Cameras for Colombia

Grupo Aguacero, planting a Seed and watching it grow

2011-08-18T19:55:00.001-04:00

If you look at my earliest entries in this blog you will see that I have been working with Grupo Aguacero for about 6 years now. Most of them started out as 15 or 16 year olds in high school and now most are graduating college already. It was always my intention to keep working with them until they reached the point where they were self sufficient and could go on their own. Well, it looks like that time has come, my kids are all grown up. The entire project in Cartagena, Soñando ser Fotógrafo, was planned and carried out by the members of the group. I hardly had to do anything. The students have now become the teachers. It gives me such a sense of pride to see the seeds I helped plant 6 years ago now blossoming.

Student Photographs in La Boquilla

2011-08-13T19:26:00.012-04:00

Here is a slideshow showing photos taken by students in Soñando ser Fotógrafo (Dreaming of Being a Photographer) in La Boquilla, Cartagena in Colombia.

Click on YouTube logo to see video larger directly on YouTube.

Process in La Boquilla

2011-08-12T19:18:00.000-04:00

Here is a slideshow showing the process of the 4 workshops in Soñando ser Fotógrafo (Dreaming of Being a Photographer) in La Boquilla, Cartagena in Colombia.

Click on YouTube logo to see video larger directly on YouTube.

Arriving at La Boquilla, Cartagena

2011-08-10T18:39:00.037-04:00

After getting into Cartagena late last night (after a 26 hour bus ride) today is our first workshop with Los Reporteritos de La Boquilla and Organicación Fundación Proboquilla. I am here as a member of Grupo Aguacero, comprised of my students from Cali's Aguablanca District that I have been working with for the past 6 years.

La Boquilla is located right on the water about 20 minutes walk from where we are staying in my Aunt Jenny's Apt. These 18 students, aged 10 - 16, have received workshops in the past on topics ranging from web design to journalism. We spent our first day getting to know each other and outlining the rest of the workshops. The people in this community make their living from the sea and the tourists who make Cartagena Colombia's #1 tourist attraction. The overwhelming majority (like 90%) of the residents are Afro-Colombian.

Devoción a La Vírgen del Carmen (Devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel)

2011-08-07T22:38:00.000-04:00

This video was created by Grupo Flormorado and explains the significance of their very important celebration of La Virgen del Carmen (our Lady of Mt. Carmel). I was really intrigued by how little I knew about it and what a big deal it is for the residents of La Florida as well as the rest of Colombia. I have been teaching the students digital video this summer along with traditional and digital photography, and this is just the first in a series that the students will be making about their traditions.

Adios a La Florida

2011-08-02T18:13:00.027-04:00

Tonight we had a small exhibition of the students work at the town hall where many in the community got to see how much Grupo Flormorado has accomplished this past month. I am sad to be going but know that I am leaving the group in good hands with Padre Angel, professor Camilo Arango, and the parents of the students. They now have in addition to a darkroom a computer lab with 3 Macintosh computers, a scanner/laser printer, and Internet access. I can't wait to get back to Philly so that we can start our cultural exchange with my Stetson Shutterbugs!

First Photograms

2011-07-24T22:14:00.000-04:00

These are the first photograms my students in La Florida have created. A Photogram is a simple photographic process of basically collages on top of photographic paper in the darkroom that is then exposed by the enlarger. The students were asked to use items of personal significance in their photograms.

Photogram by Brayan

Photogram by Jaimer

Photogram by Lorena

Photogram by Miguel Angel

Photogram by Nelly

First Pinhole Photos!

2011-07-24T22:08:00.000-04:00

Here are some of my La Florida students' first pinhole photos. These images were taken with recycled cans that we transformed into cameras. These images depict the students and areas of La Florida that the students feel connected to.

Photo by Catherine

Photo by Erick

Photo by Johan

Photo by Maria Jose

Photo by Miguel Angel

La Florida-getting back to business

2011-07-01T12:02:00.001-04:00

The primary goal of my trip to Colombia this summer is to get my project in La Florida off and running. Last year we made a good start but we had a problem getting a teacher to keep the project going when I was gone so things have moved slowly. My students are still excited, however, and ready to get busy! Our first week has been devoted to Pinhole Photography and Fotograms. Check out some picts of our first week below.

