Beautiful memory of a great morning in the countryside with Patricia, missing yet another summer in Cuba due to the pandemic. Hope all are healthy and safe on the island!
Thank you @modaegos and team!
Showing posts with label onfilmphoto. Show all posts
Showing posts with label onfilmphoto. Show all posts
Sunday, June 5, 2022
Patricia + Campo, Guanabacoa, Cuba, 2016
Beautiful memory of a great morning in the countryside with Patricia, missing yet another summer in Cuba due to the pandemic. Hope all are healthy and safe on the island!
Friday, January 6, 2017
Anays y Arturo, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2015
Monday, September 19, 2016
Young Boy, Small Village, Kairana, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2016
Earlier this year we had the honor of being accepted once again by the Muslim community living near this beautiful city. Without more than a day's notice while near the city we called our contacts from the previous year, and they invited us immediately to their village.
The next few days were spent photographing the schools in these villages. At first communication was easy thanks to my driver from Delhi. However when the time came for him to head back, it became my first time in India when I was on my own, without translator.
While this was somewhat intimidating, at such a distance from the capital and on my own in an environment at times hostile to the thought of photography, there was a calm feeling as well. My hosts were also perhaps a bit nervous, for they were worried about me.
However when it came time to head out this morning for the photography, it was actually quite simple. We used sign language to set the time and decided the evening before which school to visit. We decided to visit the Islamic school in the village first, then the government school.
The Islamic school was very close to the house, a five minute walk. When we arrived the men were preparing to pray, while students were entering the mosque. All of them looked at me in a surprised way, as I was an unknown man entering a mosque with a camera. What made this all possible was my host family, for they were both the religious leaders in the area and also have their son as the political leader of the region.
Nobody asked questions as we arranged to photograph the girls first, and then the boys. We decided to walk outside of the grounds of the mosque in order to make it easier on everyone. All of the students followed us after a few minutes, giving us a bit of time to get ready.
We were going to begin with the girls when I noticed this young boy. His eyes caught my attention immediately, and I decided to photograph him first before the sunlight became too bright for him. We used Ilford Delta 400 film for this portrait, so as to take advantage of the low level of light.
An entire roll of film was exposed, and this was the last one on the roll. He was so beautiful, so calm. Instead of the usual, white head covering… he had a colored piece which was perfect. His shirt was so elegant, making this portrait one of my favorite from my time in India this year.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Model + Paper Corset by Rafael, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2015
On the same day as the previous post we photographed this young model, our fourth year together. We began when she was barely sixteen years old, and have seen her grow with such elegance.
Like her friend on this day, she was wearing a corset designed and made by Rafael, one of the premiere designers on the island. He is an incredibly kind person, provided the designs for our use and came along to prepare the women as well.
He never complained about the time, and worked the entire time with a smile. There were three young women, and each took a turn in front of the lens while the other two were preparing themselves with Rafael. The flow was seamless.
Photographing this young woman was wonderful, seeing her develop into such talent. She is heads and shoulders above me, yet is anything but awkward with her limbs. She knows exactly where to place them, and how to look into the camera.
I look forward to seeing her in five or so weeks, and to repeating the experience!
Wednesday, June 1, 2016
2 Models + Sea, Santa Maria del Mar, Cuba, 2015
The young man in these images has taken part in our work for the past three years, and this was his friend. They both attended classes at our friend's school for models in Havana, the best school of its kind on the island.
They were a wonderful duo, each taking their turns as well as working together for the lens. Once we finished a few rolls on land, we entered the water and had a wonderful time. They had a genuine chemistry between them, and I for one hope that they are available this summer for a second session. This time around, we will be in the water the entire time!
Tuesday, May 31, 2016
Campesino + Perrito, Manzanillo, Grannma, Cuba, 2015
Last year we had the chance to travel to the other side of the island while, at the same time, taking one of our new families back home after their summer vacation. We stayed with the family for three days, photographed their children and then headed back through the countryside on our way home. The plan was to photograph in the mornings, continue onto another town to photograph in the afternoon.
This image was just one from our drive back, less than an hour away from the family. We had noticed an incredible set of homes, and stopped to speak with the families. The houses were constructed entirely from wood, in the most traditional style of the island. Alejandro decided to let me speak with the family on my own, and smiled as a young boy led me to the house.
