Amie Vanderford - Photographer for Peace & Justice

In This Season of Giving

2011-12-22T09:41:00.003-06:00

These are times when many people are in need all over the world, but if you have the desire to help our neighbors in the south, I highly recommend the following organizations in Peru for your donation consideration.

In Cusco, there is Aldea Yanapay (see blog/photos from my volunteer time) and on their website they list links where you may donate money, but also provide a list of materials that they need in the school if you would prefer to help out in that way.

In Huaraz, there is Seeds of Hope (see blog/photos from my volunteer time), another wonderful after-school program for kids with very little other than hope. Please email them to receive a packet of information about how to sponsor one of their children.

Thank you!

Settling in

2011-12-18T11:44:00.004-06:00

I have been home for over 2 weeks now, and I am getting re-adjusted. I've started the process of image selection for the coffee table book, downloaded the latest version of book layout software, updated my website with 3 new galleries from Peru, sent a link with image choices to people who pre-ordered prints from this trip, interviewed with local Memphis news outlets, including the Memphis Flyer and the Memphis Daily News, and recorded my first podcast (the latter is not out yet). I've picked up a few photo gigs, which is especially important after 4 months of no income.

What's next? There are plenty of ideas floating around in my head, but for the moment I am staying focused on book creation and income, so when my next plans come to fruition, I will certainly let you know.

Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah and Happy New Year!

Photo Mix - Cochas Chico, Huacachina, Santa Rosa, Cajamarca, Huaraz

2011-11-25T16:55:00.004-06:00

I am nearing the end of my time in Peru; in only 5 days I will be back in Memphis. It has been an amazing 4 months, a time which I will always remember fondly. I have met the most incredible people, seen stunningly beautiful landscapes in the jungle, the mountains and the coast, managed to achieve physically challenging adventures, and worked with caring local organizations. I am going to miss this place something fierce, and I'm leaving a little piece of my heart behind when I leave.

Below is a mix of photos from various sites I've visited in the last month.

Today I visited gourd artisans of Cochas Chica, just outside of Huancayo in the central highlands of Peru. They were warm and inviting, and have created the most beautiful art in their gourds. Between their attention to detail and the craftsmanship and artistry involved, the results are gorgeous.

A few photographs of the magnificent sand dunes of Huacachina:

I encountered this bright-eyed beauty in the beach town of Santa Rosa outside of Chiclayo. She was part of an evangelical congregation that was having a worship service near the market.

During my time in Cajamarca, I visited this lovely stone-cutter just outside of town:

These young girls were sitting near the path at Cumbe Mayo, also outside of Cajamarca.

Cerro Santa Apolonia is a church at the top of a very steep hill in Cajamarca with an amazing view of the city.

One view from my hostal in Huaraz:

A view of the peak of Mt. Vallunaraju from the roof of my hostal, also the same mountain I climbed the week before leaving Huaraz.

This blood red sky was one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen, and it, too, was seen from my hostal.

I've said it before, but I'll say it again: Me encanta Peru!

Pimentel Fishermen - North Coast Peru

2011-11-15T21:16:00.003-06:00

I can't explain why, but I've always had a fascination with fishermen, it was amazing to watch them work and photograph them in Goa, India, and just as amazing here in Pimentel, Peru. I do love eating fish, so perhaps it's because of that I simply appreciate the people who are able to provide them to our markets, restaurants and homes. Here on the north coast of Peru there are exactly two places where they fish with these Totora reed rafts, here in Pimentel (just outside of Chiclayo) and in Huanchaco (just outside of Trujillo). They use a similar type of reed boat in Lake Titicaca, as well.

The fishing season has not truly begun here on the coast, it really gets going during the summer months of December - February. The first morning that I watched them, there was not much caught, but this afternoon they had a better day's catch. I talked to several of the fishermen here, as well as a few that have 'regular' boats in Santa Rosa, and they all said the same thing, they go to work in industrial fishing when they can't fish the summer months here. Apparently this type of fishing, in the reed boats, is considered 'artesanal' fishing, and as you can imagine, the appeal is much greater in this small-scale fishing. There is something to be said for working for yourself rather than within large industry, but they do what they must to survive.

Volunteering with Seeds of Hope in Huaraz, Peru

2011-11-12T21:17:00.002-06:00

My third and final volunteer experience was with Seeds of Hope in Huaraz, Peru. This, too, was a supplemental tutoring program to their regular school hours. It was a bit different from the one in Cusco in that the older group of kids came for their tutoring in the mornings because they had their classes in the afternoon, and the younger group of kids came in the afternoon because they had their classes in the morning. We all had a break in the middle of the day for lunch/siesta time.

In addition to tutoring them in their school subjects, some of the volunteers taught them how to play chess.

They are also provided with lunch, for which they wash their hands and faces prior to, and then brush their teeth afterwards. Their individual toothbrushes are labelled with their names and kept at the school.

Lots of affection is also shared between the kids and the volunteers.

Every Friday, the kids took a break from tutoring and volunteers organized various fun projects for the kids to participate in. One of our volunteers, Megan, also from Tennessee (small world!), organized a project called the “Caida de Huevos” in which each group was given 20 minutes to figure out a way to protect an egg that was then dropped from the wall in the backyard.

And, as a special reward for all of their hard work during the weeks, one Saturday per month the kids are taken on an outing called a Paseo. This month they went to Wilkahuain, a playing field high in the mountains which surround Huaraz, where they participated in races, ranging from the wheelbarrow variety to pyramid or can-stacking and finally sack racing. Fun was by all.

And for 2 Fridays, I worked with them and taught them about photographic composition and some basic ambient lighting techniques. As with Aldea Yanapay, I will post a separate blog featuring the work they produced. On my last Friday there, one student, Yanet, spent the whole session making photographs above and beyond the two photography classes, so she will get a special slide show, as well. :)

Below is Yanet, in the middle:

And finally, with this group, I was able to visit a couple of their families at their homes, so these photographs are of the kids with their families (and project director, Yuri, who was kind enough to escort me and introduce me to the families).

If you are interested in volunteering with Seeds of Hope, or would like to send a donation or perhaps sponsor one of these amazing children, check out their website!

A Mountainous Event

2011-10-30T19:34:00.005-05:00

This weekend I took my rediscovered love of mountains to new heights. Literally. I had planned to try a 1-day ice climbing excursion first, but it fell through when the fellow volunteer who was to go with me came down with serious illness that lasted over a week. I was also planning to do a 2-day ice trekking/mountain climbing excursion with another fellow volunteer after I had the 1-day experience under my belt, but instead it became the experience, and what an experience it was! I just returned to the hostel this afternoon, and am still in awe that I was able to make it to the altitude that I did: 5,400 meters (17,716 feet). For those of you who aren't aware of it, that is actually higher than every mountain in the 48 contiguous United States. Wow!

The Details

We left yesterday (Saturday) at about 8 a.m. and took the 2-hour drive to the outskirts of Huaraz. From there we took the 3 hour hike up to our camp.

After we were settled in and rested, I looked outside and noticed the snow
which had started sticking.

The guide and I continued the trek up to the glacier (the same path we would take this morning at 3 a.m.) to check things out anyway. The rocks that we climbed, without ropes, were much more challenging than I anticipated, and at first, because I was wearing my hiking boots and not the better boots I would later be wearing, it was more dangerous. One slip wouldn't cause death, but broken bone(s) most certainly. It wasn't like climbing up a wall, but with the vast boulders at fairly steep inclines and tiny ridges, it felt almost as difficult. I made it though, and made a few initial photos of the area, including my first look at the glacier we would later tackle. We returned to camp and had a simple dinner and then went to bed early.

We were awoken at 2 a.m. and had some bread and jam and coca tea to prepare for our journey to climb to the summit of Mount Vallunaraju at 5,686 meters. We left the encampment at just before 3 a.m. with headlamps in place and cold weather gear, including proper boots. The reason for the extremely early departure was because leaving later puts you on the snowy glacier/mountain during daylight hours which begins to melt the hard layer of ice and causes you to sink into the snow creating a much more difficult trek. My fellow trekker had not tried the rocks the day before, so they were much more challenging for her, especially in the dark. When we reached
the glacier she was seriously questioning whether this climb up the mountain across a glacier and in the snow was really going to be as 'easy' as the agency had stated. We stood at the base of the glacier and debated whether she wanted to continue, and while I had agreed that we would not go if either of us felt at risk. I was highly disappointed, but prepared to go back to camp with her anyway. There was no reason for her to continue if she was nervous about the danger and wouldn't enjoy it.

Because I truly did not want to miss this opportunity, nor did I want her to continue and not enjoy it, and since the camp was only about 30 minutes away I decided to ask the guide if it would be possible for he and I to continue if he took her back to camp. Normally the rule he has to follow is that if one doesn't want to go, none can, because he is responsible for everyone. A lot of time had also passed, so I was worried that the delay would also be an impediment to continuing on. He decided it would be possible because the porter was at camp, so she would not be alone. He insisted that I sit down in the spot we were standing and NOT MOVE, and wait for him to return (which turned out to be about 45-60 mins) since technically he should not be letting me wait there without him (I needed to save my energy for the climb, so I didn't want to go down and come back up again).

So, sit and not move I did. I turned off my headlamp to save batteries, and that meant sitting in the dark at more than 4,800 meters next to a glacier and mountains. In a totally foreign environment like that and in the pre-dawn hours, the mind can play tricks with you. I was fine at first, but then when clouds starting rolling in, I started to worry. What if a storm comes and he can't get back to me? I couldn't traverse those rocks in a storm to get out, and he had instructed me not to go anywhere without him... then the glacier was making noises, and I thought about the earthquake in Lima the day before, not to mention the earthquake experience I had in the jungle, and I began to think about what would happen if there was an earthquake right then. I thought that with all of the rocks below me and a glacier to my right, the only options were being tumbled down the mountain or buried alive under a mountain of ice. Yikes! Then I started to think that perhaps I should have just gone back to camp with them, because what if waiting so long to begin the climb up really was dangerous? But instead of letting myself become overtaken by panic, I just prayed. "Please God, don't let there be a storm. Please God, don't let there be an earthquake. Please God, make the guide get here faster, I'm kinda freaking out here." This calmed me down immensely, and so I just waited.

When I saw the first light of a headlamp, I turned mine back on, and breathed a huge sigh of relief when I saw him. I then asked him if he was sure it was ok to leave at this later hour (it was now 5 a.m.) and he said yes. I also let him know that if he saw any factor at all which seemed unduly dangerous, such as change in weather or excessively melting snow or any other factor I would not be aware of, to please let me know, because while I wanted to reach the summit, I did not want to do it at the risk of safety. I also told him that just going onto the snow and glacier would be amazing for me, so if we didn't reach the summit I would not be disappointed, I just wanted to try and do what we could, which for me was immensely better than skipping it altogether.

That all out of the way, we geared up. We put the crampons on our boots, got our harnesses on, and he tied a climbing rope to connect us. My heart was racing as he got out the ice axes. Was I really going to do this? Indeed so. He led the way up and I followed his lead. It was much harder than I expected climbing through the crevices of a glacier, and after seeing the ice caves that existed within it, I thought about what would happen if I fell through. We were attached by ropes though, and he is a certified mountain guide, so I decided to just trust him and enjoy the experience. The part of the glacier which I could see from the rocks seemed like it was going to be the most challenging, but when we reached the top of that, I realized I was in for the long haul. But camera in tow, and anxiousness behind me, I went for it.

The thing about trekking or climbing up mountains is that every time you think you've reached the top, there is always more to go. There are some level areas and some valleys, but then there is always more 'up,' even when descending, in fact. The challenge of the climb mixed with the challenge of the altitude was really kicking me in the chest. In the beginning I had to stop to catch my breath after greater exertion like the glacier, and after that an almost 80 degree incline, but then after that, even when the incline wasn't more than 45 degrees, I began to need to stop every few feet to take several deep breaths and then continue. The fact that we left so late did indeed cause the expected challenged of sinking into the snow, as well. At some points I sunk in to above my knees, and trying to climb out of those
while also ascending did nothing to help catch my breath!

I decided with those deep steps and the increasing clouds that I perhaps did not want to risk getting to the peak, added to that the fact that we had a 2-3 hour trek down from the camp to get back to the car to Huaraz afterwards, and I recalled how bad my knees ached after all the downhill on previous treks. I asked him if the next ledge I saw was the top, and he replied that we were not even halfway yet, and we couldn't even yet see Vallunaraju's peak. Oh. Crap. He said we could turn back whenever I wanted though, so I decided we should keep going until I could at least see the peak. I am pretty stubborn, even when it is difficult. When we could finally
see the peak, I decided we could stop for me to make more photos and then turn back, but he said that if we kept going to one more ledge, the view would be much better, so I agreed. Then I thought he was taking me down a different path back, so we ended up at the base of the peak at 5,400 meters. Which, as it turned out, was fine with me. The scenery was spectacular, although because of the clouds, the views of Huaraz and the valley and other Cordillera Blanca mountains was largely obstructed. But it did not matter, because the beauty of this mountain itself more than satisfied the effort I exerted to see it.

