Showing posts with label Analog. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Analog. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 29, 2021
Tamy + Baseball Field, Countryside, Cuba, 2018
Wednesday, December 22, 2021
Joven + Campo, Guanabacoa, Cuba, 2018
Sometimes I love taking a square negative and filling up the space of an 11x14 print. That was the case with this young girl's portrait from the countryside of Cuba. It has been my honor to photograph her and her family for the past five years, and I hope that she and her family are safe during these difficult times.
Sunday, March 28, 2021
Claudia, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2014
Hace más de diez años conocí a esta joven por casualidad, mientras visitábamos la casa de su familia para hablar con su prima sobre fotografía. De alguna manera se enteró de que estábamos allí y entró corriendo. Ella no dijo nada, pero sus ojos hablaban perfectamente. Ella aceptó ser incluida y desde entonces nunca ha abandonado mi trabajo.
Ahora ella misma es una artista y crea imágenes similares en contenido a su retrato cercano. Me enorgullece verla crecer como artista y sabía que tendría éxito independientemente de sus opciones profesionales. Ella es un camaleón como modelo, tal como muestran estas dos imágenes. Tiene una presencia genuina frente a la cámara que todo fotógrafo puede apreciar.
¡Esperamos que 2021 sea amable con ella y le traiga mucho éxito!
Thursday, March 4, 2021
Best Friends + Home for Mentally/Physically Challenged, Kisumu, Kenya, 2007
Over thirteen years ago her portrait was made during a visit to eastern Kenya. Thanks to the kindness of a foundation called Maragoli Community Development Foundation, we visited many schools as well as homes for children with special needs. On this day we visited a school on the outskirts of the city and photographed its students against the backdrop of a school wall. This was the only dress that they owned, and had put them on as we arrived. Their hardships are unimaginable and this is an improvement over experiences with their own families, with some chained to trees for much of the time. Now they are in great hands with a passionate team.
Note: printed in the darkroom just today onto fiber paper, tones in selenium for permanence.
Monday, February 8, 2021
Massai + Me, Kisumu, Kenya, 2007
While making sure all film rolls have been scanned, this frame ran across the screen. It dates back to 2007 and my time with the Masai of eastern Kenya. A dear friend Nga Nga made it all possible, and allowed me to meet an very kind community. I am glad that Nga Nga used my camera to make this image, and look forward to my return to their community one day in the future. After we finished our session in the countryside, this group of men decided to walk back to town rather than take a bus... a walk of around 10 kilometers in the hot sun. What inspirations!
Monday, January 11, 2021
Luis Miguel + Las Canchas, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2018
This image brings so many memories back from my last summer in Cuba. It was the last time I was allowed into the country with my film. My hope is that we can make arrangements to return with my film in order to make such images. Thanks to Luis Miguel and his creativity we had a great morning at this racquetball court just off of the beaches of Santa Maria. This is perhaps my favorite place on the island for photography, and I look forward to another morning there.
Friday, January 8, 2021
Bailarina + Plaza, Habana Vieja, Cuba, 2018
Esta noche en mi apartamento estoy escaneando los rollos del verano pasado en Cuba. Se ha seleccionado una imagen para compartir esta noche, un recordatorio de una tarde especial con Iberodance.
Estábamos haciendo un video esa tarde, moviéndonos de una plaza a otra. Después de terminar esa parte del video, estábamos a punto de pasar a la siguiente plaza cuando le pregunté al equipo por unos minutos.
Cuatro de los bailarines se quedaron atrás e hicimos una docena de fotografías. Esta es una de las bailarinas y esta es solo una de las fotografías realizadas. Fue una tarde mágica y estoy agradecido a la compañía por esta imagen memorable.
¡Iberodance, hasta nuestra próxima vez juntos!
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Tonight in my apartment I am scanning the rolls from the past summer in Cuba. One image has been selected to share this evening, a reminder of a special afternoon with Iberodance.
We were making a video on that afternoon, moving from one plaza to another. After we finished that part of the video we were about to move to the next plaza when I asked the team for a few minutes.
Four of the dancers remained behind and we made a dozen photographs. This is one of the dancers and this is just one of the photographs made. It was a magical afternoon and I am thankful to the company for this memorable image.
Iberodance, until our next time together!
