Joël Gugler https://joelgugler.com/ Global photography Fri, 25 Apr 2025 17:15:48 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8 https://joelgugler.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/icon-150x150.png Joël Gugler https://joelgugler.com/ 32 32 Living with the Taliban https://joelgugler.com/taliban/ Thu, 02 Jan 2025 14:48:49 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=332 33.9391° N, 67.7100° E On August 30, 2021, the United States Armed Forces completed their final withdrawal from Afghanistan, ending a two-decade-long military engagement. For the first time in decades, a fragile peace seemed to settle over the country. By December 2023, I embarked on a journalistic journey through Afghanistan to explore if a group […]

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]]> Colors https://joelgugler.com/colors/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 03:16:03 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1225 34.6851° N, 135.8048° E Tokyo, Japan Nara, Japan Hoi an, Vietnam Light reflects on a girls face in Nazareth, Israel HOLI festival of colours Neon in Hong Kong Grab driver, Hanoi Colourfull business in Hong Kong Neon Mcdonalds sign Sunset in Huizen, The Netherlands Texel, Netherlands

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]]> Starlight https://joelgugler.com/starlight/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:10:52 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1144 My astronomy photo’s are amongst my best photo’s, but also my most frustrating ones. It’s difficult going outside in the cold only to find out a cloud was blocking the milky way or your focus was off. With this page I will show you how to make starlight photography as well as showcase my work. […]

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]]> Aghori Cannibal Monks https://joelgugler.com/cannibals/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 04:57:34 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=844 Human skull I found on the banks of the Ganges river. Currently housed on their temple in Varanasi, India.
"Hara Hara Mahadeva", I hear in the distance. A man in a cloak and long, unkept hair and a 'necklace' made of human skulls is chanting with his fellow cannibals. "This is going to get interesting", I said to myself as I approached them - cannibals in India.

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]]> Afghans – People and policies https://joelgugler.com/afghans/ Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:36:56 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=404 33.9391° N, 67.7100° E Part two of a series on Afghanistan.The first article discusses the Taliban and the weapons culture of Afghanistan This article talks more about the policies of the Taliban and some of the 41 million people living under them – the Afghans themselves. Trying to document some of their lives. Locals This […]

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]]> Russian warcrimes https://joelgugler.com/russian-warcrimes/ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 16:51:47 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=3580 Massgrave in Izyum Much has been written about the Russian warcrimes. I’ll let these pictures taken on a mission in July 2024 speak for themselves. Izyum Izyum, a strategic city in eastern Ukraine, fell under Russian occupation in April 2022 after weeks of relentless bombardment. Cut off from supplies, civilians were trapped in ruins with no food or water. The city became […]

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]]> Kafirs at Kafiristan https://joelgugler.com/kafirs/ Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:19:36 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=365 35.8540° N, 71.7866° E The year is 2023 AD. Central Asia is entirely occupied by Muslims. Well, not entirely… one small village of indomitable Pagans still holds out against the invaders… But unlike the inspiration of the introduction, these are not Germanic tribes – these ironically are the last remainders of Greco(-Roman) culture to survive […]

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]]> Varanasi https://joelgugler.com/varanasi/ Sun, 02 Feb 2025 17:45:43 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=409 Indian holy man in deep trance33.9391° N, 67.7100° E Part one of a three part series on the Cremation grounds of Varanassi. Nestled on the banks of the sacred Ganges River, Varanasi, India, stands as a timeless testament to spirituality, mysticism, and cultural heritage. Known as the “City of Light” or “Banaras,” this ancient city has been […]

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]]> The Power of Photo Editing https://joelgugler.com/photo-editing/ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 21:28:42 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=3726 Photography isn’t just about capturing a moment—it’s about shaping it. A photo is never truly “original” because cameras don’t see the world like we do. They don’t interpret light, emotion, or depth the way our eyes do. There is No “unedited” Photo Editing is where the photographer takes back control. It’s not about faking reality—it’s about revealing it. Some […]

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]]> Thanaka သနပ်ခါး https://joelgugler.com/thanaka/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:49:08 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1428 Thanaka (သနပ်ခါး) is a unique cosmetic paste that holds deep cultural significance in Myanmar. Made from ground bark, this yellowish-white substance is a distinctive feature of Myanmar’s cultural identity. Commonly applied to the faces and occasionally the arms of women and girls, as well as to a lesser extent by men and boys, Thanaka is not just […]

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]]> Tibet https://joelgugler.com/tibet/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:58:56 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1319 29°38'49.9"N 91°07'02.6"E Tibet – Or greater Tibet, is a fascinating and large land mass currently located within China after being occupied in 1951.  A family friend and colleague of my uncle was there when it happened, so I had to see it for myself. I managed to photograph a traditional Tibetan wedding and saw the most beautiful night sky […]