Going down was less challenging on my breathing, but there is always a challenge, and in this case, not only the sinking in the snow, but also the fact that I had to stop and kick the snow build-up out of the bottoms of my crampons every 2-4 steps, all while balancing on an incline and trying not to slide down the mountain. Going up I followed the guide, so he could anchor himself to catch me with the rope should I fall, but going up, for the same reason, I had to go first. Added to the deep snow were the patches of melting ice, and I actually did fall on my butt and try to slide down the mountain several times. My crampons couldn't get firm planting in the snow,
so I'd stamp down, thinking I had a grip and then my foot would keep on going, me following. The guide always stopped me though, so it was fine. Then we got to the glacier where it'd all begun. I thought going up it had been hard, but not nearly as hard as going down. The first part (80 degree incline) was really scary going down, but then going down the part that required ice axes... we got there, and the guide hands me an axe and shortens my walking stick and says (all communication was in Spanish), "you first." Me, looking down at gaps and crevices: "Uh, huh? What do I do?" Him: "Just go down however you feel comfortable, and I'll keep the rope tight." Me: "No, seriously, I need more information than that, what part should I start with? Where do I hit the axe? What do I use the stick for then?" After much back and forth and me suddenly not understanding Spanish anymore, again, I went for it. First part: butt first, then I got the hang of using the ice axe/pick and walking stick and found places to dig in with my feet and made it down!

As expected, my knees were dying on the final trek down to the car to Huaraz, so I was glad I had stopped just short of the peak. Even though I didn't make it to the peak, I am so amazed that I got as far as I did, and was able to see the most beautiful snowy mountain so up close and personal. Peru: every time I think you've amazed me more than I can ever top, you go on and outdo yourself. :)

Volunteering with Aldea Yanapay in Cusco, Peru

2011-10-24T20:35:00.004-05:00

My second volunteer experience, directly after the jungle, was with Aldea Yanapay in Cusco. This organization is an after school program for youth in Cusco which involves tutoring the youth and assisting them with their schoolwork, but also involves extra-curricular classes such as art and religion. The first 2 hours of the program involve a mix of play time, individual tutoring, studying time in the library, and art class.

Before the children are sent to their respective program, however, they are required to wash their faces and hands, and are then given lotion to use on both. This measure is added due to the extremely dry climate of Cusco as the children often suffer from very dry and chapped skin.

What is studied and/or created in art class depends upon the volunteer(s) teaching the art class each week. For example, during the week that I taught art, I taught photographic composition to the kids. In another blog post, I will show some of the work they made during our week together. The Aldea Yanapay program is divided into two schools, school 1 is for the younger children, and school 2 is for the older children. The above-mentioned program exists in both age groups, as such, quite a number of volunteers are needed to cover all areas.

In the middle of the afternoon, there is a break when all of the students gather in the courtyard for ‘circle of expression’ time. This is a 20-30 minute time period where the children are encouraged to discuss topics ranging from personal to global that are on their minds. There are rules of conduct in this program, which include: no violence against any other person, whether physical or psychological, respecting one another (such as not speaking while others are speaking) and so on. These rules are discussed throughout the afternoon as needed.

During the second half of the afternoon/evening, the children are divided into ‘families’ by age group. The names of these families range from the delfines (dolphins) to the dinosals (dinosaurs). During this time an assigned weekly topic such as religion or culture is taught/discussed within each family, and then the family works together to create some sort of theatrical presentation on every Friday evening at 5 p.m. During my month there, the theme was the Incan religion, so each week a different theme within that broader category was chosen. The Friday ‘Show,’ as it is called, has a diversity of performance types based upon the creativity and age group of each family. Some families perform songs that they create, some perform skits, and some do a combination of these with artwork they have created to represent the theme.

During the ‘Show,’ between each family’s performance, there is a period of time where the next family is preparing to go on, and this time is used to give the children in the audience a time to answer a variety of questions in order to receive little prizes. The children love this part, although in their excitement, they often need to be reminded of the rules of conduct, which in this case, include not shouting out the answers to the questions unless they are called on specifically.

This is a simple overview description of the program, but I’ve included many photos to help give a better idea of the atmosphere. Please also check out the Aldea Yanapay website for more detailed information about the program. If you are so inspired, you may want to donate to the program or even decide to volunteer there yourself one day!

Falling in love with mountains

2011-10-21T22:06:00.003-05:00

I've always been in awe of mountains since living in Germany as a kid, but trekking in the mountains of Peru... words can't describe the spectacular beauty of this incredible aspect of nature. To be so high in the sky, to be so close to snow-capped giants, and see such changes in the scenery, well, it literally brought me to tears on Day 2 of my Santa Cruz trek in the Cordillera Blanca section of the Andes Mountains near Huaraz. The Inca Trail was amazing, and so challenging that there, too, were tears, but those were tears of pain, ones that I overcame as I completed the trek, of course, but these tears, these were tears of amazement. As I neared 4,800 meters in the middle of Day 2 on this trek, I was so close to one of these snow-capped giants that it nearly took my breath away (literally and figuratively).

I was in much better shape for this trek, and as I reflected on the great improvement in my strength to complete this one, I once again compared these treks to life's journeys. The difficulty of the Inca Trail greatly eased the difficulty of this trek for me. It was still hard, but because of the strength I gained from the former trek, I was able to use this added strength to push through the challenges of this one and revel in the glory of my surroundings. This caused me to reflect on the difficulties I've faced in my life, and how each one has given me added strength to deal with the next one. But I also realized with these new tears, that every challenge I've faced in my life, while seemingly insurmountable at the time, did serve a purpose, and that with them were created the eyes through which I view the incredible adventure I'm currently on. Eyes which see every new experience with added wonder and appreciation. I could go on, but lest I get too mushy, I'll simply share the photographs, and hope they convey some of that wonder to you.

Day 1:

Day 2:

Day 3:

The end of Day 4:

Wow!

Blessed Birthday!

2011-10-05T10:30:00.004-05:00

Today is my birthday, and I am so filled with gratefulness and joy that I can barely contain myself! Last year I celebrated my birthday in Nepal with a wonderful group of photographers who I now consider my dear friends (I'm thinking of you Ilse, Janat, CJ, Jeffrey, Eli, et al)! That birthday was the beginning of me fulfilling my lifelong dream of becoming an international traveling photographer. This year I celebrate my birthday in Cusco, Peru with another group of amazing people, the volunteers at Aldea Yanapay and the staff at Hostal Magico (Marina, Maria, Maia, Claudia, Anjelica, Marion, Gautier, Perrine, Emile, Ana, et al). When I look back over all of the amazing opportunities of travel and photography and meeting absolutely wonderful people, I just can't believe how fortunate and blessed I have been! I have traveled to Nepal, India, Zimbabwe and Peru since my last birthday, and with very little income (thanks to a grant from the state of Tennessee, Lindenwood Christian Church, and all of the amazing people who funded this current trip through my IndieGoGo campaign), that is a true miracle! The people I traveled with in India (Leasa) and the family of BJ who hosted me in Zimbabwe, and now in Peru, the people of Link Hostel (Camila, Sharleen, Melina, Lucia, Nathaly, et al), along with the everyone here in Cusco and the folks I met on the Inca Trail have brightened my life! And it goes without saying that all of the friends I have made in my life (Beate, Marie, Kim, et al) in other travels and the U.S., and especially in my home in Memphis (Beth, Zoe, Ted, Naomi, David, Charly, Ela, Federico, Henry, Renee, Jacinda, Sharon, Ken, Tawnee, everyone at LCC, and so many more), along with all of my wonderful family and boyfriend Jason, have been a true blessing, as well, and I could not have achieved my dreams without all of you! I feel like the luckiest woman in the world, and I am grateful every day for all of you who have blessed me with your presence in my life!

Now, I could go on, but instead I will share some of my favorite recent photographs from Cusco. :)

Much love!!

Amie

From the area surrounding the San Pedro Market:

And from the Fiesta de San Jerónimo:

I Survived the Inca Trail

2011-09-29T11:37:00.005-05:00

The 4 days on the Inca Trail was the first true trek of my life, and by that I mean, the first long trek that included overnight camping, as well as hiking with gear and backpack. I prepared for this trek for months before I left the United States, yet I still didn't know what to expect, because I couldn't train for mountains in Memphis, TN. I was feeling pretty good about it though, that is until the Sunday before my Saturday departure when I came down with strep throat! I was on antibiotics for 3 days, and then my throat was better, but then the head cold began. At that point I was really nervous, because high altitude walking is difficult enough, but when you can't breathe through your nose, it becomes substantially more difficult still. But, I paid for it, and I am here, and there was no way I was going to miss it, so in recovery and all, I went.

Day 1

Day 1 was the 'easy' day of the trek, but for someone who has never trekked before, it certainly was not easy for me. I had my backpack with bed mat and sleeping bag, as well as a smaller pack in front with camera, along with lens and water bottle attachments. As you can see above, the initial vistas were absolutely amazing, so that made up for the feeling of dread that I was never going to make it for 4 days.

But I did make it, and really enjoyed everything that I saw. I was also quite impressed by the quality of hot food that we had for lunch and dinner each day. Breakfast wasn't too shabby either with a pancake and toast with butter and jam. The first day at lunch we had soup and spaghetti, and with every meal was hot tea. We were also provided with a snack pack each day, which included a piece of fruit, a package of cookies, and two small hard candies. Prior to departure, I'd also purchased a bag of coca candies to help with altitude.

It was quite cold after we got to camp, and because my clothes were soaked in sweat, I had to change immediately so I wouldn't freeze. Temperatures vary wildly between day and night here in the Andes. After dinner, I wrote in my journal and then hit the hay. It wasn't comfortable at all, but I managed to get a couple of hours of sleep.

Day 2

I still felt horrible, and was still having problems breathing, and since Day 2 was explained to be the most difficult day of the trek, I decided to hire a porter to carry my backpack. I still carried my camera gear, which was about 5 kg or 11 lbs, and by the end of that most difficult day, it felt heavier than the previous day carrying everything.

The reason day 2 was so difficult is because the first 5+ hours of the day are all uphill, and the amount of altitude covered is more than 1,000 meters (or more than 3,281 feet). The vista & climate goes from desert-like to tropical and then to cold and wet and views of snow-capped mountains. This day we each went at our own pace, and did not even try to stay together as a group. We met up at the first check-point, but by the second checkpoint, everyone else had gone ahead, except for the one guide who stayed behind to make sure everyone made it to each checkpoint.

The above photo was me just before the second checkpoint. I was laughing because I thought that the second checkpoint was the end of the uphill, and I was so relieved I'd made it. This, however, was not the case, and in fact, what I had left to ascend was by far harder than what I'd already done. This was also the point where the altitude exceeded the altitude of Cusco, i.e. the altitude to which I was already adjusted.

When I saw this view below, I thought, oh no, this is going to be rough, but I looked and thought again, well, at least that is the top, and I can push through and make it, I'll just have to go slow and suck on coca candies.

It was so difficult, and as I struggled, I compared the Inca Trail to my life. Sometimes, like life, it's so challenging that all you can do is put one foot in front of the other (or in life: take it one day at a time) and when you look up and see how much more you have ahead of you, sometimes it's better just to look down at your feet and continue to focus on each step, rather than all you have in front of you. Then there are the times when you can look back and say "wow, look how far I've come!" Like in life, you can't turn back on the Inca Trail, so when it gets rough, you have to press on. You can workout and prepare for the trek, just like you can plan for your future, but like life, you can't control the obstacles that come in to disrupt all of your preparations and planning. In this case it was getting strep throat the week before the trek which essentially at this point of the trek felt as though it wiped out every bit of prep-work I'd done prior. Also on the trek, like in life, sometimes you have people that encourage you on your journey and through your struggles, but other times you have to struggle through it on your own (or through prayer, if you believe in a higher power as I do). Then when I got to the point which I thought was the top, I saw just how much more I had to go before actually reaching the top. At that point I didn't just cry, I flat-out bawled. I felt like I was going to die, and I had no idea how I was going to make it that much further. And so I was reminded, that as in life, sometimes just when you think the worst is over and it's going to get easier, it gets harder and tests you to your absolute limits. I kept putting one foot in front of the other, however, as hard as it was. Soon after, my guide came up behind me (and scared the crap out of me because when he called my name, I was completely in my own world) and gave me some words of encouragement. At this point though I was teary-eyed, snot-nosed and doubled over in pain, gripping my walking stick with both hands just to make it each step, so I was in no shape to talk. He saw this, and so he hung back and left me to my struggle. He would check in every now and again after that, and at one point he offered to take my camera gear for me, but I refused, and said that now it was a challenge, and I wanted to complete it on my own. So, then he went ahead and waited for me at the top. When I reached the top, I literally fell into his arms. I took a few minutes to eat a snack, drink water, and re-adjust my bag, and then he said I should definitely let him take my picture, so I could remember what I'd accomplished. I somehow mustered a smile at 4,215 meters (13,829 ft) in the piercing cold and wet (because it was also raining through all of this).

