Sunday, December 25, 2022
Young Boy in School Uniform, Near Kisumu, Kenya, 2007
Fourteen years ago I was privileged to have access to a beautiful community in western Kenya, thanks to a foundation named MACODEF. We went from village to village, from school to school, in search of incredible people and stories. This school was on the outskirts of Kisumu, and we walked just to the side to make portraits of the entire student body. Some children had shoes and some lacked, while almost all of the children were wearing the only uniform that they possessed. The foundation is doing remarkable work given the conditions, and I applaud their efforts sincerely.
Sunday, June 26, 2022
Best Friends + School, Kisumu, Kenya, 2007
Fourteen years ago I was privileged to have access to a beautiful community in western Kenya, thanks to a foundation named MACODEF. We went from village to village, from school to school, in search of incredible people and stories. This school was on the outskirts of Kisumu, and we walked just to the side to make portraits of the entire student body. Some children had shoes and some lacked, while almost all of the children were wearing the only uniform that they possessed. The foundation is doing remarkable work given the conditions, and I applaud their efforts sincerely.
Thursday, March 17, 2022
Young Syrian + 9 Frames, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2018
When Customs Officials seized my film going into Cuba, I made a quick decision to salvage my summer and head to Lebanon. From Cuba I ordered the replacement film and flew back to the States immediately, then caught the plane to Lebanon with the new film!
I was so glad that I did, because the photography in Lebanon flourished. Here connections were made with further camps and countless new children. This young girl was as exquisite as any star and had the light on that afternoon to make portraits with the classic, Hollywood light!
What an experience!
Saturday, December 25, 2021
Table of Photographs, Madrasa, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019
I was lucky enough to have been in India prior to the pandemic in early 2020, while the rest of the world was dealing with the emergence of COVID-19. It was a more innocent time, one in which we sat and sorted out some 900 photographs to hand out at this school. Asking the men to help was useless, as only the girls recognized themselves and their friends. The rooms behind were some of my favorite spaces for portraits, exquisite light!
Friday, December 24, 2021
Muslim Girl + Classroom, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019
I really do miss this girl and her friends, and have the highest respect for their courage in the midst of indifference and intolerance. Their village is their world, and more exactly their home is their world. Unless they are attending school, they are almost always within the confines of their homes. School is a refuge for them, a place where they may learn and where they can be themselves among friends.
They’re fully aware of the hardships facing them and yet they persevere and endure through it all. In this classroom they could be themselves and act out their creative thoughts. It’s been an honor to be at their side all of these years.
Syrian Child + School, Near Zahle, Lebanon, 2019
It’s amazing to see such expressions of love on my first visit to a place. One, this is a conservative community. Two, the pictures are being made by a stranger to her camp. Three, I am Lebanese while she is Syrian.
In the end all three points are irrelevant. More than Arabic as a common language, it’s the language without words that matters most.
Here she is in front of the NGO school in her camp, expressing herself with that pose and smile!
Tuesday, December 21, 2021
9 Frames + 3 Girls, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2020
I can’t imagine taking only monochrome film with me to India and am grateful to have taken the chance years ago!
Thursday, December 24, 2020
Mursi Woman, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2020
Syrian Girls + Tent, Near Zahle, Lebanon, 2019
The darkroom has been the saving grace for this summer's inability to travel, especially to see my family in Lebanon... both blood and photographic. Moments like the one in this image are unforgettable, and inspire me to believe in a better future. These girls and their families were forced to leave their homeland of Syria due to the civil war, and have done their best to survive in Lebanon. We were finished with our photography for the afternoon and decided to have some fun with the digital camera. A bit of joking and they were off to the races with their laughter... missing moments like this, and will wait patiently until the next time!
Sunday, July 19, 2020
A Syrian Through the Loupes, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2019
A look through the loupes of a negative made last summer in Lebanon, of a Syrian refugee living in a camp near Zahle. While the pandemic has prevented me from seeing her and her family this summer, they are in my thoughts constantly. The printing of their negatives in the darkroom helps me relive our encounters from last year. She and her family have been living in Lebanon since the hostilities forced them to leave Syria. My hope is that one day they can return and rebuild their homes.
Website
Monday, June 22, 2020
Young Syrian + Scarf, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, 2019
As the series from last year in Lebanon continues, more and more familiar faces rise through the developer. This young girl lives but ten minutes away from my family's home in Zahle, and in the very first encampment which gave birth to my images in Lebanon over two decades.
Her portrait needed to be printed close up, cropped and large, embracing the grain of #kodaktrix and her incredibly strong expression!
Website
Thursday, October 3, 2019
Young Student + Classroom, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2019
What we are looking to do is establish four sewing centers, each supporting about 12 students. The students attend classes for two hours a day, and are supplied with fabric as well for their lessons. At the end of their course each will receive a sewing machine to take home.
A dozen people each putting $50 forward on a monthly basis is needed. Anyone interested in helping with this work may reach out to me directly. For those of us already supporting, this is our project and we are attempting to expand it. Your generosity is very much appreciated!
