435
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$23,316
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Funding Successful
This project successfully raised its funding goal on March 21, 2011.
Pledge $10 or more Pledge $10 or more
//CREDIT: Your name included in a list of Donors for every Chernobyl exhibition in the next 4 years, as well as on the Donors Page of project's website. PLUS, a shout-out on the Facebook Page!
Pledge $25 or more Pledge $25 or more
//CREDIT: Same as the $10 level. //GOODIES: Signed Postcard sent when I return.
Pledge $45 or more Pledge $45 or more
//CREDIT: Same as the $10 level. //GOODIES: Signed Special Edition Poster.
Pledge $100 or more Pledge $100 or more
//CREDIT: Same as the $10 level. //GOODIES: Signed Book, “Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR”
Pledge $250 or more Pledge $250 or more
//CREDIT: Same as the $10 level. //GOODIES: Get an hour-long portfolio review/critique by National Geographic photographer Gerd Ludwig, either in person in his office in Los Angeles, or online via Skype.
Pledge $500 or more Pledge $500 or more
//CREDIT: Your name (single individual or family only) included in a list of Sponsors for every Chernobyl exhibition in the next 4 years, as well as on a special Sponsors Page of the project's website. //GOODIES: Signed Special Edition Art Print - 16x20”
Pledge $1,000 or more Pledge $1,000 or more
//CREDIT: Your name (single individual or family only) included in a list of Sponsors for every Chernobyl exhibition in the next 4 years, as well as on a special Sponsors Page of the project's website. //GOODIES: Signed Special Edition Art Print - 20x24”
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
//CREDIT: Your name (single individual or family only) included in a list of Sponsors for every Chernobyl exhibition in the next 4 years, as well as on a special Sponsors Page of the project's website. //GOODIES: Signed Special Edition Art Print - 24x36”
Pledge $2,000 or more Pledge $2,000 or more
//CREDIT: Your Organization's Logo and Name displayed in a list of Main Sponsors for every Chernobyl exhibition in the next 4 years, as well as displayed large on a Main Sponsors Page on the project’s website.
Project By
Connected as Gerd Ludwig (2587 friends)
Born in Alsfeld, Germany, Gerd Ludwig studied with Professor Steinert at the Folkwang University of the Arts in Essen, Germany, graduating in 1972. The following year he co-founded VISUM, Germany’s first photographer-owned agency, and began working for publications such as Geo, Stern, Spiegel, Time, and Life. Soon after moving to New York in the mid 1980s, he started photographing for National Geographic Magazine. His humanistic focus on environmental issues and the socio-economic changes following the dissolution of the Soviet Union resulted in the exhibition and book, Broken Empire: After the Fall of the USSR, a ten-year retrospective published in 2001. His ongoing coverage of post-Soviet Russia has garnered his distinction as being the world’s foremost color photographer documenting the region.
Now based in Los Angeles, Gerd Ludwig is represented by Institute for Artist Management. While he continues to work for National Geographic Magazine, he also exhibits in galleries and museums, lectures at universities, and conducts workshops internationally. He is a Canon Explorer of Light and the recipient of the Lucie Award for International Photographer of the Year in 2006.
Dear Gerd,
It is an honor for to have the opportunity to support your great project. I have received your wonderful book and would love to see the book coming out from this project. I will not hesitate to be your backer again.
Best regards,
Tommy N. Armansyah
Dear Gerd, Please be so very careful during your trip to the plant. I wish I could contribute more to your project but I will be with you in sprit and prayer. Many times folks try to talk you down. You are a pro's pro and I know you will tell the story so well. Peace my friend, Joe Ray Skrha
Gerd, thank you for trying to document Chernobyl. I'm sure that will be a challenging shoot for you and your film crew. I'm toying around with the idea of trying to document the carnage in Japan from the Tsunami, but nothing happening yet. If I do put it on here, it will be a combination film/relief trip where we would do relief work and at the same time document conditions. It's a maybe on that project, but definitely going to help in some way. Again, thank for for considering the issue of nuclear power important enough to give your time to!
Lynn in New Orleans, LA.