Nos Vamos a Cartagena/We're going to Cartagena!

2011-06-30T12:24:00.000-04:00

In August I am taking members of Grupo Aguacero to the famous coastal resort city of Cartagena. For many of my students this will be the first time they have ever seen the ocean. Besides recreation, we will also be doing a photography project with children from a local church in Cartagena. During this trip Grupo Aguacero will start to transition from students to teachers, passing on what they have learned about photography. Getting to Cartagena from Cali entails a 26 hour bus ride. More details to follow!

Iguana Park / Parque de las Iguanas

2011-06-29T21:47:00.004-04:00

This is a video about a neighborhood park/ Iguana reserve in Cali, Colombia that I discovered, run for 22 years as a labor of love by Orlando Machado.

If the video plays too small on your screen, click the tab under the video to view it directly on youtube.

Gravy and Meatball with Grupo Aguacero

2011-06-21T11:49:00.024-04:00

I am so excited to be back in Colombia for the summer, working with my students, taking photographs, and doing what I love. My first stop is Cali and my students from grupo Aguacero. They are always cooking for me, showing me dishes from Colombia, so this time I wanted them to experience something from Philly. I'm not much of a cook (but I can boil water!), so I brought down gravy and meatballs from renowned Vill di Roma Restaurant in South Philly so they could experience spaghetti like I did when I was growing up. Colombians' and many Latinos' idea of spaghetti is pasta with ketchup mixed with rice. Yuck! This time they got to try the real deal!

Barbeque: Colombia Style

2011-01-05T23:56:00.000-05:00

While visiting Colombia for the holidays I got to catch up with my old photography group Agua Cero in Cali's Aguablanca district. We always love to eat when we get together so I am posting a video of us trying to get the coal (not charcoal) to light so we can get to eatin'!

Watching Video with Grupo Flormorado

2011-01-05T23:22:00.001-05:00

It was great to see some of my students from Grupo Flormorado over the holidays. I delivered and installed some new computers for a mini lab we are trying to set up and got to see some of the new things they are working on. In the above photo the group was looking at a holiday video created for them by my Stetson Shutterbugs.

Christmas in La Florida

2011-01-05T23:18:00.004-05:00

What a treat it was to spend the holidays in Colombia. Besides seeing my family I got to spend some time with mi familia from La Florida, including Don Jairo pictured above. We spent time catching up and planning our activities for the coming year.

Exploring La Florida

2010-08-16T10:13:00.030-04:00

On my first full day in La Florida my students took me around to see their wonderful town and the surrounding area. We also took the opportunity to start talking about photography and start taking pictures. A highlight of the day was when they took me to their secret little place where

they made a swing.

Reception in La Florida

2010-08-15T15:54:00.004-04:00

Wow. It felt like the whole town was there to welcome me to La Florida today! It was amazing to see the enthusiasm and support that the community has for this project. I can't wait to get started with the students tomorrow!

Meeting my New Students

2010-08-14T15:11:00.000-04:00

Today I met with my new students for the first time at La Javeriana University in Bogota. I was a little surprised when instead of the 15 students I expected I saw almost 40! It seems Padre Angel from Fundación San Martín de Porres has a tough time saying no. :-)

I discussed what we will be doing over the next few weeks and looked at what our goals and expectations will be. Then we broke up into groups with the help of Jenny Paola from Grincol Communications and Pillar from La Javeriana and worked on the name for the group, as well as mission and vision statements for our project.

FLORMORADO (Purple Flower local to La Florida where it gets it's name)

Fotos por descubrir… de la florida para el mundo entero

Photographs to discover . . . from la Florida and the entire world.

Mission:
Mediante la fotografía sesibilizarnos y enseñar al mundo nuestras costumbres campesinas, con la participación activa de la comunidad de La Florida en su diario vivir, aprovechando nuestros propios recursos.

Using photography to better understand and show the world our rural customs, with the active participation of the community of La Florida in their daily lives, using our own resources.

Vision:
Consolidarnos como un equipo de fotógrafos, multiplicador, que construye conocimiento y opera trabajando la problematica social que vive nuestro pueblo, para mejorar la calidad de vida y la conservación del medio ambiente.

