Light and landscapes

I spent so long trying to do photo-journalism that I never really learned how to take a pretty photograph.  My focus has always been on people and trying to tell a story.  And now that I'm in the Himalayas, it's only natural to focus on the landscape and how the light strikes it.  In Gandruk, it's pretty standard to see the mountains early in the morning until the heat of the day causes the clouds to build and thicken until, despite their closeness, the mountains become completely hidden.  But on the occasion that the sky remains clear into the afternoon, the sunset is absolutely spectacular.  

So, as I'm trying to learn to take photos that can be called art, here are some examples of how different light changes the same subject.  It's easy to take a nice photo here; it's a bit more difficult to put the viewer into the scene.   

Fishtail at sunrise

Fishtail at sunset

5 am shot of the mountains from our front yard, F-16 1min.

Gandruk at sunset

And some silhouettes at around 10:30-11 am when the light was harsh

Bird watching at the Cherry Tree

Bird watching from the landslide

Adelante adelante adelante!

It's funny how things work out sometimes.  A year ago, I had a set plan: 6 weeks studying Incan ruins in the mountain jungles of Peru, 3 months practicing Spanish on a print journalism internship in Argentina, and finally, 9 months on a broadcast journalism internship in Costa Rica.  Having previously spent a Christmas break during college on an incredible internship in the newsroom of a television station in Ghana, I figured that a year of traveling and interning around Latin America would be the next step in making my resume even sexier.

But plans and reality are two separate animals.  In reality, Argentina sucked me in.  3 months turned into 6 months, which then turned into 9 months.  Costa Rica eventually faded, and the plan was to stay in Argentina for the whole year.
In reality, the longer I stayed at the Luci, the better my work became.  They knew me, they trusted me, and I was finally taking portraits that I could be proud of and figuring out the process and purpose of my own personal project (photo transfers).
And just as things were beginning to come together, a family emergency called me home 2 1/2 months early.
Plans change.  It's hard, but it's not always a bad thing.  I'm glad that I went home.

Traveling always gives me great plans.  When I don't know what to do with myself, I travel, and it always shakes lose good ideas.   

And now the plan is to finish up the 2 1/2 months that I left off.  So, following my love of the mountains and the great experience that I had in Peru, I decided to join a mountain conservation research project in Nepal for the remaining time.  The project is in Gandruck, a village outside of Pokhara at the base of the Annapurna range in the Annapurna Conservation Area.  Our work consists of carrying out bird surveys, tracking mammals in the jungle, working with the community (picking up trash, going into the schools, educating about proper conservation techniques), surveying invasive plant species, and farming.

So far, it's been great.  I arrived on March 2 to Kathmandu and to Gandruck on the 5.  Some bad drinking water slowed me down during the first week, but now, I'm three weeks into it and problem-free.  And I think I've found a new hobby with bird-watching.

When all of this is done, I have a one-way ticket to Paris from Kathmandu and plans to visit friends around Western Europe and to hike the Camino Santiago across northern Spain.  And then, in a few short months, if all goes according to plan, I'll be back in Argentina to teach English and work on my master's.  Gah, I can't wait to get back.
   

And of course, here are some photos.  

 

At the community event to celebrate International Women's Day

 

It's worth the hike, I swear.

The mean streets of Gandruck...

...Are just a lot of stairs.

     
 
         

Final transfers for the Luci!

Here are how the transfers for the Luciernaga finally turned out.  I wish that I had time to do more, and to do them better.  I'll continue to work on them in Tennessee - I want them bigger, I want them nicer, and I want more of them.  I know these are rough, and honestly, I'm only happy with them for the lessons that I learned in doing them.  They're not bad considering where I started from (only a vague notion of how to do the process, language and cultural barriers, not really having a workspace, being limited by available print and canvas sizes), but now it's time to take the process and the photos a bit further and do something that I can be proud of.

That being said, I've worked my ass off since July on these things, and I don't know how many I had to re-do.  But I've learned, and each one became better than the last, until I did the last 4 in a hurry (if every day was the day before a deadline, I would rule the world.  Unfortunately, I have no motivation every other day of the week).  But typical to how I work, I have some really good ones, and I have some well, not really good ones.

But everyone at the Luci was pleased with them (except the one of Victor "Oreja," they told me to take it back because they kicked him out for stealing the director's cell phone).  And I'm optimistic.  I love these guys - I want to do them the justice that they deserve and create something beautiful for them.














                            Miguel

Ramon

Yesica, Sofi, Pablo

Julio

Chicha and her son

Emmanuel "Puro"

Yionni

Victor "Oreja"

Gula

Yiyo

Pepe

Guachín

Gonzalo

Franko

Transfer update

Other obligations in the US have cut short the time that I have left here in Argentina.  Well, for this trip at least.  But what that means is that I have a lot less time to finish up the transfers than I originally thought I would.  But if I learned anything in college, it's that I do my best work under pressure, and that things magically get finished on time (although it's usually during these times that sleep becomes a luxury).  So I'm kicking this transfer project into warp speed, and I'm not leaving until I finish.  

I scrapped the two transfers that I already had - the one of Ana and the one of Juani from the previous post.  I want to keep the project strictly focused on the canillitas (I already have way too many to do, it's crazy to try to include their kids).  And I don't really like that photo of Juani - the light's nice and it's in focus, but the composition isn't as strong as in some of my other photos.

So here are the first three that I have that I'm definitely using. 

Gula

Pepe

Gonzalo

Photo transfers, cont'd

Here's what's coming out of the photo transfers that I've been working on.

Finally I've found everything that I need, and gotten a technique pretty much down.  I'm cool with where the tearing happens - it doesn't detract.  I've gotta find some frames or paint the edges or do something to finish them off a bit.

It's a huuuge step forward from where I was.  

And each one is better than the last.

photo course

I enrolled in an 8-week photo course in an art school here in the center, to learn photography in Spanish, meet people, and most importantly, receive criticism again.  And it worked, I've had a great time, met some really cool people, learned the terminology in Spanish, and well, I think my work has improved.

We had an excursion a few weekends ago to the estancia of one of the profesor's friends

cactus...

   

people...

Pulling Teeth: La Campaña Para Arreglar Los Dientes

I've been haunted by this recurring dream that began about six years ago.  I'm walking down the sidewalk, and suddenly I trip, smashing my face on the concrete.  Shards of tooth go flying in every direction, and I'm swallowed whole by what can only be described as screaming waves in technicolor.  And all that I can think of is, "please don't make me get braces again…"

So when I accompanied some of the guys from the Luciérnaga to the dentist to take photographs of the new dentistry campaign, I could empathize.

For the past two or three months, the Luciérnaga and the Universidad Católica de Córdoba have come together to begin a campaign to fix the teeth of the chicos.  The vast majority of the guys have never received any form of dental care, and this is evident in some more than others.  The campaign includes removing problem teeth and growths, filling cavities, and creating prostheses for those that need them.  Every Friday and Saturday four or five of them go in at a time for the dental students to practice.  It's a great opportunity, as it gives the students experience, and it gives the guys dental care - mutual benefits that will last a lifetime.

        

         

           

  

The lighting was harsh, but it could be cool if used correctly.
(Almost there!  It'll be better next time)