The worlds biggest Tourism Fair 2017 in Berlin, Germany.

Buried deep in the jungles of Venezuela exists one of the world’s most unknown natural phenomenon: Catatumbo Lightning. Every year, Bahamian photographer and Catatumbo Lightning expert Alan Highton guides small groups of storm chasing tourists on a rugged 4-day journey through the precarious Venezuelan backcountry to his jungle guesthouse. Armed with waterproof bags, mosquito nets and other backcountry gear, the group must travel first by plane, then by road, and finally by boat. Once at the guesthouse they wait to witness Catatumbo Lightning first hand.

Catatumbo Lightning is a thundering symphony of relentless lighting storms concentrated in a small area. Occurring 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day and striking up to 280 times per hour, the storms are unmatched in their ferocity and unrelenting power. The Guinness Book of World Records will be adding Catatumbo Lightning to their list of record holders for the highest amount of average lightning bolts (250) per square kilometer, per year.

The lightning is a one of a kind natural phenomenon resulting from the particularly unique geographic conditions in the area where the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo meet. At this nexus point, hot, wet winds blowing in from the lake collide with the mountain ridges of the Andes to create a perfect storm. The conditions are like nowhere else on earth and result in continuous lightning storms which start and finish like clockwork.

This story documents the journey of Alan Highton and his tour group as they push deep into the Venezuelan backcountry in search of Catatumbo Lightning.

Buried deep in the jungles of Venezuela exists one of the world’s most unknown natural phenomenon: Catatumbo Lightning. Every year, Bahamian photographer and Catatumbo Lightning expert Alan Highton guides small groups of storm chasing tourists on a rugged 4-day journey through the precarious Venezuelan backcountry to his jungle guesthouse. Armed with waterproof bags, mosquito nets and other backcountry gear, the group must travel first by plane, then by road, and finally by boat. Once at the guesthouse they wait to witness Catatumbo Lightning first hand.

Catatumbo Lightning is a thundering symphony of relentless lighting storms concentrated in a small area. Occurring 140 to 160 nights a year, 10 hours per day and striking up to 280 times per hour, the storms are unmatched in their ferocity and unrelenting power. The Guinness Book of World Records will be adding Catatumbo Lightning to their list of record holders for the highest amount of average lightning bolts (250) per square kilometer, per year.

The lightning is a one of a kind natural phenomenon resulting from the particularly unique geographic conditions in the area where the Catatumbo River and Lake Maracaibo meet. At this nexus point, hot, wet winds blowing in from the lake collide with the mountain ridges of the Andes to create a perfect storm. The conditions are like nowhere else on earth and result in continuous lightning storms which start and finish like clockwork.

This story documents the journey of Alan Highton and his tour group as they push deep into the Venezuelan backcountry in search of Catatumbo Lightning.

Young women working in a GoGo Bar, Puerto Galera, Philippines.

Promotional Photos for BigStyle Stand Up Paddle Boarding School

Promotional Photos for BigStyle Stand Up Paddle Boarding School

Promotional Photos for BigStyle Stand Up Paddle Boarding School

In August 2011, a group of militiamen, who were fighting against the Libyan president Mummer Kadhafi, entered the house of Kadhafi’s youngest son, Hannibal, in Tripoli, and found a tablet device which they believe was his personal device.

The device was turned over to a group of media activists in Tripoli, who examined the content. On the device they found thousands of photos and videos, including personal and family images. In a folder titled “Bosleem” there were videos that appeared to show prisoners being tortured during questioning, and photos of what are believed to be prisoners including their names, some appearing to be injured. The content also included Word documents and power point presentations some of which are encrypted.

The media activists have posted on social media a number of photos of Hannibal Kadhadi and his family, and several videos of prisoners being tortured. The activists group says one of its members was kidnapped and his fate remains unknown. Since then they have felt that they are in danger and have had to change locations frequently. They decided to move the content of the device outside of Libya. They contacted Lebanese journalist Mohamad Chreyteh, and one the the activists travelled to Lebanon in 2014 and gave the journalist the content.

Mr. Chreyteh says he has been working on organizing and verifying the content over the last year. He says he decided to make some of the content public on Sunday December 13, 2015, after hearing news that Hannibal Kadhafi is being held in detention. Kadhafi was turned over to Lebanese Internal Security official by gunmen who had seized him in Baalbek on Thursday December 10. Kadhafi is under investigation and official are trying to determine if he can be put on trial in Lebanon, in connection with the disappearance in Libya of Lebanese Shiaa spiritual leader and founder of the Amal Party, Moussa al-Sadr, in 1978.

The content includes many items that have not yet been made public:

• More than 700 photos and videos, of Hannibal Kadhafi, his wife, children, homes, yacht, private jet and international travels.
• More than 1700 photos and names of who are believed to be detainees held at Bosleem prison in Tripoli.
• More than 50 video clips showing what appears to be the interrogation and torture of prisoners.
• More than 35 documents including letters from investigators in Kadhafi’s security forces to senior officials, lists with names of wanted people, lists with names of detainees, lists with names of people recommended to be set free, notes detailing prisoner interrogations, letter from a senior military police official to a senior judge.

Hannibal Kadhafi and his Lebanese born wife Aline Skaf in what is believed to be their home.

