Sierra Leone has among the highest maternal mortality rates in the world. In 2009, it is estimated that one in eight women died during pregnancy. To get some perspective, one in 47,600 women die in pregnancy in Ireland. The reasons are complex but in part it is due to an insufficient health care system. In the capital of Freetown, one doctor has to serve more than 100,000 people. Getting drugs and equipment is expensive and the country is in desperate need of more trained doctors. Yet there may be hope  since the government announced it will give free health care to pregnant women and children from April 27th, 2010 but they need help from the international community to make it sustainable.

Just ten years ago, I thought I was so savvy and high-tech, lugging around film chemicals, my ten-pound film scanner and sometimes an enormous satellite phone to remote locations around the globe. I often stayed up all night, bleary eyed, patiently waiting for my images to transmit back to New York or London. I remember trying to set up a satellite dish on the roof of a guesthouse in Kandahar, Afghanistan when the driver of a truckload of men, armed with Kalashnikovs screeched on the brakes to catch sight of me. Needless to say, I was terrified, and I’m sure it was equally as bizarre for them to see me, though veiled and respectful of the culture, walking on a rooftop in this very conservative region.

I look back at those memories and think how ridiculous it all seems.  For all the media out there, there is still much work to be done. There is a great need to get beyond the surface and to seek a multitude of viewpoints.  I believe we get closer to a universal truth by including more narratives. In many ways, I am excited by the changes because it opens up the possibilities for more perspectives and a great exchange of ideas. There is so much we can do as independent journalists to carve a future for ourselves but the old business model is being replaced by a far more independent one.

Being independent is much easier when you’re working with people and tools that you can trust. Cameras, computers, designers, fixers, translators, archiving and distribution tools are some of the things I must be able to trust in order to spend my time concentrating on creating images and telling stories. Over the course of my career, I’ve been able to establish relationships with several key people, and it’s my intention to share my contacts with you through this blog.

For independent photographers, the website is the single most important tool after a camera. The content is critical but there are a lot more things to consider than just design. Taking the time to research and explore the options available are critical before you choose a design and the infrastructure supporting it. The first question you need to ask is,  “Who is this website for?”

Very often photographers make the mistake of trying to make their website for everyone and in fact, they may end up trying to be too many things for too many people. Trying to be a wedding photographer, a fashion photographer and a sports photographer is a tough thing to do but if you have managed to do all of these well,  I would encourage the designer to create separate sites rather than cramming everything together in one site. The truth is,  specializing and creating a niche rather than attempting to be everything is far more powerful than being a generalist in today’s media environment.

I use Wordpress and PhotoShelter together and every time I add new images to my online archive, they are updated to my website using Wordpress. Back in the day, I never had time to update my website because it was too work intensive. I would have to resize images and upload them in addition to writing captions and stories. I literally stopped updating my website for 6 years because it was just too time consuming. The combination I chose has streamlined my workflow and it works seamlessly with my online archive that is housed with PhotoShelter. After I have uploaded the images to PhotoShelter, I can send them instantly to a variety of clients through their system. All the work is transmitted through their network and server, and this means it is distributed much more quickly and economically than trying to individually transmit images one by one to different clients.

(A view from the inside of my PhotoShelter archive.)

I know the people behind PhotoShelter and believe they care about independent photographers. If I ever have a question of any kind, I can always pick up the phone and get an answer. This type of personal relationship is critical for my business.

In the next article, I will go into more detail about how I am using the built-in shopping cart inside of my PhotoShelter archive to sell very high quality fine art prints. Richard Jackson from Hance Partners is my printer, and he creates the high-end limited edition prints that customers buy directly from my website – without any work on my part. Since there is no work involved in processing the orders, it’s a win-win situation for everyone. I can sell prints even when I am on assignment, away from a computer or phone, and the customer gets a print I know will be beautiful because Richard works so meticulously on every detail.

(The built-in shopping cart, where I sell limited edition prints.)

The photographer’s business model may have changed but the nature of our work has not. I still work on the stories I feel passionately about but I do all of the planning, pitching ideas, production and transmission from my laptop. I can be almost anywhere on the globe and pitch ideas, send images, sell prints, give online critiques and much more.

Why am I excited about the future? It’s exhilarating because we can ultimately create our own future. I can work independently, produce creative documentaries and touch audiences whose numbers eclipse what radio or television ever was able to reach. I have the tools that allow me the freedom to create and now the ability to also distribute to a global audience. Sure the future of journalism is going to be different but I believe with creativity and commitment, we will find new ways to make this work.

Grover Sanschagrin, Founder of PhotoShelter, recently visited Miami. He conducted a little video interview with me that explains why I think PhotoShelter is such an important tool for independent photographers.

If you are interested in giving PhotoShelter a try, using this link will give you up to a $30 discount when you join.

Today security and the politics are steadily improving but there is a quieter battle still going on.  One in eight women are dying giving birth. The government recently announced free health care to pregnant women, breast-feeding mothers and children under five beginning on April 27. With only about 170 doctors for more than 5 million people, this will be a daunting task.  I hope this documentary can raise awareness, promote change and help. The doctors, health workers and government are working hard to change the statistics.

If you are interested in learning more about this or want to donate, the following links are to organizations working there.

Unicef

Marie Stopes International

Doctors Without Borders

Amnesty International

They are huge but gentle, lumbering beasts and there are only eight left on the entire planet. Scientists believe the magnificent Northern White rhinos are nearly extinct. There are rumors of some, a few at best, in Southern Sudan but none have been seen for many years now. These eight, two in the San Diego Zoo and six in the Dvur Kralove Zoo in cold, snowy Czech Republic are all we know of the second largest land animal on earth.

