My friend Rudy was cremated today in a simple service after he died last week after a long battle with AIDS. Amazing Grace was played at the crematorium and the speaker drew reference to this particular verse that was especially poignant for Rudy:

My chains are gone
I’ve been set free
My God, my Savior has ransomed me
And like a flood His mercy rains
Unending love, Amazing grace

Visited Planet’s philosophy and creed is about redemption, liberation and freedom. Rudy had found that in his life, the challenge is for the rest of us to do the same and enable others to do so too.

I published a gallery of photographs for Rudy last week, today I just wanted to share one more. This is an image an orphan in Myanmar took during photography lessons I ran there in November/December 2011. A simple white flower, fragile in form, delicate in spirit but bright and verdant with life. Not only does this reflect the journey of the nation Myanmar, the student who took the image but also Rudy – bright in life, filled with hope and living forever in our hearts. RIP.

Delicate flower photographed by a Myanmar orphan.

This photograph is one of the images used in the 2012 Myanmar calendar. These calendars are still available.

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Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

I read “Tuesdays with Morrie” some time ago about a former student visiting his professor who was dying from Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS).

For the last six months I’ve been visiting a friend in hospital dying from AIDS on Saturdays after lunch. It became a routine: bike ride, market, Rudy. There is little that is honourable, decent or dignifying about AIDS and watching the slow deterioration in this friend has been agonising.

Like in the story, I enjoyed immensely the time we had together, even though Rudy was no philosophiser on life. His face would light up when he saw me, he’d whinge and complain about family members to me in confidence and we’d go downstairs in his wheelchair so he could smoke away to his heart’s content. Yes I took him – why should he have been denied a few simple joys in his last months? A nip of Baileys and a good dose of chocolate were our other great shared joys. Read more

In addition to the Cameras for Asia calendar project, Visited Planet has also launched a calendar featuring images from the database by photojournalist Joanne Lane.

The purchase of this calendar is an invaluable support for the work of Visited Planet in countries like India, Indonesia, Vietnam, Mongolia and Myanmar.

The Visited Planet 2012 calendar celebrates the diversity of nations with colourful images of life, culture and joy. But it also highlights the ongoing struggles people face around the world and the ways in which Visited Planet has been involved with them. Your purchase of this calendar will enable the ongoing work and efforts of Visited Planet, particularly in Asia. This has sometimes taken place through classroom lessons teaching English, photography, sports and other subjects to equip people with new skills. It has also been documentary in nature photographing and writing recovery efforts and struggles after adversity in an attempt to encourage and motivate people. And support has also been in the form of monetary donations to enhance developmental programs whether that be fledgling businesses or small projects to enable people to feel empowered and instilled with hope for a future where freedom and restoration is possible. Please see www.visitedplanet.com for further details.

Click here to purchase your calendar!
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Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

In 2009 and 2011 Visited Planet taught photography skills to an orphanage in Yangon, Myanmar. The images from the 2011 lessons are now on sale and the purchase of a calendar will go directly back into helping these kids get an education, learn new skills and help build a positive future for Myanmar.

There will be further blogs with some of the other images the kids took in their lessons, in the meantime do click through to view the 16 images in this calendar and please consider supporting them.

This collection of 16 images are from the 2011 lessons that encompassed portraits, macro, action photography and composition. It was wonderful to see the children go from learning how to switch a camera on and release the shutter with unsteady hands to becoming eager and proficient photographers – for the first time learning skills we take for granted. With flowers, agriculture, markets and portraits their photos should give you an insight into how these children see and photograph their own country. The cameras they used were donated by people from Brisbane, Australia and were left at the orphanage for ongoing use. All profits from the sale of this calendar will go directly to the orphanage. Please contact www.visitedplanet.com for more details.

Click here to read more or purchase your calendar!

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Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com

It’s been a full on month for Visited Planet with a week in Malaysia and three in Burma (Myanmar).

I’ll be posting images of the work and travel I did there in coming days including the photographic workshops with orphans on the outskirts of Yangon.

The highlight of the time in Myanmar was without doubt its rich, diverse and hospitable people. What an ethnic melting pot and such a generous and understanding culture who seem to embody such utter dignity with unfailing respect for all living creatures – no doubt born of a strong Buddhist culture.

They also seem to have come from somewhere in Asia’s ancient past, seeking desperately to emerge into the 20th Century – let alone the 21st. Their neighbours have left them all for dust and I fear they have a long road ahead. Still their story and struggle can’t help but captivate and move you.

There were some encouraging signs post the 2010 election. Although somehow I fear “democracy” is still a word only to be whispered in Myanmar – much like in Gladiator when they spoke of the idea of Rome being so fragile that you could only whisper of it.

But still let us whisper together now for Myanmar!

More coming …
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Feel free to email Jo at admin@visitedplanet.com with your comments/thoughts/photo aspirations. See and learn more at www.visitedplanet.com