I'll throw in a few comments regarding the hubbub over Gerd's proposed budget. Having spent many months there myself since 2005 and producing my own book on Chernobyl, I can offer that some of the estimates are not far off. In 2006, the last time I was on an "official" tour of the Exclusion Zone through Chernobyinform, the fee was $300 per day, minimum, plus car and driver. You were also obliged to stay in the only hotel in the actual town of Chernobyl itself and purchase breakfast and dinner, lunch was included (a few slices of bread and sausage). Of course there are many ways into Chernobyl, none of it is cheap and certainly not when you're traveling to some of the places Gerd has been to. Ukraine is an expensive country, thoughts from some who think just because it's a rather isolated outpost of Europe are dearly mistaken. Apartments, hotels, cars and professionals to help in these sorts of endeavours come at a premium. The Zone is a huge territory, there are many things that Westerners have never seen, the only way to visit these places are with people who are connected - namely, those who are the gatekeepers of The Zone, chiefly the heads of police and security. Another thing to consider is that The Zone is divided up into many different sectors, Pripyat, even though a part of The Zone, is controlled by different security forces as is the machine Graveyard, the villages, etc. So, crossing the checkpoint in Dityaki means nothing, you still have many more gates to cross. Of course you can get to Pripyat through those tour groups, $200 a day and they even give you a fancy chemical suit to wear... but what do you really see? It's the 16 story apartment, the hotel, the kindergarten, the swimming pool, the village with the same old couple and the church getting overgrown by trees. A project like this needs the finances to actually get through the bureaucracy to really see the reality of Chernobyl. Part of my issue with pundits on Chernobyl is that nobody has really strayed to try and understand what Chernobyl really is (well with a few exceptions) - there is so much life evolving in mysterious and surprising ways that a three day trip will never reveal. There's more to Chernobyl then just The Zone, an entire universe surrounds what we call Chernobyl and makes up this very inscrutable, ever-evolving world. So, I have no doubts about Gerd's intentions and his budgeting. Having lived in Ukraine and Russia for six years, to undertake a project on this massive scale really deserves a total commitment financially. Good luck, look forward to the results.
Just saw you on Huffington post--congrats and best of luck!
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/02/chernobyl-25-years-after-_n_816902.html#s233576
Dear Gerd,
Thank you for the opportunity to support your wonderful project. I know how passionately you feel about this. I have forwarded on your information to others in hopes they too will see the value of your work!
Angela Montgomery
OWC
Dear Callan,
I am hoping to produce a book with photographs from my previous trip, and my trip this year. However, it depends on the funding. I am also exploring other outlets for this coverage and will keep everyone up to date as I get the details ironed out. Thank you.
-Gerd Ludwig
Don't worry about the nay-sayers, Gerd. Photographers and travellers understand the costs you face, and there are obviously enough of us to get you funded. (You're over the goal already with 2 months to go!)
Your project and your determination have inspired me and others, and I am proud help in my small way. Go forth and kick ass!
Dear Patryk,
Please, let me clear up what seems to be a misunderstanding of my project and the expenses involved.
My budgeted expense of $25,000 is based on my past experiences on assignment in the Zone for National Geographic, taking into consideration the increases for transportation, and staying in the only motel-like accommodation in the zone for two weeks. My budget also includes special expenses for protective gear and expensive aerial photography.
It is possible to bribe officials and sneak into some of the lesser-controlled regions with abandoned villages. However, as a professional photojournalist, in order to get meaningful photographs of all areas, this is not an option, as it would endanger my access deeper into the reactor.
There are several levels of access: the 30km Exclusion Zone with additional checkpoints around special areas (such as the abandoned city of Pripyat less than 2 miles from the reactor); a completely fenced-in monitored area around the reactor; the interior of the reactor (such as the control room); and then the highly contaminated section above the exploded core. Each area requires different levels of protection and permissions. Inside the reactor one must strip down and exchange clothing for several layers of protective gear, as seen in some of my earlier photographs. Here I am even required to give up my passport for security purposes as I am very close to nuclear materials.
The total sum of $50,000 that I hope to eventually raise includes the 2 week stay inside the zone, plus exhibits with approx. 50 large prints, framing, crating etc. If I meet my funding goals, I am also planning new-media applications, books, and further outlets to spread awareness of the tragedy.
I am always willing to learn how I can spend funds more efficiently, especially when I am asking for personal donations. I am happy to learn from any advice your friends may have.
Thank you for your interest in my project.
-Gerd Ludwig
$50k for trip to Chernobyl?
No offence, but if You plan to sleep in hotels like "Hilton", and have the price may be that high.
A group of my friends was there last year. Total cost for 3 or 4 days trip (including car fuel and hotels) was about $3k...? for group. The price included: used car, fuel, accomodations, bribes and permissions to get in restricted areas. And yes, they had "individual tour", they slept in the zone and they are still alive and healthy.