Then, the downhill for 2+ hours began, and while I thought that would be substantially easier, again (the psychological torture part of the trail, it's never as easy as you think it's going to be) it wasn't. It was all rock, and slippery rock because of the rain, and all uneven. It was killer on the knees, and it was difficult not to fall because of that and because of how tired I was. Add in the fact that an hour into that, I needed to go to the bathroom (and couldn't because it was steep mountain to the left and steep drop-off to valley on the right), and well, yeah, my mood had gone from tears and then relief to cursing the trail. I made it back to the camp though, and once it stopped raining and I could see the beautiful mountain view, I was all good again, I had made it, after all!

Day 3

This was the longest day of the trail, and covered the most kilometers, so I also hired a porter for this day. It was rough, but not as rough as day 2, and somehow this gave me added strength, and so I was able to push hard this day. Whereas I was the last person at camp on day 2, somehow I was the first person back at camp on this day (not bad for the old, struggling lady of the group!). The end of day 3, like the end of day 2 was very frustrating because it was all rocky, uneven, wet stones downhill and again, I had to go the bathroom but couldn't, but this time my frustration was shared with a fellow trekker who was in the same boat. I made it though, despite crazy sore knees and blisters on the bottoms of my big toes. This night I braved the shower, as well, although it was a horrifyingly disgusting experience, and so cold that despite 3 days of sweat and grime, I couldn't wash my hair, because I felt that if I'd stayed in there long enough to do that, I'd have gotten frostbite. But I was cleanER, and that was something.

Day 4

We woke up at 3:30 a.m. on this, the final day, unlike the 5:30 a.m. we'd been waking up on the previous days. We used our flashlights to get to the first checkpoint, where we waited for it to open at 5:30 a.m. From there we had about 2 hours until getting to our first view of Machu Picchu. I was in front with the guide, and kept up an extremely fast pace, this time with my backpack and camera gear, and even managed to stay in front through the 50+ steps of nearly 90 degree vertical steps near the end. One of the fellow trekkers commented on the fact that I'd made it to the end first for two days in a row now, so obviously the hard work I'd done in preparation back in the U.S. had not gone to waste after all, and that I just needed to get through the illness to be able to feel it. I was just so happy to see Machu Picchu at this point and realize that I HAD DONE IT! I'D MADE IT! Despite all the pain and apprehension and cursing, I was actually at the end, and feeling good. The elation and feeling of strength at this point is truly impossible to describe! And now, I can honestly say, I would trek again! :)

And I forgot to mention, we trekked with Indiana Jones!! Seeing him over the course of the trek was actually a great way to bring levity to sometimes overwhelming moments, because every time we saw him, we hummed the theme song. :) So, thanks, Indiana Jones for helping us along the way!

In summary, the Inca Trail was a crazy 4 days! It was physical and psychological torture and elation, it was philosophical comparisons of the trail to life, and it was an excellent language immersion program because I trekked only with Spanish-speakers from Argentina and Spain (absolutely AMAZING people whom I hope to keep in contact with going forward). Definitely the most challenging physical task of my life, but it feels so great to have accomplished it! I would definitely trek again. Life is about the challenges, and there's nothing better then when you can overcome them.

Postcards from Cuzco

2011-09-19T16:19:00.002-05:00

My first week in Cusco I did not even bring my camera out, but instead focused on volunteer work and getting adjusted to the altitude and weather changes. On Saturday I walked around the San Pedro Market and Plaza de Armas. These are some photographs I made that day.

The San Pedro Market:

Walking in Cuzco:

The Plaza de Armas:

Next up photographs from the Incan ruins in Tipon, outside of Cuzco, which I visited on Sunday.

Random Photo Mix from Jungle

2011-09-13T10:41:00.003-05:00

I know I said insects were next, but I changed my mind.

Photo of the family who runs the volunteer project working inside the cage of Pepe the Tayra:

Another of cheeky Mica, who insisted on riding on my leg, even though she knew she wasn't supposed to:

One of the volunteers working on the reforestation portion of the project:

Buying cacao fruit from a local woman at the village across the river from the project:

Local school girl at the village across the river. The daughter (photo above) from the family who runs the project also attends this school:

Piranhas and Boat Adventures in the Amazon Basin

2011-09-11T17:01:00.002-05:00

After I left my volunteer site in the jungle wilds, I spent 3 days in Pucallpa, the city nearest there (about 3-4 hours away), and spent a couple of days seeing sites around Yarinacocha and the Ucayali River (another Amazon tributary). The first day was fairly uneventful, I saw a couple of Shipibo villages, San Francisco and Santa Clara, but there weren't many people around, so it seemed more like a tour of their huts, which didn't really give me a feel for much. I also didn't realize how much we'd be walking, and I'd forgotten both a hat and sunscreen, so got a major sunburn on face and arms.

The next day I went out again anyway, but this time focused on more boat/river activities, but was sure to wear a long-sleeved shirt and bring my hat and sun screen, so that I wouldn't make my sunburn worse. All was fine with myself, the guide and the boat while we were on the lake of Yarinacocha, but things started to go downhill when we traveled onto the stream that connected the lake to the Ucayali River because this is their dry season. The lake used to be part of this river, but it now landlocked aside from this small stream.

I noticed quite a number of fallen trees and things, and that it was a fairly large boat, but the guide offered to take me there, so I assumed it wasn't a problem.

It wasn't until the first time we lost a propeller, this bad boy right here (only the propeller in this photograph was the 3rd one, but I will get to that), that things became more adventurous:

The first time it came off, the guide was swimming around trying to find it, to no avail, and I thought, well, I guess this is the end of our day, much earlier than expected, but he had a broken extra one in the boat, with two of 3 blades, so he used that one.

Then there was the next adventure, when he ran over a submerged tree, and the boat got stuck on the top of it, right in the middle of the boat, and of the submerged portion of the tree. He tried for a bit to get it unstuck himself, but that was silly, so I hopped onto the log and was pushing with him. He had tried a number of different angles, including under the boat to maneuver, but I decided that being on the log and pushing the boat away from the higher portion would yield the best results. Ultimately it did, but it took quite a lot of maneuvering and pushing between the two of us.

These photos were taken on our way back, but are crucial to showing the story:

Context view

See the brightly lit tree on the lefthand side of the image, then submerged and then where it sticks out again, the submerged area is where we were lodged:

This area, both dry and submerged, was where I was pushing from:

Then we made it to the area just before the main channel of the Ucayali River, but he saw some stuck boats further up, so we stopped there. I got out here and took shots of the extremely stark, scorched dry land, which during the rainy season is usually under water.

Then while there, he stops another boat to ask if they have a spare propeller, because using the broken one is really hard work, and they do. Yippee! So, he puts it on, and then we're off. We go literally about 50 feet, when plop, it's off again. At this point I decide to help him swim and look for it, so I take off lower portion of my pants, socks and boots, and shirt (had a sports bra on) and jump in, feeling the sand squish between my toes. I kept getting sucked into the sand, but shuffled along this way for awhile, because it was the best way to try and find the propeller. Then I feel something nip at my arm, and I yelled, but then it was fine, and so I assumed it was one of the harmless nippy fish that I encountered while swimming at the volunteer site, so I keep alternately swimming and shuffling, trying to find the damned propeller. He had mentioned there were piranhas in the river, but he also said that they didn't usually bite people unless they were already bleeding, and since I wasn't bleeding, this is why I didn't automatically think it was one, until the second one bit me on my foot. This time I yelled a helluva lot louder, because it hurt a LOT more! He asked me if I was ok, and I explained what had happened, and he said it was a piranha. So, I got out of the water at this point. Unlike the first bite, this one was still hurting, and so I really wanted to see if it was bleeding. It wasn't, thankfully, but it hurt for about another half hour. He didn't have any luck finding it, which was no surprise considering how deep I was sinking into the sand, so he put broken one back on, and we were off.

He stopped at a hut along the way back, and got another one, and then we left again, and almost as soon as we left the shore, THAT one also fell off. When he told me that, I asked him if he was pulling my leg, and he said no, but he was out of money now, so I had to give him 5 soles to go buy another one (the one pictured above). As he put that one on, I suggested that perhaps he might want to think of some way to put something on the OTHER side of the propeller so that it didn't fall off, too, since now we'd lost THREE friggin' propellers. He ended up using a string and working it up in some way, and we managed to keep it on the rest of the way back. I also sat in the very front of the boat and pointed out all submerged logs, too, so we managed not to get stuck again either. When we reached the area just before the lake, we went piranha fishing (I had to have revenge on the little suckers, you see, no, not really, we were always intending to go fishing, I just previously had not known for what kind of fish). We got a few, but because they weren't very big, we threw them all back. Disappointing, because I really wanted to eat one! ;)

Next up, insects of the Amazon basin!!

Cuzco baby!

2011-09-10T17:29:00.002-05:00

I have safely arrived in Cuzco! I have some great final stories to tell from my Pucallpa jungle time including getting bitten by a couple of piranhas while performing boat repair in another Amazon tributary (don't be scared, it hurt, but no blood was drawn), and more to tell about my volunteer time, but I want to post photos, too, and right now, I am tired and feeling under the weather after spending last night at two airports, getting no sleep, and adjusting to a new climate and altitude, but soon, I promise. :) Longest. sentence. ever. that. was. See? Rest needed!

More jungle experiences - Some Firsts!

2011-09-07T20:24:00.003-05:00

This section of the trip was definitely one filled with 'firsts.' One of the firsts, swimming across a river, I mentioned in my last post, other firsts included numerous new ways of bathing: bathing in the same river I swam across, bathing in a stream less than a foot deep with a plastic cup for rinsing, showering in a waterfall, and then when their new water system was up and running (it involves a complex system of water hoses running from a water tank situated in higher ground about a kilometer away, which then links to another water tank about 500 meters away) showering from a showerhead pinned to a tree next to the little stream. With that being said, here are some photos of other folks doing two of those types of bathing (and yes, we did always bathe in our swimsuits):

Under the waterfall

The new official shower

The family that bathes together, stays together

But the boy does not quite agree

Onto other firsts, first time I ever saw the Milky Way in the jungle! I attempted to photograph it for the first time, as well, albeit unsuccessfully. Turns out longer is not better for stars, in a 10-minute exposure I was amazed to see how fast we're actually spinning down here.

Can you guess which area is the Milky Way?

And my first time trying to photograph a volunteer burn trash while also keeping a monkey and a two-year old busy. I ended up handing her my camera to photograph me in the midst of it.

And speaking of burning trash, that was another first for me, but instead of me in action, here are a few photos of one of the other volunteers performing the task on the day mentioned above. BTW, I wrote an entire 3 pages in my handwritten journal about the fact that although burning trash is not the best means to deal with trash, it makes one realize what an incredibly important issue the stuff we discard truly is, and how far away from us it is in everyday 'civilized' life. Do you ever think about where the stuff you throw away actually goes?

Oh, and Mica was not helping like she thought she was:

Oh, and another first, one which I did get someone else to photograph me doing, was cleaning the outhouse toilet. Fun times!

And again, Mica was not helping, nor was she when, on another occasion, she raided the toilet paper box and threw two rolls into the shitter and another two she scattered across that little section of the jungle. retrieval was fun!

But yes, I do still love that little cheeky monkey.

Other firsts to mention, but without photos, include: cooking complex meals for 5 adults and 2 kids (such as spaghetti with sauces made from a variety of veggies, and beans and rice, lentils, etc.), but over an open fire, as well as cleaning dishes and doing laundry in the tiny stream (but only once, because the new water system allowed us to do dishes/laundry in sinks going forward). Also, experiencing an earthquake in the middle of a jungle, that was a trip! I do have audio of that, because I happened to be interviewing the project director when it hit. I've got all of first one, and half of second one, because during second one, we decided we ought to go outside, and I just shut recording off out of habit.

I think this will be it for update number 2, more to come!

Jungle Volunteer Experience Finished

2011-09-06T16:28:00.004-05:00

I did leave 2 days before I had originally planned, but it's because I never really left the place I was volunteering in the almost 4 weeks I was there, so I wanted to have a couple of days to check out the Shipibo tribe villages near Pucallpa, the jungle city I am flying out of on Friday. I am in Pucallpa now, and trying to sort out how to detail the last month of experiences and photos in one blog post. It may not be possible, but I'll relay what I can, and perhaps I'll think of more later, as well. I wrote a few people postcards while I was there, but they won't be in the mail until next week when I am in Cuzco.