In a last ditch effort to save this species from extinction, the Lewa Conservancy in Kenya cut a deal to airlift the last four breeding age animals from the Czech Zoo to live “free” on the savannas of Kenya, not too far from Mt. Kenya. The hope is that Africa, the temperance of the climate and the room to roam will entice them to breed and establish a nucleus for the future re-population of their former Central African range. If that does not work, then breeding them with Southern Whites can help preserve their genes.

I heard about the plans and immediately visited them while I was in Prague for a workshop last October. The story captured my heart instantly. It is a story of hope and of a second chance, something rarely seen in the environmental movement. Surprisingly, no one was interested because it was not a visual story. The rhinos would be in wooden crates for the entire journey and to most editors, it justifiably was a lot of expense for a story that would be difficult to tell. In today’s economic climate, no one can afford to risk investing in a story that might not work.

Yet, I could not let go and wrote another more impassioned appeal for help to get me there. This move was a last ditch effort for saving this entire species and I did not want to miss the opportunity to document it. It was more than a story of flying rhinos 4000 miles across the globe. It was a story of conservationists feeling confident enough with Africa to bring back a critically, endangered animal. The animals are getting old and they would not live long in the Eastern European zoo, under smokestacks and snow. I could not imagine a more poignant picture.

Thankfully, several organizations pitched in. None could afford the entire costs but each was willing to help. Organizations like National Geographic, MSNBC.com the Knight Center for International Media and The Nature Conservancy supported me to tell this great story of hope and reversals. I am so grateful to them and the people that allowed me access, specifically the wonderful, generous people of Dvur Kralov Zoo and Ol Pejeta Nature Conservancy. There are so many people to thank and the woman who made it all possible is Elodie Sampere of Ol Pejeta. I am eternally indebted to her for her persistence and generous spirit. Berry White and Pete Morkel are the veterinarians who were incredibly patient as I followed them in what must have been one of the more sleep deprived moments of their lives. There are so many people to thank for allowing me the privilege to witness this incredible moment.

On my last day, moments before I was set to drive back to Nairobi, the skies darkened and it felt like a monsoon in the middle of the savannah. Within minutes, the rhinos responded like children, running as fast as they could and then flopping their 2 ton bodies into a belly dive in the most glorious mud bath. Sure I don’t want to be too anthromorphic about such things, but they looked like they were smiling. That moment alone was worth all that it took to be there. The fact that this is the beginning of a renewed interest in keeping and repopulating parts of Africa with this magnificent species, whose only curse was to be born with a price on its head, is all the inspiration I need.

The rhinos are doing well and adapting quickly. If you want to keep updated on how they are or find out how to visit them, go to Ol Pejeta’s website.

They are huge but gentle, lumbering beasts and there are only eight left on the entire planet. Scientists believe the magnificent Northern White rhinos are nearly extinct. In a last ditch effort to save this species from extinction, the Lewa Conservancy in Kenya cut a deal to airlift the last four breeding age animals from the Czech Zoo to live “free” on the savannas of Kenya. You can read more about the trip in my blog.

Field Notes from a National Geographic story I did on the Rickshaw Pullers of Kolkata, India.
http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2008/04/kolkata-rickshaws/vitale-field-notes

This is an advertisement I did for Nikon using the D300s camera and video capabilities.
http://imaging.nikon.com/products/imaging/lineup/microsite/d300s/special/en/index.html#

Here is an interview I did about convergence of stills and video for the Poynter Institute. http://www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=2&aid=172745

This is an interview by Susan Markisz for the Digital Journalist, a virtual online almanac for visual journalists created by Dirck Halstead. It was written when I was just beginning my career as a photojournalist in 2003.
http://www.digitaljournalist.org/issue0301/av_intro.html

Nikon Net showcased my work for their “Legends behind the Lens” series.
http://www2.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/micro_stories.pl?ACCT=154486&TICK=NIKC&STORY=/www/story/03-01-2004/0002119672&EDATE=Mar+1,+2004

Interview conducted by Barry Baum for Nikon on the new D300s that I tested out.
http://www.nikonusa.com/Learn-And-Explore/Nikon-World/fx50m3ni/1/Rest-of-the-Story.html

Blueeyes Magazine is an online documentary photography magazine devoted to publishing new long-term project work. It is a labor of love created by a dedicated group of people including John Loomis, Chris Vivion, Matthew Ratajczak, Seth Bro and Jill Thomas.
http://blueeyesmagazine.com/index.php?/essay/indiv/portfolio_vitale/

This was one of the very first interviews I gave for Photobetty.com, which was a true labor of love started by the legendary and lovely Stephanie Sinclair and carried on by Serena Stucke, who is also an incredibly dedicated and talented photographer and editor.
http://www.photobetty.com/amivitale

This is a comprehensive gallery of many fine art gallery photographers exhibited together along with photojournalists.
http://www.pixiport.com/Gallery-GC66.htm

James Robinson is a passionate photographer and has some wonderful interviews here.
http://jrphoto.wordpress.com/spotlight-interview-photojournalist-ami-vitale/

Eight Ways to change the World, A photography exhibition on the Millennium Development Goals by Panos Pictures, in association with seven charities.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/millenniumgoals/graphic/0,,1563959,00.html

Over the past 60 years, the beauty of Kashmir has been overshadowed by tension and violence. Despite the wishes of Mahatma Gandhi, regarded as the father of Indian independence, the sub-continent was divided along religious lines and two nations were born: the secular but Hindu-dominated India and the Islamic Republic of Pakistan.