Everyone is asking me if things have changed in Afghanistan since 2002, when I was last here.  Of course it’s a too-simple question, with a non-answer: they have, and they haven’t.  Kabul for instance is still dirty and exotic, still full of tan old sheepherding men with white beards and wrinkled faces (even  now they might be chatting on a cell phone as they guide their flock around town with long sticks).  Some new buildings have gone up, but not that many.  On the military side, the US Army is still stocked with an endless parade of energetic young men and women, and now as ever they are fitness fanatics and will work out every day even if they have to run laps back and forth through some muddy field on the edge of their base as the sun rises.  But they’re more jaded now than they were in 2002, after so many tours in Iraq and now here.

The central military hub in Afghanistan, both seven years ago and now, is Bagram Air Base, an hour’s drive from Kabul across a spectacular plateau nestled between the mountains.  I stayed at Bagram for some time in 2002 as well; back then all the press stayed in one large tent located next to the barbed wire perimeter of a now-infamous detention facility. (No getting anywhere near that place, now.)  Opportunistic Afghans had set up impromptu bazaars just outside the front gates, and we’d discreetly purchase incredibly bad Uzbek vodka and other things for our nightly rabble-rousing party in the press tent. Off-duty soldiers would walk by, peek in, and find themselves downing a quick beer and flirting with reporters for a few minutes, dashing off into the night again if they saw an officer or sergeant-major heading our way.

Those days are gone.  Bagram today has evolved and changed in spirit; everything is far more organized and uptight and the base has spread out, like a California town exploding into a tangle of urban sprawl.  Rather than in tents, troops now stay in long rows of stacked housing units that look like the apartment complexes near college campuses. MPs hand out tickets to drivers who are speeding or not wearing a seat belt.  Sometimes the trappings of home are faintly ridiculous; I saw a flyer touting free swing dancing classes.

One thing hasn’t changed: the troops doing their physical training every morning en masse along Bagram’s broad main boulevard.  Inspired, and clearly not going anywhere for a few days, I laced up my own shoes and went for a run. The main street ends after a few kilometers and opens up onto a broad flat plain; a few kilometers more and the running path fringes the edge of the flight line itself.  I stopped and watched all manner of military aircraft taxi and roar into the sky: stately C-130 workhorses, massive C-17 cargo carriers, strange, Russian-looking planes and the incredible fighter jets, lithe wedges of physics-defying magic that scream overhead louder than a train thundering by.  The scope of it all is staggering; Bagram is a small city and big airport, all built from nearly scratch in the middle of this inhospitable countryside, for billions upon billions of dollars.  And there are hundreds of other bases more or less like it, all over Afghanistan.  If there’s anything I wish I could convey to the general American public who will never visit this place, it is the enormous scale of the undertaking being done here in our name.  Try as I might, photos never seem to convey it.

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Winner of a Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography, Kai Wiedenhöefer has recently completed his project entitled Sharon’s Wall: Holy Land, Divided Lands

In his project summary, Kai writes, “During a sunset in August 2005 I was standing in a hole next to the Neve Dekalim settlement in the Gaza Strip. I was digging out an exploded Qassam rocket that Palestinian militants had shot there from the neighbouring Khan Yunis Refugee Camp, when I received the call from Getty Images that I had received the Getty Images Editorial Grant. The rocket ended up as a decoration in the apartment of a friend of mine in Tel Aviv, the Getty Images Grant resulted in a book publication.  The Grant was a major financial help to bring this project to fruition. The grant was feeding the hungry mouth of the panorama camera with 220 rolls of film which made the project very expensive. It helped me also to return for another two trips each for a month and close the project in spring 2006. In 2007 Steidl published my book Wall. Altogether it was the project I enjoyed most in my life as a photographer so far and the Getty Images Grant played a mayor role in it.”

See Kai’s finished photo essay at Getty Images.

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Scott Lewis, winner of a Getty Images Grants for Editorial Photography, recently completed the project where he documents immigration and the influx of new religions, faiths and worships.

In his summary, Lewis writes “Since the 1960s, a new wave of immigrants, largely from Latin America and Asia, has brought new faith traditions and practices. I’ve spent time documenting a selection of religious communities from the oldest, Quakers, to the newest at the China Buddhist Association whose temples serves mostly new Chinese immigrants to the active and flourishing Hindu Temple Society of North America (the first Hindu Temple in the U.S.).  I have tried to steer clear of what I feel is previously known or understood as well as trying to dispel some stereotypes, all the while tapping into the intense beliefs and joyous celebration of believers.  I have tried to steer clear of what I feel is previously known or understood as well as trying to dispel some stereotypes, all the while tapping into the intense beliefs and joyous celebration of believers.”

See Scott’s completed photo essay project at Getty Images.

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Today Getty Images announced a strategic investment and commercial partnership with Daylife.  Together, we are also launching SmartGalleries, the first of several new “SmartMedia powered by Daylife” products.

With our new SmartGalleries product our customers can publish visually rich galleries of high-resolution photographs either by selecting individual images or by programming a gallery to search for terms or topic names drawing from Getty Images’ award-winning editorial imagery.  SmartGalleries also offers simple, seamless integration with any customers’ existing website, and it can be tailored to match any interface or branding requirements.  It’s an easy and effective way to incorporate incredible imagery onto websites.

Take a look at SmartGalleries!