First thing, of course, was which Amazonian river tributary I was situated on, and it was called the Aguaytia River. I actually swam across it one afternoon, and halfway back. How do I mean halfway back? Well, we called to the guys operating the canoe to let them know to wait on the other side, in case the current took us past where we wanted to end up, which would have put us (myself and one other volunteer) squarely in the middle of lots of fallen trees and sharp branches. They misunderstood, so they came and got us when we were halfway across. Ah well, I did swim fully across it once though. :)

Some photos of that section of the river:

Then there were the animals that I and other volunteers were taking care of, which included Mica, the Capuchin Monkey, seen here with cacao fruit:

Rincay, the Tapir, walking through the forest:

and Pepe, the Tayra, resting after a long walk we took together:

Ok, the more I think of to post, the longer I realize this is going to be, so instead of trying to do this all in one, I'm going to stop here, and post additionally as I am inspired and/or have the energy. :)

You asked for photos and stories...

2011-08-04T17:54:00.007-05:00

As I mentioned before, the skies have been challenging me, but that hasn't stopped me from exploring. The first ruins I explored were in the neighborhood of my hostel, Miraflores, called Huaca Pucllana. In addition to the pre-Incan ruins there, I saw some alpacas and a llama, as well as a few guinea pigs (cuy en español). No photos being posted because nothing really jumped out at me. I've also explored a small neighborhood called Barranco, but once was at night for its bar scene, and another time for a short amount of time during the day, and I simply did not take many photographs.

I had quite an adventure when I decided to spend some time at the ruins of Pachacama. The great staff at my hostel recommended them, but there was a small problem with the directions they gave me. The first problem was that I was told to walk along a street called Ricardo Palma until I reached another street called Republica Panama. I walked and walked, and finally asked someone where it was, she told me that I had passed it about 3 blocks ago. This puzzled me since I'd been paying attention to the street signs, but I turned around and began backtracking. I then confirmed the location she'd given me with another gentleman. When I got to a major street that fit the distance they'd both described, I saw that the signs all said it was Roosevelt, so I asked a 3rd person, and he confirmed that this was, in fact, the street I'd been searching for, wrongly named on the map, or at least for that section.

I then waited at a bus stop for about 20 minutes looking for the very specific green bus they'd told me about. Several collectivos stopped, but I waited for the bus they described. I was told to stay on it until the end, and that it would take about 2 hours. I arrived at the end of the route and asked the driver where the ruins were, and he said I'd missed the stop, so I needed to wait for the bus headed back the way we'd come. Ok then. So when I stepped on to that bus, I asked the driver to let me know when we arrived at that stop, and he did, but then instructed me to take a taxi to the site. So I did. Then I explored the ruins, which were almost like being on the moon. I climbed up to the top of the Temple of the Sun and saw a great view of the sea and some islands slightly off shore, but those aren't the photos I've uploaded because they just didn't do the scene justice in my view. :)

And the nearby neighborhood:

When I departed the ruins, I had absolutely no idea how to get back to my hostel, so I simply waited at a bus stop in front of the entrance and took the first one that said Lima. This one was a collectivo, and I asked the person shouting out the stops how to get to Miraflores, and he told me to get off at some stop and then look for another collectivo to Miraflores. He let me know when to get off, because I asked him to, as I had no way of recognizing when I'd get there. Once I did, I had to ask many collectivos about Miraflores and none of them were going there. It was a somewhat dicey part of town with freeways and chaos, and when I had no luck with a collectivo, I walked a bit away from the chaos and found some yellow cabs. I was able to bargain one down to a reasonable price of 13 soles, and then I was on my way. I arrived at the hostel without any further issues.

The following day (yesterday), I got up at 5:30 in the morning to explore the seaside neighborhood of La Punta in Callao. I was told that both were dangerous areas, but that La Punta was less so, and that if I went early in the morning while most robbers were still sleeping I'd be fine. After the previous day's transportation confusion, I was somewhat hesitant to venture, but decided to anyway, and I'm glad I did. I was told that I should definitely NOT walk past the borders of La Punta into Callao proper, even though a second site I wanted to visit, the fortress of Real Felipe, was in that neighborhood and within walking distance of La Punta.

Soldiers from the fortress:

I was enchanted by the roar of the very rough waves crashing against the very rocky coastline of La Punta when I arrived (no transportation issues this time), and it was nice to be there very early, although with the clouds, the early morning golden hour was not a factor. I took some video to record the sounds, but I am having strange problems with the video when I try to display it on my laptop. One of the policemen in the area took an interest in me, so I spoke to him for awhile, and he let me go onto a boardwalk that was not yet supposed to be open for some photos, so that was cool.

I strolled along a street near the sea on the other side of the tiny peninsula and came across crew teams, people cleaning the streets and others just beginning their day, and I never felt unsafe at all. I then cut back into the inner streets and saw all the great colorful houses and store fronts. I never walked with my camera hanging out, but instead kept it in my bag, took it out for photos when there weren't people around, and then put it back in my bag (the staff at the hostel have told me so many times about the dangers that I have been listening to them, because with 4 months left in my journey, having my camera robbed would be the worst of the worst). At one point, a guy at a storefront asked me (in Spanish - as all of these conversations have been) what I was doing and where I was going, and at that point, I thought I was going back to the La Punta beach, so I told him so, but it turned out that I had inadvertently walked almost to Real Felipe, despite all advice to the contrary, oops. He pointed me in the direction of La Punta, and told me that I should take a car back. As I was crossing the street, I realized that since I could see Real Felipe from where I was standing, I thought I'd go there instead. Another guy stopped me across the street and asked me where I wanted to go, and again stressed the danger of my being there. I told him Real Felipe, and asked if I couldn't just walk there since it was in sight, and he said no, that the entrance was on the other side. He kindly waited with me until a collectivo arrived and directed them to take me to the entrance of Real Felipe. So, despite the dangers, I really enjoyed the colorful buildings I saw and was able to photograph, and appreciated the kindness of strangers.

To end the adventure, I took a taxi back to La Punta and had some great ceviche and seafood, but as I mentioned in my previous post, it was the seafood that did me in, and from which I am still suffering now. Ah well. I'll live! I was going to go to the Park of Lights tonight, but I am too ill to enjoy it, so I am postponing it until tomorrow night instead. I expect to make some interesting photographs there. Fountains and colored lights at night = awesome!

Mas información

2011-08-04T11:14:00.002-05:00

The last few days have certainly been an adventure in public transportation, but fortunately not being totally incompetent in Spanish has assisted me greatly in this regard. Yesterday my seafood lunch did not agree with me as well as my previous experience, so today I am staying in the hostel and trying to put my experiences into words to share with all of you.

Aside from the first full day here, the sun has not returned and so photographing the city the way I would like to is presenting me with quite a challenge. It's not that I require sunshine per say, in fact, I quite enjoy photographing heavy fog and dark, stormy skies, but the completely white skies of Lima in winter have been difficult. I have not let it get me down, however, I have simply been photographing less and experiencing more. I have months ahead of me in which to photograph, so I don't feel the pressure of not enough time as I have in previous trips, and for that I am extremely grateful! The length of this trip was certainly part of my planning, and it will serve as a reference for comparison for the future on what generally is a good amount of time for international trips.

Here are some general observations I've noted about Lima:

Traffic lights all have countdowns for red and green lights, which is great for both drivers and pedestrians, and in some parts of city the green man for ‘walk’ walks, but then runs when less than 5 seconds are remaining on the clock. This amuses me greatly for some reason, although a digital green running man, why would that not be amusing?

Collectivos (mini buses with men who jump out to call out destinations are prevalent everywhere in the city) are intimidating at first, but then once you get the hang of them, they are a good way to get around and are much cheaper than taxis. They also have a new bus system called the Metropolitano, which was apparently just completed in the last year – it runs in fairly limited areas, but one stop is near my hostel, so I have used it a couple of times in combination with collectivos and taxis. It’s similar to a subway/metro, but instead of a train underground, it is a bus that stops at doors which open like a subway, and it has a dedicated two way bus lane in the middle of the highway – similar to the HOV lanes in DC, but 100% of time dedicated to buses, with curbs and everything so that cars can’t go in it at all.

There are foods listed on the menu which are completely confusing to me even though I know Spanish fairly well, so for example, the day before yesterday I thought I was ordering a chicken dish, something like a chicken breast with rice or salad, and it ended up being like chicken chow mein, but it was way too salty, so definitely the worst meal since I’ve been here. Chifas, or Chinese restaurants, are prevalent here, but as Chinese is not one of my favorite of international cuisine, I’m avoiding them.

At most of the restaurants I’ve eaten at there has been a delicious super hot red chili sauce served as a condiment, as well as giant corn kernels that are cooked in some way that makes the outside browned and crunchy and the inside like popcorn. It’s so tasty. There are also dried banana slices on the table at times, like yesterday. One night I visited the Peruvian equivalent to McDonald’s and got a burger that had fried bananas on it, let’s just say it might have been ok with me, except with the addition of mayonnaise, since I’m not a fan of mayonnaise already, it was kind of ruined for me.

Yesterday I was able to get a huge amount of food, 2 plates worth, at a touristy-priced restaurant in La Punta for 15 soles. It was the ‘menu’ or daily special, but it was only offered to me when I noted that 22-28 soles was too expensive for me. Unfortunately, as delicious as the ceviche and rice with mixed seafood was, I believe it was the cause of my current state of stomach issues.

I am still working on photographs to post, and with those photos I will go into more detail about specific sites and places that I have visited, so stay tuned!

Cheaper food tastes better!

2011-07-30T21:18:00.003-05:00

Today I walked around Lima central with a fellow hostel traveler. We finally found some cheaper food there, and have determined that eating in Miraflores is not really the best option.

I had my first ceviche of the trip, and while it was the absolute best meal so far, it was also the cheapest, see above.

There is so much beautiful architecture here, but I have still not been making many photographs, because much of it warrants better light, and since I will be in Lima 2 weeks total, I am keeping fingers crossed for another sunny day with blue skies, to better complement the beautiful architecture.

These lines caught my eye:

And gray skies or not, I loved this one in color:

Me encanta Peru!

2011-07-29T22:40:00.002-05:00

I made it to Lima, Peru safe and sound! I'm staying in a great little hostel in Miraflores, and have enjoyed the company of my fellow travelers here. Today was my second day in Lima, and the first day that I brought out my camera. It's known for being gray and foggy here during the winter, and while yesterday it was sunny in the afternoon, today lived up to the gray portion of its reputation. It was still wonderful to see the ocean and great bluffs though. Here is a photo to show you what I mean:

I will be in Lima for two weeks, and I am taking it slow so that I can acclimate to the wonder of Peru and save energy for the incredible amount of work I have ahead of me in the next 4 months. I am very excited about all I will see and experience, and have been enjoying Lima, too!

Right before I left for this trip I learned that a substantial amount of income I had been expecting to help fund this trip fell through, so while I am disappointed about that, I know it will all work out! I could use your help, however, as I have two weeks left in my Peru fundraising campaign. If you could share the link and perhaps encourage people you know to contribute even a small amount of $5 or $10, I would be eternally grateful. There are great perks available for larger amounts, too!

In two weeks I will be leaving for the jungle portion of the trip for a month, so I will be away from the Internet, but aside from that time I intend to keep everyone posted about this journey as I go!

Cheers!
Amie

14 Days!

2011-07-13T11:25:00.002-05:00

It's hard to believe that in only 14 days I will be on a plane to Lima, Peru!! I've been researching, planning, practicing Spanish, exercising and fundraising like mad, and I hope I am prepared! :)

My fundraising campaign will remain open through August 15th while I am in the wilds of the Amazon rain forest. For those of you have contributed already, thank you so very much! For those of you who haven't yet, please check out the campaign and the available perks!

Zimbabwe: Faith, Love & Water

2011-07-02T10:58:00.001-05:00

Zimbabwe: Faith, Love & Water from Amie Vanderford on Vimeo.

I was sent to Zimbabwe by Lindenwood Christian Church to learn about and photograph the work being done there by two different Zimbabwean organizations: Khayelihle Children's Village and Shower of Blessings Trust. I was quite impressed by the way these two organizations are assisting both orphans from the AIDS epidemic, as well as rural communities who live great distances from a water source. Although the audio which accompanies the photography is not 'professional' quality (no mics were used, just a simple digital audio recorder) I felt it was important to include information about their projects directly from them, although edited down into a much shorter time. There is a slide included at the end of each section which details how you may send donations to each of these organizations, if you so desire. The presentation closes with a video and still images from my visit to a commercial farm that specializes in training future Zimbabwean farmers, as well as images from Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe is a beautiful and amazing country with kind-hearted people who taught me so much about what it means to truly live as a community and support one another. It was truly a challenge for me to narrow down an amazing 2 week experience with these people and organizations into 19+ minutes, but I hope that I have managed to convey some of it through this multi-media piece. Thank you for watching!

Donation Road Block?

2011-06-26T23:17:00.004-05:00

In creating this multi-media piece which details the non-profit work I observed being done in Zimbabwe recently, one thing I needed to work out was how donations were accepted for these organizations. For both orgs, potential donors/givers need to go through other orgs here in the U.S. to send the donations, and they only accept checks through the mail.

This prompts me to ask you, my 5 readers - whom I love dearly, if you see or read a piece about an organization, and you feel compelled to help financially, does the fact that you can only pay by mailing a check keep you from actually following through with the donation?

