Laos Panoramic Awareness Proposal


Thomas Williams
Tw_photography@hotmail.com


Brief Summary

To produce a thorough photographic documentary for the country of Laos and to raise awareness throughout the world about those in need, presenting the countries beauty in a rare and modern format of panoramic photography.


My Proposal

I do not profess to be a fundraising superstar nor am I heavily educated in this area, but I do have ideas, creativity and a completely unique way of portraying this. We are now in the modern age and methods for raising awareness for those in need, require strategic planning throughout. I believe strongly that a modern median such as panoramic photography, presented in a book and online, as an interactive documentary of the country, could be of great beneficial value to Laos. One method is to highlight the basic humanitarian, living in the majority of rural Laos and then progress, obtaining information for an up to date documentary. This can then be exhibited in a creative and interesting format for the rest of the world to see. Thus generating a snapshot of the entire country in a single project. Laos is a truly beautiful place, which is very isolated from the rest of the world; this segregation is why Laos has kept its beauty but has also lost any connection to the developing worlds. My aim is to contribute towards the progression of the country by putting Laos on the map and for it to gain the recognition it deserves. I envisage creating approximately 400 high quality panoramic photographs from every nook and cranny of Laos, capturing everything I see from cockfights, to kinder garden classes, from river villages, to mountaintop tribes. From my past experience, I know this can be done in one month; postproduction of the images will take another month. In that time, solutions will be made to find the appropriate ways for the world to see the beauty of Laos. As mentioned previously either through a book, website, or whatever campaign is necessary to have Laos seen and heard. One example of my previous projects www.allroundeurope.co.uk displays this sort of work, obviously my skills will adapt to focusing on one country rather than a whole continent.


Panoramic Experience

I am one of three featured photographers on the world’s first stock photography website, dedicated solely to panoramic photography; I am the main and most consistent contributor to the website where my images are highly acclaimed. Private commissions that involve my panoramic skills include the travel industry, property development and editorial advertising, all of which are done on a freelance bases.

My largest and most successful photographic travel project was a self-motivated and self financed tour of Europe, mentioned above. This took me to every capital city throughout Europe, 43 in total. In every capital I took numerous panoramic photographs in places of interest, representing architecture or just aesthetically pleasing locations throughout the cities. The best of which, featured in a book alongside a few paragraphs of political and geographical information, as well as some of my opinions. This project has recently been published online, where all 300 panoramas from my trip can be seen. Until my work was published online, I felt somewhat distressed as only family and close friends had seen my work, and I believe firmly that a project of such size needed to be seen by more. Now I have on average 100 visitors a day to the site so this makes me feel very satisfied.

At the end of this huge project I realized that very few panoramic photographers had actually achieved anything of this scale and it was at that point that I realized I had potentially tapped into a new photographic industry, which was mass documentary photography in the panoramic format. Documentary photography is self-explanatory, the use of picture within real events to provide a factual record or report, but photography in itself is unique as it has the ability to trick the eye or offer illusions to what is actually in front of the viewer. On the other hand panoramic photography cannot lie as easily, due to the 360-degree aspect. It will capture everything and not just a fraction of the scene, this could highlight the rest of the environment being submissively reconstructed for the viewer to witness. This degree of true photography in its distinct format comes with many creative solutions for presentation, forming a book, magazines or posters. However the most interesting dimension to view these images is by transforming them into interactive environments from which the viewer can explore by simply navigating around the image using there mouse and keyboard, this can be easily accessed through the internet and world.


Current interest

In my search for funding/sponsorship and support, I have encouraged great interest in organizations which concern the panoramic industry, online image presentation, book publishers, panoramic image exhibitors, awareness groups and future investors.

Moon dimensions – A creative solution for displaying photographs online would like to offer there unique flash format to host the images. www.moondimensions.com

Panograph – A huge panoramic tour company, with leading innovations throughout Europe. These are so far very interested in what I’m doing but claim they must see the photos once completed before they can decide to publish. None the less I’m in good connection with the director who claims he will guide me on how to make this a huge success. www.panograph.hu

SEDA – (Social and Economic Developers’ Association), a Laos based awareness group, which works with community groups to address all three areas. They are offering me lots of advice and support from the start. Founder/Dir.: Ms. Souly QuachAngkham is in direct talk to myself and assures me that with a certain amount of funding and support a book can be made and distributed throughout Asia to raise awareness. SEDA and I are working in affiliation to have this project become a great success. www.seda-laos.spaces.live.com


Funding and Support

Expenses

Living cost in Laos for 2 months, personal guide for 1 months, travel, food, DVD backup of images, 500GB external hard drive, post image production, administration, online publication, spare tripod and insurance.