Website
Sunday, May 26, 2019
Young Girl + Window, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2018
When I post about the schools near her village, this is the expression that is on my mind. At such a young age she is able to look straight into the camera and speak to us of her life, unfiltered and without compromise.
It should be clear to all of us that her life is hard. For those of us with children can we imagine the skin of our children looking like hers? The bruises and cracks? For the teachers in this circle, how many would embrace this student and welcome her into their warm classrooms?
This is the work that is happening in her region. Thanks to Imdadullah Nadvi Nadvi and Kari Shokeen, a new school has begun which promises to be the model school in the region. Over 100 girls have enrolled and the message has reached the adjacent and distant villages alike.
We visited her school one morning thanks to the invitation of Imdadulla's cousin, who is also the headmaster of her school. As we walked through their classrooms we were met with the most expressive faces. The looked at us with shock, for they had never been visited by outsiders.
After a few minutes the shock turned into excitement, especially after they saw the camera. When asked to be photographed they took their time to sit down calmly and arrange their scarves. Each mini-session affected me deeply, and I am indebted to each one for the privilege.
Note: This frame was made with a Hasselblad 503CW and 100 mm lens.
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Niña Pequeña + Ventana, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2018
Cuando publico sobre las escuelas cerca de su aldea, esta es la expresión que tengo en mente. A su corta edad, puede mirar directamente a la cámara y hablarnos de su vida, sin filtros y sin compromisos.
Debe quedar claro para todos nosotros que su vida es dura. Para aquellos de nosotros con hijos, ¿podemos imaginarnos la piel de nuestros hijos como la de ella? ¿Los moretones y las grietas? Para los maestros en este círculo, ¿cuántos de ellos abrazarían a esta estudiante y la acogerían en sus cálidas aulas?
Este es el trabajo que está sucediendo en su región. Gracias a Imdadullah Nadvi Nadvi y Kari Shokeen, ha comenzado una nueva escuela que promete ser la escuela modelo en la región. Más de 100 niñas se han inscrito y el mensaje ha llegado a aldeas adyacentes y distantes.
Una mañana, visitamos su escuela gracias a la invitación del primo de Imdadulla, que también es el director de su escuela. Mientras caminábamos por sus aulas, nos encontramos con las caras más expresivas. Nos miraron con sorpresa, porque nunca habían sido visitados por extranjeros.
Después de unos minutos, la conmoción se convirtió en emoción, especialmente después de ver la cámara. Cuando se les pidió que los fotografiaran, se tomaron su tiempo para sentarse con calma y arreglar su ropa. Cada mini-sesión me afectó profundamente y estoy en deuda con cada uno por el privilegio.
Website
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503CW/100 mm combination.
Saturday, October 27, 2018
Young Student, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2015
This young girl lives in a small village inside of Uttar Pradesh, India. She attends a religious school for four hours a day. Her parents have little faith in the government school, and such is reflected in its attendance daily. The community however believes in the Madrasa and we will soon establish a wonderful school within her own village. Presently we are supporting a sewing center and we hope to connect the students with the marketplace soon!
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad V system, mounted with a 180 mm lens.
Monday, October 22, 2018
Young Student + Window, Koranic Madrasa, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2018
This past year in India witnessed the opening of the realization of something quite special, the opening of a new school for girls in Uttar Pradesh under the guidance of Nirvanavan Foundation. Five years after my first visit to the region we have come together in an interfaith manner to promote the education of girls in a region where such is oftentimes missing.
This young girl attends a madrasa in her village as well. The headmaster is a cousin to our leader in the region, and we were invited to see the school for ourselves. For the moment the madrasa concentrates on Koranic training, as well as Arabic lessons. We hope in the near future that we can gain enough support to also begin a school within this madrasa... a school where this young student may have access to a fuller curriculum which includes Hindi, Urdu, Science, Mathematics, Art and so on.
Her school stands on its own in the middle of wheat fields, and this windows faces one of those fields. It faces south with the sun setting to our right in viewing her portrait. We walked into the four classrooms and asked the girls of each classroom to follow us into this unused space. The windows let in the most beautiful light. The camera was set against the wall and the tripod had to be tilted between each exposure to advance the film.
She sat down so patiently for a roll of film. The entire time her bright eyes remained focused intently on the lens, never wavering for one second. This is even more incredible in light of the scene, two complete strangers there to make her portrait perhaps for the first time in her life.
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm lens combination and scanned roughly through the clear sleeve for preview only.
Monday, November 6, 2017
Young Student + Home, Rajasthan, India, 2017
She lives right next to Nirvanavan Foundation's Advaita Garden. Her walk to school takes less than a few minutes, and she does so with her younger brother and sister. She is at times shy and at times outgoing. When she smiles she does so completely, and when she is noticed she will usually run away in joy.
Her independence is remarkable, for she lives in a home without neighbors. She lives with her three siblings, parents and grandparents. Every minute of her day seems busy, from helping her mother with chores to caring for her younger siblings.
Usually when I photograph her I do so alone, without help from the foundation. We communicate with a few common words, and with hand gestures. Her parents know me well enough and allow me to interact with their children freely, quite remarkable for such a society. While this is wonderful, it makes for some very difficult photography. Child psychology would have been a smart minor to have taken in college!
