Women Photograph awarded four project grants to photographers last year to support work in India, Mexico, the U.S., and Yemen. Take a look at some of what they've produced so far — and make sure to apply for this year's grants! $35,000 in project funding is available in $5,000 and $10,000 grants, thanks to Nikon and Getty Images. Apply by May 15! You can find more information here.
A boy looks on during a demonstration protesting SB-4 in Austin, Texas on Aug. 31, 2017. Two nights before the September 1st deadline for S.B. 4, Orlando Garcia, a federal District Court judge in San Antonio, temporarily halted implementation of most parts of the bill. He deemed the bill “unconstitutionally vague” and blocked the parts requiring jail officials to honor all detainers. Image by Gabriella Demczuk.
Gabriella Demczuk spent some time in Texas last year with writer Emily Gogolak looking at the northern creep of the border and the political immigration storm brewing over the state when the physical manifestation of that storm hit in the form of Hurricane Harvey. Interstate 35 check point remained open during the hurricane, a literal metaphor for the hard line immigration policy the Trump administration is implementing which is very much influenced by the laws in Texas. This is the start of a longer project looking at the effects of Trump's immigration policy on immigrant mothers.
And don't miss Gabriella's piece in Politico Magazine: How Trump Moved the Mexican Border North.
"I want to congratulate the governor. I want to congratulate everyone who has worked so hard," President Trump said. "It's been an incredible 5 days, 6 days. Seems like it was much longer than that. But actually It's going so well that it's going fast." Law enforcement guard the grounds of the Texas Department of Public Safety while President Trump visits with Gov. Greg Abbott to assess damages and relief efforts from Hurricane Harvey in Austin, Texas on Aug. 29, 2017. Image by Gabriella Demczuk.
Virginia Badillo waits in the car pool to pick up her son David from school in Austin, Texas. Badillo and her husband crossed a decade ago and overstayed their visas. Their son was born in Austin. "It is difficult to tell my son that I might not be there to pick him up. It wouldn’t be two or three days, but months. And that’s what breaks me,” she said. “There are thousands of children waiting for their parents." Image by Gabriella Demczuk.
Watermelon with a fork. Full Shade/Half Sun. Image by Néha Hirve.
Néha Hirve returned to India to continue working on Full Shade/Half Sun, a project that focuses on documenting an alternative, reforestation-based community in Tamil Nadu. She also began experimenting with audiovisual tools to accompany her images. This was the first time she's been able to re-visit a project and plans to return again at the end of the year. Neha is currently based in Sweden, and has a special interest in man's relationship to and impact on the natural environment. The first part of Full Shade/Half Sun was published in National Geographic last year: This Eclectic Community Transformed a Desert into a Fantastical Forest.
Suzy taking an afternoon nap. Full Shade/Half Sun. Image by Néha Hirve.
Pierre and Marianne hunting for old saplings. Full Shade/Half Sun. Image by Néha Hirve.
A representation of the original bull, that one Tiliche has to carry while dancing. Image by Luján Agusti.
Portrait of a Tiliche Putleco before he goes out to dance. The putleco carnival takes place every year around January or February. Almost everyone in the town of Putla goes out to dance dressed as Tiliches, a suit that is made by putting together several pieces of different fabrics to create a unique surreal being, typical of "Realismo Mágico" (magical realism). Image by Luján Agusti.
Luján Agusti continued her project on holy dances in Mexico — this time in Putla. There's an old story that one time, when the local residents didn't have enough to eat, a group of men decided to steal a bull from a wealthy landowner. When he discovered what happened, instead of threatening the men who'd stolen his bull, the man offered a reward: a night of food and dancing for anyone who would return his beloved bull. In order not to reveal their identity, the group of "Putlecos" created a suit composed of several pieces of cloth, and each wearing a mask, approached the hacienda to return the animal.
As he had promised, the landowner offered a huge banquet, and the party lasted several days. That same day was established as the date for the Putleco Carnival, which for many years has been held during the month of February. The tradition continues to this day, with participants coming in disguise and dancing non-stop for days.
Take a look at more of Luján's work in Witness: Diablos de Cuajinicuilapa.
Portrait of a Devil from the "Diablos de Coyantes" dancing group. When wearing the masks they prefer to not reveal their identities. Each group's outfits and masks are different. The "Danza de Diablos" (Devils' dance) is a tradition of the Costa Chica, Afro-Mexican territory, and was created by African slaves when they were brought to America by the Spaniards. Image by Luján Agusti.
Detail of typical mask used during the devil's dance. The masks are usually made with painted cardboard, animal skin, donkey or dog jaws, horsehair manes, and deer horns. They are handmade by local artisans and a mask can cost around 250 USD. Image by Luján Agusti.