On Burn you can view ‘A Troubled Paradise‘ , a fine audio-visual presentation by Charlie Mahoney about the Maldives, which “will likely be the scene of one of first humanitarian disasters due to climate change. The story also ties in to an interesting social-political situation.” He continues “I hope you find it interesting.” I did and I think you will, though as usually with presentations I sometimes would have liked to look at some of the images for longer or shorter.
You can see some of the same pictures – as well as other work by him on his own web site. He has an impressive list of clients, publications and awards- the latter including the 2009 Environmental Photographer of the Year Award, the 2009 International Photography Awards, the Life category of the 2008 Travel Photographer of the Year, the 2008 PX3 Prix de la Photographie for photojournalism, the 2008 SOS Racism Photography contest and the new talent category of the 2007 Travel Photographer of the Year.
Mahoney gained a BA in International Relations and Biology at Bowdoin College in Maine, USA and before his career in photography worked in investment banking and equity management. He has a Masters in Photojournalism from the University Autónoma of Barcelona, the city where he is now based.
It’s also worth looking at his dokumentary fotografr blog, where the latest post looks at a problem I’ve often mentioned here (most recently) – with a video of a US photography activist being stopped for taking photographs on the LA Metro. He comments “I was detained for a half hour in the metro station in Barcelona for the same thing two years ago. What can more can you say here?!?!” It happens in all sorts of places around the world.
Another video related to the problems of photographing in cities where increasing public space is privately owned is Love Police The Corporatization of Open Space on Bala Fria, which like Guardian journalist Paul Lewis in my link above, starts at the Gherkin in St Mary Axe.