The only Photographer (*&^&%) allowed free access to the red zone in Christchurch

Why oh why is Ross Becker photographing on his own this major documentary project, when clearly he is an amateur. I can only assume some form of dealing has gone on here.
Why are we not using the likes of Doc Ross or some of the press photographers?
This is a major event in the history of NZ and he is making pictures like this:

https://picasaweb.google.com/RossBeckerNZ

I am not against this man, I just think a nationally recognized photographer should have been given this monumental and historic task.
When Is New Zealand going to wake up and realise that photography is not a hobby.

After 911 TIME photographer James Nachtwey photographed the aftermath along with Joel Meyerowitz. National icons of photography.

We get Ross Becker...who?

Hanging around

Photographing a new well

Bakau Street scenes

Here are some photographs from every day life in the Gambia.
I used a old Nikon F4, I bought from a tourist.

Bakau market

Proud Mum

Boys playing in the street

Bakau 1988

Street scenes from the Mid 1980's.

Interestingly, there exists a much smaller village within the old village called Bakau Wasulung Kunda, indicating the migrant origins of its inhabitants.

As people began to move out of Banjul, government allocated residential areas quickly sprung around the old village, acquiring new names in the process.

 
What were farms of the local population became well planned suburbs filled with bungalows such as Fajara, New Town and Cape Point.

Gambia

When I was young I lived in Gambia for a while. I never printed any of my thousands of photographs so I have borrowed a film scanner and started work.

This is a girl in Serrekunda (or Serekunda) is the largest city in The Gambia, lying southwest of Banjul. Its population as of 2006, was 335,733 people. Although Banjul is The Gambia's capital, it is on an island, making further growth difficult and channeling much of the growth to Serekunda.

 I worked for aid agency's, documenting funded Projects.
 
After independence in 1965, the public sector intensified its involvement in forestry in 1976. The forestry was reorganized and upgraded to become one of eight departments within the Ministry of Agriculture and Natural Resources. In 1981, the FD was transferred to the Ministry of Water Resources, Fisheries and Forestry, which was later renamed into Ministry of Natural Resources.

The creation of an independent Department of Forestry in 1976 paved the way for the expansion of forestry activities in the country. The FD initially concentrated its efforts on the continued establishment and management of plantations.

I lived in Bakau in a family compound.
Legend has it that Bakau grew up around the holy crocodile pool in the central district of Bakau, Kachikally. Bakau itself was a small village at the turn of the 19th century and grew in importance as it became a favourite place for private residences of colonial administrators especially along the beautiful palm fringed beaches. Despite being a major town, the old village still exists and is run like any other in The Gambia with an 'Alkali' (similar to 'Mayor') and divided into Kabilos.

I see these almost as if they have been taken by someone else who I can not really remember.

King Georges Hall

King Georges hall #1

 
King Georges hall #2

 
King Georges hall #3

Happy new year, more in 2012.