Mallam Mantari Lamal with Mainasara, Nigeria, 2005The Hyena and Other Men by Pieter HugoText by Adetokunbo AbiolaAbdullahi Ahmadu was 15 years old when he joined his father’s business in the small town of Malumfashi in Katsina State, Nigeria. This meant that he had to acquire his own hyena, as his family made their living as entertainers accompanied by hyenas, snakes and monkeys, in addition to selling the fetishes and herbal medicines that are popular in Nigeria. Abdullahi’s grandfather, Nalado Ahmadu, taught him how to catch and control the animals, and introduced him to the charms that help subdue the creatures and protect their captors from harm. Today Abdullahi is an experienced animal handler in his early thirties, who travels across Nigeria as part of a ... Continue reading →
By Murad Sezer All photographers make plans to deal with possible clashes. They are ready to protect themselves and their equipment when covering a potential riot (or a May Day demonstration as I did a few days earlier). But you don’t expect to be doing that before a soccer match, or any other sports events. While covering the May Day protests I don’t carry a camera bag or a laptop. I head out with my two camera bodies, spare memory cards, a gas mask and a wireless lan transmitter attached to the camera body to file my pictures – that’s all.. It’s more comfortable and easy to cover if any riots break out. But to cover a soccer match is a different story. If it’s ... Continue reading →
Editor’s choice May 16, 2012 07:00 EDT Our best photos from the last 24 hours. 24 PHOTOS Continue reading →
By Suzanne Plunkett When Queen Elizabeth II makes a public appearance there is usually a long list of protocol rules for those handling the visit, but this clearly doesn’t include what to do when hailstones start showering down. The Queen was caught in a sudden hail storm on Wednesday while meeting the public in Richmond Park, southwest of London. Dark clouds overhead unleashed a torrent of ice on the 86-year-old monarch and a bitter wind tried to snatch away her umbrella. The burst of wintry weather caught many people off guard. There were squeals from school children gathered for the event. And around the Queen, officials hovered uneasily, unsure whether to breach rules on touching her as they ushered her to and from shelters. But ... Continue reading →