Showing posts with label Color. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Color. Show all posts

Monday, January 23, 2023

Young Girl, Banjara Community, Rajasthan, India


Between 2006 and 2010, this tribe was photographed in collaboration with the good people of Humana People to People India. In the beginning, this specific tribe was associated with a foundation school near Behror, Rajasthan. They then move further away in order to remove themselves from the urban chaos and in search of their more traditional way of life.

This resulted in their children losing access to the foundation's school, one in which they are enrolled for about three hours per day, outside of their daily chores and work duties. While outside of class, these children collect plastic and so forth in order to sell in bulk later. They also approach certain people for donations in the streets.

As noted in Wikipedia, 'women are known to wear colorful and beautiful costumes and have tattoos on their hands.The dress is considered fancy and attractive by Western cultures. They use mirror chips and often coins to decorate it. Women put on thick bangles on their arms Their ornaments are made up of silver rings, coins,chain and hair pleat are tied together at the end by Chotla.'

Note: canvas print 36” x 36”

Thursday, December 29, 2022

Man + House, Campo, Cuba


I do miss the days when we used to drive into the countryside. We’d never know who we were going to run into, and the sessions were both instant and spontaneous. Great times with genuine people!

Thursday, December 8, 2022

2 Girls +9 Frames, 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… the colors of the shawls and faces in Uttar Pradesh!

Wednesday, November 23, 2022

Proof of Friends, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2018


I can’t imagine taking only monochrome film with me to India and am grateful to have taken the chance years ago… the colors of the shawls and faces in Uttar Pradesh. These two girls live in the village which hosts me during my time in that state. From this village we travel in the mornings to various madrasas in order to make portraits of their students. Every once in a while we stay in the village and make portraits of the children in the village. To know that these students live within a few blocks of where my host family lives is a remarkable feeling. Seeing them walking by as we sit at the house in the middle of the day is even more amazing.

Banjara Elder + Tent, Rajasthan, India

Looking back at my experiences with the Banjara community in Rajasthan, and grateful for their permission to make their portraits. This picture really brings back fond memories of those early days, as we searched for a young girl named Sharda. She was photographed by me on my first visit to India, when I was documenting the great work by Humana People to People India. Ever since that year we looked for her, and found her at this camp when we photographed her yet again years later.

 

Monday, November 21, 2022

Day Laborers + Government Project, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, India, 2020


I can’t imagine taking only monochrome film with me to India and am grateful to have taken the chance years ago and especially during last year’s quarantine in Rajasthan!

Thank you Nami Gujjar!

Saturday, December 26, 2020

Jessica y Juan Alberto, Las Canchas, La Habana, 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 recuerdo de una mañana especial.

El año pasado fue maravilloso por muchas razones, y especialmente porque me dieron el honor de fotografiar a tres hermosas compañías de danza. De una de esas compañías vienen estos dos bailarines increíblemente talentosos.

Después de ver su actuación una noche, me inspiré para fotografiarlos. Gracias a mi querida amiga Tamy, esta colaboración fue posible. Acordamos una mañana y fuimos a las canchas para nuestra sesión.

Su profesionalismo fue impresionante, ya que estaban listos casi de inmediato. Tenían una visión maravillosa, y fue un placer ver su colaboración detrás de la cámara.

¡Gracias a Tamy Glez, Jorge, Jessica Gómez y Juan Alberto Reyes Perez por permitirme el privilegio de colaborar con ellos... hasta este verano!

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This night in my apartment I am scanning the rolls from last summer in Cuba. An image has been selected to share tonight, a memory of a special morning.

Last year was marvelous for many reasons, and especially because I was given the honor of photographing three beautiful dance companies. From one such company come these two incredibly talented dancers.

After watching their performance one evening, I was inspired to photograph them. Thanks to my dear friend Tamy, this collaboration was made possible. We agreed on a morning and drove out to the racquetball courts for our session. 

Their professionalism was impressive, as they were ready almost immediately. They had wonderful vision, and it was a pleasure to watch their collaboration from behind the camera.

Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/180 mm combination onto color positive film.




Friday, November 23, 2018

Luis Miguel + Las Canchas, La Habana, Cuba, 2018


El verano pasado, gracias a Gysleda, se me apareció una nueva forma ... y el trabajo con los bailarines de Cuba mejoró increíblemente. Un día, cuando pasamos por EGOS, Gysleda me dijo que era necesario incluir un bailarín específico, su amigo. Ella le dijo que viniera a la escuela el fin de semana para hablar con nosotros.

Por supuesto, Luis Miguel estuvo en la escuela a tiempo, y preparamos un plan para nuestra colaboración. Aunque Luis Miguel era un profesional, por supuesto, no podía imaginar el resultado de nuestra mañana siguiente.