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]]> Memento mori https://joelgugler.com/ghats/ Mon, 03 Feb 2025 05:12:44 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=878 25.3108° N, 83.0141° E Burning body at the cremation grounds of Manikarnika Ghat, Varanassi (India) Memento mori (Latin for ‘remember that you [have to] die’) Part two of a three part series on the Cremation grounds of Varanassi. In part one, we discussed the religious importance of Varanasi, located at the Holy Ganges River, a […]

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]]> The empire of forgotten fabrics https://joelgugler.com/clothes-recycling/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:04:21 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1710 or, where do our donated clothes go? 24.8784° N, 67.0103° E Clothes. While we can only wear one outfit at the same time, our consumption is ever increasing. Fueled by fast fashion brands such as H&M, ZARA and Shein we buy more cheap, temporary fashionable clothes than we can use up and have to get rid of them once it no longer sparks joy. While tens […]

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]]> Marriage across borders https://joelgugler.com/marriage/ Thu, 20 Feb 2025 14:56:28 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=3562 52.3676° N, 4.9041° E Weddings are one of the few universal traditions, yet every culture has its own unique way of celebrating love. Some ceremonies last for days, filled with ritual and grandeur, while others are quiet, intimate affairs focused only on family. Whether elaborate or simple, weddings capture deep-rooted traditions, emotions, and human connection. As I traveled, I […]

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]]> Closeted Muslim alcoholics https://joelgugler.com/muslim-alcoholics/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 21:49:41 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1676 30.1834° N, 66.9987° E If something is taboo, there are people breaking that, sometimes excessively. In my time in the Islamic Republic of Pakistan I got tangled up with the police in a secluded region of the country. For decades they have been renting a room where they “can be themselves”, and have a drink. In a country where 97% of […]

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]]> Street https://joelgugler.com/streetphotography/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:12:38 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1484 There’s something raw and unfiltered about street photography. It’s not staged, not rehearsed—just life as it happens. A fleeting glance, a shadow stretching across the pavement, a quiet moment between strangers—these are the details that turn ordinary streets into extraordinary stories. Wandering through cities with my camera, I’ve learned that the best shots aren’t always […]

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]]> The Uyghur problem https://joelgugler.com/the-uyghur-problem/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:36:05 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1293 43.7934° N, 87.6271° E Xinjiang has recently gotten more media attention, after many report showed the Chinese government managing ‘The Uyghur problem’ in a similar way as the Nazi’s did with their ‘Jewish problem’. Locking up > 1 million of the Muslim minority, ‘re-educating them’ while simultaneously solving the organ donation problem by getting mandatory volunteers. Although it was […]

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]]> Hong Kong https://joelgugler.com/hk/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:29:15 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1406 The yellow umbrella, the central symbol for the resistance against China Central Hong Kong 22.2800° N, 114.1588° E The day is July 21, 2019 – the day of the metro attacks The following photos were taken during the protests and most were published by Tripzilla, the biggest travel website of Asia. They show a city in […]

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]]> Netherlands https://joelgugler.com/netherlands/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:50:52 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1208 52.1326° N, 5.2913° E The best things in the Netherlands are the lighthouses and the flowers Tulip fields  Zeewolde, Flevoland Lighthouse of TexelTexel, Netherlands Overhanging flowers  Huizen, North-Holland Moths to a flame Huizen, North-Holland Crocuses Putten, Gelderland Small lighthouse Huizen, North-Holland Tulips surrounded by wind turbinesZeewolde, Flevoland The Horse of Marken  – Marken, North Holland

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]]> Who build Dubai? https://joelgugler.com/dubai/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 01:46:01 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1116 25.2048° N, 55.2708° E A city full of skyscrapers build in just a few decades. Due to the discovery of oil in the region, there was a near unlimited supply of money coming in and ready to be spend on turning a country nomadic desert tribes and fishermen into a prospering Megalopolis. But who build […]

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]]> Portraits https://joelgugler.com/portraits/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:14:38 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1500 Greek woman Athens, Greece Chinese woman Athens, Greece Afghan man Nuristan, Afghanistan Kalashi woman Chitral, Pakistan Tibetan woman Aba, sichuan, Tibet Girl in traditional Chinese clothes Summer palace – Beijing, China Muslim man with henna-dyed beard  Assam, India Fisherman Essaouira, Morocco Traditional Saharawi dressImlili, Western Sahara Traditional Saharawi dressImlili, Western Sahara Hmong Man Houaphanh Province, Laos Hmong Woman Houaphanh Province, Laos […]

