Best ‘Science’ Images of 2018 …

A real pleasure to learn that for the first time I’ve had an image selected in a ‘science’ collection of ‘best of’ images.

An image I made on the job for the venerable and respected magazine ‘Science’ earlier this year has just been published in a fourteen pic collection entitled (rather staidly) “Our Favourite Science Photos of 2018”. The other thirteen pics are pretty damn stunning (although a couple  appear a little ‘overworked’) and varied.

Although my contribution isn’t what one would call a ‘science’ pic as such it is a ‘science related’ pic … made during documenting the story of Yaws disease eradication on Lihir and Namatanai islands in the New Ireland area of remote Papua New Guinea. The original text accompanying the story was written by Science mag International News Editor Martin Enserink … and a blog post by ‘Science’ photo editor Bill Douthitt about how the assignment transpired can be found herehttps://www.briancasseyphotographer.com/blog/comment/2018/07/5440/

A little bit of trivia for anyone interested … this is the first pic I’ve had published in a ‘best of’ collection made using the Sealife DC2000 underwater camera which I first wrote about here.

I would urge you to go to the link to see the entire ‘Best Science Photos of 2018’ collection here … https://vis.sciencemag.org/photosof2018/ … but for those with time constraints my selected pic is below. The caption accompanying the pic in the set reads “Eradicating Yaws Disease – Children in Papua New Guinea are some of the main victims of yaws disease, a bacterial infection caused by Treponema pallidumthat spreads through simple contact and attacks bones and skin—causing bright pink lesions and lifelong pain. Scientists hope to eradicate this little-known disease with a massive public health campaign—if governments, funding organizations, and the disease itself cooperate.”

The original magazine story may be found here …  https://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/remote-pacific-island-doctor-has-revived-60-year-quest-eradicate-disfiguring-disease … and the venture received support from the ‘Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting’.

Image © Brian Cassey

Science Magazine - Best Science Photos of 2018 - PNG children and Yaws disease - image by Brian Cassey

“Finding the Right Photographer” … Photo Editor Feedback …

Stunned !!!!!

I’ve already posted on my recent Papua New Guinea work on Yaws disease … so I’ll make this short and to the point …

I’ve worked with countless picture editors over the years … that’s central to the task … but never before have I had a picture editor put in writing for everyone his thoughts on how he found and employed yours truly … and publicly voice and detail his appreciation for my work ! (See post below … )

Bill Douthitt (‘Science’ Journal, Photography Managing Editor) … I’m both touched and grateful ! Thanks … and it was also a distinct pleasure to work with your good self and all at ‘Science’.

(NB … It’s also a very good informative read … If the copy of Bill’s ‘Science’ blog (below) is challenging the eyesight a little you want to read it at it’s original home on the ‘Science’ blog here at … http://blogs.sciencemag.org/vis/2018/07/23/finding-the-right-photographer/

Images © Brian Cassey, ‘Science’ … post/text © Bill Douthitt – Managing Photography Editor, ‘Science’ Journal

 

Science Journal - Blog post by pic ed Bill Douthitt - 'Finding the Right Photographer - photographer Brian Cassey - story Yaws Disease in PNG

‘Science’ Journal & ‘Yaws’ in PNG

This film (approximately five minutes in length) was made during my coverage of the ‘Yaws’ disease story on remote Lihir Island and Namatanai New Ireland in Papua New Guinea for the highly respected academic journal ‘Science’. The film is a compilation of many of the still images and video segments that I made whist working with ‘Science’ magazines Amsterdam based International News Editor Martin Enserink. The story also ran in the print edition journal on the 20th July 2018 with my still images gracing the cover and six inside pages.

 

Still Images and Moving Images © Brian Cassey, production © ‘Science’

Science Journal & Yaws …

Published today … my work for the venerable and highly respected ‘Science’ journal on combatting Yaws disease in Papua New Guinea.

‘Science’, one of the world’s most respected academic journals and also one of the oldest on the planet founded back in 1880 by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, has an estimated readership in excess of half a million.

So I am obviously delighted to have one of my images gracing the cover and more spread over six pages inside and alongside the story by ‘Science’ mags Amsterdam based International News Editor Martin Enserink.

Also delighted with the five minute online film crafted by ‘Science’ journal’s Sarah Crespi using many more of my still Images combined with video segments that I made on the islands which may be found here … https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ianST_B1_CA  and also below (bottom).

Martin’s excellent story tells of the work of a (thoroughly engaging) young Catalan doctor, Oriol Mitjà, who has dedicated his practice to the eradication of the tropical bacterial skin disease Yaws which, if left untreated, can disfigure the skin and bones causing lifelong pain and disability. The disease is caused by the bacterium Treponema pallidum (a close relative of that which causes syphilis) and spreads primarily through skin contact, mostly between children.

Martin and I travelled to Lihir in the Bismarck Archipelago in remote north east Papua New Guinea where we met Oriol and crew before a two hour Pacific Ocean crossing to Namatanai in New Ireland. Our visit coincided with the start of Oriol’s latest attempt at Yaws eradication … the first round of the mass medication of the entire 60,000 population of Namatanai with the oral antibiotic azithromycin. An epic challenge indeed … but such is Oriol’s single-mindedness he is determined to succeed with his plan to see the end of Yaws … and for it to become only the second human disease in history to be eradicated after smallpox in 1980.

The subject of my cover photo (top, below) … fifteen year old Stanis Malom … lives in the tiny village of Tumbuapil on Lihir Island. His severe Yaws infection has impacted the integrity of the bones in his leg and he also now has an open wound the size of a tennis ball. He no longer attends school … the stigma is too much.

Anyway … I’m rabbiting on … and Martin is a far better story teller than I … and his complete story (and my images) can be found here … http://www.sciencemag.org/news/2018/07/remote-pacific-island-doctor-has-revived-60-year-quest-eradicate-disfiguring-disease.

My Thanks to Martin, Oriol, my subjects at Lihir and Namatanai, ‘Science’ journal Photography Managing Editor Bill Douthitt … and acknowledge the welcome assistance of the Pulitzer Centre on Crisis Reporting.

Below … the cover (top), six inside pages (middle) of the new ‘Science’ edition … ‘Science’ online film (bottom)

Still and Moving Images © Brian Cassey & ‘Science’

 

Science Journal - Yaws Disease story - Namatanai, Lihir Papua New Guines - images Brian Cassey

Science Journal - Yaws Disease story - Namatanai, Lihir Papua New Guinea - images by Brian Cassey