The family was quite receptive and allowed me to begin photographing the houses. Their warm response gave me the confidence to ask for their portraits. They allowed me to photograph the young boy in various settings, and then the older man allowed me to photograph his hands holding a puppy. At first he resisted, thinking that perhaps his entire frame was going to be included. He was so sweet, but also a bit shy.
So I showed him the viewfinder, and stood in front of the lens so that he could see my hands and nothing else. He then allowed me to make this image, and held the puppy in the most gentle fashion while doing so. I was sincerely touched.
Note:This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/100 mm combination onto Kodak TMX film.
Sunday, May 29, 2016
Four Frames in the Life of a Brick Laborer, Uttar Pradesh, India, 2015
Can any of us imagine a lifetime rather than four frames? Thousands of miles away from our homes? Our children being forced to come along and live in single rooms made from these very bricks?
Can we estimate how many times he has walked the path between the wall of bricks and the ones laid down on the ground beneath his feet? Does he get to eat three times a day, or perhaps once and only when food is available?
What does the family do after the sun sets? How and where do the children sleep? Is it a thin sheet separating them from the hard floor? What prevents them from being bitten all night long by the mosquitos raised in the water necessary for the making of the bricks?
Today, questions and only questions for the answers are lacking.
Note: These frames were exposed using a Fuji GA645i.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Young Girl + Clips, La Habana, Cuba, 2008
This portrait was made the same week as the last one posted, and from the same neighborhood. It is almost eight years old, yet her expressive personality is etched in my memory. She is quite the star, and has grown up into a beautiful, young woman.
Everyone loves her, and she roams the streets freely without worry. She always allows herself to be photographed, and my hope this year is that we can go to a place of their choosing for a photographic session, since they are 'too old' to be photographed in the street.
Note: This image was made with a Contax G2 system.
Monday, May 23, 2016
Ballerina + Shore, Santa Maria del Mar, La Habana, Cuba, 2015
This week and the next two weeks will be spent scanning the negatives from last year's visit to the island. This frame is from tonight's scans, and is being seen for the first time since it was exposed last summer.
At the tender age of 12, she is a veteran of our work. While she had developed beautifully over the past three years, last year she took our collective breath with her performances. It was as if we were watching someone else, and the smile on her father's face said it all. He kept telling me, 'you see, you see!'
This image was made at one of our favorite spots, which we will certainly visit many, many times in two months's time. What is so special is that, after the photography, we immerse ourselves in the water and enjoy the rest of the morning under the sun. Then, on our way back home, we stop for ice cream and yum!
'Looking forward' to this summer is an understatement for sure, but what else can one say and remain calm at the same time?
I am certainly looking forward to seeing the dancers from my work on the island, and just hope that I can do justice to their incredible talents this summer. They are like sisters to me by now of course, and it gives me an immense sense of pride in seeing them develop through the years.
Note; This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/100 mm combination.
Tuesday, May 3, 2016
Campesino + Manos, El Campo, Cuba, Verano de 2015
Last year Alejandro was able to fix his car during our second month and we headed out to the countryside more frequently than our first four weeks. We would photograph our families in the morning and then head out to the countryside for the afternoon. We did this because our afternoons were never very predictable regarding the weather.
We ran across the most wonderful people, and slowed the process of photography down quite a bit. This was a relief actually, and allowed me to reflect much more so on my vision. It also allowed us to speak with the people much more, and select the moments when we wanted to photograph.
This wonderful man lived in a town east of the capital by at least one hour. We were on our way back from the far side of the island and decided to take an exit and explore. We saw a home and decided to photograph it. As we finished we noticed this handsome man sitting next door. We walked over and asked to make his portrait, and he responded most eloquently and positively.
We talked for some time while he enjoyed his cigar, then made our way to the back of the home for his portrait. His demeanor won my heart immediately, and I am overjoyed to see the success of his portrait in these two samples from the proof just scanned last week!
Note: This image was made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/180 mm combination onto Kodak TMX film.
We ran across the most wonderful people, and slowed the process of photography down quite a bit. This was a relief actually, and allowed me to reflect much more so on my vision. It also allowed us to speak with the people much more, and select the moments when we wanted to photograph.
This wonderful man lived in a town east of the capital by at least one hour. We were on our way back from the far side of the island and decided to take an exit and explore. We saw a home and decided to photograph it. As we finished we noticed this handsome man sitting next door. We walked over and asked to make his portrait, and he responded most eloquently and positively.
