Making Tea, Rajasthan, India, 2008

Over a dozen years ago my photography began thanks to a collaboration with Humana India. We were documenting a dozen schools in Rajasthan, including one in this village. In this image the teacher's mother was making tea for us after the photography.

Last year I visited this very village and sat down across from this building. We spoke with her family and all remembered us perfectly. What we learned is that the government school has vastly improved and that most of the children were now attending the school. We had very little time and were unable to photograph in the village. However next year I look forward to revisiting these villages photographically. 

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Young Girl + Tree, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019

For those of us interested in supporting my work in India, here is a series of a student in one of the schools. She attends a school in a small village, a new school opened just this year. The headmaster did so because he felt that he could provide a better education than the existing schools in his village.

It is his own land, and he used his own money to build the school. We were so impressed with his sacrifices that, after speaking with the other headmasters, we decided to pay for the school to be finished. Our wonderful friend Tasavvar Gujjarbrought his incredible team to plaster and paint the school.

It's the first building one sees as one approaches the village. The color chosen is a bright green, with a brown border at the bottom. It is absolutely beautiful!

So here she stands in front of the tree in the courtyard. My friends assumed that I wanted her to raise her head and asked her to do so. Immediately I asked them to leave her alone. She remained so calm, and slowly raised her head frame after frame.

She really does love to be photographed, just loves to do so in her own way. When she is in class and I look her way, every single time she smiles, looks down slowly and turns her head to her friends. She is a lovely girl, and for her I present this work.

=====

Para aquellos de nosotros interesados ​​en apoyar mi trabajo en India, aquí hay una serie de un estudiante en una de las escuelas. Ella asiste a una escuela en un pequeño pueblo, una nueva escuela abrió solo este año. El director lo hizo porque sentía que podía proporcionar una mejor educación que las escuelas existentes en su pueblo.

Es su propia tierra, y utilizó su propio dinero para construir la escuela. Estábamos tan impresionados con sus sacrificios que, después de hablar con los otros directores, decidimos pagar para que terminara la escuela. Nuestro maravilloso amigo Tasavvar Gujjar llevó a su increíble equipo a enlucir y pintar la escuela.

Es el primer edificio que uno ve cuando se acerca al pueblo. El color elegido es un verde brillante, con un borde marrón en la parte inferior. ¡Es absolutamente hermoso!

Así que aquí ella está parada frente al árbol en el patio. Mis amigos asumieron que quería que ella levantara la cabeza y le pidieron que lo hiciera. Inmediatamente les pedí que la dejaran sola. Permaneció tan tranquila y lentamente levantó la cabeza cuadro tras cuadro.

A ella realmente le encanta que la fotografíen, simplemente le encanta hacerlo a su manera. Cuando está en clase y miro en su dirección, cada vez que sonríe, baja la mirada lentamente y vuelve la cabeza hacia sus amigos. Es una niña encantadora, y para ella le presento este trabajo.

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Lunchtime, Rajasthan, India, 2008

Over a dozen years ago this is how my experience began in India, with the wonderful people of Humana People to People India. They have continued doing their great work to this day and have flourished thanks to the vision of its people, and the resilience of the Indian people.

Here the team members and villagers work together to prepare the meal for the event! 

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Daynelis, Artemisa, Cuba, 2015

Si bien las redes sociales tienen sus aspectos negativos, también tienen el potencial de unir a las personas. Tal sucedió hoy cuando esta joven amable me encontró. Hace muchos años visitamos su ciudad con mi querida amiga Gysleda Virginia De La Barca Vega, ya que ella enseñaba modelaje fuera de La Habana. Disfrutamos las clases y también hicimos algunos videos. Luego hablamos con algunas de las modelos y organizamos una sesión para otro día. Este retrato se hizo entonces, cuando nos encontramos en Artemisa y encontramos un gran lugar entre dos campos de cultivo. Nuestra conversación de hoy fue sinceramente satisfactoria y esperamos encontrarnos en Cuba el próximo verano. Gracias a Daynelis!

While social media has its negatives, it also has the potential to bring people together. Such happened today when this young, kind woman found me. Many years ago we visited her city with my dear friend Gysleda, as she was teaching modeling outside of La Habana. We enjoyed the classes and made some video as well. Afterwards we talked with a few of the models and set up a session for another day. This portrait was made then, as we met in Artemisa and found a great spot between two farm fields. Our conversation today was sincerely satisfying and we hope to meet in Cuba next summer. Thank you Daynelis!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Granizado + Edificios, La Habana, Cuba, 2018

Mis amigos cubanos conocen el significado de esta imagen. Un verano en la isla no es un verano sin visitas diarias a este puesto y a otros en la ciudad. Hay algo especial en esas botellas, especialmente en esas tardes calientes y húmedas ... ¡y es por eso que todas están vacías!

My Cuban friends know the signifance of this image. A summer on the island is not a summer without daily visits to this stand, and others around the city. There is something special in those bottles, especially on those hot and humid afternoons... and that's why all of them are empty!

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram

Anais + Campo, Outside of Havana, Cuba, 2018

¡Espero que el paso de dos años haga que el próximo verano en Cuba sea mucho más creativo! En esta serie condujimos al campo y buscamos lugares como este patio. Hablamos con la dueña de la casa y obtuvimos permiso para fotografiar.

Como todas nuestras sesiones, trabajamos solos. Anays puede ser creativa sin la necesidad de un productor, un director, un estilista o un maquillador. En su forma más simple, disfrutamos de la fotografía, utilizando solo luz natural y lugares encontradas.

En mi humilde opinión, lo que ella ha podido crear es verdaderamente atemporal, sin comparación.

-----

My hope is that the passing of two years will make next summer in Cuba that much more creative! In this series we drove out to the countryside and looked for places such as this patio. We spoke with the owner of the home and gained permission to photograph. 

Like all of our sessions, we work alone. Anays is able to be creative without the need for a producer, a director, a stylist or a make-up artist. In its simplest form we enjoy photography, using only natural light and found locations. 

In my humble opinion, what she has been able to create is truly timeless, without comparison. 

Website

Tumblr

Twitter

Facebook
Instagram