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Tamy y Museo, La Habana, Cuba, 2018
Every once in a while a photographer faces their creative equal, a person who helps them elevate their art. This has been my experience with the magnificent Tamy. She challenges me on every level, and for such I am eternally grateful.
De vez en cuando, un fotógrafo se enfrenta a sus iguales creativos, una persona que les ayuda a elevar su arte. Esta ha sido mi experiencia con la magnífica Tamy. Ella me desafía en todos los niveles, y por eso estoy eternamente agradecida.
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Lya y Heriberto, La Habana, Cuba, 2018
En seis meses espero estar en ese espacio familiar con los talentosos bailarines y modelos de Cuba. Hay una rara combinación de seriedad y comedia que hace que nuestras colaboraciones sea tan hermosa. Todo interesado en ésta colaboración envíame tus sueños y hagamos un gran verano!
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
Melissa y Alejandra, Santa Maria Del Mar, Cuba, 2018
Quedan seis meses antes de mi verano en Cuba y espero que creemos imágenes como esta para mi familia fotográfica en la isla. Aquí tenemos una imagen del verano pasado con Melissa Martin y Nanda Aab.
Gracias al Plymouth de Idiovel Alvarez, pudimos llegar a Santa Maria del Mar temprano en la mañana. Bravo es una palabra que usaría para describir a estas dos jóvenes, porque entramos en el agua de inmediato.
Es un honor tener esta oportunidad y poder colaborar de esta manera. Mientras que otros buscan documentar la isla a distancia, mi enfoque es tener una conversación completa e incluir los sueños de las personas en estas imágenes.
Al hacerlo, las fotografías se convierten en una colaboración equitativa entre el fotógrafo y el modelo. Mi esperanza es que este verano me lleve más profundamente en la vida de mis amigos, y que nuevos amigos se unan a nosotros.
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Six months before my summer in Cuba, and my hope is that we create images like this for my photographic family on the island. Here we have an image from last summer with Melisa and Nanda.
Thanks to Idiovel's Plymouth, we were able to arrive at Santa Maria del Mar early in the morning. Brave is one word I would use to describe these two young girls, because we entered the water immediately.
It is an honor to be given this chance, and to be allowed to collaborate in this way. While others seek to document the island from a distance, my approach is to have a full conversation and to include the dreams of the people in these images.
In doing so the photographs become an equal collaboration between photographer and model. My hope is that this summer takes me deeper into the lives of my friends, and that new friends will join us.
Note: These images were made with a Fuji GA645i onto glorious film.
Man + Horse, Countryside, Cuba, 2018
Hay unas semanas antes del verano en Cuba. Por supuesto, me gustaría hacer arte con los bailarines y modelos, pero también debemos incluir a los magníficos cubanos que viven fuera de la ciudad.
There are a few weeks before the summer in Cuba. Of course I would like to do art with the dancers and models, but we must also include the magnificent Cubans who live outside the city too!
Lya + Heriberto, La Habana, Cuba, 2018
En un mes espero estar en ese espacio familiar con los talentosos bailarines y modelos de Cuba. Hay una rara combinación de seriedad y comedia que hace que nuestras colaboraciones sea tan hermosa. Todo interesado en ésta colaboración envíame tus sueños y hagamos un gran verano!
Wednesday, December 23, 2020
Luis Miguel + Enlarged Proof, Havana, Cuba, 2018
Hoy fue un día maravilloso en el cuarto oscuro, con los rollos cubanos del 2018. Hace dos años hicimos estas imágenes, pero siento que fuimos a Santa María del Mar apenas ayer. Gracias al Prof. Gysleda, conocí a esta magnífica bailarina. En menos de dos horas, Luis Miguel cambió muchas veces y me ayudó a crear algo especial. Los recuerdos de ese día siempre estarán conmigo, y ahora están en esta foto para que todos los vean también.
¡Gracias mi querido hermano Luis Miguel, y Idiovel por su apoyo!
Note: Proof enlarged from the 120 roll to 16x20 Ilford fiber paper, tones in selenium and washing for the next two hours.
Sunday, December 20, 2020
Tree Forest, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, India, 2020
My walks thru this small forest on the outskirts of town always reward me with images, this being just one example. This image holds more meaning for me because it was during my quarantine. While I wore my mask and kept to myself, four young men seemed to feel that they could impose themselves on me and require my attention. It was a bit harrowing at times until finally my friend Nami came to collect me. Only then did they disperse. I have this image as a reminder of the good in the face of the bad.