We talked for some time while he enjoyed his cigar, then made our way to the back of the home for his portrait. His demeanor won my heart immediately, and I am overjoyed to see the success of his portrait in these two samples from the proof just scanned last week!
Monday, May 2, 2016
Landscape from Temple, Virat Nagar, Rajasthan, 2015
This weekend has been spent scanning the film from my l art trip to India. The recent film was dropped off to the lab in D.C. and the processed film from 2015 was picked up.
In this image we were visiting a temple near the three schools located in Virat Nagar, Rajasthan. This is the view from above, and is typical of the region. This is where my photography in India began, and where it continues to this day.
When the schools we had documented closed in 2010, we found the support to begin the rebuilding process. Now Nirvana Bodhisattva and his team at Nirvanavan Foundation have taken the lead and helped restore our initial three schools.
I look forward to more than just the three schools, and to restoring the faith these families had in us prior to the closure of the schools!
Saturday, April 30, 2016
Campesino + Field, San Antonio de los Baños, Cuba, 2013
When we drove by this man in the field, he was making sure that the water flowed freely. We decided to stop and ask for his portrait, and were glad we did. He was working for the owner of that plot of land, and earned barely enough to support his family living less than a hundred meters from this very spot.
He had taken a break to speak with Alejandro, and I took advantage of the moment to get down on the ground and make photographs in the style of the Soviet era masters, placing themselves below the workers. Knowing Alejandro's propensity to converse at length with his fellow campesinos, I had plenty of time to compose the images.
What moved me most was to be in the midst of this incredible conversation, and to be unnoticed while making a visual record of the audible. We did return that same day incredibly to hand him the photographs, and were able to see his home adjacent to these fields. He worked the fields for someone else, and barely made ends meet as described above. He told us that sometimes the youth come by at night and steal the crops to sale the next morning on the road, that in one hour they steal enough to make more than he does working in the hot sun all day.
He pointed out to us that almost all of the workers in his area were older men, while the younger men had fun during the day, and stole the crops by night. Only by having such conversations can I learn about such difficult lives. Only by being with Alejandro would this man have ever shared such intimate details of his life with a stranger from up north.
Note: These images were made with a Hasselblad 555 ELD/60 mm lens combination onto Fuji Neopan Acros 100 ISO film.
He had taken a break to speak with Alejandro, and I took advantage of the moment to get down on the ground and make photographs in the style of the Soviet era masters, placing themselves below the workers. Knowing Alejandro's propensity to converse at length with his fellow campesinos, I had plenty of time to compose the images.
What moved me most was to be in the midst of this incredible conversation, and to be unnoticed while making a visual record of the audible. We did return that same day incredibly to hand him the photographs, and were able to see his home adjacent to these fields. He worked the fields for someone else, and barely made ends meet as described above. He told us that sometimes the youth come by at night and steal the crops to sale the next morning on the road, that in one hour they steal enough to make more than he does working in the hot sun all day.
He pointed out to us that almost all of the workers in his area were older men, while the younger men had fun during the day, and stole the crops by night. Only by having such conversations can I learn about such difficult lives. Only by being with Alejandro would this man have ever shared such intimate details of his life with a stranger from up north.
Sunday, April 17, 2016
Young Student + Nirvanavan Foundation, Alwar, Rajasthan, India, 2016
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Tomorrow is my last full day in India, and will be spent with the wonderful people at Nirvanavan Foundation. Nirvana thought it appropriate to display a few of the photographs from this past two months at Advaita Garden, the main campus, and I obliged by having a dozen or so images printed and laminated locally.
We met earlier today to discuss the schools in Virat Nagar, and made great progress regarding our plan for the next 12 months. We had lunch at the school and then headed into town to have the photographs finished.
This young girl happens to be one of the students from Advaita Garden. She and her family live about a minute's walk from the school. She attends classes along with her younger brother and sister. Her family has over the past eight weeks embraced me without reservation, allowing me to photograph her on several occasions, even before she prepared for classes.
She is quite shy person to person, but get her in front of the school body and she runs to center stage and performs without barriers, with the strongest of voices and amazing enthusiasm.
I have been blessed to have been able to also document her performances, as well as document her preparations for school one morning. To see her getting ready, as she had her breakfast and chatted with her grandparents over a cup of tea, was a most heartwarming experience. This is the fortune of having such an opportunity, and the least I can do is to return such with my support for her school.