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]]> Mongolia https://joelgugler.com/mongolia/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:16:29 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1503 40.8173° N, 111.7652° E Technically some of this region is called Inner Mongolia, but it’s culture and landmass are spanning across the countries of China and Mongolia. It’s history is complex, but the people and landscape are stunning. I got the chance to photograph a Mongolian wedding in 2019 when I hitchhiked around the area and […]

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]]> Transnistrian cat mafia https://joelgugler.com/catmaffia/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:11:11 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1616 46.8482° N, 29.5968° E The status of Transnistria is rather complicated. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Russia threatened to take away the land between the Dniester River and Ukraine if Moldova claimed independence. That land is now called ‘Transnistria’. A war and a decades long frozen conflict later, we ask ourself the question: “Who really controls Transnistria?” While some describe it as a ‘maffia state‘ ironically controlled by a ‘Sheriff‘ and […]

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]]> Golden temple https://joelgugler.com/golden-temple/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 13:53:30 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1442 31.6200° N, 74.8765° E Few places in the world radiate the kind of energy that the Golden Temple does. Located in Amritsar, India, the spiritual and cultural heart of the Sikh faith, this temple is far more than just a place of worship. It’s a living, breathing sanctuary where faith, tradition, and humanity merge into one. As well […]

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]]> The land of Sheriffs and cheap housing https://joelgugler.com/sheriff/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 19:26:40 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1622 46.8482° N, 29.5968° E Transnistria, also known as Pridnestrovie «Приднестровье» is a largely unrecognised country sandwiched between Moldova and Ukraine. Almost no one knows of it, and even fewer visit it. Towards the end of 2021 I spend several months in the country stuck in its soviet past to photograph and understand it. Allow me to take you through a country that […]

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]]> Pakistan, an inside look into the Police state https://joelgugler.com/pakistan/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 22:00:47 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1703 30.3753° N, 69.3451° E In my time in Pakistan I mostly spend my days in police barracks, army bases, military escorts with commandos and being interrogated and threatened by their Intelligence agency  the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). The high police activity has its historical reasons, due to conflicts with India and terrorism activity in the country . As a result, you’ll find police […]

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]]> Prostitution in Clark, Philipines https://joelgugler.com/baldandburdened/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 22:48:38 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1016 15°09'53.6"N 120°35'12.6"E Thinning Hairlines, Thickening Plots Old man with young Filipino girl “How old do you think she is?”, I asked my local Philipino journalist friend. “Barely 16, if not younger” – I had to stop myself from interfering. The red light district of Clark, Philipines  Girls and customers Foreigners at the red light district […]

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]]> North Korea, a new perspective https://joelgugler.com/north-korea/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:35:51 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1196 40°27'21.6"N 124°55'18.8"EWe think of North Korea as a dark and evil place without much electricity, industry or cars, where people still live in huts so the regime can build nuclear weapons and eat cheese. That might indeed be the case, but those are perfect conditions for starlight photography.I hitchhiked there in the summer of '19, sneaked […]

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]]> Pridnestrovian Poverty https://joelgugler.com/poverty/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 08:05:26 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1611 46.8482° N, 29.5968° E Poverty in Transnistria is a large problem. In the poorest part of the poorest country of Europe poverty can be seen everywhere, especially in the rural areas. A general article regarding Transnistria is published here, in this article the poverty of this region will be highlighted. During Christmas of 2021 I had the […]

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]]> Escape from Morocco https://joelgugler.com/morocco/ Tue, 04 Feb 2025 22:59:46 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1029 From the Sahara to Europe 28.380071, -11.429568 Time and again, tales of young African men arriving on the shores of Europe in search of a better life have filled headlines. But who are these individuals, and what drives them to embark on such perilous journeys? In 2021 and 2022, I spent time in Morocco, shadowing […]

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]]> A truckers life https://joelgugler.com/trucks/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 12:37:21 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1296 Trucking life in Golmud, Tibet A trucker filling up fluids – Tamakuhi Raj, Uttar Pradesh, India Because many truckers in Asia have to drive for a very long time, alcoholism is rampant. Trucker in Xinjiang “Dijicl” – also known as, ‘Diesel‘ ‘Keep wait for side distance” Top speed 40 km/h Trucks are usually old and need frequent repairs […]

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]]> Panning https://joelgugler.com/panning/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 02:33:01 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1185 Panning is the art of following a moving object with a slow shutter, making the object freeze in the photo. It’s extremely difficult to pull off, but the effect is delightful.

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]]> A Different View https://joelgugler.com/different/ Wed, 05 Feb 2025 14:09:29 +0000 https://joelgugler.com/?p=1469 This series encompasses many things that seem normal in daily life and shows them (without the use of photoshop) in the way I as a photographer see them, in a different view. Diversity at Mirador mansion – 54-56B Nathan Rd, Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong     The mansion is next to another great mansion, the Chunking Mansions. Both inhabit an extremely […]

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