During the 2012 Palm Springs Photo Festival, National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig will be teaching a 4-day workshop: Exploring the Salton Sea and Its Surroundings – Documentary Photography on Location. The goal of the workshop is to help photographers develop a personal vision, and to leave feeling inspired to take their photography to a higher level.

After portfolio reviews, Gerd will openly share the personal approaches he uses to create his own stories for National Geographic Magazine. On at least two days, Gerd will take the students to the nearby Salton Sea, a place he photographed for National Geographic Magazine. The workshop runs from Monday, April 2 – Wednesday, April 4, 9:00am – 4:00pm (plus Thursday, April 5, 9:00am – 11:00am)

For more information, and to sign up for the workshop, please visit: The 2012 Palm Springs Photo Festival

Follow the Palm Springs Photo Festival on Facebook and Twitter

See Related Galleries: Salton Sea: Daily Life and Salton Sea: Environment

The Northern Short Course in Photojournalism was founded in 1981, by the Directors of NPPA Regions 1, 2 and 3 as a joint educational program of those three regions. Held this year in Fairfax, Virginia, the event features lecture presentations, workshops, contests, and more.

For his lecture, Gerd Ludwig will focus on the central body of his work, Russia’s warp-speed transformation from communism to runaway capitalism — marked by bold aspirations, poignant suffering, and glittering opportunity. His presentation will also include his latest photographs of the Chernobyl aftermath taken in early 2011 and his recently published coverage of Astana, Kazakhstan in the February 2012 edition of National Geographic Magazine.

The lecture will take place in the first Morning Session on Saturday, March 10th from 9:00am – 10:15am.

For more information:
2012 NPPA Northern Short Course
Workshop Schedule
Lecture Announcement
Announcement at The Photo Society

On assignment for National Geographic Magazine since the late 1980’s, Gerd Ludwig has covered diverse locations around the globe. His images capture beautifully all the complexities of life. Whether documenting children born with severe birth defects or the sweetness of an embrace, his photography resonates with the full scale of human emotion.

He is best known, however, as the magazine’s front man in the Former Soviet Union. His lecture presentation will focus on the central body of his work, Russia’s warp-speed transformation from communism to runaway capitalism — marked by bold aspirations, poignant suffering, and glittering opportunity. Entitled, “Russia: A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Empire,” his presentation will include his latest photographs of the Chernobyl aftermath taken in early 2011.

The lecture will take place at the Syracuse University Joyce Hergenhan Auditorium within the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications on February 2nd at 7pm.

For more information: S.I. Syracuse University Newhouse School of Public Communication

Sponsored by the Canon USA Explorer of Light Lecture Series

“Rich in oil and other mineral resources, Kazakhstan has lavished billions on a new capital – named Astana – inviting some of the world’s leading architects to showcase their work in a town formerly known as Akmolinsk, Tselinograd and Aqmola. The results are eclectic, visually arresting, and not to everyone’s taste. But love it or hate it, Astana is brash and grandiose—and wildly attractive to young strivers seeking success,” writes John Lancaster in the February issue of National Geographic. Together with John, Gerd explored life in the new capital, where the population swelled from 300,000 to more than 700,000 in a decade.

View the photo gallery online:
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2012/02/astana/ludwig-photography

Also available on the iPad with additional images and an audio feature:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/national-geographic-magazine/id418671597

View the Gallery on GerdLudwig.com:
http://gerdludwig.com/recent-work/tomorrowland-astana-kazakhstans-new-grandiose-capital-city/

As part of the Brook Institute Visual Journalism Guest Speaker Series, National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig will present his lecture, “Russia: A Phoenix Rising from the Ashes of a Broken Empire.”

On assignment for National Geographic Magazine since the late 1980’s, Gerd Ludwig has covered diverse locations around the globe. His images capture beautifully all the complexities of life. Whether documenting children born with severe birth defects or the sweetness of an embrace, his photography resonates with the full scale of human emotion.

He is best known, however, as the magazine’s front man in the Former Soviet Union. His lecture presentation will focus on the central body of his work, Russia’s warp-speed transformation from communism to runaway capitalism — marked by bold aspirations, poignant suffering, and glittering opportunity.

The presentation will take place at the Screening Room of the Ventura Campus on January 24th at 6:30pm.

Join the Facebook Event here: http://www.facebook.com/events/192317660854711/

Sponsored by the Canon USA Explorer of Light Lecture Series

Gerd Ludwig introduces his premiere app for the iPad, the most comprehensive photographic coverage of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster to date. Spanning nearly two decades of documentation, the groundbreaking work explores the human and environmental impact since the disaster 25 years later. The App includes over 150 photographs, exclusive videos, detailed slideshows, and interactive panoramas.