A portion of a lengthy undated document from 2011, that appears to be a report by a Libyan security official to a superior on the uprising against the Kadhafi regime in 2011.
The subject "Summary of the current incidents based on investigations of detainees".
The report says that what it refers to as the 'conspiracy', started in Benghazi on February 7, 2011, blaming it on what are called "crusader countries" including the US, France, Italy, and the UK.
The report goes on to also blame Arab countries including Qatar, UAE and the Arab League, as well as external opposition and "internal traitors".

This is a of a portion of an undated document from 2011, that appears to be a reply by a Libyan security official to a letter from his superior dated May 18 2011. The document appears to be a report of interrogations of prisoners who have identified other people as participants in the uprising against the Kadhafi regime.

A portion of a document dated June 24, 2011, that appears to be a list of detainees at the 'central prison', believed to be Bosleem Prison. The document lists the names of 385 prisoners showing their file number, nationality, and location and date of their apprehension.

A portion of an undated document from 2011, that appears to be a letter by a Libyan security officer to a superior, accusing a police officer named Sufian Fawzi al-Seid al-Zarkani, of participating in the uprising against the Kadhafi regime.
The report also claims that the officer hid members of the opposition in his house, and did not allow his family to watch Libyan state television and instead allowed them to watch external channels such as al-Jazeera and al-Arabiya.

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

November 2016 Kenya

Restaurants and cafes in downtown Beirut are suffering under the weight of political turmoil. Several establishments have closed down and the remaining ones are trying their best to survive. The manager of one these remaining restaurants said that he has lost about 90% of his customers in the past year and a half.

What was once a promising tourist area, which started growing after the implementation of reconstruction plan, has suffered consecutive blows due to protests staged in Riad Soleh square since 2008 and wider unrest in Lebanon and neighboring Syria.

SHOTLIST AND TRANSCRIPT

-Wide shot of Place de L’Étoile (Nijmeh Square) -Medium shot of Place de L’Étoile - Medium shot of empty tables at an outdoor restaurant -Close-up shot of empty tables -Close-up shot of sign that reads ‘For rent’ with a phone number - Medium shot of two closed shops - Medium shot of a closed shop -Close-up shot of chains with a lock -Wide shot of pedestrian area - Medium shot of closed shops -Wide shot of a closed restaurant -Close-up shot of a steel restaurant area -Close-up shot of piled tables
-Medium shot of tables -Various shots of Ali Abdel Wahed while working at the restaurant -Out of focus/focus, wide shot of pedestrian area -Various shots of ‘For rent’ sign of a closed shop -Wide shot of a closed restaurant -Wide shot of a street -Various shot of closed down shops -Various shot of a closed down restaurant -Wide shot of a closed down shops -Wide shot of Place de L’Étoile -Pan right on a closed down restaurant -Various shots of a clothing shop -Various shot of Place de L’Étoile -Travelling shot of several closed shops -Various shot of Place de L’Étoile -Various shots of empty tables at a restaurant -Various shots of a closed down restaurant -Various shots of a closed down shops -Wide shot of Star square -Pan right on a closed shop - Various shot of a closed down shops -Tilt down on a street with closed shops -Wide shot of Place de L’Étoile -Mid shot on a closed restaurant -Various on empty tables in an outdoor restaurant -Close-up shot of Place de L’Étoile sign -Various shots of a man having lunch and water pipe at a restaurant -Various shots of Houssam and his friends having water pipe and lunch -Various shots of a closed shop -Wide shot of Riad Soleh square -Wide shot of kidnapped soldiers’ families protest tent -Tilt down of photos of kidnapped and killed Lebanese soldiers -Various shots of protest tents in Riad Soleh square -Various shots of barbed wire at Riad Soleh square -Various shots of small children’s drawings and writings on a bridge
-Various shots of writing on the wall that read “Before I die I want Lebanon To” -Various shots of a building that still has the civil war traces -Various shots of Mohamad Al Amin Mosque and Martyrs’ Square

Female tourist with mud pack on her face at the Dead Sea, Israel.

Every year around 50,000 trekkers trek around the Annapurna Massif making it one of the more popular treks in the world. Despite the number of trekkers introducing tourism as a stable source of income in the region, some of the inhabitants are still going about their business as they have done for hundreds of years. This collection is a visual journey following the Annapurna Circuit from Buhlebuhle to the world highest pass, the Thorong La Pass (5416 meters above sea level) and down to Muktinah on the other side depicting the scenery, while pausing to explore the life of the local inhabitants as they navigate in an ever changing world.

ARTICLE AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST

A local guide offers camel rides to tourists and visitors.

Locals offer camel rides to tourists and visitors. Here they wait for clients under the hot sun.

The royal pyramids at Meroe were built in Nubia 800 years after the Egyptians finished building theirs.

The royal pyramids at Meroe were built in Nubia 800 years after the Egyptians finished building theirs.

These the Meroe pyramids are among the best preserved in Sudan.

There are more than 230 pyramids in Sudan, stretching across the ancient Nubian kingdom.

The pyramids are the burial site for more than 40 Nubian kings and queens

Through the years the pyramids have been plundered of all their wealth.

Some pyramids have been partially restored, looking new in comparison with their neighbours.

Excavation of the pyramids began only in the middle of the 19th century.

Through the years, the pyramids have been plundered of all their wealth.

The pyramids get their name from the ancient city of Meroe, the capital of the Kingdom of Kush, an ancient African kingdom situated in what is now the Republic of Sudan.

Renewed restoration and preservation efforts are under way. Still, visitors leave their mark, etching their names into bricks.

Renewed restoration and preservation efforts are under way. Still, visitors leave their mark, etching their names into bricks.