Showing posts with label Tribal. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Tribal. 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”

Mursi Woman + Paint, Mago National Park, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2010


After a year in the darkroom it’s time to get the prints out. We’ll see how the #etsy crowd takes this work in, and sees the royalty that she truly is.

This young Mursi woman lives in a most difficult environment, and holds true to her traditional culture. Even though you'll see very few other Ethiopians in her area, vans of tourists stop now and then. Each time a group of tourists step out and walk into the village. Once they do the community walks over to them in order to try and earn a living with their goods, mainly the lip and ear plates as well as woven baskets. They also earn a living by being photographed, as each tourist pays a certain amount for a photograph.

Monday, January 9, 2023

Mursi Girl + Ear Plates, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2010



After a year in the darkroom it’s time to get the prints out. We’ll see how the #etsy crowd takes this work in, and sees the royalty that she truly is.

This young girl lives is a most difficult environment, and holds true to her traditional culture. Even though you'll see very few other Ethiopians in her area, vans of tourists stop now and then. Each time a group of tourists step out and walk into the village. Once they do the community walks over to them in order to try and earn a living with their goods, mainly the lip and ear plates as well as woven baskets. They also earn a living by being photographed, as each tourist pays a certain amount for a photograph. 

Monday, December 28, 2020

Carolina + Lunara Love, El Mirage Dry Lake Bed, California, 2016


As we move into 2021, I look forward to visiting this very spot with my family in Los Angeles! 

Here is an image from years ago with the stylings of Lunara Love and an incredible performance from Carolina under the sun!

Wednesday, October 18, 2017

Mother + Daughter, Kisumu, Kenya, 2006


In light of the testimonials being shared most recently through 'me too,' this portrait of mother and daughter is being shared. It was an honor to have heard their story, and a privilege to present it here.

A dozen years ago a connection was made to visit communities in western Kenya. The foundation asked me, "how many people would you like to photograph?" In my nativity, the answer was "as many as possible."

Upon landing, we immediately headed out to photograph a church and a congregation. It was clear to me that we would never run out of people to photograph. We would sometimes arrive at a school, and the teachers would have all of the students line up... well over three hundred students a few times.

So when I was told that we were going to visit a small home, I let out a sigh of relief. Then I was told that we would be visiting with a support group for individuals with HIV/AIDS. This weighed heavily on me, for my mind was on making sure the work lived up to the people being photographed.

When we arrived everyone welcomed us with such warmth, such kindness, that all anxiety melted away. There were perhaps two dozen people in the house. After introductions were made, each person courageously shared their story with us. While the people from the foundation did their best to translate, the tones of the voices as well as the expressions on their faces spoke volumes.

Each spoke while absolute silence prevailed, telling the stories of how they had been affected, of how their husbands had strayed from their marriages and brought the virus back into their beds. It was a deeply moving moment, and left me without words. Perhaps more than the stories, it was how they had told them that struck me. It was as if they had forgiven their husbands, and accepted the cards that they had been dealt. The strength in their presentations was supremely clear, a testament to their intact spirits.

All of this was happening as their children sat at their feet, a visual which stays with me to this day. My eyes moved from the mothers to their children as each spoke, and noticed the bond between them. This I will never forget.


Website
Note: This frame was made with a Hasselblad V system.

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.

Saturday, October 15, 2016

Students + Boulders, Halim Ina, Village near Kisumu, Kenya, 2007


Some years ago I had the privilege of visiting western Kenya with a foundation by the name of Maragoli Community Development Foundation (MACODEF). My hosts took me from one school to another and we did our best to photograph everyone, and I mean everyone!

People came out of the woodwork, from behind trees and boulders. Just when I thought our session was over, I would look over my shoulder and see a dozen more people lining up to have their portrait made. The idea that people would come to see what was happening, then line up as if a photography studio set up for the afternoon, was incredible!

In this photograph the students were finished with their portraits and were just hanging out while watching their friends being photographed. All had the same uniforms, with some minor variances. Everyone was just so kind, and generous with their time.

Between Kenya, Senegal and Gambia, there are thousands of negatives which have never seen the light of day. This is one for tonight, with more to be shared over the next four weeks.

Website

Note: This image was made with a Nikon analog system.

Sunday, May 22, 2016

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


This past year the chance was taken to visit a new state, and one quite a distance from my usual travels. The part of Madhya Pradesh which we were able to visit had the most surreal landscape. It looked like some god had created the most beautiful hills, raked them with a fine tool and then laid some trees and colors here and there.

The place looked like it was planned out, rather than a natural setting. It was the most beautiful setting my eyes had witnessed, while my mind knew that the lives of the people in this region was certainly made more difficult.

