David Guttenfelder Photography

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A recent picture of mine from the North Korean border town of Kaesong got double-page display in this week’s TIME magazine. Here’s an essay about the photo on the magazine’s Lightbox Tumblr. Here’s a excerpt: “I think that the photo is interesting because you can only see the exclamation point — it makes you begin to understand how ubiquitous the propaganda is inside North Korea. At the same time, there is a very noticeable absence of advertising there. In New York, we live with several-story-tall underwear ads looming above us. There, it’s the constant reminder of the regime at every corner.” For more of my recent North Korea coverage, take a look at TIME’s Lightbox blog

A recent picture of mine from the North Korean border town of Kaesong got double-page display in this week’s TIME magazine. Here’s an essay about the photo on the magazine’s Lightbox Tumblr.

Here’s a excerpt:

“I think that the photo is interesting because you can only see the exclamation point — it makes you begin to understand how ubiquitous the propaganda is inside North Korea. At the same time, there is a very noticeable absence of advertising there. In New York, we live with several-story-tall underwear ads looming above us. There, it’s the constant reminder of the regime at every corner.”

For more of my recent North Korea coverage, take a look at TIME’s Lightbox blog

My North Korea iPhone photography is now being featured by the instagram folks on their blog at http://blog.instagram.com and on their account at http://instagram.com/instagram Or check out my own instagram feed here where I’ve been posting geolocated iPhone and iPod touch pictures from inside North Korea since the beginning of 2013. This past week marked my 20th trip to North Korea. It started in 2000 when I accompanied then-US Secretary of State Madelline Albright’s visit to meet the late leader Kim Jong Il. During that trip, we were told not to take photos from the bus we traveled in and my hotel window was covered with a black plastic sheet. So, fast forward to this past week when North Korea’s mobile phone service provider, Koryolink, announced that foreigners visiting North Korea will be allowed to bring in their phones and can connect to the internet on the DPRK’s 3G network. It’s a powerful way to connect directly with the outside world from one of the most isolated countries in the world. The window on to North Korea has been opened a small crack. Meanwhile for all North Koreans who will not be allowed access to the same services, the window remains firmly shut. Here are a few other links to sites talking about the instagram pictures and new acceptance of 3G in the DPRK. NPR’s The Picture Show A Q&A on National Geographic Newswatch Gawker The Huffington Post CTV News TV5Monde Business Insider Buzzfeed Track via Storify

My North Korea iPhone photography is now being featured by the instagram folks on their blog at http://blog.instagram.com and on their account at http://instagram.com/instagram

Or check out my own instagram feed here where I’ve been posting geolocated iPhone and iPod touch pictures from inside North Korea since the beginning of 2013.

This past week marked my 20th trip to North Korea. It started in 2000 when I accompanied then-US Secretary of State Madelline Albright’s visit to meet the late leader Kim Jong Il. During that trip, we were told not to take photos from the bus we traveled in and my hotel window was covered with a black plastic sheet.

So, fast forward to this past week when North Korea’s mobile phone service provider, Koryolink, announced that foreigners visiting North Korea will be allowed to bring in their phones and can connect to the internet on the DPRK’s 3G network.

It’s a powerful way to connect directly with the outside world from one of the most isolated countries in the world. The window on to North Korea has been opened a small crack.

Meanwhile for all North Koreans who will not be allowed access to the same services, the window remains firmly shut.

Here are a few other links to sites talking about the instagram pictures and new acceptance of 3G in the DPRK.

NPR’s The Picture Show

A Q&A on National Geographic Newswatch

Gawker

The Huffington Post

CTV News

TV5Monde

Business Insider

Buzzfeed

Track via Storify

I’m honored to receive this years’s OPC’s Olivier Rebbot award for Japan’s Nuclear Refugees and the OPC’s Feature Photography award for photos taken inside North Korea. But the biggest thrill at tonight’s black tie dinner will be watching Joao Silva stand and light the ceremonial candle to remember fallen friends. Thank you to National Geographic senior editor Susan Welchman who shares this Olivier Rebbot award. Also NGM’s Kurt Mutchler and Ken Geiger who pushed for this difficult story assignment and trusted me. A huge thank you to Noriko Hayashi who assisted me on this story, and the “dog catchers” Leo and Hiroshi Hoshi. Thank you to The Associated Press. Our CEO Tom Curley believes in the power of photojournalism and had the vision to push for an AP bureau in the otherwise isolated country. Thanks also to Kathleen Carroll, John Daniszewski, Santiago Lyon, Greg Baker, and Brian Carovillano for helping to guide and push it through. A huge thanks to the AP colleagues who work day to day on the ground in the DPRK. Jean H. Lee, Raf Wober, Ng Han Guan, Vincent Yu, and Tim Sullivan.  Here’s a link to the announcement in PDN Here’s a TIME magazine Lightbox post showing my work and the work of fellow winners Pete Muller and Andre Liohn. Bravo to friends Yuri Kozyrev, Stephanie Sinclair, Todd Heisler, and Sebastian Liste for award citations.

I’m honored to receive this years’s OPC’s Olivier Rebbot award for Japan’s Nuclear Refugees and the OPC’s Feature Photography award for photos taken inside North Korea.

But the biggest thrill at tonight’s black tie dinner will be watching Joao Silva stand and light the ceremonial candle to remember fallen friends.

Thank you to National Geographic senior editor Susan Welchman who shares this Olivier Rebbot award. Also NGM’s Kurt Mutchler and Ken Geiger who pushed for this difficult story assignment and trusted me. A huge thank you to Noriko Hayashi who assisted me on this story, and the “dog catchers” Leo and Hiroshi Hoshi.

Thank you to The Associated Press. Our CEO Tom Curley believes in the power of photojournalism and had the vision to push for an AP bureau in the otherwise isolated country. Thanks also to Kathleen Carroll, John Daniszewski, Santiago Lyon, Greg Baker, and Brian Carovillano for helping to guide and push it through. A huge thanks to the AP colleagues who work day to day on the ground in the DPRK. Jean H. Lee, Raf Wober, Ng Han Guan, Vincent Yu, and Tim Sullivan. 

Here’s a link to the announcement in PDN

Here’s a TIME magazine Lightbox post showing my work and the work of fellow winners Pete Muller and Andre Liohn.

Bravo to friends Yuri Kozyrev, Stephanie Sinclair, Todd Heisler, and Sebastian Liste for award citations.

“Finalists for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography were: David Guttenfelder, Ng Han Guan and Rafael Wober of the Associated Press for their extraordinary portrayal of daily life inside the reclusive nation of North Korea, including scenes after the death of Kim Jong Il.”

“Finalists for the 2012 Pulitzer Prize in Feature Photography were: David Guttenfelder, Ng Han Guan and Rafael Wober of the Associated Press for their extraordinary portrayal of daily life inside the reclusive nation of North Korea, including scenes after the death of Kim Jong Il.”