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M3, and will be on display tomorrow as the children arrive for classes. I cannot wait to see the expression on her face as she sees her own portrait on the wall!
We met earlier today to discuss the schools in Virat Nagar, and made great progress regarding our plan for the next 12 months. We had lunch at the school and then headed into town to have the photographs finished.
This young girl happens to be one of the students from Advaita Garden. She and her family live about a minute's walk from the school. She attends classes along with her younger brother and sister. Her family has over the past eight weeks embraced me without reservation, allowing me to photograph her on several occasions, even before she prepared for classes.
She is quite shy person to person, but get her in front of the school body and she runs to center stage and performs without barriers, with the strongest of voices and amazing enthusiasm.
I have been blessed to have been able to also document her performances, as well as document her preparations for school one morning. To see her getting ready, as she had her breakfast and chatted with her grandparents over a cup of tea, was a most heartwarming experience. This is the fortune of having such an opportunity, and the least I can do is to return such with my support for her school.
Saturday, February 13, 2016
Migrant Girl, Under the Train Station, Outskirts of Delhi, India, 2015
So the search begins this week for the faces from last year's work with Humana India, including this young girl living under a train station on the outskirts of Delhi. We visited this encampment last April in order to document the good work being done by the foundation, and were immediately seized by the incredible need present.
People lived in a tent city just under an immense bridge, with flies buzzing around everywhere. The children were playing on piles of garbage, and the sound from the traffic above was deafening at times. In the midst of all of this the most angelic faces were present, including this young girl.
Her face caught my attention as we drove up to the main building. She was standing next to a bench on which her family was sitting. I tried to maintain my composure but let it be known that she needed to be photographed as this was the smile she gave me when we passed by.
After we set up for our session an hour or so later, I once again made it clear to my friends that we needed to do so... but she was never told by our team. Almost in desperation I walked over to her area and asked one of my friends to come along. We asked about her since she was now gone, and she came forth with the most beautiful expression. She and her sister walked with us to our location a few dozen meters away, and we made this portrait of her.
Few young girls have such tattoos on their faces, as such practices are fading in India and in the Middle East as well. While I have seen such with the older women, such tattoos are rarely found on the younger generation. My initial impression of her was of course much more than the tattoo, as her features spoke volumes about the spirit inside.
Later this month I will visit this spot once again, and sincerely hope that she is present to speak once again through her expressions. At the same time, I do hope that her living condition has improved, and that she has found a better place to thrive. This is the nature of the work, to wish for the best regardless of the photographic outcome.
Note: This image was made with a Sony RX100M2.
Sunday, January 3, 2016
Second Article, Onfilmphoto, December 3, 2016
I am honored to have been selected for an article on this esteemed page once again, and hope that the stories reach an even larger audience soon.
Onfilmphoto Article
Onfilmphoto Article
"The children's faces were charred from the sun and the wind, while their hair had the consistency of cotton candy. They played in the dirt paths between the tents, sometimes running dangerously close to the roads nearby. Every once in a while a child would be struck by a speeding motorist, the communities shared with me, while local authorities treated such incidents as inconsequential. These brave faces lived on the outskirts of the surrounding society, performing their duties unseen in order to help support their families back home."
"For those of us with children, can we imagine for one second our children's faces with such scars? Can we imagine the hair on our children's heads having such a consistency? Can we imagine the clothes on our children's backs so fragile, so stained? Can we for one moment endure the dryness of their skin, dirt near their lips?"
Wednesday, October 28, 2015
Article, Onfilmphoto, October 28, 2015
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I am honored to have been selected for an article on this esteemed page, and hope that the stories reach an even larger audience soon. Here is an excerpt thanks to the incredibly poignant questions presented by the good team at onfilm.photo.
Any message for other film photographers? Or maybe a tip you would like to share?
With humility, I would like to share these images and hope
that they inspire this community as the images have inspired me. Over the past two decades photography has helped me develop bonds with the most incredible people, who by now have become my extended family. They look forward to my visits almost as much as I look forward to my sessions with them. I have learned that returning to the communities makes all the difference in the world, especially when coupled with photographs in hand. There is nothing like photographing children in the streets of a city, then returning to that neighborhood to photograph their younger siblings and even their own children. The love produced with such a history is beyond my ability to describe on this page, always makes me pause.
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