Consolidate as a team of photographers that builds a working knowledge of the social problems facing our people, to improve the quality of life and environmental conservation.

What a great start, I can't wait to go to La Florida tomorrow and REALLY get this project started!

Reunited with Grupo Aguacero

2010-08-12T14:48:00.000-04:00

Today I was finally reunited with Grupo Aguacero after three long years. I am so proud that the group continues to do great work in Aguablanca. We will be continuing to work together even as I begin the next phase of Cameras for Colombia next week in La Florida.

New Project!

2010-06-03T20:20:00.000-04:00

Here I am meeting students from Fundación San Martín de Porres at a computer lab at La Javeriana in 2009.

I am so happy to announce a new outreach project I will be doing in Colombia working with a group of students from Fundación San Martín de Porres, located in a farming community outside Bogotá. In collaboration with La Javeriana in Bogotá, one of Colombia's most respected Universities, I will be embarking on a two-year project with a group of students from the Fundación. Much like my previous group in Cali, these students will learn to use the camera as a tool to explore their culture and share their stories. In addition, I will be building a darkroom for them similar to the one I just recently completed at Stetson Middle School in Philadelphia. In fact, an integral part of the project will be a distance learning program where both groups of students will learn about each other's respective cultures using photography as well as video. Details are still being worked but the project could start as early as this coming September.

AGUA´0: PROYECTOS Y CONCURSOS

2007-11-03T19:44:00.000-04:00

AGUACERO

Este nombre surgió por la necesidad de identificar el grupo. La intención inicial era utilizar el nombre del Distrito de aguablanca, pues la mayoría de los integrantes residen allí. Entre todos se llevo a cabo un debate, en el cual se descartó aguablanca debido a su significado negativo en la ciudad y el grupo quería identificarse con una palabra que no nos llevara a la estigmatización.
En ese debate surgieron otros nombres derivados de la primera palabra que compone el nombre del Distrito, la razón de encontrar nombres asociados con la palabra agua, es conservar el sentido de pertenencia al lugar donde residimos; de todos los nombres que surgieron, fue aguacero (agua´0) el escogido por decisión del grupo. Lo interesante del nombre, es que tiene implícito un doble sentido: aguacero como abundancia y agua-cero carencia de …

FOTOS DEL CONCURSO

El pasado mes de septiembre el grupo el grupo Agua`0 participo en un concurso de fotografía cuyo tema “Imaginarios de Ciudad”, organizado por el Centro Cultural Comfandi; el objetivo era mostrar costumbres y tradiciones en nuestro entorno. El grupo participó con 5 series de fotos compuestas por los siguientes temas: las mujeres y el trabajo, los niños, y la biodiversidad cultural y étnica.

Por Jimena:

Mujeres y el trabajo:

Niños:

El trabajo:

PROYECTO AGENDAS

Este proyecto consiste en elaborar agendas a partir de cuadernos escolares, utilizando una serie de recursos, como el dibujo, la pintura, el lienzo, etc para poder asi comercializarlos y hacer que el grupo sea cada vez mas reconocido.

Mexican Night

2007-10-18T23:01:00.000-04:00

I have many good friends who are "undocumented" and mostly Mexican that work in restaurants and other businesses throughout Philadelphia. Because of the long hours they work, they can never make it to any of my shows so I decided to have a "Midnight Reception" for them. It was also my amigo Mexicano "Pedro's" birthday, so we combined it into one big party where Colombia met Mexico. I was happy that my buddies finally got a chance to see my work and that of my students, and even happier that so many other people came out as well.

Below is a pic of me and "Pedro" as well as one of me with my brothers of Gamma Phi Sigma, Hermanos Unidos, Fraterity, Inc. Plus the dancing queen, my mom, was back in action as you can check out in the video clip.

My Show Opening

2007-10-07T22:39:00.000-04:00

My opening on First Friday was amazing with hundreds of people coming through Third Street Gallery. There was authentic Colombian snacks provided by Colombian Bakery as well as lots of cumbia and vallenato, traditional Colombian music. I was happy to see so many people come out and support my students and me. What made my night, however, was having my mom in town to be there with me. Below is a pict of (from l to r) my aunt Lucy, me, my mother Amparo, my cousin Lydia and my cousin Gilberto.