Do What You Love

2011-06-18T14:56:00.004-05:00

I'll let you in on a secret. I have had an obsession with trying to be absolutely unique in my photography. I've done things like avoid looking at other photographers' work so that I'm not influenced by them, quit doing projects I've started because I saw others doing similar projects, and many more idiotic things.

Here's the problem with that obsession, it is absolutely impossible to be absolutely unique. You can definitely have aspects that are unique or have some kind of style that carries through all of your work that puts your 'stamp' on it, but being absolutely unique? Nope! If by some chance you are unique for a moment, it won't be long before someone else comes along and tries to do something similar, whether it be because they saw what you did, or because they happened upon the same idea on their own. "There is nothing new under the sun."

It took me awhile, but I finally realized that it doesn't matter what other people are doing as long as I am doing what I want! Focusing on being unique was only leading to me being frustrated more often, and photographing less often, than I needed to be. I still strive to find my own vision and style, as we all should, but I've finally realized that I have to let go of the obsession of being unique. Uniqueness is not what matters. Doing what I love and what I'm passionate about, and finding a way to make photographs that reflect how I view a scene or show how a scene affects me, these are the things that matter to me. I have found what gives me the most joy in photography, and am so excited by that, so why be frustrated if 1 or 1,000 other people happen to be doing the same thing? If it fills them with joy, too, well, cool, doesn't the world need more joy?

You may relate to my specific struggle, or you may not, but the basic point here is that whatever it is that you do struggle with, that thing that blocks you as an artist... work through it, ignore it, beat it over the head, or even incorporate it, but keep making your art and doing what you love.

International Travel Prep Tips

2011-06-10T20:06:00.006-05:00

As I am preparing to leave for my 3rd international trip in less than 12 months (after a hiatus of zero international travel for 3 years, this is both outstanding and awesome to me!) I'm so thankful for some tips I've received that have made it easier to quickly prepare for each trip.

The #1 tip, particularly for someone like me who hates to deal with paperwork, is to get a clear, rigid, plastic sleeve that holds 8.5" x 11" paperwork. There are documents that I keep in this sleeve all of the time, and those things include:

copies of passport,
passport photos (for visas & just in case),
business insurance information,
international phone number for my bank,
immunization records,
Customs Form 4457 - official stamp w/sig - the form where I list my camera gear, so when I return to country, it shows I did not purchase gear on that trip

For each subsequent trip, I add back in:

International flight itinerary,
Any other in-country itineraries that I book in advance – bus/train,
Hotel/reservation info,
Trip insurance/medical coverage documents,
Directions and contact info, as needed

I also have my gear list, which includes:

camera bodies,
lenses,
lens cleaners (cloth and blower),
filters,
flash(es),
modifiers,
light stand(s),
radio trigger(s),
tripod,
batteries,
battery chargers,
laptop, mouse & laptop cables,
Backup drive and cables,
audio recorder and cables,
electrical adapters,
rain covers (for camera and bags),
CF cards & reader
little flashlight
pen & pocket notebook

And a general medicine/health list:

DEET (for skin)
Picaridin (for treating clothes), Permethrin (for bed nets)
stomach & anti-diarrhea meds
hand sanitizer and/or wet wipes
aspirin - ibuprofen
allergy meds
vitamins
bandages/athletic tape for heels
1st aid kit/Mole Skins
sunscreen

And before you leave the country, you should always:

Verify that you have all necessary country visas/immunizations.
Verify that your passport is valid for more than 6 months beyond your return travel date.
Call your bank to let them know your travel dates & countries you'll be visiting, so that your ATM/Credit cards will work.

This is by no means everything I do to prepare for an international trip, but these are the key lists I refer to when I'm preparing to go.

Only 47 days until I leave for Peru for 4 months!! This trip is especially challenging to pack for because I will be packing for time in the summer-like hot, wet, remote jungle, the extremely high-altitude mountains in winter, and the beach. I'll need hiking gear for trekking and some finding-my-way in the jungle gear, too. But, I still am aiming for only one checked bag to accompany my camera/laptop carry-on backpack.

Project Details:

Next Stop: Peru!

2011-06-06T12:00:00.002-05:00

My mission as a photographer is to seek out and photograph all of the good I can find in the world. Nepal, India and Zimbabwe were amazing, and now it's time for South America, specifically, Peru! I will be spending about 4 months there, and while there I will be volunteering with 3 organizations (and possibly a 4th) and photographing the experience. For many more project details, including a video with a touch of my silly side, and a list of all the perks available to funders (postcards, prints, photography book, and fun stuff like stuffed monkeys and - potentially - footage of me handling a live tarantula), please visit:

Even if you'd like to skip a cup of coffee and simply donate $5, all amounts are helpful and appreciated!

Gracias!
Amie

More Mississippi River Flood 2011 Photos

2011-05-07T14:07:00.003-05:00

It is astonishing to see the Mississippi River expand into places I've never seen it before. To have read about the great flood of 1927 over the years and the long-ranging affects that flood had on the people living here, and to see it exceed those levels is truly mind-blowing. I was also speaking to my grandmother about that flood, and she told me she remembers the great flood of 1937. I'd heard so much about the 1927 flood that I really didn't know much about the 1937 one, but after speaking to her about it, I decided to read more about it. While 1927 was devastating, the 1937 levels were actually higher than those of 1927, reaching a crest of 48.7 feet. We are set to reach 48 feet in Memphis between May 9th and 10th. I photographed the flood levels early in the morning on Thursday from the ground and then again from the air on Friday afternoon/evening, and the dramatic difference in that one day was amazing. On Thursday morning it had exceeded the photos I'd taken last Sunday, but Riverside Dr. at Beale St. was still dry, and the Greenbelt southmost parking lot was still above water. That is not the case now. Mud Island Park is completely underwater at many points, and the water has reached the top edge of the Amphitheater, completely covering the Mud Island boat ramp, and as of yesterday evening, the paddleboat pond was inches from being under river water. See below for photos, starting with Thursday morning, and ending with Friday evening (May 6, 2011). Some previous years' photos, for comparison, are also included.

McKellar Lake's boat ramp at MLK Jr. Park was completely covered by water on Thursday, May 5, and the normally fairly steep ramp to get to the marina and house boats appears to have floated and then sunk under the weight of water and accumulating trash, so those boats are no longer accessible by foot.

The Nonconnah Pumping Station, servicing Nonconnah Creek, was also substantially under water on Thursday compared to levels I'd photographed in 2008.

In 2008, view from opposite side of the station from a point currently under water in above photo:

Another perspective of the Mud Island Amphitheater, taken on April 8, 2008. This view helps demonstrate how much is under water, keeping in mind that some flooding was happening at the time of this photo, too, so normally the water is even much lower than this:

Views of the Mud Island Amphitheater/Park from Riverside Drive at 7 a.m. Thursday, May 5, 2011:

View of same area from a plane at 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 6, 2011:

Here is a view of the Memphis Riverboats from the Wolf River Harbor (I was on a boat) in October of 2007, note the area left of the boats; all of that up to the top of that wall, is currently under water, moving these riverboats to being level with Riverside Dr. as opposed to being at the bottom of historic cobblestone landing:

Here are views of Riverboats from Riverside Dr. the morning on Thursday, May 5, 2011:

Another aerial view that shows how close riverboats are to Riverside Drive at 6:30 p.m., Friday, May 6, 2011:

BBQ Fest was supposed to be on Tom Lee Park this weekend; however, it was moved to the fairgrounds due to the river overtaking Tom Lee Park, as well. Some aerial views taken at about 6:45 p.m., Friday, May 6, 2011:

Additional aerial photos from Friday, May 06th include a view of the Memphis Skyline w/Pyramid, and then subsequent photos show how far the river has spread into Arkansas:

Not enough photos for ya? Feel free to check out full Mississippi River Flood 2011 photo set over at flickr. Newest coverage will always be added to the beginning of the set.

Mississippi River Flood Levels

2011-05-03T16:49:00.003-05:00

I have been photographing the Mississippi River for several years now, but this year's flood is the highest I have ever seen, including the levels from late March/early April 2008, and it's forecast to overtake the flood levels of 1927's devastating flood on May 6, 2011. I am both in awe of the power our river and concerned for those being affected by its flooding, and the flooding of its tributaries.

This is a view from a bluff in Tipton County on May 1, 2011:

This is the view of the same bluff on April 12, 2008, the previous time I saw the river flood:

A couple more from that bluff on May 1, 2011 after the clouds rolled in over us:

When it flooded Greenbelt Park in 2008, the parking lot situated in the corner where the Wolf River empties into the Mississippi River was not put entirely under water, so I was able to walk across the parking lot to get to this spot where guys were fishing on April 3, 2008:

This is a view from a similar spot, but further back, one month later on May 3, 2008, as you can see, the water retreated dramatically in that time:

The next few photographs were made on May 1, 2011, and the parking lot is entirely covered by water, with only the top-most part of the boat ramp still dry, the spot where the guys were fishing is not reachable:

This photograph is from the first parking lot in Greenbelt Park after you cross the Auction Street Bridge on March 26, 2008 (a week before the fishing photo earlier in this post):

These photographs are from the same spot on May 1, 2011:

This one is from a similar area of Greenbelt Park on August 3, 2008, the rocks where the couple are seated is many feet under water, as seen above:

This photograph was made while in a boat under the Hernando Desoto Bridge on October 6, 2007; note how low the water level is on the foreground bridge support poles:

And then note the middle support in this photograph to see the difference in water levels, May 1, 2011:

This Wolf River Harbor view from the Montessori school, August 4, 2008:

Almost the same view on May 1, 2011:

I will be making more photographs of the river over the next week to continue to document this flood.

Dreams Do Come True - Part 2

2011-04-17T17:18:00.003-05:00

I talked about how Dreams Do Come True on a previous blog post, but that was before my trip to Zimbabwe. I've now been home from that trip for a week, and it's really sinking in how much that trip changed my life. I feel even more certain that I have found what I was born to do in my life, and the feeling you have when finding the "It" you've always been searching for, well, I don't think there are many greater joys.

In the week since I've been home, I was faced with a double ear infection, bills that outdid income by a good amount, and the sinking feeling that not every day would be as awe-inspiring and important as my days in Zimbabwe. After my last trip to Nepal and India I had a similar feeling (though to a lesser degree), but was able to get back into an at-home routine again fairly quickly, but partially because my trip to Zimbabwe was already booked so I knew it was on the horizon. This time there are no international trips on the horizon, and I keep almost allowing myself to feel like I was blessed to have been given those opportunities, but that I shouldn't count on any future opportunities like them to happen again. The economy is tough, and international trips are expensive, and perhaps no one will want to fund them. But you know what? I have a feeling in my gut that now that I've found my purpose, quite specifically, I just know that the opportunities will come, and probably when I least expect them (as were the cases with Nepal, India and Zimbabwe). I'm talking to some people about some ideas I have, and we'll see how things go. Meanwhile, I will re-adjust to being home, and enjoy my time here with my wonderful family and friends, and work on the images, video, audio and notes from Zimbabwe and put together a great DVD for them, and also write and post about topics from the trip that I've been alluding to.

I don't know exactly what the future holds, but I do know that I am not worried anymore. The vague possibilities and what-ifs aren't taunting me, and no time-clock is ticking me into panic. I know what I want to do now, with 100% certainty, and the how is just a matter of getting out there and seeing what happens.

Hope renewed!

Zimbabwe Smile

2011-04-11T09:37:00.002-05:00

It's a beautiful one!

Also, I uploaded my first wildlife video over on YouTube. Don't look at it for cinematic or narrative quality though, but for the nature of the fantastic elephant subjects. :)

Home

2011-04-08T18:50:00.002-05:00

I am back in Memphis, arrived this morning, and it feels so weird. I miss Africa already. This was truly the experience of a lifetime and more amazing than I could have even hoped and truly changed my life. I went in thinking that I would bring back images that would help inspire folks here to contribute to their great efforts, but I came out learning so much more from them, including ideas on how we could benefit from their example here in Memphis with community-building and sustainable farming, etc. I am trying to stay awake, but will probably crash soon, and then begins the daunting task of telling and showing their story. Stay tuned.

It's a Dirty Job, but the Reward is...

2011-04-05T15:10:00.002-05:00

...Water. These photos are from Day 1 of drilling for water in rural Zimbabwe. It's a very dirty job, but the reward, when they do find water, is the smiles of the girls you see in photo 11, who benefit from having a water source much nearer to their home. Never ever take your access to clean water for granted. Day 2 photos and the full story coming soon.

That which is not made by mankind...

2011-04-04T14:07:00.003-05:00

...is full of wonder and amazement. If looking at these photos of natural wonders don't inspire you to keep them from destructive human interference, I don't think anything would.

