Thursday, February 17, 2011

If you knew of the cracked roads and rubble...


(This post was originally posted on the ACDMedia blog: acdmedia.wordpress.com)


January 1st, 2011

It’s been about 48 hours since my return back into Brooklyn, and I am just now feeling able to process my short trip to Ayiti, “the land of the hills”. The past 24 hours I’ve been wallowing in my deep emotions of regret and self-pity, as my already-short-trip to Haiti was cut even shorter by a severe allergic reaction on just my second day of the trip. I left my partner on the 31st right before all the festivities, much to my dismay, with worry that my condition would worsen.

Thoughts like, “but I went to Haiti to document and experience their Independence Day,” and, “I didn’t shoot all I could shoot,” interrupt my thoughts disturbing my workflow from time to time, but as I view these photos, the streets of Port-au-Prince from the perspective as a passenger in the backseat of a moving car, I am taken back to the sounds and the rhythm of a nation that holds its people as if it were a collective grid, everyone having such stolid looks of purpose on their faces, gracefully walking while carrying unimaginably heavy loads on their heads, not an easy thing to do if you knew of the cracked roads and rubble, an obstacle of balance for any foreigner to this magical island.

I am delighted by the fact that Haiti is truly my first international trip as a photojournalist and adult, as it has given me more the perspective of a young child experiencing something for the very first time. What I had thought would be my Achilles’ Heel for the trip (and might still have been in many ways) actually in retrospect has become my greatest gift as I edit these colorful vignettes of a nation that’s sacrifice of independence two hundred years ago still remains to be the people’s greatest but most beautiful burden. For, through the eyes of a child, all things remain new, and arguably, objective, without the filters of culture or previous experience, these images that I have taken on my short journey are truly representative of my visual experience in Haiti.

Before we had reached Port-au-Prince, we had a chance to visit the shore of Miami and give thanks and receive blessings for our time. I didn’t know at the time what to ask for and what to say, but now I realize that what was given and received was a message asking for patience, humility and reflection through the practice of analyzing photographic art, something that has been difficult for me as of late. So, again, humbled, I am also grateful to be given the opportunity to walk through these images with our audience. I hope that these images bring to you a memorable experience, not just documentation, but a transferring of the warm and generous spirits I was graced with during my short stay from December 28th to December 31th, 2010.

To view the slideshow, click here.


Image 1, Oja looking out at his homeland.

We landed in PaP around 3:30PM, on December 28th, 2010. The international flight was generous, surprisingly, with the amount of luggage we were able to carry on. 2 checked bags, 50 lbs each, 2 carry-on items equating a total of 40 lbs. Not too shabby. From the plane we were taken to a shuttle to drive us from the aircraft to the airport. The shuttle had large windows which complemented the scenic view of the hills and mountains on the horizon. With purpose, caution, and love in his eyes, Oja looked out the shuttle, receiving the energy given off by the mountains.

Image 2, the view of the hills from the shuttle.

The Canadian maple leaf on the tail of the plane is demonstrative of the international presence in Haiti. Throughout the trip I would be met with many flags, branded like brand names on merchandise, with the purpose of advertising the outside countries, as if to say, “See, we did this for you.”

Image 3, the view plus Haitian walking by.

Image 4, view from backseat window.

My first memory of the airport is comforted by live Haitian music performed by Haitian musicians with bright smiles. As we exited the airport to search for our arranged taxi, several cabdrivers approached us asking repeatedly if we needed a cab. We were finally met with our driver, Gregory, who held a sign that spelled, “OJA.” Even though we had found our driver, other drivers asked to assist us with our luggage in hopes that they could be tipped. As we walked to the car, people continued to approach us offering their services. When I finally got to the backseat, I looked behind me to watch Oja tip one dollar bills to drivers that had assisted us with our luggage.

I remember looking out the window and seeing UN trucks carrying UN soldiers armed with large guns, their white faces looking down at a sea of black Haitian cabdrivers. An image I regretfully did not capture.

Image 5, The 3 hands.

The globe held up by three hands representing France, the US, and Canada, displaying their imperialistic nature upon the world, built by Aristede can be found by the airport, encircled by waving Haitian flags, a sculpture that represents the consciousness of the nation. As cars pass by with people standing in the back, Oja points out to me this epochal sculpture.