Hi, Will you publish another book of your images from this trip? This old media is still wonderful. - Callan
To NickW: The people that have returned (illegally, but somewhat tolerated by the authorities) to their villages in the Exclusion Zone are for the most part elderly. They came to die on their home soil, no matter how contaminated. The number of returnees is diminishing, and now only a few hundred remain spread out in isolation.
The radiation levels in the Zone are very unstable and fluid. Sometimes strong winds move contaminated sand and soil to previously clean areas. There are some great scientific documents posted on the Links page of our project website, and this YouTube video gives a good idea of how fluid the radiation levels can be (about 2:30 into the video): http://www.youtube.com/watch…
To Kaspars Auzins: My goal in this project is to make sure that the sacrifices of those such as your father are not forgotten, and that the lessons we learn prevent tragedies like Chernobyl from happening again. I have listed organizations on the project website that help the victims of the disaster: http://www.longshadowofchernobyl.com/links
If you know of any additional reputable organizations, please email me at: info@longshadowofchernobyl.com Thank you.
The reason this is so important is "lest we forget". With Nuclear Power Plants and failed oversight we are all not very far from an environmental disaster. Compared to the Valdez and Oil Spill in the Gulf, while environmental disasters they dwarf in comparison to Chernobyl. As a subscriber to National Geographic for along time I encourage Gert to compare and contrast from his earlier works to provide the timeline and perspective. I suspect there are many Kaspars that noone wants to hear about but it is important to remember, lest we forget. I am glad to be a donor.
The key factor for me would be wanting to know the science behind it all. I think it would be nice to know what the level of radiation was from the first time you went over there and what it is now. It doesn't seem like the people that are moving back have any education on radiation. Its seems like most are assuming the levels are safe after 20ish years so the data on the levels of radiation over the years would be a great knowledge piece, especially for those near the region. Are you going to venture into governmental problems involved with clean up, or focus a lot of time filming victims and their responses and life tragedies? Will be interesting to see some real world science come out of this. TY
To Myles de Bastion: I wish I could simply rent a car and drive myself. The Exclusion Zone is a fenced-in area, protected and run by it’s own administration which, due to the radiation levels, allows no private transportation.
No offense but would it not be better to buy a cheap used car for a few thousand dollars and drive it yourself? Not the take away from this great project but I wish you could be more economical with the $$. It's just what we have to do to make ends meet in a recession...
Best of luck.
My father is invalid of Chernobyl. He was taken away by police force from our appartament when we ate launch on Sunday. He had to work there as firemen and his task was to wash off the radiation from building walls. He came back and he was changed man. His radiation level is high and that destroys his inner organs. You should pledge for those who are suffering...
I have been fascinated by the ongoing story of Chernobyl since I first saw http://www.kiddofspeed.com/ all those years ago. I am jealous that I cannot go with you and see the area for myself. I hope that you will share your photographs when you return, either online or at an exhibition I can get to.
Godspeed.
matweller@gmail.com
Hi Gerd, your project sounds powerful and something we all should see. I shot hi-8 footage in the Forbidden Zone and & around Chernobyl in 1991, let me know if it would be of use to you.
Lisa Leeman crazywisdomfilm@aol.com
All of us at Sunbounce and Sunsniper totally agree on what Dennis Keely says about Gerd. We met him on various occasions in Zingst and Los Angeles. It is not photographic business what drives him - it is responsibility for this lovely world. We are looking forward to meet him at the photofestival in Zingst at the baltic sea again this year, where Gerd is teaching photographic journalism. By the way: Zingst, a place one should remember. Excellent workshops with Gerd Ludwig (Journalisme), Greg Gorman (Nudes), Mike Larson (Wedding) and Steve Thornton (Fashion) and many, many other great names.
Gerd, thanks that you will help to keep "the long shadow of Tchernobil" unforgotten.
Wolfgang-Peter Geller
Hope you'll visit us in Slavutich!
Love the Project and hope you'll find all $$$ you need!
I want to tell people that are looking at this project that Gerd Ludwig is too modest in his video.
As the Chair of Photography at Art Center College of Design in California, i know Gerd and have followed his work for many years. He is one of the most recognized and talented people in this field.
Gerd spoke at Art Center a year ago and the students that heard him were deeply and indelibly moved. His talent is only exceeded by his vision, passion and his commitment to ask the difficult questions about the world. His work always asks us to be more observant, conscious and most critically , responsible.
This project promises to be one of the most important projects of a remarkable person's career and I encourage everyone to give something to support it.
Dennis Keeley