I promised an update regarding the teaser post last week, but alas, this natural wonder, action-packed weekend has left me zapped yet again. I have so many stories and thoughts to relay, but it's just plain difficult to give them the proper time while I am still in the thick of things, I've made massive notes in my handwritten journal. I have made photographs of all of the things I was tasked with, and I have a couple of days left here, so perhaps I will give more of an update before I leave here for home on Thursday. If not, there will be when I get home, at some point, I promise. :)

Meanwhile, these photos from Hwange National Park and Victoria Falls should tide you over, although they still do NOT adequately represent the majesty of the actual Falls. I was left breathless at the Falls, because each time I thought I was seeing the whole thing, it turned out there was more! I took video, as well, but each viewing area only let you view two-three sections at a time if you were able to see through the massive spray which are the Falls at high water. There are a couple of sections that I never saw, particularly near the bridge that spans Zimbabwe and Zambia. This morning I went back to the Falls, and went across the bridge to the Zambia side and I literally could not see any of the them at all, all spray - a photo below of bridge and bit of a tree shows this. So much spray that it created its own cloud system above the falls.

See? Invisible!

This is actually in color, but the spray and looking into the sun behind the spray created the silhouetted effect.

Now, Hwange & ANIMALS!!!

Elephant!! I got some amazing video of a parade of elephants the next morning, and it included 3 stages of elephant youths, including a tiny tiny new baby elephant. I'll have to post it to YouTube after I get home and can compress it. :)

Sunset across from one of the watering holes.

And, most amazingly as we left that watering hole to leave the park at closing hour, an ever-elusive-to-all rhino just walked right across our path, lit beautifully by the setting sun. :)

Also, they cut the tusks off this rhino on purpose in order to save it from being killed by poachers.

Humbled

2011-04-01T13:38:00.002-05:00

I have so much to write about after the 4 days spent in the rural areas (and my whole time here in general, actually). The people here have taught me so much that I am truly humbled. One topic in particular is how well they care for each other here. They serve their entire family network and community at a moment's notice and without hesitation, no matter whether it interferes with their schedule. That is a hint to what I will be writing about, but that is all I can say for now. I am leaving again tomorrow, but will be back here in Bulawayo on Monday, and will hopefully be able to have the full story and some photos to accompany. I've taken way too many photos to even try to pick one to share now, so that will also need to wait til Monday. This weekend is more fun than task-oriented, but still adds to the story that is Zimbabwe. I'll be visiting Hwange National Game Reserve along with Victoria Falls. Zimbabwe has already amazed me, so I can't even imagine how much more I'll love it after that.

Peace and love!
Amie

Rural Church - Photos Only

2011-03-28T15:08:00.002-05:00

I will be out of Bulawayo for the next couple of days, so Internet is unlikely. Here are a few photos from today's visit to a rural congregation without a physical church building.

Sustainability & Needs

2011-03-27T15:05:00.002-05:00

Sustainability is an important aspect of caring for the 99 children who live at the Khayelihle Children’s Village, along with the 40+ farm workers and care givers. They grow crops to feed the children, as well as the livestock, and they maintain livestock such as dairy cows, sheep, rabbits and chickens. Assistance provided to the KCV is always needed and put to good use. When droughts come, such as the one which occurred in 2008, this way of life is threatened in a very real way. 2011 thus far has not produced as much rain as they typically need, so they are hoping to avoid the situation of 2008.

There are numerous avenues to assist this organization, including sponsoring children with a monthly donation ($35), sending supplies that they desperately need (clothes, shoes, books, etc.), as well as sending teams of people to assist with building houses, but more importantly, helping to repair the houses they already have. People who have carpentry and plumbing skills are always needed, and when they can also bring their own tools, this will make for a more efficient trip. They also welcome visitors who would like to work with the on-site pre-school, as well as tutors for other age groups, and if a team of people come with a variety of skills, there is always something that can be found to do. For those who provide monthly sponsorship, monthly reports and letters from the children are sent to the donor, as well as an annual report detailing all of the financial details. Outside account audits are welcomed at any time.

Here are a few agricultural photographs along with more photographs of the pre-school students.

This shepherdess multi-tasks by breastfeeding her young one while watching over the flock of sheep.

After watching them milk the cows, and then trying it myself, I realized there is an art to doing this quickly and efficiently, one which they possess and I do not. :)

Chickens roam free except for the chicks which are grown under a heat lamp in a chicken coop.

And a few more from the pre-school. Coloring is hard work that requires great concentration, you see!

Same Same But Different

2011-03-26T15:21:00.003-05:00

The above title's credit goes to my friend Leasa whom I traveled with when I was in India last October. It still applies though, because as I noted in a previous blog post after that trip, although there are cultural differences between us, they are superficial. This trip has only strengthened that belief. With all of our commonalities, including the desire to segregate ourselves based upon whichever identifiers we choose, I am still stunned that we continue to do so. We are all people, and we all have our strengths and weaknesses, but they are strengths and weaknesses that cross all cultures, sub-cultures, races, genders, etc. I am one of those 'kooky' people that just wants peace in our world, and I believe the sooner we identify how similar we are, and accept one another (flaws and all) as fellow sisters and brothers attempting to traverse this crazy world we live in, the sooner it'll stop being so crazy (and I, too, am guilty of not always living up to this acceptance). We are ALL God's children no matter how it's dissected and argued, no matter what we do, what we believe, how we behave.

I have so many specific stories to relay about my trip here, but the fact is, there just aren't enough hours in the day! I leave early each day, and arrive back to my host family's place after 6 p.m. each evening, in time to eat dinner with them. After dinner I furiously download all the photos, sort through and mark my favorites, then go through and mark more selective favorites, then quickly edit them and post them. By the time that has happened it is time for me to go to sleep so that I may be fresh for the next day. As such, the words will have to come later when I can do them the justice they deserve. I promised some folks back home I would update daily, but that isn't always going to be the case, at least not in detail. In the meantime, here are a select few of my favorite photos from the amazing place called Khayelihle Children’s Village outside of Bulawayo, Zimbabwe.

As much as I loved the pre-school group yesterday, these four teenage girls stole my heart. I spent several hours with them, and learned about their hopes for their futures, and they even treated me to their beautiful singing. When I get back home I will compress and post the video I took of that touching experience.

These pre-schoolers have so much love to give, that it is impossible to resist hugging them.

The boy on the left was playing peek-a-boo with me, but I 'caught' him despite his quickness.

Who doesn't love a good game of cards?

I took this photo of a young dairy cow yesterday not knowing that I'd be milking (an older) one today. My first time. :)

Good night!

We Can Make a Difference

2011-03-24T11:59:00.002-05:00

It's 7 p.m. here and after 12+ hours of listening, asking questions, observing, talking, photographing and even getting to drive my host's vehicle (my first time driving on the opposite side of the road, like the Brits)... I don't even know where to begin! Perhaps at the beginning of my day. If I ramble a bit, and sound a bit incoherent, just think of this as stream of consciousness, and know the final outcome will be far more organized and coherent. :)

Today started with me talking to the Director as well as the Public Relations person of the KCV (Khayelihle Children's Village) at their Bulawayo office, which was a very modest house within the city limits. I recorded the conversations to ensure that when I create the full report of what they are doing and how we can help, I won't forget anything. I did not see the village itself today, but will be spending all day tomorrow and Saturday there making photographs of every aspect of the place from the physical structures and supplies to the daily life of workers and kids who live there. I will go into more details about KCV after I have spent time there, but I can already see so many opportunities for mission teams, as well as items we can send, and opportunities for child sponsorship. I can see how Heifer International can aid in these efforts, so I intend to contact them upon my return to discuss. Ideas are flowing, and I can't wait to get us all to work. Even a little bit of help goes a long way here!

After that meeting, my host drove me to the first three churches started in Zimbabwe, along with two of the schools where he taught during his career as an educator. I also learned the beautiful story of how he and his wife met (and saw their first house) and how he even waited to marry her for 5 years while she studied abroad in London. Talk about love! Their love is quite inspiring to me, and they've been together 35 years now. He is an amazing man, too, who went from being an educator, to headmaster, and while doing that he was a semi-pro football (soccer) player. He then went into ministry work, and has been involved in starting many humanitarian organizations, and then training other leaders to take them over. He is still on the Board of many organizations and currently spends most of his time giving leadership training to ministers and elders. There is so much more to his story that I can't even begin to do it justice here, but that's a taste. It was actually quite difficult to try and take in all of the information he has to share while also observing everything as we drove, and occasionally stopping to make a photograph! I'm going to have to turn the recorder on for him, as well. :) I did manage to take some notes today in the midst of all of that. I will say that this is a man who is motivated by love and compassion for all.

Everyone I have encountered here has been wonderful, and I love being here. It's such a joy for me to be able to use my modest skill set and actually feel like it can and will inspire others to want to get involved and make a difference here! On that note, I will close with my favorite photo from today, one that expresses the beauty I see all around me, despite the difficult circumstances being faced.

I've arrived

2011-03-23T12:40:00.005-05:00

I arrived in Bulawayo, Zimbabwe today and was greeted by my lovely host and hostess. We went by the grocery on the way to their place, and then we spent the afternoon on their back porch discussing all kinds of things, including, but in no way limited to, what is on the agenda for this trip. I have many stops to make, but I am most excited to visit the Children's Village and see the kids, along with their new school, vegetable garden and dairy farm. Additionally, while I may not be able to see a new water well being drilled (they need funds to start a new one), they are going to take me to one they've already finished. There are other things I'll see, as well, but I will explain those as I photograph them. I do not have a photo for this blog because I spent this afternoon just getting to know my hosts better and did not even bring gear out. I did take a few snapshots with iPhone though, and my brain is churning away thinking of how I might best photograph different things. I was also treated to my first Zimbabwean home-cooked meal, and it was delicious! I am quite impressed with the friendliness I have experienced at every turn of this trip thus far. Tomorrow may not be too busy, but after that, there will be plenty of activities. :) Stay tuned!

P.S. My bag arrived with me at the airport today, even though I didn't see it last night. Hurray!

Quick update

2011-03-23T00:34:00.002-05:00

I made it to South Africa last night, and thanks to the most helpful person I've ever encountered at an airport, made it to my hotel safely and soundly, albeit without my bag, which apparently went on to Bulawayo without me. She explained the situation with my luggage, and then walked me through where I need to go today to check in, then walked me to shuttle and stayed with me until I boarded it. Now THAT is some great caring. It's bright and early here in Johannesburg, and I am about to check out of my hotel and head back to the airport for my flight to Bulawayo. Excited to see my host (and hopefully also my baggage!), and begin this amazing photo journey! More of an update when I am settled in there. Love to you all.

Dreams Do Come True

2011-03-19T11:11:00.005-05:00

Sometimes they take much longer than you expect, but when they do come true, and perhaps especially if they take a long time, it is all the more rewarding! I did not realize that there was an entire genre of 'humanitarian photography,' until about 2 years ago when my wonderful boyfriend, Jason, started sending me links to different folks doing exactly that. What I did know is that when I was much younger, and I saw the images made by Lewis Hine of children in labor in factories and read that his photos helped get Child Labor Laws enacted, I was hooked, I knew that THAT was how I wanted to use my love of photography some day.

My love for photography began at age 11, when I got my first camera, a Polaroid Instamatic. My love for travel and meeting new people came even before that because as the daughter of an Air Force pilot I was blessed with the opportunity to live in 3 different European countries and visit many others during my formative years. Once I got that first camera, I decided that I wanted to use it to make images to take back home to show to my extended family who had never been outside of the U.S. and perhaps help them see and experience the joy of 'meeting' the people and seeing the places that I had. At age 12, I bought my first SLR while we were back in the U.S. visiting my grandma in Memphis. It was a Canon AE-1, and I still have that camera!

We moved back to the U.S., specifically to Las Vegas, Nevada, just before I began 8th grade, and that move was probably the single biggest shock to my system. For 6th and 7th grade I had lived in a tiny German farm town, which at that time was still West Germany, as it was prior to the 1989 tearing down of the Berlin Wall, and had been home-schooled by my mother. Imagine how an 8th grader, at the cusp of puberty, feels about going from mountains, valleys, deer, horses and small town life being taught at home to going to public junior high school in the land of lights and gambling in the desert of Las Vegas, Nevada! That's when I first learned what being 'adaptable' was all about.

The reason we moved when we did was also an influencing story in my life. At the time we moved, various Air Force pilots were involved in actions against Libya, and during these actions Muammar Gaddafi claimed that his daughter and other civilians were killed, and not the specific targets they'd intended. Gaddafi then declared that he would make it his goal to kill the families of U.S. military personnel. I remember going to the Air Force base in Germany after that with my mother and seeing the extra security around the base school. My dad's tour in Germany was almost up at that point anyway, so he decided to send us home early because of this declaration and the heightened security levels. When we traveled home on commercial air, we were instructed to have military i.d. hidden, so that if for some reason the plane was hijacked or what-have-you, it would not be discovered who we were. Now I was not even 13 yet, so this was quite scary. It was experiences such as these that made me want to somehow be involved in making more peace in the world.

