Thai court jails six for setting fire to kings' portraits

BANGKOK (Reuters) - A Thai court on Wednesday sentenced six people to jail for setting fire to portraits of King Maha Vajiralongkorn and his father, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej, in several spots around the northeastern province of Khon Kaen last year.

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Cryonics: Your body preserved for future revival?

Arizona-based company Alcor offers cryonic preservation in the hope of reviving you in the future.

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France's Macron warns Turkey over Syrian operation

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron warned Turkey that its operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria should not become an excuse to invade the country and said he wanted Ankara to coordinate its action with its allies.

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Brazil's Lula leads presidential poll despite upheld conviction

SAO PAULO (Reuters) - Former Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva leads in the first presidential poll published since an appeals court upheld his conviction on corruption charges, a decision which is likely to knock him out of contention for the October election.

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German police detain three in raids on human trafficking ring

BERLIN (Reuters) - German police arrested three people on Wednesday in a nationwide operation to crack down on a gang accused of trafficking migrants into Germany in trucks last year.

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Best TV streaming service: SlingTV vs Hulu vs PlayStation Vue, and all the rest

Is SlingTV better than Hulu, or should cord cutters subscribe to PlayStation Vue? Or YouTube TV? We compare all the TV streaming services, and one rises to the top.

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James Greenhalgh: The mask of masculinity

After a lengthy judging process, Laura Pannack has selected 18-year-old James Greenhalgh as the winner of a competition to shadow her as she shoots Separation, a series of portraits commissioned by British Journal of Photography and generously supported by Affinity for iPad. Separation explores the angst and myriad emotions experienced by London-based couples who, as a result of Brexit, have been forced to contemplate separation.  

Greenhalgh will accompany Pannack during the three-day shoot, taking place at Street Studios in east London. “I’m really excited to see Laura’s creative process and how she works with her subjects,” he says. “How does she approach the models? What questions does she ask? I hope I can bring what I learn from the Separation shoot to my own work.”

As well as the paid shadowing experience, Greenhalgh wins an in-depth portfolio review with Pannack and an iPad Pro preloaded with Affinity, the only fully functioning photo editing software available for iPad.

Greenhalgh is currently in his first year of studying Photography at London College of Communication. It was his A-Level project, Tungsten, however that caught Pannack’s eye. A series of portraits of teenage boys, Tungsten seeks to break down the mask of masculinity and show the beauty and sensitivities that lie behind.

jamesgreenhalghphotography.bigcartel.com. © James Greenhalgh.

“All of the entries were overwhelmingly strong,” says Pannack. “I was so torn but James’s work really captured my attention. His approach is incredibly inspirational, mature and natural. Most of all, I was drawn to how experimental he is with light and technique. I’m excited to work with him!” Runners up to the competition were Izzy de Wattripont and Anya Broido. 

Below, Greenhalgh discusses his accidental route into photography, what draws him to portraiture and how he builds trust with his subjects.

© James Greenhalgh.

When and how did you first get into photography?

I wasn’t supposed to get into photography. I was 15, doing my GCSEs, and I had to pick subjects for my AS-Levels. I had no prior background in the arts and I chose all academic subjects. I was later told that Anthropology, one of the subjects that I had picked, had been taken off the curriculum and I had to select another subject. Photography sounded the least boring so I reluctantly chose it. At that point in my life I thought I was going to become a computer programmer.

My teachers opened me up to the world of photography. Once I got the hang of film photography, and realised how much creative control you can have with film, I never looked back. This, with the help of my friends in the class, inspired me to shoot more and use photography as a tool to express myself and learn more about different people.

What appeals to you about portraiture?

The connection that you share with the person you are shooting is so precious and special. For somebody to open up in front of you and be themselves without fear or judgement (with or without a camera present) is truly beautiful, especially in a world where everybody is putting on a mask or persona in an effort to appeal to others. With portraiture I feel I can capture that organic moment.

© James Greenhalgh.

In your photography you seek to bring out sensitivity and vulnerability in people. How do you work with your subjects in order to achieve this?