The App is available now at the Apple App Store: http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-long-shadow-of-chernobyl/id484752718.

To learn more, please visit: http://gerdludwig.com/ipad

In the December 2011 issue, Digital Photo Pro Magazine publishes an in-depth profile on Gerd Ludwig written by William Sawalich. The article includes a detailed history of his experience photographing Chernobyl and the Former Soviet Union. Beginning with the introduction of Gerd Ludwig’s new iPad App, The Long Shadow of Chernobyl, the article also discusses Gerd’s use of social media and crowd-funding for his most recent trip to the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone on the eve of the 25th Anniversary of the nuclear disaster.

Read the article online: http://www.digitalphotopro.com/profiles/gerd-ludwig-living-with-chernobyl
Download The Long Shadow of Chernobyl iPad App: http://itunes.apple.com/app/the-long-shadow-of-chernobyl/id484752718

Italian women’s magazine IO Donna publishes images from Gerd Ludwig’s landscape series, “Peace on Earth or Earth to Pieces” in it’s December 2011 issue. The series, first exhibited at the Horizonte Zingst photo festival in 2010, underlines the magical beauty and quiet dignity of nature, but includes images of destroyed landscapes, which appear irritatingly attractive, provoking introspection.

View the full tearsheet at the INSTITUTE Blog:
http://blog.instituteartistmanagement.com/posts/2011/12/gerd-ludwig-peace-on-earth-or-earth-to-pieces-io-donna.html

View the feature at INSTITUTE:
http://stories.instituteartistmanagement.com/gerdludwig-peaceonearthorearthtopieces.html

The Photo Society, a group of contributing National Geographic Photographers, launches a new website featuring: Reality Check which shares the stories and hazards of working in the field; Events listing to keep up to date with lectures, workshops, and galleries featuring National Geographic Photographers; and a Blog.

Visit The Photo Society website here: http://thephotosociety.org

Capturing quality images at extremely high ISOs is one of digital technology’s latest and most important advances – and its impact is nowhere more visible than in photojournalism and documentary photography. in In his seminar, Digital Vision in Low Light, Gerd Ludwig discusses the many advantages of digital technology at the PDN PhotoPlus Expo in New York City. Sponsored by Canon USA, the 2-hour seminar takes place at the Jacob Javits Convention Center on Thursday, October 27th from 3:45-5:45pm.

PDN PhotoPlus International Conference + Expo is the most important event in the photo industry. Designed for professionals and advanced amateurs in the photographic and imaging industries, PDN PhotoPlus Expo showcases the latest advances in photography. Attendees are able to explore exhibits and attend a wide variety of photography and imaging seminars.

For more information about the PhotoPlus Expo: http://www.photoplusexpo.com/seminars/seminar-schedule

Gerd Ludwig’s iconic photograph of 8 children in Moscow, missing their forearms due to a birth defect attributed to industrial pollution, is published in National Geographic’s 50 Greatest Pictures. Previously published as an interactive App for the iPad, the collection is now available in print form, as a soft-cover edition. The article includes Gerd Ludwig’s recollection of photographing the children in a school gymnasium during his 1993 coverage of the National Geographic article Lethal Legacy: Pollution in the Former USSR published in August 1994.

For related images, see: Soviet Pollution: A Lethal Legacy

To purchase the iPad App: Click to go to the iTunes App Store

Foto Magazin, a German language photography magazine features The Long Shadow of Chernobyl Kickstarter project in an article about Crowd-funding in their November 2011 issue. Entitled, “Die neue Macht der Masse,” the article features 5 projects on platforms including Kickstarter, Emphas.is, Crowdbooks, and inkubato, breaking down the project, cost, and challenges of each project.

For more information: http://www.fotomagazin.de/

Entitled, Success in Crowdfunding: The Long Shadow of Chernobyl, the PhotoShelter Blog publishes an interview with Gerd Ludwig discussing his Kickstarter Campaign. Written by Lauren Margolis, the interview includes advice for photographers looking for alternative funding methods for their personal photography project.