Cuando llegamos a las canchas, él estaba listo con varias ropas y personalidades. Sinceramente, fue un momento increíble ... ya que estábamos en un teatro en la ciudad. Tuvimos dos horas para documentar sus ideas, sus sueños ... ¡y realmente necesitábamos mucho más!

Después de nuestra colaboración, este increíble bailarín me ofreció a algunos de sus amigos para la fotografía ... y más de ocho trabajaron conmigo antes de mi viaje a los Estados Unidos. ¡El año que viene estoy listo para hacer mucho más y honrar los talentos de Luis Miguel y sus amigos!

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This past summer, thanks to Gysleda, a new way appeared to me ... and the work with the dancers of Cuba improved incredibly. One day when we went through EGOS, Gysleda told me that it was necessary to include a specific dancer, his friend. She told him to come to the school the end of the week to talk to us.

Of course Luis Miguel was in school on time, and we prepared a plan for our collaboration. Although Luis Miguel was a professional of course, I could not imagine the outcome of our next morning.

When we arrived at the courts, he was ready with several clothes, and personalities. Honestly it was an incredible moment ... as we were in a theater in the city. We had two hours to document their ideas, their dreams ... and we really needed a lot more!

After our collaboration this incredible dancer offered me some of his friends for photography ... and more than eight worked with me before my trip to the United States. Next year I am ready to do much more, and to honor the talents of Luis Miguel and his friends!

Note: This image was exposed with a Hasselblad V system and scanned through the protective sleeve for review, and is being shared because I am excited for what is to come when the film is processed!


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Monday, October 29, 2018

A Little Color With Anyel, Havana, Cuba, 2018


Esta misma noche, Anyel publicó un recuerdo de años atrás, mostrándome cuánto recordaba nuestro pasado. A ella realmente le encanta crear imágenes memorables, y tiene un talento increíble delante de la lente.

Justo antes de irme al Líbano, mi querido amigo David me envió tres rollos, tres rollos de mi tiempo en Cuba el verano pasado. Uno de los rollos era un rollo de color de mi último día, e incluía mi tiempo con Anyel y Anays. Aquí está para tus ojos Anyel, un escaneo inicial solo para tu revisión ... disfrute y sepa que crearemos más arte el próximo verano. ¡En unas pocas semanas el resto de la película estará listo para compartir con ustedes!

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This same night, Anyel published a memory from years ago, showing me how much she remembered our past. She really loves creating memorable images, and she has incredible talent in front of the lens.

Just before I went to Lebanon, my dear friend David sent me three rolls, three rolls of my time in Cuba last summer. One of the rolls was a color roll from my last day, and it included my time with Anyel and Anays. Here it is for your eyes Anyel, an initial scan only for your review ... enjoy and know that we will create more art next summer. In a few weeks the rest of the film will be ready to share with you!


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Note: This frame was exposed with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm C lens.

Tuesday, January 16, 2018

Anyel in Color, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2017


The idea is to expose one roll of color per day. Yet on every single trip that idea never becomes reality. This past summer in Cuba was close, with a roll every day and a half. This frame was just scanned today, over six months after it was exposed. We were almost finished with our session when we decided to make a few images against this backdrop.

Anyel is quite the professional and comes to the sessions with the most pleasant attitude. Working with her is a pleasure for the images reflect her spirit to excel. Many times we notice her moving to the music being played from the car, and she always smiles when she knows she's been caught..

We have collaborated for the past four years for she participates in Gysleda's school for modeling EGOS. It is the premiere school of its kind in Havana, and produces some of the most incredible talent on the island. Her space is one of the most creative in the city, a truly peaceful place to be in the midst of the chaos.

After seeing the color scans from tonight I will be taking even more color rolls with me this summer!


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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Kodak Ektar 100 film.

Tuesday, February 7, 2017

Young Student + Nirvanavan Foundation, Rajasthan, India, 2010


This is the look of self-determination which pushes the work forward ever so gently. Given the opportunity, she and her friends in the villages devour the education placed in front of them. For those of us involved in the two schools of Rajasthan, I present her portrait for your review. 

She knows that no longer will she be denied an education. She knows that no longer will limitations be set for her. She knows that her path is just that, her path. She is aware of the world around her, for she can read and write. She no longer needs a man to read for her, no longer needs a man to sign her name for her. She can sign her own name, rather than leave a nameless fingerprint.

For the dozen people involved in these two schools, know that your generosity will once again support her school and the one in the adjacent village.




Saturday, February 4, 2017

Man + Smoke, Rajasthan, India, 2009


As my trip to India nears the temptation to view older images is great, both to remember the past and to look forward to the future. Looking back gives me perspective, a reminder of how my work began. Now and then a frame comes into view, perhaps one which needs to be enlarged.