The camera comes last, that is one of the most important things I’ve learnt about photography. Talking to your subject, building a mutual trust, getting to know them and letting your own guard down are all vital in encouraging somebody to show their vulnerability. It is of course different for every person. When I shoot my close friends, it is easier as I’ve had years of building trust with them.

My favourite shoot was with a good friend who was going through a tough time. We spent an hour talking to each other in an elevator about life and love before I began taking photos. We had built up this beautiful connection during that conversation – while he was in such a sensitive and vulnerable state – and that extended into the shoot. When I got the roll of film back, every frame was perfect. The atmosphere inside that elevator was perfectly painted onto the negative.

© James Greenhalgh.

Why were you interested in exploring masculinity?

Growing up, boys are always told and conditioned to act a certain way: not to cry or show emotion. This can have a devastating effect on men. Often they don’t talk about their feelings or reach out when they are feeling depressed because it is taboo to do so. I am passionate about changing this.

The models in Tungsten were male school friends. Arguably the pressure to appear masculine is at its greatest while at school. Was photographing your friends in a vulnerable light difficult to achieve? 

As Tungsten was an A-Level project, I only had a few months to start and finish it. This meant that I had to be selective with who I photographed. The models were my good friends, so I knew it would be easier for them to open up to me, I also knew that given time, and by having the right conversations with them, they would be themselves in front of the camera. When introducing my friends to the project I kept it really vague; the last thing I wanted was to tell to them how to feel so they would act for the camera. It had be natural. By building up a trust before and during the shoot, their organic and beautiful selves naturally came to the fore.

Shooting on film also allowed me to get closer to them. In today’s digital world, an image can be captured on a digital camera and uploaded for the world to see in a matter of seconds. By shooting on film, neither of us could see the image and this removed any anxiety from my subject so they wouldn’t break focus during the shoot. I did make a point of privately showing the images from the shoot to the model after they were developed to make sure they were happy with them going into a book.

© James Greenhalgh.

Your photographs tend to be of young people. What draws you to photographing this demographic?

As a teenager, the vast majority of my friends are around my age (17 – 25) so that demographic is easily available for me to photograph. After reading Ryan McGinley’s book The Kids Were Alright and Larry Clark’s The Perfect Childhood, I realised that this late adolescence stage in my life is special and won’t last long. It is at this point in our life when we have lots of time and energy to go and have fun and discover ourselves before we enter the real world. It therefore feels even more important to capture it now.

What do you like about Laura Pannack’s work?

I admire Laura’s down-to-earth, sensitive and respectful approach to her subjects. Laura gave a talk at London College of Communication in October and I was really intrigued by her Young British Naturists project. Nudity is something that is still taboo in our society, so I was fascinated to learn about a group of people who go against the norm. She mentioned that it was a challenge, as she was coming in as an outsider, but after spending a long time getting to know the young people and building a connection they opened themselves up. I admire this patience a lot. I was also really drawn to her Young Love project. Her being invited to capture this intimacy between the couples must have been an honour.

© James Greenhalgh.

© James Greenhalgh.

Separation is made possible with the generous support of Affinity Photo for iPad. Please click here for more information on sponsored content funding at British Journal of Photography.

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Gibraltar says can implement Brexit selectively: report

LONDON (Reuters) - Gibraltar can choose elements of any Brexit deal Britain agrees with the European Union and avoid those it considers detrimental, the chief minister of the British territory said.

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Unmasking Katy Perry's Backup Dancer, 'Left Shark'

Three years ago, a hapless backup dancer lumbering around the stage with Katy Perry in a blue shark costume became an instant hit. Bryan Gaw, who was inside the costume, talked with David Greene.

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A statement from Patrick Witty

The prominent photo editor Patrick Witty was publicly accused of sexual misconduct on 29 January, in a report published on Vox.com by the journalist AJ Chavar. In his report, Chavar stated that Witty, who has worked at National Geographic, Time, Wired, and the New York Times, was investigated for sexual misconduct by National Geographic last Autumn; Chavar’s story added testimonies by women photographers, some anonymous but two named. In response, Witty has released this statement to the media, via his lawyer Stephen B Pershing.

“I’m deeply sorry that some of my past behavior has been hurtful to women.