There are few instances when my work demands color film, and this is certainly one of them. Everyone at the foundation has noticed her beauty, and her eyes. Whenever I mention her name, the teachers nod in agreement. Hopefully in four months she will allow me to document her once again, and color film will certainly be included in my bag in case she does!
Website
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination.
Monday, October 30, 2017
Young Student + Madrasa, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2017
For those of us working with this school, and for those of us looking to join, we present this young student's portrait. This was her first year with us, and she took to the camera in the most natural of ways. Her features were exquisite, and certainly without equal. She had a way about her expressions, beyond confident while being photographed for the first time in her life.
She lives in a village near a mystical river, surrounded by the most sublime fields. The village itself is quite small, yet it has a government school and a madrasa. While all of the children are registered in the government school, few actually attend. We visited the school on many occasions to see the well-meaning teachers sitting around with less than a dozen students playing in the courtyard.
This is the thought of our host from the village, and it is his intention to try and change the standing of the village's children. He runs the local madrasa and would like a formal curriculum introduced. Thanks to those involved, we have begun the search for three teachers at this time, and have also organized a list of sewing students who are more than ready to begin classes.
Later this year, guided by Nirvana and his team, the formal curriculum will be introduced and the sewing machines will start turning as well!
Website
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.
Tuesday, September 19, 2017
Three Friends + Rooftop, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2017
At times when it seems this work will fall short, my mind drifts far away to this village and thinks of these students. They are and have always been the inspiration behind the work. It is for them that so many of you have come together, and it is for them that Nirvana Bodhisattva and his team at Nirvanavan Foundation move forward in this region.
These are the younger students from the village, yet have had almost four years of experience with the photography. Earlier this year we discovered photography in this room and my work was reborn. They have given so much to me, and thanks to all of you the work is going to give back so much to them.
As in the previous posts, I am honored to notify all of you that 50% of the funding is on its way and the remaining 50% has already been raised.
Congratulations to all of you, to all of the girls in Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh!
Website
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.
Sunday, September 17, 2017
Students + Rooftop, Shamli District, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2017
For those of us involved with this new school, and for those interested in joining, these two students share their smiles. Thanks to the guidance of Nirvana and the hard work of his team at Nirvanavan Foundation, much of the groundwork has already been accomplished and we are poised to join Imdadullah and his community in Shamli District.
While the education of the students is of primary importance, we have arranged to establish sewing centers in four villages as well. This will provide an alternative to the parents who may feel uncomfortable sending their girls to secondary schools far away from their villages, as is the case in this region.
The school in which these two stand will also be painted beautifully this year, as a gesture of goodwill to a community which has given so much. The children are truly selfless and give of themselves without hesitation. Their elders have been so kind, and have taught me many lessons over the past four years.
Early next year I will join these very girls in this room, and share the love from this very circle with them... thank you all!
Website
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.
Tuesday, June 20, 2017
Ballerina + Beach, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2016
As summer nears my mind wanders to the beaches of Cuba, and the dancers kind enough to allow this collaboration. This young dancer and her parents have been involved in my work for the past two years, and my hope is that this summer makes three.
We were fortunate enough to have found her as we waited for one of our families in front of the dance school. That morning we were looking for a young dancer to take the role of an apprentice to our veteran dancer. She then appeared seemingly out of nowhere, on the back of her father's bicycle. We knew immediately that she was the one, and the rest is history as is often said.
On the day of this image, we picked her and her parents up from their home in Havana and headed for the beach. We were lucky enough to have sunshine in the late afternoon on the island, and took advantage of the light. She was very courageous and climbed up to be photographed, embracing her moment in the spotlight.
She lives to dance, and takes photography just as seriously. Her family's acceptance humbles me truly, and even more so in that they go out of their way to ask for inclusion in my work. I look forward to this summer, and hope to do better for her and her parents.
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A medida que el verano se acerca, mi mente vaga por las playas de Cuba, y los bailarines son lo suficientemente amables como para permitir esta colaboración. Esta joven bailarina y sus padres han estado involucrados en mi trabajo durante los últimos dos años, y mi esperanza es que este verano sean tres.
Tuvimos la suerte de haberla encontrado mientras esperábamos a una de nuestras familias frente a la escuela de danza. Esa mañana buscábamos a un joven bailarín para que asumiera el papel de aprendiz de nuestro bailarín veterano. Luego apareció aparentemente de la nada, en la parte trasera de la bicicleta de su padre. Inmediatamente supimos que ella era la única, y el resto es historia, como se suele decir.
El día de esta imagen, los recogimos a ella ya sus padres de su casa en La Habana y nos dirigimos a la playa. Tuvimos la suerte de tener sol en la tarde en la isla, y aprovechamos la luz. Ella fue muy valiente y se subió para ser fotografiada, abrazando su momento en el centro de atención.
Ella vive para bailar, y toma la fotografía con la misma seriedad. La aceptación de su familia me humilla de verdad, y más aún porque hacen todo lo posible para pedir la inclusión en mi trabajo. Espero con ansias este verano y espero hacerlo mejor para ella y sus padres.
Website
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.













