Phil Borges (born 1942) is a humanitarian photographer. Borges has been a humanitarian photographer since the 1970s with his notable works being photographs of Tibetans who fled to Nepal, including the Dalai Lama. He found inspiration from Ron Zak who encouraged central themes through 'bodies of work'. This led to Phil Borges's signature style of black and white portraits with the subject's skin toned in. His largest influences were Irving Penn and Edward Curtis. Among several humanitarian efforts are: a project called Enduring Spirit for Amnesty International, which is to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights; and The Gift, documenting dental, cleft-lip and burn marks surgery for underprivileged children done by volunteer American doctors. Perhaps most ambitious is BRIDGES to Understanding, a project "that connects children worldwide through digital storytelling".
Notable Works
Books:
- Enduring Spirit
- Tibetan Portrait
- The Gift
- Women Empowered (Inspiring Change in the Emerging World)
Collections:
- Spirit of Place
External links
- Official Phil Borges website
- BRIDGES to Understanding site
- lecture/slideshow Phil Borges presentation at the 2006 TED Conference
- Phil Borges: Building Bridges with Photography - Larry Singer, Rangefinder Magazine, January 2006