Below is a little low-rez video clip showing the crowd that was going through the gallery all night long.

Getting Ready for My Show

2007-09-19T14:54:00.000-04:00

Now that my students from Grupo Agua 0 have had their show in Colombia, it is time for me to get ready for my show next month at Third Street Gallery in Old City, Philadelphia. I'm excited to be showing all new work from my last few trips to Colombia. Also, these are black and white traditional silver prints, most of which were printed by renowned master printer Robert Asman. In addition to my work there will be select images from Grupo Agua 0, the first time their work will be displayed outside Colombia. The title of our show is Colombia: Nuestro Pueblo or Colombia: Our Home. It demonstrates the different perspectives my students and I have when we look at the city of Cali, Colombia: a place we all consider home.

Miradas Pacíficas/Pacific Views

2007-08-24T23:38:00.000-04:00

Here are a few images from the exhibition. To see all of them go to our new Flickr page. There are actually two different groups of students showing work in this exhibition. Besides my usual group from Aguablanca, the other is from the corrigimiento (suburb) of Los Hormigueros.

Exhibit Time!

2007-08-18T12:12:00.000-04:00

Last week the students had their culminating exhibition titled: Miradas Pacíficas (Pacific Views) in conjunction with La Festival de Patronio Alvarez. This festival celebrates the culture and particularly the music of Colombians from the Pacific coast. The photographs dealt with that theme and we took a few trips to places with strong Pacific influences, Los Hormigueros and San Cipriano. Anyway, the exhibition was a huge success. Here are images from the opening. I'll post images from the show directly.

We served Arechón, a drink from the Pacific, at the opening. It reminds me of Puerto Rican Coquito, which is like egg nog but with a serious kick.

Astrid shows off some of her photographs.

There was also an awesome dance performance by a local group.

Below is a photo of me along with Hermán and his wife Claudia representing Foto Ackermann, one of our sponsors. For the 2nd year they donated the printing of the photographs for the exhibition.

ESPERA/Waiting by Lisseth

2007-08-03T17:32:00.001-04:00

Esta foto fue tomada en la galeria santa Elena ubicada al sur oriente de cali, ella es una señora que vende gallinas. Me gustaba la expression de la señora, se ve pensativa.

This photo was taken at the Geleria (Market) de Santa Elena located in the southeast of Cali. She is a woman selling chickens. I liked her pensive expression.

A LA OREDEN/At Your Service by Lisseth

2007-08-03T17:20:00.000-04:00

Ella esta organizando las frutas que vende, me gusto el color y la composicion. Es un trabajo arduo inicia desde la madrugada.

This woman is organizing the fruit that she sells. It is an arduous job beginning very early in the morning. I liked the color and composition of the photo.

EL CARNICERO/The Butcher by Anna Christina

2007-08-03T17:17:00.000-04:00

Me impacto la sangre que tenia el señor en su ropa.

I was impacted by the the blood this man had on his shirt.

LOS MOROCHOS/Workers by Anna Christina

2007-08-03T17:11:00.000-04:00

Me gusto la pose del morocho con los platanos en el hombro.

I liked the pose of this worker with the plantains on his shoulder.

EL TROMPO/ The Spinning Thing by Paola

2007-08-03T17:02:00.000-04:00

Por mi casa hay un cancha para jugar futbol y recrearse. Pero despues fue invadida, construyeron casas y ya no fue possible volver a jugar alla. El lugar se volvio peligroso y eso me gusto de la foto porque las niñas igual lo disfrutan. Tal vez porque la inocencia no permite reconocer el peligro.

Near my home is a soccer field and playground. But then it was overrun by houses that were constructed and it wasn't possible to play there anymore. It became a dangerous place and that's what I like about the photo because the girls were having fun anyway. Maybe it is because their innocence doesn't allow them to recognize the danger.

BAJO LA LLUVIA/In the Rain by Paola

2007-08-03T16:57:00.000-04:00

La foto con las niñas, el laso y la lluvia me parece interesante. Pues aquellas estaban jugando antes de llover. De un momento a otro el cielo se oscurecio y empezo a llover, ellas continuaron.
Me gusta la energia que proyectan porque el clima no las intimido.