Image 6, passengers and flags.

Image 7, red glowing building.

As the sun was setting, we sped through the streets of PaP, passing bright buildings that appear as blurs. Even though it was getting dark out, these buildings all had an intense glow to them.

Image 8, from the back passenger’s view.

Image 9, election graffiti.

Graffiti displaying various political opinions displaying the political unrest that exists in current day Haiti.

Image 10, the balance of the Haitian people.

This image captures one of my first sightings of witnessing Haitian people walk with magical and collective grace.

Image 11, Club 31.

As the sunsets, the buildings continue to glow with palm tree silhouettes in the background.

Image 12, presidential election posters.

A fairly mild display of a presidential candidate on a wall.

Image 13, wild chickens that know how to dodge traffic.

Vanissa, ACD

Monday, January 10, 2011

Updates & Transitions.



A Palestinian activist waves his peace sign to passing vehicles, some who are attending the Hebron Aid Flotilla fundraiser by the Hebron Fund @ Chelsea Piers last night, November 16, 2010.



I have skipped two seasons somehow, and now find myself at the tail end of 2010. Oops. I first began the blog as a way to document my ventures as a photojournalist but as I've gotten more involved the core of intention has somewhat changed. I intend on keeping up with this blog as a way to archive my work, but my work as a photographer/activist has changed. I haven't figured out how to articulate the transition, but I will find the words.

Last night I photographed the protest against the Hebron Fund, which is an Israeli non-profit organization, that raises funds to continue the Jewish settlements in Hebron, a city located in the West Bank, inhabited by 160,000 Palestinians, 500 Jewish settlers, and thousands of IDF soldiers. This little bit from Wikipedia paints a dim picture of what Palestinians are going through in Hebron:

Palestinian control of Hebron is limited to the 20 or 30 square kiliometers of H1, which contains around 120,000 Palestinians. In H2, where more than 500 Jewish settlers live among 30,000 Palestinians, the Palestinian populations' movements are heavily restricted whilst the Jewish settlers are allowed total freedom of movement and protected by the IDF.[13] Palestinians are not allowed to use Shuhada street, which is one of the main thoroughfares of Hebron, which is restricted to settlers. Shuhada street has received millions of dollars of renovations funded by the United States.[13]


As a result of these restrictions, about half the shops in H2 have gone out of business since 1994, in spite of UN efforts to pay shopkeepers to stay in business. Palestinians cannot approach near where the settlers live without special permits from the IDF. Palestinian criminals come to H2 to flee the Palestinian police.[13] (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebron)
(My photos were featured on Adalah-NY's website, a Boycott Divestment Sanctions organization. You can also view the whole set here as a slideshow.)
Now to articulate my transition...The collective I started at the tail end of last year, called the Alliance of Conscious Documentarians (ACD), has been materializing over the course of the last few months. My first attempt at organizing ACD was at the annual antiwar march in Washington, DC, March 20th, 2010 and the May Day Rally here in NYC. The photos were taken by myself and 4 other photographers (Pete Pin, Johanna Galvis, Bill Hackwell, & Gabi Lazaro) and can be seen here.  It was a great experience working with these talented photographers, and we were able to put together a comprehensive set of the March 20th protest.  


In the summertime, I continued my project of documenting the after-effects of Police Brutality on victim's families, and joined forces with Oja, who is mainly known for being a spectacular NYC DJ, but is also an incredible human encyclopedia and aural historian.  Together, we've been continuing the work of documenting and broadcasting cases of Police Brutality, and also covering other struggles, like the Lynne Stewart case and the Palestinian right to return.  The union has been most fruitful, as now ACD has the crucial component of sound adding a whole new dimension to photographic storytelling.  


We are in the middle of putting together a blog:  http://acdmedia.wordpress.com , and a youtube channel:  http://www.youtube.com/acdmediachannel which will log our work.  We have recently completed our first international ACD trip to Haiti to document the condition of the earthquake displacement camps.  


As we continue our work, I will utilize this blog as a means of documenting my personal experiences, giving space for myself to process and continue the documenting of my experiences as a photographer.  


Thanks for reading, and stay tuned.