Chiho and I are in Amsterdam to collect a small prize in a big competition…

We can be reached by SMS at: +1-917-679-4440
me@christophbangert.com

Thuraya Sat phone: +88216-51071135
me@christophbangert.com

Hello,

I got an email from my friend Jens in Germany who takes care of my website and blog. It said something like: “…lots of people are already visting your blog. SEND CONTENT!”

Hahaha. So here is some content. Please find some picture below that I shot in Saintes Marie de-la-Mer, in Southern France. I hope you like them.

I spent the whole day today sitting in the right passenger seat of my Land Rover typing away on my computer. There was some leftover work for the Iraq book that I had to take care of and also a whole montain of emails to write. The campground that I am staying on has a great wireless connection, and there are few things that make me as happy as this. But it means also: work.

Today I was reminded of this guy on the New York subway that I met a while back. He is selling double A batteries. He keeps shouting at people: “… I’m not a beggar, I’m a business man! Business man, Business man! Business man, Business man!…”

So here I am sitting in my Land Rover on a beautiful campground close to the beach in Spain taking care of bills and trying to run a small photojournalism business. I’m not a beggar, I’m a businessman!

I’ll drive to Southern Spain tomorrow and will take the ferry to Marocco a day later.

On my way to Africa. I can’t wait.

Best

Christoph.

I can be reached at:
cell Germany: +49-170-8642912
Thuraya Sat phone: +88216-51071135
me@christophbangert.com
christoph_bangert@hotmail.com

my latest dispatch:

Dear all,

I am in Southern France.
A couple of days ago I started on a half year long overland trip with my trusted Land Rover from Daun in Germany to Capetown in South Africa.
First plans for this journey were made in 2002 while on the road with the same vehicle from Buenos Aires to New York, a project that resulted in a book called Travel Notes. (powerHouse 2007, http://travelnotes.christophbangert.com/)

The final decision for this latest trip to Africa was made in Baghdad, where I spent about nine months on assignment for the New York Times during the past two years. Working in Iraq was professionally and personally probably the most challenging, serious, and also frustrating experience of my life. I spent the last several months putting together a photo book with pictures from Iraq. The book will come out this fall and will be published by powerHouse.

The idea was to keep my life somewhat balanced and to do something that is challenging in a different way than war journalism. I was hoping that this journey would help me to keep a healthy distance to places like Iraq, Lebanon or Afghanistan, so I will be able to go back there again with a fresh eye and without becoming a cynic or loosing faith in the human race over the years.
Basically it’s about keeping my sanity.

And just to make this clear:
No, this is not a vacation. No, I am not retiring from covering wars, and I am not planning to become a landscape photographer. Yes, I am available for assignment all over the world, at any time.

On my journey I will visit Spain, Morocco, Mauritania, Senegal, Mali, Guinea-Bissau, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Niger, Nigeria, Cameroon, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, Congo, Republic of Congo, Angola, Namibia and South Africa.
I will generally travel alone, but will have occasional visitors. Right now my girlfriend Chiho is with me, but she will fly back home to New York tomorrow.

I will constantly be available by local cell phone and Thuraya Satellite phone. (+88216-51071135)
Email will work as well, but there will be times when I will only be able to check emails every three or four days. I do have an R-bGan Satellite device, but won’t be able to use it constantly because of the high cost. This is a low budget, self-assigned project.
In urgent matters, feel free to call or email Chiho in New York. chihochiho@mac.com , +1-917-679-4440
For picture requests please contact laif in Germany (http://www.laif.de) or Redux in the US (http://www.reduxpictures.com).

My current location and updated contact information you will always be able to find on my new blog along with some new images and short texts. The blog also has a map function, where you can exactly see where I am. Like a UPS package…
http://africa.christophbangert.com/

Once in a while I will write a mass email like this one to keep you informed about my whereabouts.
If this should annoy you, please let me know and I will take your address off my email list immediately.

All the best
Christoph.

Christoph Bangert
-photojournalist-
currently in Southern Europe,
on the way to West Africa
cell Germany: +49-170-8642912
Thuraya Sat phone: +88216-51071135
me@christophbangert.com
http://www.christophbangert.com/
http://travelnotes.christophbangert.com/
http://africa.christophbangert.com/
http://www.laif.de