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My visit to Nicaragua came as my 50th year approached, the same age my father had when we left in the aftermath of the 1973 earthquake. The feeling of walking the same streets as my parents cannot be described. The embrace by the rural communities as we travelled took me by surprise and made me realize that I was home after so long. Such was this morning session on the outskirts of the port city of Rama. The people of this neighborhood embraced us immediately, such as this young woman.
Their lives are extremely hard, as they endure an existence without running water, access to healthcare, proper electricity, sanitation... while living in homes with dirt floors and open windows. These were the people that I wanted to meet, these are the lives that I needed to document.
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Note: This frame was exposed with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm combination onto Fuji Acros 100 film.
45 years after we lost our home to an earthquake I returned to my birthplace of Nicaragua. The experience of walking in the footsteps of my parents cannot be described fully, for my mind still needs to process the events of last December.
One thing is for sure, the people of Nicaragua treated me like a prince, like one of their own. Thanks to my cousins Victor and Carlos, it felt just like home. Their homes were my homes, their hospitality was as generous as any in my travels. Certainly this was a reflection of our culture, of their respect for my parents... but it was so much more, and I may begin to understand more so when we meet once again this December.
Then there were those we met on the road, such as this girl and her mother, on our way to the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. We never did reach the coast, but this neighborhood of Rama was as kind as we could have imagined. The people were so generous with their kindness, and allowed us to have a morning session which resulted in this portrait.
These beautiful people work hard day in and day out, and their lives are anything but easy. Their entire neighborhood was built on the outskirts of the town without planning nor distribution of basic services from the municipal government. Yet they endure and do their best for the sake of their children.
Their homes are as basic as can be, wooden walls with dirt floors. There are times when the making of a portrait makes me pause, such was this young girl's as well. I look forward to returning in December and going deeper into this family's history, as well as the relationships formed during my first visit in over 45 years.
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Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm C lens combination.
45 years after we lost our home to an earthquake I returned to my birthplace of Nicaragua. The experience of walking in the footsteps of my parents cannot be described fully, for my mind still needs to process the events of last December.
One thing is for sure, the people of Nicaragua treated me like a prince, like one of their own. Thanks to my cousins Victor and Carlos, it felt just like home. Their homes were my homes, their hospitality was as generous as any in my travels. Certainly this was a reflection of our culture, of their respect for my parents... but it was so much more, and I may begin to understand more so when we meet once again this December.
Then there were those we met on the road, such as this man on our way to the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. We never did reach the coast, but this neighborhood of Rama was as kind as we could have imagined. The people were so generous with their kindness, and allowed us to have a morning session which resulted in this portrait.
These beautiful people work hard day in and day out, and their lives are anything but easy. Their entire neighborhood was built on the outskirts of the town without planning nor distribution of basic services from the municipal government. Yet they endure and do their best for the sake of their children.
His home is as basic as can be, wooden walls with a dirt floor. He has slept in the same bed for decades and his mosquito net does what it can to protect him on those long, hot nights. He lived alone and worked from sunrise to sunset just to have enough to eat. There are times when the making of a portrait makes me pause, such was his.
I look forward to returning in December and going deeper into this man's history, as well as the relationships formed during my first visit in over 4 decades.
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm C lens combination.
45 years after we lost our home to an earthquake I returned to my birthplace of Nicaragua. The experience of walking in the footsteps of my parents cannot be described fully, for my mind still needs to process the events of last December.
One thing is for sure, the people of Nicaragua treated me like a prince, like one of their own. Thanks to my cousins Victor and Carlos, it felt just like home. Their homes were my homes, their hospitality was as generous as any in my travels. Certainly this was a reflection of our culture, of their respect for my parents... but it was so much more, and I may begin to understand more so when we meet once again this December.
Then there were those we met on the road, such as this family on our way to the Caribbean coast of Nicaragua. We never did reach the coast, but this neighborhood of Rama was as perfect as we could have imagined. The people were so generous with their kindness, and allowed us to have a morning session which resulted in this portrait.
These beautiful people work hard day in and day out, and their lives are anything but easy. Their entire neighborhood was built on the outskirts of the town without planning nor distribution of basic services from the municipal government. Yet they endure and do their best for the sake of their children.
I look forward to returning in December and going deeper into my family's history, as well as the relationships formed during my first visit in over 4 decades.
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 503 CW/100 mm C lens combination.
This young woman's portrait was made as we attempted to cross the country in search of the eastern coastline. It seemed like nobody knew the way, it was clear to me that few had made their way from one coast to the other.
When my parents lived in Nicaragua they had never ventured that far, and my cousins living in the country now have never attempted it. Some told us that there was a road, while some told us that the only way was by plane.
So one day we just decided to head east and see for ourselves. The landscape was as beautiful as any seen through my travels, pristine and lush with lakes and volcanoes. This was in contrast to the hardships people faced in the countryside. There are the cities, and then there are the villages.
After half a day of driving, we ended up in the port city of Rama. We looked at the map and it told us that we could continue for a few hours and find our way to the eastern coast. So we followed the map on the phone, all the while my friend kept telling me that it was impossible.
After thirty minutes of driving through the outskirts of the city we ended up at the end of the road, a narrow crossing over a river. Just past the river was a small village consisting mainly of wooden homes. We finally realized that the map was suggesting that we head to the coastline on a canoe down that river.
On the bright side the village was sublime, and the people walking by us welcomed us to visit. So we did and ended up speaking with this young woman's family and friends. It was too late to do any photography, so we promised to return the next morning. We did return and had the most incredible of mornings with the photography.
The home we used was incredibly beautiful, and the children gathering around us were so sweet. The adults of course accompanied the children and supported us fully, even though just the day before we were only strangers to each other.
Johana and I have since become friends and speak often via messenger. She is continuing her education at the capital, and doing her best in order to provide for herself and her family. I admire her sincerely, and am thankful for being accepted in such a way by her community.
I look forward to seeing her and her community later this year, and doing even better for them.
Note: This was made with a Hasselblad V system, 503 CW and a 100 mm lens combination.
The more days spent in my birthplace the more it feels like home. Case in point is this selfie made just yesterday as we found our way back from the east of the country. We happened upon this young girl's neighborhood and decided to approach her community for photographs. Like everyone else so far they agreed to be photographed and in just a few minutes she was comfortable enough to allow this selfie.
To tell the truth she and her sister felt comfortable enough with us to hold our hands as we walked around looking for others to photograph. Once we let the neighbors know we were there, a few children walked our way and a session was started a hundred or so meters from her home.
She was quite the bundle of energy making her difficult to photograph, yet that same energy hopefully turned into some amazing portraits on film. She and her family live in a simple wooden structure, as basic as any home in Nicaragua. Yet it is hard to tell from her portraits, for she is as complete as any girl in any other land. We bid her family farewell and promised that we'd pass by their neighborhood on my next visit to Nicaragua.
It feels just like home now, and there are two weeks to go!
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Note: This selfie was made with a Sony RX100M3.
