Former Hungarian PM on Hunger Strike

Hungarian former prime minister Ferenc Gyurcsan and three other members of Democratic Coalition began a week long hunger strike outside the parliamentary building. They protests against the government plans to reform the election system.

Janos photos reached Armanians

Peace Dialogue the Armenia based NGO just published my photos on their English and Armenian language website about the Budapest protest against Ramil Safarov extradition. Hope the Armenian society will get the message, that Hungarian civil society has nothing to do with this case. That was a wrong decision of the Hungarian government. 

Click here to read the article and check the photos in Armenian and English 

Note: photos are available for publication upon request via Penta Press Photo Agency or drop me a line direct to  janoskisphotography "at" gmail.com  

Budapest protest against Ramil Safarov extradition

I took these photos late afternoon, while thousand of Hungarian gathered together with Armenians in front of the parliament building in Budapest, expressing outrage at their government’s decision to extradite axe-murderer Safarov to his home country Azerbaijan, where he received a hero’s welcome, was pardoned and promoted.  

The story has prompted one of Central Europe’s biggest diplomatic storms. A few days ago protest rallies have been held in Armenia’s capital with burning of Hungarian flag. For now Yerevan has cut diplomatic ties with Hungary. Armenia has warned Azerbaijan is ready for war.  

Safarov murdered Gurgen Margarian, an Armenian lieutenant with an axe, while the latter was asleep in 2004.

Amusement park, Luna Park, Theme Park

Sure I am not the only documentary photographer, photojournalist who love to take pictures about the sunnier part of the life. I selected some of my favorite pics to share. I took them at the amusement park in Vienna and the children's day somewhere in Budapest. I am continuing this series ....   I have some shots about the famous Coney Island amusement park among my archived slides. Believe or not there was a time when I was living just for a 5 min. from the park. If you are hanging around, don't miss the Nathan's Famous hot dogs!!!

A Good Day To Die Hard

Bruce Willis arrived in Budapest to shoot scenes for the newest episode of Die Hard. At the weekend Hero square was transformed into Moscow. The film is being directed by John Moore.

Cambodia Fixer Services

Nikon Pro Magazine published an interview with me and other two fixers about what it takes to make a shoot happen. "The guys behind the scenes who make it all possible and speak to three of the industries top fixers. "

The magazine is available in English, French, Spanish, Italian and German. The international circulation is 75.000 and can get the ipad edition.

Fixers help foreign journalists, photojournalists and TV crews to get a story. They also often function as production coordinators so their responsibility is huge. Finally they have to safely get the journalists and photographers out of the country. Often the success of an assignment depends on the experience and flexibility of the fixer. I have been working on different projects as a fixer and documentary photographer. My clients usually find me on the internet via social media sites like Lightstalkers, Facebook, Twitter or they come across my blog. I cover mainly humanitarian issues such as land mines, displacement and migrant workers. I worked on a documentary film on child labour, which won several international prizes. Currently I am researching an investigative journalism story on human trafficking. The research I do involves everything from data collection, location scouting, liaison with local authorities and NGO’s, film companies, arranging licenses, choosing interpreters set up appointments to the coordination of local crews.

Local knowledge is of course hugely important when working as a fixer, but you need a wide range of other skills as well. Good communication, being organised and speaking the relevant languages are a must. It’s an advantage if you have a background or knowledge in social studies, journalism and photojournalism or the film or travel industry. When starting a project, you must be sure that you can deliver what your client expects you to. You must know the country and the area and know the local culture and customs inside out. It is very useful if you have well-maintained government contacts, which make it a lot easier to secure documents and licences. Contact with travel agents, shipping companies, embassies, the expat community and reliable local helpers are also important and being able to arrange accommodation, transport, bodyguard and interpreter services is essential.

But more than anything you need a very good nose for when a situation is turning bad. When I set up a journalist with contacts, I first do some research to make sure the source is reliable and then negotiate an agreement. I mainly work in Cambodia, where there is no absolute freedom of speech, but locally published foreign papers sometimes strongly criticize the government. Luckily the foreign media isn't demonized here – in fact, many Khmer people prefer to talk to foreign journalists, because they believe an article or a broadcast in English or French has more power then one in their local media. They know the value of independent foreign newspapers, which can bring the attention of the world to the issues that concern them. It is very important that the sources feel they can trust me, but this isn't always possible – some of my contacts are too afraid to cooperate. I always explain the importance of the mission in great detail, because they have to understand what I am talking about and that I am not their enemy.

