Committing to a photography project takes passion, dedication, and it always takes money.  Self-funded projects are proof of a photographer's dedication to the story they want to tell the world.  I want to focus on two extraordinary projects that are pushing forward right now, projects you can help to see the light of day.

Marissa Roth has been photographing woman in war zones for 28 years.  She has brought her work together into "One Person Crying: Women and War," and a Kickstarter campaign to help with the expense of producing a traveling exhibition of the work. As Roth says,

"The consequences of war for women in countries, cultures and communities that are directly affected by it, have often been overlooked. My main hope for this project is to show that war doesn’t discriminate how it metes out pain or suffering, that women are basically the same everywhere in how they endure war and live with its aftermath into their post-war lives."

From Serbia to Vietnam to Afghanistan and Northern Ireland, Roth has photographed and interviewed women to hear their stories and record them for others to hear.  The project is now finishing, and The Museum of Tolerance in Los Angeles will be debuting a major exhibition of this work on August 16th, with 88 black and white photographs.  But Roth is looking to take this project further, and bring it to audiences everywhere.  That's how important it is.

You can help make this happen here:

Jason Florio and Helen Jones-Florio are passionate explorers who have made The Gambia, Africa their particular focus.  In 2009 they walked the length of the country.  WALKED the length of the country, a total of 930km!  This time out they are going on a river journey, a 1000km journey through three countries: Guinea, Senegal and The Gambia, following the Gambia River.

The Florios want to create a modern-day account of the people, societies, and life along the length of one of Africa’s last, free-flowing, major rivers. There have been rumors that the river is to be dammed, and the Florios want to try and document the people and environment before it happens.

They plan on traveling by canoe and foot through the homelands of over seven different tribes.  The journey will,

"begin at the source of the river, where it trickles out of the Fouta Djallon highlands, of Guinea, on into hippo-abundant Niokolo Koba National Park, Senegal, and finally into The Republic of the Gambia - following the same course as the early gold and slave traders had done century’s ago – to the 10km wide mouth of the river, where it opens into the Atlantic Ocean." 

To fund their expedition the Florios are reaching out for sponsors and donations of money and equipment through their website, and where, for just $25 you have a chance to win a print from Jason Florio. 

"An Exchange – print draw: Just $25/£16 puts your name in the hat and you could pull out one of Jason Florio’s fine art photography prints – Deadline 31st August 2012"

You can read more from Jason here. And follow their journey here and on Facebook. 

And please consider donating  here

These photographers are working hard to tell stories not being told anywhere else.  And it's important to support these independent endeavors.  I have and I hope you will join me.  The returns are going to be fantastic!