I adjusted to life back in the U.S., but never quite felt 'as American' as everyone else around me, although I do love this country and the people in it, I also love other countries and the people in them, too. I continued honing my photography in high school by taking photo classes and joining the yearbook. I learned to develop film and print photographs in the darkroom, I learned to photograph sporting events, as well as girls who wanted to be models, and lots of stuff in between. When it came time to look at universities, I was heavily leaning towards becoming a photography major, and I looked at schools like the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, CA as well as schools on the east coast such as the Rhode Island School of Design and the Savannah College of Art & Design. Ultimately though, I decided that I could continue to learn photography on my own and through elective courses, so I followed the passion that pre-dated even my photography, and became an International Studies major. I started at Boston University, but then transferred to American University where I graduated with a BA in International Studies with a focus on Peace & Conflict Resolution and a minor in Photography.

Upon graduation, however, all of my plans went out the window, and I ended up going down a more corporate & technology-related path. I also ended up getting married to a person who was very wrong for me in just about every way. I won't get into the details of that decade, because frankly it is far too painful and far too long of a story, but I mention it only to reiterate that while we may diverge from our goals in life, there is always an opportunity to come back to what we love and are passionate about.

Another factor that has greatly influenced my life is my faith in God. As a youngster I was very passionate about my faith in God and even did street outreach with YWAM (Youth With a Mission) while we lived in Torrejon, just outside of Madrid, Spain. When I reached high school I began to heavily rebel against Christianity, in particular, my mother's view of Christianity. I began to notice massive amounts of hypocrisy and judgmental behavior coming from the adult Christians I saw in my life, and when I graduated from high school and went out on my own, I decided I wanted absolutely nothing to do with any of that. I never rejected God per say, but I rejected church and all 'religious' associations. I would say that the 'horrible' decade I alluded to above had much to do with the extremes I took to be disassociated with my former faith.

Jumping forward, I left my marriage in 2003 and began a long journey back towards mental health, and trying to find my way back to my 'correct' path in life. I had kept up photography as a hobby throughout all of this, but nowhere near as much as I once had, so when I moved to Memphis in 2004 (after some time in Nashville, TN and Jackson, MS) after surviving a massive train wreck to get here, I decided to put more focus back into photography. I did continue to work 'regular' jobs because I still had that horrible fear that had kept me from pursuing it full-time all these years: I'll never make it as a full-time photographer, it's too hard to make a living, and what if I grow to hate it if I decide to put all of my eggs in that basket, etc.

In 2007, I took a trip to Israel with my mother and a group of other Christians. I had always wanted to go to Israel, but I was wary of going with a group of Christians, because I still held on to the idea that they were a bunch of judgmental hypocrites. But then as it turns out, that trip became the turning point in my faith and the place where I realized that a) not all Christians are like that and b) that my definition of being a Christian (loving one another, accepting God's grace, not judging our fellow man, etc.) was indeed accurate and acceptable and that I did not need to fit into any stereotype to be a 'real' Christian. I felt an overwhelming blanket of God's love and peace on that trip, and it's a feeling that words can not even begin to describe.

The peace that I felt there helped me get over so much of the pain I had experienced over many years and it also helped give me the strength to make many hard and scary decisions I subsequently made in my life. If not for that trip & that reconnection to my faith on my terms, I would not have sought out and found the church that I currently attend here in Memphis (Lindenwood Christian Church), and I would not have finally found the strength to take the leap into giving up day jobs in order to pursue photography full-time as I did in April of 2009.

It's also fascinating to me how things ultimately come together, because after I took that leap, I expected to spend many years concentrating solely on local photography, and surviving doing whatever work I had to, such as weddings, etc. because let's face it, self-employed people can't afford to pay their bills much less travel the world! It was very hard to find paid work, especially in the beginning, so I used the time to work on personal projects that would contribute to people seeing Memphis in a more positive light. I had completed a daily photo project in 2008, where I photographed every nook and cranny of Memphis that I could find, far beyond what the average person chooses to see, and I felt that while that helped show Memphis in a better light, it was the people of Memphis who make it the wonderful and fascinating (albeit problem-ridden) city that it is, so I set about to do a year-long daily portrait project of people who make a positive impact on the city. I managed to accomplish 130 days in a row of photographing these great people, but then I decided to scrap the daily aspect so that I could spend more time with each subject, and also, because as an unpaid project, it interfered too greatly with energy spent on finding paid gigs. That project is still in the works, but I admit it has stalled due to the next turn of events.

In 2010, after much effort and hassle with my mortgage bank, I made the tough decision to declare bankruptcy and give my house back to the bank. I felt like such a huge failure, but I realized that it was either keep the house and get a 'real' job, or give up the house and keep pursuing my passion, and at the then age of 36, I decided: PASSION! I spent too many years being miserable doing the things I was 'supposed' to do, and after near-death experiences such as the train wreck, I realized LIFE IS TOO SHORT to not spend the energy you have on doing what you love and what you feel you were meant to do in life. I moved in with Jason, but I was prepared to move into my car if I had to!

And guess what? After making that decision, all of the doors began to open to pursue not just my passion of photography, but international photography, as well!! I received an Individual Artist Fellowship from the Tennessee Arts Commission which allowed me to travel to Nepal and India in October of 2010, and that trip prepared me in many ways for the trip I will be leaving for on Monday: Zimbabwe.

Now this Zimbabwe trip is the true culmination of everything I have been dreaming about for the last 26 years, and I am so excited for this trip that words, again, are not sufficient. It is a chance to do that 'humanitarian' photography I started this post (now extremely lengthy - oops) with. My church is sponsoring this trip, and the photographs and stories I gather while I am over there will be used by the folks there to assist with their fundraising and awareness-building efforts for the Children's Village they run, as well as the water wells they help build out in the rural areas of Zimbabwe.

I will be posting updates on this blog while I am over there to keep my wonderful supporters and everyone else informed about the experience, and when I return, I will produce a full report on what I saw, and what is needed and how you can help!

Thanks to everyone who has supported me over the years (emotionally, financially, spiritually), as I could not have done any of this without you! For those of you who might be reading this that I don't know, to you I simply say: follow your heart and take the leap of faith to follow your dreams, whatever they are. No matter how hard the journey may be, it's the best journey you could possibly choose.

Snow & Abandonement

2011-02-06T16:12:00.002-06:00

It's a New Year...

2011-01-13T12:05:00.003-06:00

And it's starting out wonderfully! I'm very excited about what this year has in store, particularly a photo assignment trip I am taking to Zimbabwe on behalf of Lindenwood Christian Church this spring. Things locally are great, as well, with steady editorial work for Memphis Magazine, and more.

The Smart City Memphis Blog is newly updated with 20 Memphis photographs I've taken.

And because this is a photo blog, here's a shot of the first snow of 2011:

Also, for all you freelancers out there, whether photographers, graphic designers, painters or writers, here's a great humorous (but also true!) graphic to help you decide whether you should work for free (make sure you click on it twice to get largest version).

I started a fresh Twitter account (amievphotog) last month, so if you were following my old one, well, it doesn't exist anymore. This new one will be more focused on international issues, in addition to photo-related updates and the random whatever-else. It's Twitter, after all, so it can't be serious all the time.

India & Nepal Q&A

2010-11-11T15:57:00.003-06:00

Lindsey Turner wanted to know more about my trip, and posted our Q&A on The Memphis Blog.

Another portrait from Pashupati in Kathmandu, Nepal:

International Travel

2010-11-09T10:42:00.003-06:00

For the month of October I was traveling in Nepal and India thanks to an Individual Artist Fellowship award from the TN Arts Commission. My Nepal portion of the trip was a Within the Frame photography workshop with Jeffrey Chapman and David DuChemin, and the India trip was an extension of the trip visiting a friend of mine in Goa and visiting other cities while I was there. I just returned home on November 1st, and I am still processing the experience in my mind (and in Lightroom).

I would have to say that the biggest revelation to me was that the vast differences often touted between the "east" and the "west" are not so vast. Sure, there are cultural differences, but those cultural differences are essentially superficial, because in the end we are all people in all of our wondrous as well as hugely flawed qualities. We all strive to find our place in the world, we all look for love, seek inner peace through a variety of means, we all strive to take care of ourselves and loved ones, and we all want to be happy, through whichever means we define such happiness. I have a lot more to say on this topic, but I'll just leave it at that for now, and get on with showing some photos from the trip.

Memphis 350 - Portrait 166

2010-09-01T19:16:00.000-05:00

Portrait 166 - Linda Casals - Memphis Vespa Dealership Owner

Memphis 350 - The MIFA Portraits - Portraits 157-165

2010-08-30T19:10:00.002-05:00

Portrait 157 - Amy Hoyt - MIFA Thrift Store Director:

Portrait 158 - William Golden - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 159 - Lena McBride - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 160 - Marcell Franklin - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 161 - Vera Wallace - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 162 - Roosevelt Hunter - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 163 - Mary Williams - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 164 - Greg Crawford - MIFA Staff:

Portrait 165 - Joyce Bishop - MIFA Staff

20 Days of 200mm/f2.8 - Days 18

2010-08-30T19:09:00.000-05:00

20 Days of 200mm/f2.8 - Days 10 - 17

2010-08-18T16:14:00.002-05:00

Day 10 - At the grocery store:

Day 11 - My kitty unhappy to see me go - had to go out of town overnight:

Day 12 - Friend's grand kids upon my return to Memphis:

Day 13 - Festivities across from Graceland for Elvis Week:

Day 14 - Cat/Boyfriend and Boyfriend/Cat - i.e. too tired to go out and photograph something else:

Day 15 - I Scream, you scream, we all scream for Ice Cream!:

Day 16 - Sharon's doggy, Abby - with tongue:

Day 17 - Old Piano on the dock of the MIFA store:

20 Days of 200mm/f2.8 - Days 5 - 9

2010-08-10T09:50:00.002-05:00

Day 5 was a little photo-walk in my new neighborhood (long story there):

Day 6 was running an errand with a friend and a late afternoon snack:

Day 7 was a day where I lacked concentration, so decided to chill with a friend:

Day 8 was busier, and so I waited for accomplishing this idea until 10 p.m.:

Day 9 - working from a different venue, the coffee shop:

20 Days of 200mm/f2.8

2010-08-05T12:51:00.002-05:00

What to do when in an artistic funk? Choose some sort of daily photo task with specific parameters and see what happens. I chose an arbitrary 20 days to shoot all personal work at focal length 200mm and aperture f/2.8. I did not choose subjects ahead of time, am instead just kinda going with the flow of what I encounter.

From Day 1 at the HiTone for the Old Forest Jamboree:

Holly Cole

And HiTone Liquor bottles

Day 2 - encountering the moods of a 3-year-old:

Calm after the storm

Day 3 - A bit more philosophical and design element-y:

Day 4 - Suffering through the heat (see the haze), but still not too hot to be annoyed at the state of the Walmart nation:

Not sure where today will lead just yet.

Memphis 360 - Portrait 156

2010-07-23T16:21:00.002-05:00

Portrait 156 - Steven Tate - New Ballet Ensemble Dancer Extraordinaire

First set was done with a giant rope my boyfriend just happened to have lying around:

We did a quick headshot:

He did some of his insane jumps:

And then cooled down in some water:

Such a great guy to work with!

Memphis 360 - Portrait 155 & some Kansas City Street Candids

2010-07-13T13:53:00.003-05:00

I have been a blog/flickr posting slacker of late, but some exciting changes have been unfolding in my life, so hopefully when I get back in a regular routine, the photos will reflect some of these cool changes!

In the meantime, I did shoot a great couple for my Memphis 360 portrait project, and got a few candid street shots of people in Kansas City, MO on a recent road trip I took.

Portrait 155 - Courtney & Brad Leon - Hyde Foundation & Teach for America:

Courtney & Brad are both transplants to Memphis. She is from Columbus, Ohio and has been here 8 years, while he is from southern California. They both do great work for Memphis and met each other at the Hyde Foundation, where she is the Grants Manager (they've been married for two years). Prior to the Hyde Foundation she worked as a Health Educator for Planned Parenthood. They both love Memphis and consider it their home. The Hyde Foundation funds many amazing organizations in Memphis whose focuses range from education and the environment to the arts. Brad started with Teach for America in 2002 as a teacher in New Orleans for two years. After teaching he recruited for the organization in Chicago and then came here to start Teach for America in Memphis. The Teach for America organization is an amazing group for Memphis in that they recruit top graduates from elite universities across the nation and place them in teaching positions in low income communities. Many of these new teachers join the program with the intent of teaching for a couple of years and then moving on, but as many as 60% decide to remain in the education field after their 2 year commitment. They are shown here with their beloved rescued dog, Roosevelt!

And from Kansas City, this is John Davison King - Major, US Army, Retired - a veteran from World War II. I happened to see him sitting outside a shop I passed by, and stopped to ask him if I could photograph him. He immediately lit up and got this great big smile on his face and said Of course! He was such a nice man, and it was a pleasure to speak with him.

