My photo brain is filled with visuals I want to capture but it often feels like I am only taking a snapshot these days. The freedom I had before becoming a parent to settle in and really get to know the people I was meeting. Fostering a warm ease that allows a subject to feel the experience of being photographed is a positive one, takes time. Parenting is a blessing for me as my kid is a magical, wonderful human but I certainly struggle with my art and my desire to make images and connections that are lasting.
The iPhone has been an interesting tool as I travel lighter with it. It's "camera" is less obtrusive so quiet moments can be captured more quickly. Not sure the connections are there tho. Maybe subjects are more relaxed as people are not so tense with the phone camera and they feel more formal or seen deeply with a big ol' camera. The DSLR is the thing that might be the hardest tool to interject quickly... As I am shooting film with my Leica or my Mamiya 6, I feel more quiet, more pure.
Again, so much thinking here at the LAKE.. where will we go from here?
I will be heading home in a few days, processing film, viewing memories. It is the connections that have mattered. Some connections toxic, some magical, some fun but all important.
Posting a few images I like from my BIG OL' camera. The stories are what matter most. Film and iPhone photos to come.
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| The church (iglesia) of Xajacax, Guatemala. A wonderful farming village with beautiful traditional peoples. This place will always have a special place in my heart. |
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| On the Launcha. The main way of travel between towns on Lake Atitlan is boat. Many times the boats are so overcrowded that we were basically on each others laps. The locals putting up with the intrusive tourists. The ride was often very bumpy as the wind created choppy waves and the boat Captains rushed to get from dock to dock to increase their money for the day. So many local women, in their traditional clothing, carrying heavy parcels of fruits or with children strapped to their backs. Many times I saw locals crossing themselves when we left a dock... surprisingly most locals cannot swim. |
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| DANG DOG! The watchdog, of Christobal's family, scared the crud out of me as I walked on the path near his dog house before I took this photo. He was chained to his rustic dog house and was only doing his job. I bet we would have been good pals if I had more time to hang with him. |
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| San Antonio Palopo, Guatemala. I took a quick trip to this sweet little town a few weeks ago to book a room at the hotel we are going to stay at tonight to enjoy the Good Friday proceedings tomorrow. A group of boys were bathing in the lake and somehow they allowed me to photograph them (haltingly). I am finishing up work on a children's book on water and plan on using an image from this meeting in the book. Not this one specifically... but it was one of my favorites from the day. These boys are so dang handsome! |
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| Tzununa, Guatemala. Visiting a wonderful family at our neighbor village. This is one of the poorest spots in Guatemala but the family bonds are so strong. This grandmother watches over her sleeping granddaughter as she rocks in a homemade cradle filled with rags and pieces of beautiful woven textiles. There was also a copy of the New Testament with the niña as she slept. A testament to the religious lives of the Guatemalans. |