People lived far apart from each other, and the remoteness of the place made governmental services much less accessible. Agriculture was certainly a most difficult task, although the community did its best.

This girl was a student of a school sponsored by Humana India, as part of their Step Up Initiative. At that time she was attending classes in the program, and my hope is that she has now joined the government school system as planned from the beginning.


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.

Saturday, April 30, 2016

Students + Friends, Humana India, Madhya Pradesh, India, 2016




This year was my first visit to this beautiful region of India, and a true blessing. Many described the area as being tribal, but that gave me little insight as to the people themselves. Upon arriving it was evident to me that the communities were extremely serene, kind and gentle. 

The smiles came to the girls' faces much more easily, and the boys were exceptionally courteous. Photographing the children was quite easy, and gave me a chance to rest during the second half of my first month. Even though the drive was exhausting, the serenity of the people and the stunning landscape energized me.

These girls attend a government school in collaboration with Humana India. The foundation worked for one year in this area, and designed a system which would take out-of-school children and bring them into the formal, government system. My hope is that the children are in fact now enrolled and will continue onto secondary schools.


Note: These images were made with a Sony RX100M3.

Saturday, March 12, 2016

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


There is something about this young girl's expression that really grabbed me this past week in Madhya Pradesh. She was from the same school as the young girl in the last post, photographed minutes apart. While the other was serious, this one was smiling the entire time. 

Both young girls have attended the Step Up program for the past year, presented by Humana India. The idea is to bring children out of school into a one year program which will then allow them to transition into the government system, while also helping to improve the existing school system.

The teacher was wonderful for this visit, and organized the children beautifully. We also had time to make a couple of videos of the children dancing under a tree on a hillside, and I look forward to presenting it in the near future.

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Friday, March 11, 2016

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


Last week was spent in one of the most beautiful places thus far in my travel experiences. The southern, western portion of Madhya Pradesh took my breath away several times an hour during my week there, and will undoubtedly remain in my memory.

On this day we visited a small school sponsored by Humana People to People India. The project involves bringing children out of school into the mainstream system utilizing the new 'Step Up' program.

As we were nearing the end of our photography for the morning this young girl stepped out of nowhere. She took her place on this stage, was defiant in the face of the bright reflector and expressed herself fully to the lens.

She never flinched, maintained her composure in front of two dozen people, then stepped to her left to join her friends sitting on the adjacent landing.

Her community is a most beautiful one, mirroring the landscape in which she lives. The houses are distant from each other, dotting the landscape like the trees. This of course is also a very difficult life, with children walking kilometers over mountains just to attend classes.

Her dress has been taken care of by loving hands, maintaining its life for as long as possible. This not-so-small detail impressed me deeply as the photograph was being made, and I just hope that my portrait honors her spirit so.

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3 using a reflector as well.

Wednesday, March 9, 2016

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


It's time to include a boy from this community, as they impressed me truly with their manners and behavior during my time in this area. Unlike other places in India, the boys in this region rarely messed with the camera and rarely mocked my work. They cooperated as we photographed the girls, and were just as handsome incredibly.

This young boy stands in front of the landscape typical of this region. As described in the previous post, it looks like the mountains and valleys were raked by giants, and trees planted perfectly here and there. The houses are situated far apart, adding to the magnificence of the scene. 

While it is certainly beautiful, all of the children walk at least one kilometer to school, some walk at least a few kilometers. Some of the students in this school walked to our session from across the mountains in the background. 

Can any of us imagine doing so on a daily basis? Twice a day?

Because of the roughness of the terrain, we let the car go without us and walked our way back to the main road. This alone made me appreciate what these children endure every single day… a snapshot of their lives of course.


Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Young Girl + Student, Humana People to People India, Barwani, Madhya Pradesh, 2016


This past week was spent in the beautiful state of Madhya Pradesh, bordering both Gujarat and Maharashtra near the locations of the schools. For the past year Humana People to People India has been working in this tribal region, helping out of school children join the mainstream school system.

The landscape of this region has an almost lunar appearance, with trees seemingly placed here and there in an almost staged scenario. It is as if the gods raked the small stones into perfect mounds, and sprinkled dark brown and light tan colors over the landscape. Over and over again we caught ourselves in awe of it all, keeping in mind that the lives of most are certainly anything but idyllic.

We were able to visit over a dozen schools, and photograph hundreds of children. As most of those on this social page know, my focus is on the girls... and in order to gain access to their images photographs of hundreds of boys needed to be made. Such being said, the boys in this region were just as beautiful as the girls, and almost as serene. There was something different about them, quite calming actually.