“I was raised by six powerful women – five older sisters and my mother, now 86 – who taught me to respect women and to fight for women. I’ve advocated and championed women’s advancement as photographers and editors my entire career.

“With firm conviction, I deny that I’ve ever engaged in any behavior that amounts to sexual aggression. I also strongly deny ever insinuating that I would give someone professional help – or withhold it – on condition of sexual favors or romantic interest. I’ve never been accused of wrongdoing of any kind in the workplace, so I was shocked and dismayed when I first learned of the accusations against me.

“But I’ve also come to realize that my perception of a situation and someone else’s may not always align. In many otherwise innocent interactions I may have underestimated the power of my position. What I’m hearing makes me think about the impact of my behavior on others in a whole new way, as it should. I am saddened to think that I in any way have contributed to or reinforced the imbalance of power between men and women in my industry.

“We as a society are in the midst of a stark and imperative reckoning – long overdue – about the reprehensible ways men have behaved toward women all across our culture, as well as in particular industries like photojournalism, to which I have devoted my heart and soul for the past 25 years. This new dialogue is enlightening to me, as a man undergoing a much-needed awakening, and as a father who wants to do better by his own son in the hope that he’ll know, and help to shape, a culture of respect and equality for all. I wholeheartedly embrace and support this movement.”

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France's Macron warns Turkey over Syrian operation: Le Figaro interview

PARIS (Reuters) - French President Emmanuel Macron warned Turkey that its operation against Kurdish militias in northern Syria should not become an excuse to invade the country and said he wanted Ankara to coordinate its action with its allies.

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Thailand charges eight activists as public frustration at junta grows

BANGKOK (Reuters) - Thailand on Wednesday charged eight activists of a civil rights group with violating the military government's ban on public gatherings, after it kicked off a cross-country march on Jan. 20 in a rare display of public discontent.

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Afghan spy chief visits Pakistan in wake of Kabul attacks

ISLAMABAD (Reuters) - Afghanistan's intelligence chief visited Pakistan on Wednesday, officials said, at a time when tension between the neighbors is simmering over accusations that Pakistan offers a safe haven for Taliban militants.

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Vatican rebukes cardinal over 'selling out' to China accusations

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - The Vatican on Tuesday rebuked a senior cardinal who said its diplomats were "selling out" Chinese Catholics loyal to the pope as part of a deal aimed at normalising ties with Beijing's communist government.

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'Emotional support peacock' barred from United Airlines plane

United Airlines refuses to let a woman in New Jersey board a plane with a peacock, citing its size.

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M&S plans to close up to 14 stores

Six stores will close by April with another eight stores under threat, the retailer says.

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Fewer killings in Philippine drug war make U.S. 'cautiously optimistic': official

MANILA (Reuters) - The U.S. government is "cautiously optimistic" on Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte's war on drugs after it saw a decline in "extrajudicial killings," a U.S. senior narcotics official said.

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Foreigners held in Cambodia over indecent dance party test negative for drugs

PHNOM PENH (Reuters) - Ten foreigners, charged in Cambodia with producing pornography related to indecent dancing at a party, have tested negative for drugs, police and their lawyer said on Wednesday.

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Indonesia's conservative Aceh orders headscarves for Muslim flight attendants

BANDA ACEH, Indonesia (Reuters) - Authorities in the Indonesian province of Aceh have ordered Muslim flight attendants to wear headscarves when flying into the ultra-conservative Islamic region, officials confirmed on Wednesday.

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Nintendo Switch overtakes the Wii U

The Nintendo Switch games console outsells its predecessor, just 10 months after its launch.

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Manchester United are China's most popular digital team

Manchester United remain the most popular team online in China, according to a new report.

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Nintendo Switch overtakes the Wii U

The Nintendo Switch games console outsells its predecessor, just 10 months after its launch.

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Ransomware added to Oxford dictionary

Mansplaining, ransomware and Mumsnet acronyms are among the latest words to be included.

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Acting Steinhoff chair says have reported former CEO to police

CAPE TOWN (Reuters) - Steinhoff has reported its former chief executive Markus Jooste to South Africa's elite 'Hawks' police unit, the company's acting chairwoman told parliament on Wednesday.

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