Adios a La Florida

 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

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!

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

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!

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

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

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!