The Cloud Chamber

A Murmuration Of Starlings

Another video of photos and commentary; this time of the flocks of starling who crowd the skies over Rome each winter. As the above image indicates, this isn't just a modest gathering of bodies on the wing but a massed multitude of titanic proportions who return from the countryside each night to roost. The images were snapped by Richard Barnes and the words were provided by Jonathon Rosen. (via the Lens Culture blog) (BTW 'murmuration' is apparently the collective noun for starlings.)

Vodou Brooklyn

At a Buddhist interfaith event in New York, photographer Stephanie Keith met a Haitian Vodou priest who invited her to come and photograph one of their ceremonies in the Flatbush area of Brooklyn. She became something of a regular at these all-night rituals, and now shares her experiences with the world via this video featuring her images and commentary. (via Metafilter)

Angkor Photography Festival

It's not uncommon to find photography festivals with positive political agendas; festivals that choose works designed to expose a cause, and use proceeds from the sale of those works to support those advancing that cause. What's less common is what happens at the Angkor Photography Festival.

At this festival, photographers not only exhibit their works, they also get to participate in outreach programs that put cameras and basic photographic skills in the hands of local street kids, the disabled, and women with HIV/AIDS. The results of these programs are then posted on Flickr so they can acquire a global audience (cf this street kid photoset)

This year, the festival is also using Flickr to promote a competition for non-professional photographers. The theme: Asia in the World (ie photos taken in Asia, or of Asian culture in the world) The deadline is October 31st.