photo - Ken Gilbert
photo - Ken Gilbert
photo - Ken Gilbert
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ackstory<br />
Above the Fray<br />
A <strong>photo</strong>journalist heads for a hidden story<br />
A nAtive of Rome assigned by<br />
a German magazine to <strong>photo</strong>graph<br />
nascent political opposi-<br />
tion in the Republic of Maldives<br />
in 2007, Francesco Zizola was<br />
playing the textbook role of an<br />
Francesco<br />
Zizola<br />
journeyed<br />
to the<br />
Republic of<br />
Maldives to<br />
cover its<br />
burgeoning<br />
political<br />
opposition.<br />
international <strong>photo</strong>journalist.<br />
Which, indeed, he is—with an<br />
amazing portfolio and long list<br />
of awards to show for it (check<br />
out www.zizola.com).<br />
“The island in this <strong>photo</strong> is<br />
Malé, the capital of the Maldives,”<br />
Zizola says. “It was taken<br />
from the airplane that was<br />
bringing me to an atoll in the<br />
south, where I was going to<br />
meet certain exponents of the<br />
opposition. They were immediately<br />
tortured by the police<br />
force of the dictator, who is now<br />
gone from office.”<br />
This <strong>photo</strong>—with its tourist’seye<br />
view that is nonetheless<br />
suffused with a sense of dread,<br />
thanks to the propeller in the<br />
upper part of the frame—served<br />
as the cover of the magazine<br />
Mare. Zizola shot it using a<br />
Canon EOS 5D and 28mm f/1.8<br />
Canon EF lens, “the only lens I<br />
use for my reporting,” he says.<br />
The rest of Zizola’s reporting<br />
for this assignment was<br />
straight, on-the-ground, powerful<br />
<strong>photo</strong>journalism. So powerful,<br />
in fact, that it was later<br />
reprinted around the world.<br />
Among its honors: 1st Place for<br />
Best Published Picture Story<br />
(smaller markets) from the<br />
National Press Photographers<br />
Association in 2008.<br />
At the time, it seemed certain<br />
that Maldives President Maumoon<br />
Abdul Gayoom, who<br />
had held power some 30 years,<br />
would be reelected to a sixth<br />
term. Instead, democratic elections<br />
swept opposition figure<br />
Mohamed Nasheed into office.<br />
You can see Zizola’s full <strong>photo</strong><br />
essay, “Maldives: A Broken<br />
Paradise,” on his <strong>photo</strong> agency’s<br />
website, www.noorimages.com.<br />
He has since returned to document<br />
the effects of rising sea<br />
levels on this tiny Indian Ocean<br />
nation. —Miriam Leuchter<br />
128 populAR <strong>photo</strong>gRAphy January 2010 PoPPHoTo.coM<br />
www.storemags.com & www.fantamag.com<br />
Francesco ZiZola/noor
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