This photo with these girls jumping rope in the rain was interesting to me. They were playing before it started raining. Then from one moment to the next the clouds came and it started to rain, but they kept jumping rope. I like the energy they have because they didn't let the weather bother them.

EL VIEJO/Old Man by Karol

2007-08-03T16:52:00.000-04:00

Me gusto esta foto por que al pasar por la galeria vi este anciano que apesar de su edad no se le dificulta trabajar vendiendo verdures.

I liked this picture because in the market I saw this old man that has no difficulty selling vegetables despite his age.

MANANTIAL DE VIDA/In the Prime of Their Lives by Oliva

2007-08-03T16:40:00.000-04:00

En nuestro barrio hay varios grupos de ancianos, este es uno de ellos.
Se reunen en las mañanas para hacer ejercicio y luego se van algunos de ellos a trabajar en la huerta comunitara que queda ubicada en la parte trasera de la cancha.

In our neighborhood there are various groups of seniors, this is one of them. They meet in the morning to exercise and later go to work in the community garden nearby.

EL CARRETILLERO/ Delivery Man by Oliva

2007-08-03T16:24:00.000-04:00

Este hombre tiene el oficio de carretillero, hace viajes de remesas, materiales de construccion, tambien hace trasteos. Cuida de su caballo, porque este es su principal fuente de empleo.
This man works delivering things like construction supplies and also does salvage from what people throw away. He takes care of his horse because it is his livelihood.

SELVA DE CEMENTO/Concrete jungle by Diana

2007-07-22T23:48:00.000-04:00

El Puente de la quinta me permite contenplar la belleza artistica y arquitectonica de mi ciudad rodeada de naturaleza pura.

Standing on a bridge on 5th Avenue allows me to contemplate the beautiful architecture of my city surrounded by natures purity.

SANGRE VERDE/Bleeding Green by Diana

2007-07-22T23:43:00.000-04:00

Cali es Cali. Nuestro futbol corre por las venas grandes y chicos llevamos el color de esperanza que une todos los colores de piel solo CALI.

Cali (one of 2 Cali professional soccer teams) is Cali. Our soccer team runs in our blood and young and old wear green with hope which unites all the different people of Cali regardless of the color of their skin--only Cali.

REFLEJO de MI PADRE/Reflection of my Father by Yesid

2007-07-22T23:40:00.000-04:00

Tome la foto por la luz en el rostro de mi padre.

I took this photograph because of the light falling on my father's face.

EL FAROL/The Lamppost by Yesid

2007-07-22T23:36:00.000-04:00

Tome la foto por que al momento de ver el farol pasaba una nube y me parecio chevere.

I took this photograph because in that moment I saw a cloud passing by the lamppost and I thought it looked cool.

EL PAISAJE/Landscape by Anna Christina

2007-07-22T23:33:00.000-04:00

La tome porque me gusto el contraste de los colores.

I took this because I liked the contrast of colors.

EL VIEJO Y LA CALLE /Old Man in the Street by Anna Christina

2007-07-22T23:27:00.000-04:00

Esta foto la tome por el contraste que encontre entre los indigentes que estaban en la avenida 6, que es una parte de cali de personas de modo.

I took this photograph because of the contrast between the homeless people on 6th Avenue and the part of Cali they are in which is very wealthy .

SOLITARIO ENTRE COLUMNAS/Alone with Columns by Lisseth

2007-07-22T23:12:00.000-04:00

Me gusto por que esta foto muestra a un anciano en las afueras de esta casa sin hacer nada esta situacion causa melancolia.

I like this because this photograph shows an old man outside this house doing nothing. It makes me feel sad.

PANORAMA DE CALI/Panorama of Cali by Karol

2007-07-22T23:07:00.000-04:00

Me gusto por que muestra a una madre y a su hija disfrutando la tarde con un bello paisaje de Cali. Esta foto fue tomada en la Colina de San Antonio.

I liked this because it shows a mother and daughter enjoying an afternoon with a beautiful view of Cali. This photograph as taken on the hill of the Church of San Antonio.

LA INFANCIA/Childhood by Lisseth

2007-07-22T23:05:00.000-04:00

Ellos son dos niños que se encontraban jugando en un parque cerca de mi casa.

These are two children I found playing in a park near my home.