Note: the Fuji 645 negative was printed onto 11x14 Ilford Warmtone Fiber Paper, tones in Selenium and sitting on the screen to dry overnight.
Thursday, November 12, 2020
Young Syrian + Loupes, Darkroom, Cleveland, 2020
Next up in the darkroom is her portrait, made last year while in Lebanon. While I was there by choice, her family was forced to live under these circumstances after fleeing the violence in Syria. Today in the darkroom is dedicated to her and her friends.
Saturday, November 13, 2010
Vamptress LeeAnna, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010
One month before my visit to California, a few dozen messages are sent to models in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Out of those few dozen messages, two dozen responses are received. Out of those two dozen responses, a handful respond in the manner of the young woman above.
Her name is LeeAnna. As my messages are sent out her messages arrive. She is precise and dedicated to the thought of our collaboration. She reaches out to other models in my list, shares with them her vision. She never gives up, even after two then three then four models fade out of communication.
On the very day that we are to photograph, a model informs me of her cancellation as we are driving to the location. It seems that her boyfriend feels that this location is secluded even though it is a popular park and tourists abound in addition to the park authorities. The compassion that LeeAnna shows me and my work erases such negative experiences for me and restores my faith in humanity.
She has photographed with accomplished photographers, has worked on extensive projects. Yet she makes the time to meet me almost two hours away from her home, without a hair stylist or a make-up artist on location. She agrees to be photographed in the sun and with the wind in her hair. We select one location only to find clouds over that location. We then make a spontaneous decision to meet at another location, near a place called Mormon's Rocks. All this is done while driving separately from different locations.
We meet at the local McDonald's and look around only to see clouds again. My experience, although limited in the area, tells me that the sun will be shining twenty minutes further up the highway. With an unlimited sense of faith in the project, LeeAnna and her wonderful companion decide to follow me in search of light. We drive twenty or so minutes and find that sun, albeit in between clouds.
We take an exit and drive to find a neutral background. We park on the side of a building and organize ourselves, me with my equipment and LeeAnna with her attire. We make close portraits of her, waiting for the sun in between clouds to shine. We are fortunate to be able to expose a few rolls and then decide to make full body images. A small electrical box serves the function of a stand and brave LeeAnna stands on top of it for the last series of images.
She is proud, she is elegant in her stances. In the middle of suburban sprawl, she shows us a most beautiful spirit, shows the other girls and women in my portfolio their sister from California. She looks past all of the buildings, all of the plazas. She looks to her compatriots in Asia and in Africa, shares with them her smile and her strength.
She is an inspiration to me, to them.
We conclude our session and cannot find enough words to thank each other. This most beautiful of women and her companion on this day have shown me the meaning of friendship, of kindness and of love. This will be shared with the others in my portfolio, they will feel it through her portraits.
Thursday, June 18, 2009
A Girl Named Yari, Havana, Cuba, 2005
At the end of our day, we return to our home base on the Malecon, near the hotel. We sit down for a few minutes and enjoy a homemade mixture of frozen fruits. When my friend's son appears, he is instructed to collect a young girl from the neighborhood. My friend's face lights up with the possibility, knowing my constant search for new faces.
Here she walks in, in the darkness of the Havana night, into the room. Nothing prepares me for her features, lit even in the darkest of rooms. She stands there amazed at our amazement, 'why would anyone be so interested in her features' her expression seems to say.
We agree on returning early the next day to photograph her.
We search for many places and then settle on the sidewalk on the side of the Malecon facing the open sky and the waters. She sits down on the sidewalk and gives me less than a dozen images, each with its own expression. She shows a composure few else have shown me, she understands our purpose.
After this first day and over the next five years, she continues to give me her portrait.
When asked what she would like, she answers 'to be a model' without skipping a beat. Her image is included with the rest on Model Mayhem and receives more comments and views than any other in my portfolio. Behind the fame, she lives in a small one room apartment with her mother and step-father. She walks to school every day and has her 'Quince' without the pomp otherwise associated with this most special celebration, because her family has so little.
She is educated, well-spoken, trained in dance, socially aware, respectful of her elders. She has dreams and a vision, she is at an age when she sees the world around her and understands the realities, she is at a crossroad.
Her mother calls her 'Yari.'
Her portrait is for sale with her knowledge, all proceeds will go to support her dreams.
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