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We are delighted to share the following visual diary created by Jacklynne Hobbs from Market Photo Workshop.
With the South African general elections finally wrapped up, political parties are reviewing their performance during the ballot, especially with regard to media coverage: the kinds of messages and images that populated our airwaves, print publications and websites for the months leading up to the big day (April the 22nd, 2009).
The polls provided an ideal opportunity for students from the ‘Photojournalism and Documentary Photography Programme’ (PDP) at the Johannesburg-based Market Photo Workshop to sharpen their skills. Getty Images is a key sponsor of this course.

An intensive workshop on political reporting and photojournalism was held for the PDP learners to help them cover the vote. Students received instruction about South Africa’s political landscape – and were given insights into methods of gathering news, the latest technologies for transmitting images and the operations of press agencies. They were also required to document a political rally of their choice and submit their work electronically, all to a tight deadline.

Jacob Zuma, the president candidate for the ruling African Congress (ANC), leaves the party's final pre-election rally - held in Johannesburg on April 19th, 2009.

“I wasn’t able to get a picture of him (Zuma) when he arrived,” says Caroline. “So when he left, I was determined to get the shot. Supporters were trying to get his attention, and that was when I decided to take this photo. The security detail was telling him to get into the car, but he paused to give a final wave to his supporters.”

ANC supporters at the perty's final election rally, in Johannesburg.

“This photo was taken before the rally got underway. What I liked about this shot was the personalised number plate pictured in the left of the image – ‘MY ANC GP’ (GP refers to Gauteng Province, where Johannesburg is located); it seemed to show how certain supporters almost felt they ‘owned’ the party,” notes Caroline.

A packed stadium at the ANC's last rally ahead of the polls; this event was held at Coca-Cola Park in Johannesburg.

According to Caroline, “This image shows the rally as it was starting. The crowd had just been treated to ‘Madiba Magic’, so they were emotional. They joined a choir that was there to sing the national anthem, and there was a feeling of unity.”
“Madiba” is the name South Africans use to refer affectionately to former head of state Nelson Mandela. The country’s first democratically-elected president made an appearance at the rally.

Emotions run high as the ANC makes a bid for support at its last rally for the April 22nd vote.  “I liked the expression of this woman; she was singing and dancing as Jacob Zuma and Nelson Mandela entered the stadium, along with the whole crowd of people around her. Everyone stood up to welcome them,” says Siphathokuhle.

A soccer game takes precedence over queuing as South Africans go to the polls for general elections earlier this year.

“The ANC worked very hard to encourage the youth to take part in the election. It was a cold morning, and these boys perhaps decided to warm themselves up with a game of soccer as voters queued in the background – maybe even to entertain the voters!” says Caroline.

Campaign posters for the opposition Democratic Alliance (DA), led by Helen Zille, loom above voters waiting to cast their ballots in South Africa’s elections.

The DA captured about 16.6 percent of votes to the ANC’s 65.9 percent.

The PDP workshop was supervised by Kim Ludbrook, regional photo editor for EPA Photos, an international news agency. Most recently, Kim has covered the inauguration of US President Barack Obama, the xenophobia-related attacks in South Africa and Kenya’s post-election violence. Kim’s work has been featured in a number of publications, including ‘Time’ magazine, ‘The New York Times’, the ‘Guardian’, the ‘International Herald Tribune’ and ‘Le Monde’.

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John Loengard/Time & Life Pictures/Getty Images

Massachusetts Senator and brother of JFK, Edward Kennedy, succumbed to his battle with brain cancer late Tuesday night at his family home.

Family Statement

“Edward M. Kennedy—the husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle we loved so deeply—died late Tuesday night at home in Hyannis Port. We’ve lost the irreplaceable center of our family and joyous light in our lives, but the inspiration of his faith, optimism, and perseverance will live on in our hearts forever. We thank everyone who gave him care and support over this last year, and everyone who stood with him for so many years in his tireless march for progress toward justice, fairness and opportunity for all. He loved this country and devoted his life to serving it. He always believed that our best days were still ahead, but it’s hard to imagine any of them without him.”

Timothy A. Clary/AFP/Getty Images

Popperfoto/Getty Images

Keystone/Hulton Archive/Getty Images

Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images

To see more images and footage click here.

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The crescent shaped hotel block that gives Century City its Utopian, modernist character has been at the center of debate over its preservation  for about a year.  Los Angeles developers would like to raze the Century Plaza Hotel to make way for two 600 foot towers.  Though the 40 something year old hotel got a 36 million dollar rehab within the last two years, its fate is uncertain.

Fotos International/Getty Images

David Hume Kennerly/Getty Images

The Los Angeles Conservancy argues that the hotel should be preserved for its historic importance as a prime example of, mid-century modernism, having been designed by Minoru Yamasaki, the architect that also designed New York’s World Trade Towers (below) and their smaller cousins, the Century Plaza Towers (bottom).  The Century Plaza Hotel was nicknamed “The West Coast White House” under Ronald Reagan, having hosted two presidential victory parties. The former president held court in the glassed suites on more than one occasion (above). The Banquet Hall at the hotel hosted scores of Hollywood galas in the from the 1960’s to the 1990’s.

Los Angeles doesn’t have a great track record with preservationists.  Amongst the hundreds of iconic pieces of architecture that have been lost in the city’s strive for progress is The Ambassador Hotel, a sprawling 1920s era complex and the site of Senator Robert Kennedy’s assassination which was razed in 2005 after a lengthy tug of war between the city and preservationists.

Recently, The Los Angeles Times drew attention to the the role that architecture plays in the film, (500) Days Of Summer.  Throughout this film, the cameras turned their fond gaze on those building erected before 1950, embracing the nostalgic character Los Angeles embodies in its framework.

Are these edificial artifacts worth keeping? See more pictures here.

Steven Puetzer/Getty Images

David Zanzinger/Getty Images

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