Total $4,000

For SEDA to have the book published, marketed and distributed

Total $15,000

Overall Total $19,000

I’m currently in search of personal funding to pursue this, regardless of obtaining support from yourselves, I have applied for funding over the internet, asking for 4000USD and I claim that this will put me in Laos for 2 months and allow me to take between 300 and 400 panoramic photographs. You can see one of my attempts at www.allroundlaos.pledgepage.org

SEDA now have as much of a part of this as I do as we are in a verbal affiliation, a contract is currently being prepared to make this an official bond, so we are both in strong pursuit for this to launch as soon as possible. With your help we can have this project photographed, post edited, marketed, published online and in a book by January 2008.

Who is SEDA and what is in it for SEDA

(Social and Economic Developers’ Association), a Laos based awareness group, which works with community groups to address all three areas.

SEDA realizes that Laos needs international attention as well as increasing foreign assistance into Laos. Since most foreign donors/supports mainly pay their attention to seaports and not land locks.
SEDA’s main interests focus on HIV/AIDS education, improving social science, economic development for poor families, helping small farmers into a sustainable income, conservation/biodiversity, saving water & environments, holistic rehabilitation by traditional medicine, improving schools infrastructure and preventing trafficking by creating jobs within Laos.

SEDA will have full use of the images and will be able to find the most appropriate and effective method of using them to raise awareness for there cause. Undoubtedly they will produce a book branded with there organization, they might also open an exhibition and what ever they seek fit to promote there campaign.

seda-laos@hotmail.com
KM 4 Thaduer Road
Vientiane, Lao P.D.R.


What’s in it for you?

There can be many things in this for you, depending on whom you are and what you do, this can prove to be very beneficial. Unquestionably there will be an article/blub/logo in the published book and online which will state the generosity of the funding party or individual. Towards the release of the book, articles will be also publicized through local and hopefully international media in which your name or party will be mentioned to promote your own cause. In fact there are many benefits more dependable on how much you intend to help, including worldwide renown.

What’s in it for me?

I am a non-profit individual and feel that contributing awareness to people that I feel so strongly about Laos would be more than rewarding than what I can receive in material. As well as successfully developing a photographer’s portfolio, this will also contribute highly to my C.V and put me in good stead for following this project into a series.

Who am I?

I am a creative and motivated individual native to the United Kingdom. For as long as I can remember, traveling has always been a large part of my life, as I grew into adulthood, my thirst for traveling did also. From a very young age I have revised my options in finding an ideal and fulfilling career which would take me around the world. From as young as 17, I have taken opportunities which have both been given to me and those that I have found myself, to leave my home country of England and to work and travel within Europe and Asia. My traveling was usually alone, as I found I could be my own free spirit. I have taken the liberty to document my travels though the media of photography, and find it enormously rewarding to exhibit and discuss the photos that I have taken.

I am very knowledgeable over a wide variety of subjects. I find that this is portrayed though my previous qualifications, interests and hobbies, I currently hold 6 GCSE’s, a National Diploma in Photography and Media, a HND in Photography, the Gold award in the Duke of Edinburgh, I am a PADI Dive master and I am also a First Aid Emergency Responder.

Through my diving experiences I have volunteered as a Marine Biologist in Brunei at the Brunei International University and assisted with dive operations in Thailand. I am also a keen sports man as I believe greatly that a strong body helps a strong mind, squash, football, tennis, running, rugby and power kiting regularly keeps me active.

I am often quizzed on my ability to appear and witness obscure and demanding scenarios, the most recent of which I ended up hanging off a motorway bridge to stop a man jumping to his death. For this I received a commendation of bravery.

Thank you for your time.

Examples of work




Find more at www.allroundeurope.co.uk

Thomas Williams
Tw_photography@hotmail.com
www.allroundeurope.co.uk
www.digitalrailroad.net/twphotography

Bangkok
(0066 879003715)