CONSTRUCTORES DEL FUTURO/Builders of the Future by Lisseth

2007-07-22T22:55:00.000-04:00

El “Mio” es un proyecto de transporte masivo que pretende modernizar la ciudad y beneficiar a muchos caleños.
Esta foto fue tomada en el centro de Cali y ellos son trabajdores de construccion.

El "Mio" is a massive transportation project that is trying to modernize the city and benefit many people from Cali. This photograph of Mio construction workers was taken in downtown Cali.

JUEGO EN EL ATARDECER/Playing Late by Oliva

2007-07-22T22:50:00.000-04:00

Estos niños disfrutan de un rato de exparcimiento; Donde con su inocencia e inquietud, intentan elevar una cometa, sobre la baranda de la cancha.
Usualmente nadie lo hace de esta manera. Otros niños lo hacen con los pies en la tierra.

These kids enjoy a bit of experimentation where with their innocence and restlessness, they try to fly a kite over a fence. Usually nobody does it like this, most kids do it with their feet on the ground.

COSECHANDO/Harvesting by Oliva

2007-07-22T22:41:00.000-04:00

Esta foto fue tomada en la huerta de mi padre.
Lo hice para mostrar, como con constancia y dedicacion, se siembra y luego ; podemos disfrutar de la cosecha, fruto del trabajo.
Estas hermosas flores sembradas por el, hace varios meses, ahora estan en el jarrón de su sala.

This picture was taken in my father's orchard. I took it to demonstrate how through sowing and hard work we can enjoy the harvest, the fruit of our labor. These beautiful flowers were grown by him and are now in a vase in his living room

July 20th, Independence Day

2007-07-22T22:13:00.000-04:00

July 20th is Colombian Independence Day. In 1810 Colombia broke away from Spain. It is celebrated with military parade type marches in several cities throughout the country. Lucky for me, one of those cities was Cali. Here are a couple shots from the parade.

Kites

2007-07-19T00:06:00.000-04:00

July is National Kite Month or something here in Colombia because they are everywhere. Whether you are in center city Cali like we were today or in Agua Blanca kids and adults are flying kites.

Diana's Grandaughter and Kites Flying over Agua Blanca

2007-07-19T00:04:00.001-04:00

Anna Christina's Husband and Little Neighbor

2007-07-19T00:02:00.001-04:00

Andres' Sunset over Cali

2007-07-18T23:56:00.001-04:00

Yesid's Dog Tied to Pole & Everyones Gone Fishing

2007-07-18T23:53:00.001-04:00

Karol Self Portrait

2007-07-18T23:46:00.001-04:00

Oliva's Son's Friend with Cat Wrap

2007-07-18T23:42:00.000-04:00

Critique

2007-07-18T23:28:00.000-04:00

One of the best things about taking photography classes was the opportunity to get feedback from the instructors and fellow students in the form of a critique. The biggest drawback to using disposable film cameras last year was that there wasn't enough time to give the students feedback because it took forever to get their film developed. Today was our first of many critiques and everybody got a chance to see everyone's work and advice. Check out the following posts of the student work. We are pressed for time today and don't have Internet access where we are so I'm going to post their images for them tonight. They will be responding to comments to their images however so please post!

Gallery Trip

2007-07-18T23:12:00.000-04:00

Today we went to go see an interesting photography exhibition in downtown Cali. José Kattán, a Colombian, traveled to France and photographed musicians on the streets of Paris. Louis Nespoulous, a Frenchman, then traveled to Colombia to respond along the same theme. This was a good opportunity to see how two diferent photographers approached the same subject and led to an interesting dialogue within the group.

Meeting with the Group

2007-07-14T12:30:00.000-04:00

I finally got to meet with my kids again today. As usual, one of them made us a great meal. This time it was Anna Christina and her daughter Karol making Sancocho de Pescado (fish stew). Everybody got their shiny new digital cameras (Thanks to Latino Partnership Initiative and Congreso de Latinos Unidos) and learned the basics of how to use them. We're set to meet again on Wed. to check out a photo exhibit in downtown Cali and to look at everyone's first picts. Pictured above is the group chowing down and getting their cameras, Lisseth figuring out her camera with co-teacher Carlos, and Andres loving his new camera.

