Let me know if you can send me a link..thanks so much. Always looking for great pictures, the unordinary in the the world of this game of golf.