We asked one father, and he told us that since the houses are spread so far apart, the boys stay at home with the family and refrain from playing in packs. The family system is intact, and the respect was evident all the way through our visit.

This image was made during our last day, and in the most remote of the schools. The children walk to the school over the mountain range in the background, more than a few kilometers each day. The people are tribal in background, and have lush traditions including song and dance. Before our photography on this day the girls and boys sang for us, with this scene in front of our eyes.

It seemed that we were sitting on the moon, yet connected firmly to the earth. The language used was local, and foreign to all of my friends and assistants. After the singing we used this opportunity to make photographs different than my usual, of course putting aside the plane backdrops and embracing it all.

I had my eye on this young girl since our arrival, just loved her features and her clothing. When her time came I was hoping the sun was shining as clouds had formed during our filming. It so happened that luck was on our side, and this portrait was made both on film and in a digital format.

The wind was blowing her shawl all over the place, yet she maintained her composure and expressions. It was like another world altogether, taking me deeper into timeless India with each frame exposed.

Tomorrow I head into Mewat to photograph our schools. The Muslim girls will be quite a change from their counterparts in MP, yet of course just as fascinating. As the images are made more will be shared.

Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3.

Sunday, November 22, 2015

3 Survivors + HIV/AIDS, Near Kisumu, Kenya, 2006





One day the good people of MACODEF take me to a small house where about thirty women and a few men have gathered in anticipation of our visit. They come from different households and backgrounds but share one variable, living with HIV/AIDS.

While we usually arrive and set up the equipment shortly thereafter, this time we sit down and listen to the stories of each person, one at a time. Here are thirty or so adults, with their children around them, telling a complete stranger the story of how they contracted the virus, of how they remember their spouses as the sources of this transmission and of how their children live with the thought of losing their remaining parent.

Some of the stories are translated, some are left to be heard without translation.

There is a feeling of victory, of jubilation. These women see their tribulations as opportunities rather than obstacles. They have formed a group and through this unity have forged a way forward.

We step outside and make their portraits, first with their children and then on their own. My mind cannot imagine the tribulations each has endured, for their lives without such an unimaginable hardship is beyond my ability to comprehend.

The nearest hospital is beyond their reach and the medicine needed is as distant. Yet they find the strength to take care of themselves and their families, to gather in this group and share their stories in public… in an environment less than friendly for such stories.


Note: These images were made with a Nikon F100/105 mm lens combination.

Friday, February 13, 2015

Man + Necklace, Mursi Community, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, 2010


The Mursi Community of the Lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia is a formidable, photographic subject. While the number of tourists visiting their extremely remote villages is surprisingly high, they continue to live like they have for generations.

Of course they have adapted, and present themselves to the cameras quite well. What used to be reserved for customs and festivals is now put on display in exchange for payment. They live however without tap water, electricity, government schools nor hospitals. The men are supremely beautiful, and seem to have been carved from the earth around them.

I remember having photographed the women earlier in the day, and asking to photograph the men later. Suddenly the men decided to renegotiate the financial agreement, wanting more than the women to be photographed. For me it was the principle of it, and the translator went back and forth with the men trying to come up with a solution.

Then I asked the translator to speak for me directly, and he went on to do so, explaining that what mattered to me was that everyone be reimbursed the same for a photograph. Whether they were children, male or female, this was the most important aspect of our negotiation for me. They paused for a minute and then agreed to be photographed for the same fee as the women.

I was deeply honored by their decision to allow such to happen, and impressed with their calm demeanor throughout. So far they fascinate me more than any other tribe in Africa, and will be photographed by me for decades to come should those decades be given to me on this globe.

Website
Tumblr
Twitter
Facebook


Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.

Monday, August 26, 2013

Halim Ina, Global Community Portraits, Cleveland Print Room, Humana People to People India, July 12, 2013


Esther, Dorze Community, Ethiopia

She was the very first girl photographed in Ethiopia, and belongs to an incredible community. They are well-known as cotton weavers, and famous for their beehive huts. They cultivate their own food and use terracing to prevent erosion on hillsides. The night before this portrait was spent in one of their huts, made of hard wood poles, woven bamboo and other natural materials. When we woke up in the morning we started out of the compound and made our way to the right down a natural path. We then spotted Esther to the left in front of her home, helping her mother with chores. She recognized us from the previous evening and smiled, also allowing me to make her portrait once again. This is that second portrait.

Unframed $250
Framed $400
Smaller Prints Available
100% of proceeds going to Schools for Girls in association with
Humana People to People India