About Agua Blanca

2007-07-11T11:24:00.000-04:00

Agua Blanca is often described as Cali's biggest slum. It is home to some 600,000 people, many of whom have been displaced from their rural homes by the violence between Marxist rebels and right wing paramilitary forces and other factors such as natural disasters. Left without alternatives they created their own neighborhoods by building makeshift shacks illegally without land titles. There was an awful period a few years ago where the government battled to forcibly dislodge the residents. Finally, the government began to provide basic services to these people and built schools and hospitals. More than 60% of the population of Agua Blanca live in poverty and earn less than US$ 2 per day. Here are a couple links:

http://www.accessallareas.org/aguablanca/background.html
http://www.colombiasolidarity.org.uk/content/view/36/54/

Above photo taken by student Yicel Valencia.

Back in Cali

2007-07-10T10:59:00.000-04:00

After almost a year I'm finally back in Cali! This has been a stressful year (as my teacher friends from Julia DeBurgos can attest to) and I'm excited to be back home. I'm excited because I will be working with the same group of children and their families again this year. With help from Philadelphia Latino Partnership Innitiative and Congreso de Latinos Unidos, I brought digital cameras for all my students. If you check my earlier entries you'll see that last year we used disposables (which were better than nothing), but this is a definite improvement. I'll be meeting the kids in the next few days and we'll be spending a month working together before they have their big exhibit at El Centro Cultural de Cali. The kids will be learning how to post their images to this blog throughout the project so please give them some feedback!

Silvia

2006-08-01T16:23:00.000-04:00

Silvia is a little town about 3 hours away from Cali in the departamento (state) of Cauca. Silvia is home to an indigenous people (Indians) called Guambianos. There are many communities of indigenous folk throughout Colombia with different customs and traditions.

Pull Over!

2006-08-01T16:18:00.000-04:00

I got pulled over today for the 1st time ever in Colombia. We were on our way back from the town of Silvia. It was a little scary being searched by soldiers with machine guns, after all, it’s something we’re not used to in the US. We had to wait while they searched us and the car thoroughly and then ran our IDs to make sure they were legit. The soldiers were really cool and let me take pictures of them while we waited. I asked them how often they caught someone with something illegal and they said, “All the time. Mostly people with an illegal firearm or false IDs.” In the recent past, Rebels often kidnapped people on roads like these and many Colombians stopped traveling. Current president Alvaro Uribe helped change that by taking a hard line on Rebels and Paramilitary groups, making it safer to travel. There are still incursions by Rebels from time to time but mostly way up in the mountains or in other remote parts of Colombia.

Cockfight!

2006-07-31T16:14:00.000-04:00

One of the most interesting things I’ve seen in Colombia was yesterday’s cockfight. Believe it or not they are legal here and have a fanatical following, mostly by hard core gamblers. These guys were playing dominoes and shooting dice between fights! Watching the cockfight was both intriguing and repulsive at the same time. I was sickened by the brutality of it but at the same time fascinated by how ingrained it is in the culture. Lots of people even brought their kids. It made me think about what we expose our kids to. I mean, what is worse, watching animals fight or people being decapitated on TV? What do you think?

Last Day with Students

2006-07-29T16:03:00.000-04:00

Today will be the last day I see most of my students for a while. They gave me a surprise “despedida”, kind of a going away party, at my student Diana’s house. It was great to spend the day together since I won't be seeing them for a year. We also decided as a group that we like working together, so . . . Since I’m going to begin teaching in at DeBurgos Elementary School in Philly again in September, I thought it would be great to start a distance learning program between these guys and some of my DeBurgos kids. We talked a lot about the things they would like to learn about people from another culture like the US and figured out how they were going to get Internet access. For now, we are going to try to work out a deal with a business in the neighborhood that offers Internet access and try to get a discount. Eventually, I hope to get a computer for them as well as Internet service to make things easier. I still have to develop a curriculum involving this project, as well as get the whole idea approved by my principal, but I think it would be a great experience for everyone, including myself. Above are some picts of of the students taken by my star pupil (and Jesus look-alike) Yesid.