Working as a fixer can be dangerous, but you can minimize the risk by getting adequate and reliable information. It is worth keeping in mind though, that journalists leave once they get their stories but fixers stay behind, so both have to understand each others’ rules. Fortunately my clients care about my opinion and usually act upon it. However that doesn't mean there weren’t any close calls.

My advice to anybody who would like to be a fixer is to discover the country you work in and learn as much about it as you can. Develop your local knowledge and contacts. Maintain good relationships with people who you think can help your business. Read and listen to the local news and be up to date on what is going on around you. And be honest to the people you work with. If you are a photographer working with fixers, you need to get as much background information about your fixer as you can, including personal details. Hire them only if you trust that he or she understands what you need. When working in developing countries you have to take into account bureaucracy, corruption and slow procedures, so choose the fixer you think can handle this well. Provide detailed information about your project in good time. If you are dealing with sensitive issues and the assignment is getting dangerous, ask for your fixer’s opinion. When your fixer says it’s time to leave or that you must drop the case, please listen to him or her. And don’t forget to thank your fixer if he or she saved your life.

JR in Cambodia

French visual artist "guerrilla artist" JR who exhibits freely in the streets of of the world visited Cambodia in 2009. as the part of the project "Inside Out". I took this photo in Phnom Penh just a view days later where hi displayed the portraits of evicted people. The government was quite fast to react and removed it within a week. In 2010 JR has been awarded TED Prize.

Two years earlier of this project, he traveled to Israel and did the same with the portraits of Israeli and Palestinian people on both sides of separation wall.

Putin in Israel

Vladimir Putin has won the 2012 Russian presidential election in Moscow yesterday. So, time to upload two of my photos to my blog, I took in 2008 and 2009 in Israel.

Putin pub is a popular place among Israeli Russians in Jerusalem downtown.

At the christian quarter of Old city of Jerusalem, there are several Israeli Arab stores selling T-shirts with picture of Jesus, Bush or Putin who wearing Arab headscarf "keffiyeh".

Journalist female was Sexually assaulted in Cairo

Hungarian female video journalist Eszter Cseke was sexually assaulted last week at Tahrir Square in Cairo. Thanks for her colleauge Andras Takacs and some brave Egyptian men, she managed to escape and left her attackers behind. Andras and Eszter received the 2011 youth media video journalist award.

"Hope" got a gallery on Handicap International website

From now "Project Hope" is available to see on the website of Handicap International as well. Photogallery show the children with cerebral palsy (cp) at the Handicap International rehabilitation center in Siem Reap, Cambodia.

Click here to watch the gallery

.... other good news that the organization also ordered 2 copies of my recently published book "Hope". Thank You.

.... furthermore many thanks to everyone who ordered a copy!

Cambodia, Photography, Youtube

I just created a simple Youtube page to populate my photography. These photos are just a very narrow selection about my work in Cambodia. Please take a look at the shadow side of the country in color.

Click here to see the promo on Youtube

Opposition Protests Constitution In Hungary

Just recognized, the copyright I put into the middle of each photo is dated back to 2011, instead of the appropriate year 2012 :-) All images were taken (January 2, 2012. Budapest, Hungary).

Today I went to photograph the protest at the State Opera. Some of the photos were already published in American Nepszava, the prominent US paper. My photos also hit the front page of Demotix, the London based photo agency. If you are interested to buy my photos, please contact with me or direct Demotix or Penta Press photo agency in Seoul, South Korea.


One of the photo shows a Protester holding a sign with the picture of recent prime minister Viktor Orban, Matyas Rakosi, General Secretary of the Hungaryan Communist Party (1945-July 18,1956), Miklos Horthy,Regent of the Kingdom of Hungary between (1 Mach 1920-15 October 1944).

Other sign (board) calls Victor Orban "Junk" and a Swastika style made with the letters of FIDESZ.

I was fortunate to meet and shake hands of the two journalists who were recently fired over hunger strike (Balazs Nagy Navarro and Aranka Szavuly) from MTVA. The hunger strike is seen as part of a wider protests against the government's media policy, the BBC reported. Balazs and Aranka seen on the 3th photo.

Click here to see the photos in American Nepszava

Click here to see more photos