What is Visited Planet?
Visited Planet is a digital image database containing more than 50,000 photos from over 40 countries by photojournalist Joanne Lane of Brisbane, Australia. The images display a cross-section of culture and interaction themes including agriculture, food/cooking, festivals, children, sport, architecture, landscapes and wildlife. The site is for editors, researchers and the general public. There are images of general travel locations, festivals and culture but also of natural disasters, humanitarian/developmental projects and documentary images of the third world.

History
VP began as a concept when Jo was working in India (1998-2000) and was finally birthed in 2002. Since that time it has grown as Jo has travelled extensively in developing countries and assisted in humanitarian projects. To this date, Visited Planet has been able to assist orphanages in Cambodia, blind programs in India, refugee assistance in Australia, aid and family counselling in South East Asia, Tsunami victims in Sri Lanka, prostitutes in Ulaanbaatar, Tibetan students in China, Earthquake victims in Indonesia, Aboriginal communities in Queensland (Australia) and many other groups. This assistance has taken the form of financial support, media training, documentation and volunteer work. It has now expanded into the Cameras for Asia program also that takes donated camera equipment to centres around Asia and training people of all ages in basic photography to empower, equip and educate them.

Vision
Visited Planet has been designed with an intention to aid impoverished people around the world. A percentage of image sales goes towards supporting different indigenous people groups, charities and aid organizations. These funds are designed to educate, equip and encourage these people; many whom are very generous despite their limited resources and willingly share their food, homes and lives which are documented in photographs on this website.

Mission
To make the Visited Planet images speak into the lives of others by:
– promoting an awareness of the needs and concerns of various groups and marginalised people.
– enabling and empowering people to be free of debt, poverty, starvation, homelessness and helplessness. To help them find freedom and be instilled with hope for their future.
– allowing empowered people to see the world differently and feel challenged to help others
– helping people see the world as one in which restoration and liberation is possible

Learn more
Visited Planet has been interviewed on YYYFM a few times. Podcasts are available here (November 2012) and here (February 2012).

The database and page design
The digital database is managed by SmugMug (click to check them out), while input for the site design and additional help came from the wonderful Ben Van Klinken.