Vita Born in Norway in 1963, Morten Hvaal grew up travelling extensively all over the world. His interest in photography started as a teenager when his father let him use his camera. After starting by opening the camera and ruining his fathers photographs, he improved somewhat, and became an award-winning international documentary photographer, writer and filmmaker. Since 1982 Hvaal has covered mainly conflicts and humanitarian crises all over the world. He is represented by World Picture News. Career highlights include: Several years of international assignments for The Associated Press. Published in many international outlets, including: Time Magazine, Newsweek, USA Today, Der Spiegel, Stern, Paris Match, Economist, BBC, CNN, and most major newspapers. Exhibitions in Paris, London, Oslo, Frankfurt, Amsterdam, Gothenburg, Milan, Maputo, Kampala, Cape Town, Bangkok, Copenhagen and New York. Founding member of the Board of Directors of the Media 19 Foundation. Recent projects include "Orphan Voices" exhibition of photography in combination with art by children orphaned by Aids in Africa: Opened in Oslo by Her Majesty Queen Sonja of Norway. Private, pre-opening show of exhibition for His Excellency United Nations General Secretary Kofi Annan. Exhibition has travelled extensively: United Nations Headquarters in New York. Maputo, Mozambique, where it was opened by Their Royal Highnesses Crown Prince Haakon and Crown Princess Mette Marit of Norway. Kampala, Uganda. London, Unite Kingdom. "Orphan Voices" book of photography in combination with art by children orphaned by Aids in Africa: Published in English and Norwegian, with foreword by Her Royal Highness Princess Märtha Louise of Norway. Clients and collaborators include: Nobel Peace Centre. Member of the planning committee. United Nations Children's Fund, UNICEF. Projects include HIV/AIDS in southern Africa and child soldiers in Uganda, Congo and Sudan. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation, UNESCO. Projects include HIV/AIDS in south-east Asia. International Labour Organisation, ILO. Projects include women's rights in southern Africa. Joint United Nations Program on HIV/AIDS, UNAIDS. Projects include children orphaned by AIDS in southern Africa and Uganda. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, UNHCR. Projects include wars in Afghanistan, Sudan, Bosnia and others. www.mortenhvaal.com

The OLYMPUS E-System and OM-series are extremely well suited to what I do. Documentary photojournalism, often in hostile environments can be hard on cameras and photographers. I need a rugged, reliable, compact and lightweight camera that produces excellent image quality. The E-1 has proven to be such a camera. At half the size and weight of its competitors, with excellent lenses, environmental seals that work and very good ergonomics it doesn't just look good in brochures, it helps me get the job done in the field. I haven't mentioned the sensor dust-removal system yet, simply because it hasn't crossed my mind. I have dragged my E-1s through some of the dustiest places on the planet, changing lenses whenever I felt like it. I have never cleaned the sensor, and I have never seen a single speck of dust on any of my photographs. In my more than 20 years in photography, I have worked with just about every make and model of camera. The E-1 almost seems to have been designed specifically for what I do. It is extremely well-suited for documentary photography, general photojournalism, and I'm sure, for the advanced amateur. Rather than trying to include every conceivable technical possibility, which would have resulted in a huge, heavy, battery-devouring monster, Olympus have made the right choices, and created a classic.