Click here to read the article: http://blog.photoshelter.com/2011/10/success-in-crowdfunding-the-long-shadow-chernobyl.html

In association with FREELENS, Germany’s preeminent organization of photojournalists, Gerd Ludwig will be teaching a workshop, “Die Reportage” September 14-19, 2011 at FREELENS Media GmbH, Steinhöft 5 in Hamburg, Germany. This intensive 6-day courses focuses on the logistical, technical, and ethical aspects of developing long-term stories – balancing objectivity with personal vision in photojournalism and documentary photography. The course will also discuss Gerd’s experience using crowd-funding as an alternative source for funding personal long-term projects. Participants should be fluent in German.

For a detailed workshop description go to: http://www.freelens.com/reportageworkshop-mit-gerd-ludwig/reportageworkshop-mit-gerd-ludwig

As part of the Lynda.com series, Douglas Kirkland on Photography, Douglas Kirkland visits his friend and colleague Gerd Ludwig, as he packs camera equipment for his next trip to the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant. The two discuss topics ranging from how to pack for an assignment, to Gerd’s humanistic approach to photojournalism. After Gerd returns from his trip, the two sit down again to discuss his experiences as well as the changes in photojournalism, including the instruction of crowd-funding, digital technology, and video.

Lynda.com produces thousands of tutorial, training, and inspirational videos to help creative professionals gain skills and confidence in their field.

To view the video, you must be a subscriber to Lynda.com: http://www.lynda.com/tutorials/Douglas-Kirkland-on-Photography-A-Conversation-with-Gerd-Ludwig/82410-2.html

FotoTV.de, a video-based German-language website, provides tutorials, interviews, and workshops focusing on photography.

In an extensive two-segment interview, Gerd Ludwig covers his life of photography, starting with his early days as a student at the Folkwangschule (Folkwang Universty of the Arts) in Essen, Germany, and spanning his career photographing for publications such as National Geographic Magazine, Geo, and Stern. Gerd further explores his special relationship with Russia and the former Soviet Union and how the region has become a focus in his career.

You may view the first segment of the interview here: http://www.fototv.de/gerd_ludwig_i
You may view the second segment of the interview here: http://www.fototv.de/gerd_ludwig_ii

In Digital Photo Pro Magazine’s June 2011 issue, writer David Willis features Gerd Ludwig’s experiences using the crowd-funding website, Kickstarter, in an article entitled, “Kickstarting your Project – Crowdsourcing as an option for photographers.

Click here to read online: http://www.digitalphotopro.com/business/kickstarting-your-project.html

This year Gerd Ludwig returns to Zingst, Germany, for the Horizonte photo festival. A considerable segment of this year’s festival is Gerd Ludwig’s exhibition, “The Long Shadow of Chernobyl/Der lange Schatten von Tschernobyl”. Spanning nearly two decades of his work covering the aftermath of the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, the photographs explore the human and environmental impact of the disaster 25 years later. Jürgen Trittin, former Federal Minister for the Environment in Germany, and now Chairman of the German Green Party, will be the patron for Gerd’s show. This exhibition of 50 prints takes place at the Marinekomplex in Zingst, Germany, from May 28 through June 16, 2011.

As part of the Zingst Horizonte festival, Gerd Ludwig also teaches a 4-day workshop from May 30 through June 2,”Mensch und Landschaft” (People and Landscapes) and will participate in presentations and panel discussions.

For more information about the workshop, go to: http://www.horizonte-zingst.de/workshops

For more information about the exhibitoin, go to: http://www.nationalgeographic.de/foto

To commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident, the exhibit The Long Shadow of Chernobyl with 30 large prints by Gerd Ludwig opened at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) Headquarters in London on April 14, 2011.

The EBRD is in charge of collecting the finances for the Chernobyl cleanup and the construction of the New Safe Confinement, totaling $2.2 billion. Due to the current $850 Million funding gap, the EBRD was eager to exhibit Gerd Ludwig’s emotional photographs and confront an audience of ambassadors and bankers from countries that pledged to contribute to the cleanup, to the reality on the ground.

The BBC aired a story about the exhibit: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-13125498

In the April issue of National Geographic Magazine USA (and some of the foreign language editions) Gerd Ludwig and writer Cathy Newman take an in-depth look at Crimea, a diamond shaped peninsula suspended from the south coast of Ukraine. Warm, lovely, lush, with a voluptuously curved coast, it was a jewel of Russia until Soviet leader Khrushchev transferred it to Ukraine in 1954. But mentally and emotionally, it still identifies with Russia.

As Gerd Ludwig’s photographs reveal, the beautiful peninsula may be a tourists’ haven, but struggles with a dual political identity and is home to both the small Ukrainian and the mighty Russian Black Sea Fleet.

For more information go to: http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2011/04/crimea/ludwig-photography