Images of the Canadian oil boom by Aurora Photographer Peter Essick have received widespread press across Canada. The photographs appeared in the March 2009 issue of National Geographic Magazine to illustrate an article, entitled “The Canadian Oil Boom: Scrapping Bottom”. The article and it’s photographs were quickly reported on by such news publications as The National Post, The Vancouver Sun, The Star Phoenix, The Toronto Sun and many others, even appearing in news broadcasts. Canada.com reported on national reaction to the photographs by saying, “This photo shoot for the magazine’s influential global audience is described as the “baby-seal moment” for Alberta’s oilsands…”  Read the complete article from Canada.com here. Read the complete National Geographic article here.

Dust hangs in the sunset sky above the Suncor Millennium mine, an open-pit north of Fort McMurray, Alberta. Canada’s oil sands are layers of sticky, tarlike bitumen mixed with sand, clay, and water. Around a hundred feet of soil must be stripped off to reach many deposits. Read the rest of this entry »

Images by Munem Wasif of Agence VU illustrating the desperate drought situation in Bangladesh appeared in the March 15th, 2009 edition of The Sunday Times Magazine SPECTRUM in London.  Commissioned by the Prix Pictet photography prize, Wasif was there documenting the work of WaterAid, an international organization trying to combat poverty by helping people gain access to fresh, safe water.

THE THIRST PRIZE: Three young brothers push their boats through mud to reach the low tide in Satkhira, southwest Bangladesh. Their family, like everyone else in the area, is desperate for water and cannot be choosy about where it comes from. Almost half of Bangladesh’s 150m people live with poor sanitation, and over 36m live without access to clean water. Read the rest of this entry »

Aurora Photographer David McLain photographed the Klamath River for the December 2008 issue of National Geographic Magazine.  The article, entitled “Reuniting a River” tells the story of the troubled history of this river that runs between Oregon and California.  Farmers, Native Americans, fishermen and conservation groups have clashed over the Klamath’s water use in the past, but with new arrangements there is hope for both watershed restoration and fair use for all.

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Extreme Ice Survey (EIS) Director and Aurora Photographer James Balog was interviewed on the March 18 episode of NPR’s Fresh Air. EIS is a result of 3 years of photographing glaciers during every daylight hour with 26 time-lapse cameras in ice-bound regions around the globe. The compelling photographs show the glacial melt and break-up of ice sheets resulting from climate change. James discusses the project, it’s implications and the historic calving event he witnessed at the Ilulissat Glacier in Greenland. Listen to the entire interview here: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102041024

James’ work is also going to be featured in a documentary entitled on the Nova/National Geographic special ‘Extreme Ice’ on PBS on Tuesday, March 24th (check your local listings for broadcast times) and in his new book Extreme Ice Now: Vanishing Glaciers and Changing Climate: A Progress Report.

To learn more about the Extreme Ice Survey, visit their website at http://www.extremeicesurvey.org.
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At the 66th Annual Pictures of the Year International Competition Aurora photographers brought home seven awards.  Aurora would like to congratulate Callie Shell, Matt Eich, Justin Maxon and Jay L. Clendenin on their wins.

In the General Division: Campaign 2008, Callie Shell (Aurora for Time ) was awarded First Place for “Nap”, Third Place for “Winner” and the Award of Excellence for “Pull-Up”, all images of Barack Obama on the campaign trail.  Callie also won First Place in the General Division: Campaign 2008 Picture Story for “Barack Obama”.  View the entire story here.

To view more work by Callie Shell, visit Aurora Photos.

Matt Eich, Aurora Select photographer, received the Community Awareness Award for his winning story, Carry Me Ohio which details the lives of impoverished citizens living in rural communities in the Southeastern part of the state.  View the entire story at story here.

To view more work by Matt Eich, visit Aurora Photos.

In the Magazine Division: Issue Reporting Picture Story, Justin Maxon (Aurora Select/Associated Press) was awarded Third Place for “Untitled”, a story documenting the struggles facing citizens after the economic collapse of Chester, Pennsylvania.  View the entire story here.

To view more work by Justin Maxon, visit Aurora Photos.

Aurora photographer Jay L. Clendenin won Third Place in the General Division: Sports Picture Story, Sequence or Series for his story “Untitled”, which appeared in the Los Angeles Times.  The story is a series of images of Olympic hopeful athletes training at a facility in southern California.  View the entire story here.

To view more work by Jay L. Clendenin, visit Aurora Photos.

Aurora would also like to congratulate our partner agencies NOOR and Agence Vu for each receiving an award.  Pieter ten Hoopen of Agence VU took home the Award of Excellence in the General Division: Portrait Series for “Touche-Moi”.  Yuri Kozyrev, NOOR for Time, was also given the Award of Excellence in the Magazine Division: General News Picture Story for “Georgia-Russia Conflict”.