While the formal portratis get my attention most of the time, certain spontaneous 'snapshots' slip in once in a while. This is the first time my eyes have seen this exposure since it was made over eight years ago. It must have been made as we were leaving the village, for the sun had set.

For those of us supporting two schools in Rajasthan, this image was made in one of the two villages. In a little more than a week we will be visiting this village and perhaps even seeing this man once again. The men in the village are a kind group, and have fun with me in between the photography of the students. This is one such moment, for all like to be photographed!

I look forward to India next weekend, and to walking around with a point-and-shoot camera for such portraits. 


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Note: This image was made with a Contax G2, on negative color film.

Thursday, December 29, 2016

Hasselblad + iPhone Landscape, Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, 2016


On my last day at the parks in Utah this image was made, with an iPhone and through the viewfinder of the Hasselblad. It was the last image made on my own, and one which represents what my eyes see through the mirror of a medium format. The colors were so vibrant, almost unreal to me!


Note: This image was made with an iPhone 4 through the prism of a Hasselblad V System.

Monday, November 14, 2016

Salt + Peaks, East of Salt Lake City, Utah, 2016


Yesterday was absolutely sublime. My drive to the Bonneville Salt Flats took my breath away. An hour or so away from Salt Lake City, the scene becomes almost lunar in appearance, with beautiful peaks to the distance in both directions. The land extending from the freeway to the peaks seemed to go on forever, and looked impossibly flat.

In some areas the dry land gave way to water as still as glass, like in this image. It seemed to perfect to be true, and my eyes had a hard time maintaining focus on the road. Everyone told me to go in the other direction towards the trees and green landscape. Something however pulled me this way.

Here is a digital snapshot of this region, until the film is processed.



Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Sunday, November 13, 2016

Moonrise + Bonneville Salt Flats, Wendover, Utah, 2016


Since my trip to Lebanon had to be cancelled for the sake of work, it was time to look for the silver lining. That lining was the location of my work, Salt Lake City. With me to Utah this past weekend came my camera, and plenty of film.

So today I decided to go a bit further west and look for the Bonneville Salt Flats thanks to the incredibl
e images made by my dear friend Keith Berr. I knew nothing of the place except what was seen on the internet, and thought that the place was a flat and dry space. What was waiting for me took my breath away!

At this time of the year the space is filled with perhaps six inches of salt water, and families were walking a hundred meters into the shallow lake without submerging anything more than their ankles. The water looked like a glass surface, until people started walking in... and I managed to expose two rolls with the calmest of surfaces.

Then people started walking in, and it made for even more interesting images. As the sun set and illuminated only the mountaintops, the images were even more striking. This image
was made at the end of my time there, as the moon was rising and the sun had almost disappeared.



Note: This image was made by a Sony RX100M3.

Saturday, October 22, 2016

Young Student, Village near Kisumu, Kenya, 2007


A little over nine years ago I had the privilege of visiting eastern Kenya with the guidance of MACODEF (Maragoli Community Development Foundation). These wonderful people worked on community development near the small town if Kisumu, Kenya. They chose a few villages and concentrated their considerable efforts for their development.

One day they took me to a school knowing that children are of great interest to me. They told me to set up my camera since the children would be running out immediately. They were right, a few minutes after setting up the camera the children began running out one classroom at a time.

A small bench was placed with the beautiful dirt behind the children as the backdrop. We photographed every single child, and they took great pleasure in sitting for the lens even if it was for only a minute or so. This is one portrait from that session, a young boy sitting with pride in front of his friends.



Note: This image was made with a Nikon F100.

Friday, May 6, 2016

Young Student + Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016


Can we imagine how difficult this young girl's life truly is? 

The region in which she lives is the most beautiful from my travels in India… but also one of the most extreme in which to live. Hundreds of meters separate the homes, and the only way to make a living is from the land itself.

Is it possible for us to understand her life even for only one day?

Some of the children in her community will walk over a mile just to make it to class, some well over two miles. Yet they do so day in and day out. The darker portion of the wall behind her also happens to be the chalkboard of her classroom.

How can we measure the courage it took for her to stand in front of strangers for her portrait?

While the children are almost without exception happy to be involved in something so different for them, it still takes a heck of a lot to stand in front of the entire class and be photographed so honestly. She and her friends were on my mind when I presented in front of my high school in Cleveland and my colleagues in Los Angeles two weeks ago. If she could do so with such calm and strength, I had little excuse to do otherwise.

This young student inspires me immensely, and helps this work to go forward. The hope is that the number of schools will triple over the next three years, and that more like her will have the chance to attend classes for the first time in their young lives.


Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Wednesday, May 4, 2016

Elder, Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016


With gratitude to Humana India, this image is being shared.

Perhaps the most beautiful landscape from my travels through India, this incredible region also had one of its kindest communities. We spent about one week documenting two dozen schools, and with each experience my impression of the communities was enhanced.

When we began our photography this morning a few elders gathered to watch. I looked their way a few times and saw this beautiful man wearing the most beautiful fabrics. Without translation we looked at each other and agreed on making his portrait. He walked over as a few of the children giggled, and stood poignantly for his photograph to be made.

The landscape was just as beautiful, and complimented the colors on his skin perfectly. He stood at this spot for less than a minute, then walked away quietly to sit alongside the other elders. I so look forward to seeing his portrait on film hopefully soon.




Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Friday, December 11, 2015

Young Student + Shawl, Uttar Pradesh, India, 201


Earlier this year I shared her monochrome image. For next weekend's benefit at the Cleveland Print Room I am sharing her color portrait, as well as those of a few more from Cuba and India. We look forward to the benefit, and hope to see everyone there!
Here is her story:
So we visited the school of our host, an Islamic school he had opened in his own village. The building was glorious, with a spacious courtyard and incredible fields as far as the eye could see all the way around. When we stepped inside this was the first face that greeted me, and immediately made me realize that we would be staying an extra day or so.When we arrived in Kairana, India earlier this year we were told that most of the refugee camps had been disbursed and that the refugees had returned to their homes. The people thought that perhaps this would disappoint me because they were supposed to be the subjects of my photography. This was far from the truth of course, for having less to photograph in this regard would only make me happier.
She might have been as shocked as I was, but hid her reaction better than I did. She however knew immediately that I was deeply impressed with her, and gave off this most subtle smile in return. The school had about 60 girls in attendance on that day, and perhaps 40 or so boys. .
The men were wonderful and helped us with the photography. We made portraits of the boys in a small room with a window as our source of light, then switched to the walkway outside to photograph the girls with the help of a reflector. They were magnificent, including the one pictured in this image. There was something about her, how she held her head up high even though we were strangers who had appeared suddenly and asked for her portrait. 
The features of her face are etched in my mind, and deny any categorization whatsoever. She is both timeless and of this period, perfect in every manner. 
After the morning photography, we asked their instructor about two voices which we might record regarding the reading of the Koran… and he pointed to her and her friend as the two most beautiful voices to record. Later that afternoon we did so, and were treated to the most glorious reading of the Koran in my limited experience. This is what this work is about, and such has shown me that in every corner of this world immense beauty and strength exist.
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Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2, mounted and triggered adjacent to a Hasselblad V System

Thursday, October 15, 2015

Master Tailor + Studio, Alwar, Rajasthan, India, Fall of 2009



It took months to finally wear the pants and shirts that this man made for me with such care. They hung in my closet all the while like articles from a distant past, a connection to the ancestors before him. This wonderful man is descendant from a long line of distinguished tailors, with one of his ancestors depicted in the painting behind him.

His family made clothing for everyone from royalty to the local, general population. Their work has been published in books, and remnants of those times still hung in the shop. He took great pride when he pulled them down from the hangers with a long stick to show me. The stitching was impeccable, the designs timeless. These were the very pieces that his father and grandfather had made.

When it came time to measure me for the proposed job, he smiled and told me that he had already measured me. He rattled the numbers to his son and my friend, Niranjan. Then he went ahead and made my measurements just in case, and the numbers coincided perfectly. The entire time I placed a recorder nearby to remember the moment when this most elegant of men did for me what few will ever experience.

We made his portrait in front of the very desk on which he would make my shirts and pants, the very desk on which his ancestors had worked. He stood with his tools nearby and allowed me to make twelve exposures. After which we had tea and biscuits.

Then Niranjan and I walked downstairs and into the street to find the fabric for the clothing. We walked a block or so to the store his father had sent us. The service provided was incredible in that they would pull any fabric down for us to see, without hurrying us at all. We selected four colors for the pants and the same number for the shirts.

My time with Nirvanavan Foundation was nearing its end in a day or so, so we made plans to meet after my work with Humana People to People India ended in order to make the exchange. When I did meet Niranjan for my clothes, they were prepared so beautifully in boxes, folded neatly and with the utmost respect. I remember placing them into my luggage and hoping that nothing terrible would happen to them during transport.

For the first time on my way back from my travels something more important than my camera equipment sat in the luggage. Today I wear this clothing with more ease, yet every time I need to take them to the local dry cleaner my heart skips a beat. I do look forward to another visit to India and to another fitting by the Master, an honor always to be remembered.