PIRATES IN THE INDONESIAN SUNDA ISLANDS by JANUSZ DAGA (Italy)
ENTRY DESCRIPTION
Indonesia. Sunda Islands . Among the hundreds of islands that make up this archipelago, there are dozens of small shabby villages. Tin roofs and walls of paper and wood. They call them "Fishermen Villages" but they are not. Sure they are fishermen, traders and sailors, but once they were pirates and sometimes they still. Should be approached with caution, they are accustomed to tourism, which is becoming more mass in these parts, but that is why they want to maintain their privacy. Far away from habits that are being imposed by force on their culture. Poor people , tough life, villages who live in close contact with the deadly Komodo dragons, dozens of children have grown up from sand, sun and sea wind. Free as a birds. (Sunda Island 2015)
AUTHOR
I'm a non professional photographer and traveller now based in Asia. From my home base I can follows the -asian- region's main social and environmental issues day by day. Nowadays, my work is focused on the poorest people life, working conditions and daily struggles.
Usually I shot with my small 35mm lens. I chose this lens because it forces me to get in touch with the people I photograph. Always thinking of the words of Robert Capa:"If your pictures aren't good enough, you're not close enough". "Photographing people and especially the most vulnerable people, has always been the only thing that really interests me in my life and work. Document and understand, traveling
to let others know about the living conditions of many populations in our world. This is what make me feel happy. This is what makes me get up in the morning and love my camera. As the great photographer Sebastiao Salgado use to say: ”people are the salt of the earth”. But we often forget this salt, we often throw it away. We can help people to understand this salt is the only treasure we have on this planet. Here, with the pictures we take, we can show the value of this salt. I work with any type of camera any kind of
weather and difficulty. Always keep my eyes and my heart open. Because if you want to touch people soul you must be able to take pictures with your heart." My dream is to became a photojournalist.
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