El Paraiso

2006-07-22T15:58:00.000-04:00

If you are going to visit Philadelphia they say you have to see Betsy Ross’ House. Why? Because it is an important part of our city’s history and culture. I’ve been told that a visit to Cali is not complete without visiting the famous Hacienda de Efraín y Maria, also called El Paraiso (Paridise). It is the scene of an incredibly tragic love story. Efraín and Maria were cousins who fell in love. This relationship was frowned upon by Efraín’s father who sent him away to England to study (and to keep him away from Maria). Anyway, he promised Maria he would come back to her and they wrote countless letters back and forth professing their love. Maria gets very sick and sends for Efraín, but it is a 3 month trip from England to Colombia (at least in the 1800s), and Maria dies 3 days before Efrain gets back. Talk about a tear jerker. This story was made famous by a Colombian writer named Jorge Isaac

Festival de Buga

2006-07-22T15:51:00.000-04:00

I’d been to the town of Buga many times, but they were celebrating their yearly festival so I took the bus there with my uncle and his wife. There were lots of arts and crafts, food, and the usual festival stuff. What I really enjoyed was my first Colombian rodeo. It was actually my first rodeo ever, there not being many cowboys in Philly. I was really impressed with how many Colombian cowboys there are and how they make sure to pass on these traditions to the next generation. I love this image of a boy racing his father. Colombian cowboys are called bacceros.

Show Time!

2006-07-19T15:26:00.000-04:00

The students finally got to show their stuff. It was an awesome opening where all the students and their guests were bussed from their neighborhood so they could attend. There was ice cream, wine, aguardiente, and empanadas. Check out some of their pics. Everyone had a great time and the students took a great deal of pride in their work. Also above is a photo of me with employees of Foto Ackermann, who donated the processing and printing of the student’s work, along with Gonzalo Gonzalez from El Centro Cultural de Cali.

Catching a Soccer Game

2006-07-16T13:35:00.000-04:00

Soccer is big in Colombia, like it is pretty much anywhere else (except in the US). Cali has two professional teams, Deportivo Cali and América. Just like folks from New York (with the Mets and Yankees), you are either a Cali fan or an América fan, NOT both. I am an incha (fan) of AMERICA! Only a couple of times a year do the two Cali-based teams play each other. These Clasicos are a heated rivalry with one side of the stadium wearing red for América and the other green for Cali. Unfortunately, América lost today 2-1.

Picking Out Images for Show

2006-07-14T12:29:00.000-04:00

Today I went back to Agua Blanca where I met with the students and they critiqued each other’s work and picked out their favorites for their show next Wed. They were asked to write out a description of each image and why they chose it. Also, the students interviewed each other on video about their experiences with the program. I’m going to edit the video and have it ready to show at their opening. I’ll also post a clip here on the site somewhere for people to see. Above is Diana showing off her work to some of the kids in the neighborhood.

Photography 101

2006-07-10T12:23:00.000-04:00

I only have a few hours to instruct my students before setting them loose to start taking pictures, so I take them to a couple of photo exhibits in downtown Cali so they can see some good photos. This gives me the opportunity to talk about some of the images I like as examples of good composition and other photographic concepts. After this, we break up into groups and set out to take some picts in the downtown area where these kids hardly ever get to go. Later, they’ll be given another camera to take home with them and photograph their neighborhoods. Above is a group shot of my students. As you can see some of the parents are participating in the project with their kids which I think is awesome.

Meeting My Students

2006-07-07T12:02:00.000-04:00

Today I met my students near their homes in the very poor neighborhood of Agua Blanca, which reminds me in many ways of North Philadelphia where I teach. Both neighborhoods are considered by outsiders to be extremely dangerous and a breeding ground for drugs and violence. But once you are there you see that most of the people are warm and friendly, trying to make the most of their situations. When I took the above photograph in Agua Blanca I could imagine some of my students riding three on a bike down Lehigh Avenue in North Philly.

I gave the students their disposable cameras and we talked for about an hour about the project and what kinds of photographs they wanted to take. I was impressed by how seriously they are taking this project. They were really excited, most of them had never taken pictures before. I can’t wait to see them again on Monday.

My First Show in Colombia

2006-07-05T11:50:00.000-04:00

Today is the opening of my 1st exhibition outside of the US here in Cali, Colombia. It is such a thrill for me to have my work in front of the people depicted in so many of my photographs. The exhibition is being held in El Centro Cultural de Cali (Cultural Center of Cali).