And a great Italian guy from the downtown market:

And just a couple of girls I noticed walking down the street:

Memphis 360 - Portrait 154

2010-06-17T17:39:00.002-05:00

Portrait 154 - Charley Struckhoff - Multi-faceted Creative:

Charley is an incredibly high energy and all around fun chick! She was formerly a tour guide for Sun Studio, and is now employed as recruiter for the Memphis College of Art. She is also a talented graphic designer who dabbles in photography, and is an aficionado of Michael Jackson, Prince and other prominent 80s musicians. She has even performed a dance tribute to Michael Jackson locally. She has a passion for vintage clothing, as seen here.

World Cup Fun at Printer's Alley

2010-06-15T18:14:00.002-05:00

Some photos from Printer's Alley during Saturday's USA vs. England game.

New Ballet Ensemble - Downtown Alive Performance

2010-06-10T19:07:00.003-05:00

The always amazing New Ballet Ensemble did a free performance during lunch at Court Square in downtown Memphis today for Downtown Alive, so I went down there to photograph them. Here are some of my favorites (the rest may be viewed here):

MIFA/Lindenwood Christian Church Community Garden

2010-06-01T18:13:00.003-05:00

A few photos I took today of youth volunteers working in the MIFA/Lindenwood Christian Church Community Garden (view full set slide show here, if you like):

Memphis 360 - Portrait 153

2010-05-29T18:14:00.003-05:00

Portrait 153 - Nancy Apple - Singer, Songwriter, WEVL DJ:

Check it out, I am still photographically 'alive,' (meaning: shooting & posting again) though just barely. This evening was action-packed, but as I was talking to the lovely & talented Nancy Apple, I had to pause and take her photo when the outdoor evening lights turned on... she was just too perfectly lit to pass up, especially in contrast with the street level South Main Street Trolley Art Tour. Nancy was a joy to talk to, and is a fellow military brat. Whereas she grew up in Asia with a Navy father, I grew up in Europe with an Air Force father. There is always an inexplicable bond between former military kids, especially ones who've lived overseas. It was an absolute pleasure to meet her!

Nancy has agreed to be part of Memphis 360! Make sure to read her incredible bio at Ringo Records.

2nd Capture Memphis Book

2010-05-21T09:27:00.002-05:00

I have several portraits from my Memphis 360 project uploaded for the 2nd Capture Memphis photo book project, and I'd love your votes! I have provided links to my images below or you can just browse from my profile page. Creating an account is easy, and be sure to browse everyone else's photos, too, and vote for what you think best represents Memphis!

Colin the Watchmaker
Louisa Koeppel - Fluidity of Motion
David Merrill - Mr. Film
Erica Rocks the Scooter
April - Memphis Belle
The Infamous Dr. Toboggans
Aaron - Skatelife Memphis Founder

Thanks!

Memphis 360 - Portrait 152

2010-05-03T22:56:00.002-05:00

Portrait 152 - Tad Pierson - Anthrotourist:

The Throne!

Tad is a fascinating guy who moved to Memphis in 1995. He collects RVs, makes art of tires, guides tours of Memphis in his classic Cadillac and even has a fishing camp on the Mississippi River. He loves the road, so is a kindred spirit. His place is incredible, and was an absolute joy to explore and photograph, so I'm going back some other time, too. :)

A couple other favorites from the shoot:

Yes, I did recognize the subject matter immediately. ;)

Awesomeness all around!!

Aaron Reedy - Science Teacher Talk

2010-04-29T13:38:00.002-05:00

In June 2008, I was fortunate enough to interview & photograph science teacher Aaron Reedy and his wife Sarah, a history teacher, and their kayaking companion, Patrick Hanlon, an environmental inspector out of Minneapolis, as they made a stop in Memphis during their adventurous, educational kayaking of the MS River from St. Louis, MO to New Orleans, LA. See the interview and photos here.

I received an update email from Aaron today with a link to his TED talk in Dallas about the importance of using real world teaching techniques to get kids excited about education, particularly biology & science. I have pasted the video here, and would love for you to pass it along to any teachers/educators with a passion for getting kids excited about learning.

B&W 35mm Film Shots

2010-04-17T17:52:00.003-05:00

It's been about 6 years since I last used a film camera, so I brought out my old Canon AE-1 35mm film camera today and decided to shoot a roll of film that I found in my camera bag (see some past stuff here). The film was probably 10 years old itself, and since I wasn't sure how the photos would turn out, I just photographed some plants in my yard and walked around an area near the University of Memphis. Here are some of the results:

Memphis 360 - Portrait 151

2010-04-17T13:56:00.001-05:00

Portrait 151 - Bev Pray - Professor - Christian Brothers University:

Bev is a professor in the School of Business at CBU, and has found her passion in life which is helping others find theirs. She headed up the Masters of Ethical Leadership program within the business school and founded the Center for Ethical Leadership. She teaches courses on Leadership, Business Ethics and Organization Behavior and loves both CBU and Memphis.

She moved to Memphis in 1988 and loved it so much that she stayed. Prior to obtaining her Ph.D. and becoming a professor she was an investment banker, but she has found her true calling in teaching. She explained how the order of brotherhood that founded CBU were very focused on providing education to well-rounded and practical education for everyone. CBU is very diverse, the most diverse in the city and in the top 20 in the Southern Region. They have a very large subset of students who are over 40, work full-time and to back to school because they want to change the focus of their lives and re-adjust their priorities. It was a breath of fresh air to talk to her about what is important in life, and to hear it from a professor in the business school. The focus on ethics and leadership is so often neglected in the business world that I am pleased to meet someone with her focus! It was also interesting to learn how accommodating their program is for working adults and how the evening classes, in addition to being more convenient, are also less expensive!

Memphis 360 - Portrait 150

2010-04-12T16:58:00.002-05:00

Portrait 150 - Sarah Fleming - Live From Memphis:

Sarah is awesome. I've photographed her in action, but for her official portrait we decided to focus on some of her other loves: her dogs (only one wanted to be in the photo), her bike and her home. Sarah was born and raised in Memphis, and moved away for a few years for undergraduate degree and work, but moved back to her hometown 8 years ago.

Sarah has served as producer, director, videographer and editor on a number of award-winning films and music videos. She now owns and runs Live from Memphis with Christopher Reyes. At livefrommememphis.com, she works with various community organizations to connect creatives in an online environment and through local events, such as the Music Video Showcase and Li'l Film Fest (both of which she co-founded with partner Christopher Reyes in 2005). Currently, she's producing "Flipside Memphis," a joint project with MTV New Media, "ArtsMemphisTV," a web-based series dedicated to the arts, and "Film Memphis," a series that showcases the behind-the-scenes of Memphis filmmaking. Sarah holds an M.A. in communications from the University of Memphis.

Memphis 360 - Portraits 148-149

2010-04-09T23:35:00.000-05:00

Portrait 148 - Bob Arnold - Chatterbox Theater:

Bob has been doing various audio theater for 3 years now. When he first started Chatterbox, their audience was primarily Memphis based, but over time their reach has expanded globally, and now the majority of their listening audience is global. He is involved on all levels of the shows, but writing adapted 'screenplays' to directing, to acting and performing sound effects. Check out the Chatterbox Theater website where he posts a new show at least once per month. In addition to the work they produce for web consumption, they have also done live radio broadcasts for our local NPR station, typically on Halloween and with a horror bent. For his 'day job' he does fundraising/grant writing for the Brooks Museum of Art. Bob is a great guy, and his shows are awesome!

Portrait 149 - Federico Gomez - Spanish Professor - Christian Brothers University:

Federico came to Memphis 8 years ago from the Andalusia region of Spain. He is a Spanish Professor at CBU, and in his free time is an avid movie buff, and a collector of old weapons and armor that represents the Crusades time period. For fun I got him to dress up, and we had a blast. He made the leather shoulder and wrist guards he is wearing from belts.

Memphis 360 - Portrait 147

2010-04-07T11:55:00.002-05:00

Portrait 147 - April Novak - Memphis Belles "Rowdy Ann":

April (aka Rowdy Ann) is a Burlesque performer for the Memphis Belles. She has a big love for her cats and vintage clothing and is "addicted to buying junk," particularly things like etiquette books, old fashion mags, weird dolls, paint by numbers, big eye pictures, and bubble bath bottles. All of the Memphis Belle performers do pin-up photography in addition to their burlesque performances, and they create their own costumes and style (hair/make-up/routines) for each show.

This one is my personal favorite from the shoot:

In addition to her "pin-up" side, she has worked in the fashion industry in NYC, performed in a punk band with her brother, and is now completing work towards her Master's Degree in Education and teacher's license. She is originally from a small town in west Tennessee, and has lived a few places, but chose Memphis as her home a few years ago.

And some of my other favorite shots:

2 Daily Votes for Memphis

2010-04-07T10:10:00.004-05:00

Seriously! These two daily votes are the easiest possible ways to help Memphis! You don't have to exercise, you don't have to think or labor in any way and you can STILL HELP MEMPHIS! If you can't take the couple of minutes every day to vote for getting a Skate Park in Binghampton with simple sign-up or connect to Facebook and Google Fiber for all of Memphis with a simple click on Memphis for Google Fiber in the city poll, then I am just so disappointed in you! Ok, I'm not a mom, so maybe the 'guilt' approach doesn't work coming from me, but still. VOTE EVERYDAY, IT'S EASY, IT'S PAINLESS AND IT HELPS A BUNCH OF PEOPLE!!!! GO MEMPHIS!!

Voting ends for the Skate Park on April 30th, and we are currently in 15th place, but we need to be in first or second place to win the award and get the skate park built, so please vote everyday and get all your friends to, as well!

Voting for Google Fiber ends on May 6th, and right now Asheville and Greensboro, NC are smoking us, so VOTE EVERY DAY til then!!! Come on, people!

Memphis 360 - Portraits 145-146

2010-04-01T14:22:00.003-05:00

These portraits are of an awesome artistic couple I met through my friend Rob McGowan. I thoroughly enjoyed my time with them, and am in awe of their super stylish loft space on South Main St.!

Portrait 145 - Bert Sharpe - Potter & Sculptor:

Portrait 146 - Patti Lechman - Textile Designer, Retired Art Professor:

Memphis 360 - Portrait 144

2010-03-30T10:59:00.002-05:00

Allison Furr-Lawyer - Painter - 03-29-10 - Memphis 360 - Portrait 144:

I had a blast meeting and photographing Allison. We discovered that we have led parallel lives on a number of levels, too. :)

She is originally from Jackson, MS, and additionally has lived in Boulder, CO before moving to our fine city 5 years ago. She is a painter who uses found pieces to integrate into and inspire her work. She often paints on found closet doors, but also likes to paint on rusted metal pieces she finds at scrap yards. She scours the city to find her materials from thrift stores and scrap yards to dumpsters and stuff on the side of the road. Check out some of her work on her website. Her work is currently on display at D'Edge Gallery on South Main Street two doors down from the Arcade Restaurant.

A few more from her shoot:

New Ballet Ensemble - Studio Shots

2010-03-25T22:33:00.004-05:00

I have many more to go through, but here are some of my initial choices from a recent shoot I did of the New Ballet Ensemble dancers:

Memphis 360 - Portrait 143

2010-03-19T21:19:00.002-05:00

Portrait 143 - Louisa Koeppel - Project Motion Dancer

I haven't yet decided my ultimate pick, so here are my top 5! She is an incredible dancer and person.

Memphis 360 - Portrait 142

2010-03-16T18:57:00.001-05:00

Portrait 142 - Will Batts - Memphis Gay & Lesbian Community Center:

Memphis 360 - Portraits 140-141

2010-03-09T10:58:00.002-06:00

I am a huge fan of vibrant colors and the work from these two artists are brilliant! Debra is also the gallery owner of D'Edge Art on So. Main St. and shows many other great artists, as well.

Portrait 140 - Debra Edge - D'Edge Art Gallery Owner:

Portrait 141 - George Hunt - Distinctive Painter & former Memphis City School Teacher:

"Observation" Shoot

2010-03-05T22:50:00.003-06:00

One of the benefits I'm taking from removing the daily aspect of Memphis 360 is that I can do an 'observation shoot' before the actual shoot to help me get a better feel for people. I won't have time to do this for everyone, but these candid shots are from one of those kinds of shoots I had yesterday evening. I was watching and photographing Sarah (& Christopher) of Live From Memphis film a segment for ArtsMemphis TV. It was very cool to watch them do their thing. Here are a few of the shots of Sarah at work:

Continued Ballet Study & Memphis 360 - Portrait 139

2010-02-28T23:06:00.001-06:00

I truly adore the New Ballet Ensemble and how much inspiration they are providing me!

And Portrait 139 - Gail Phillips - Clinical Research Associate at St. Jude & Cat Rescuer

Memphis 360 - Portrait 138 & other photos from New Ballet Ensemble

2010-02-13T12:36:00.002-06:00

Portrait 138 - Katie Smythe Thinnes - New Ballet Ensemble:

Katie is an amazing woman and dancer and is also the Founder, CEO and Artistic Director of the New Ballet Ensemble. I observed & photographed the troupe's dance class on Thursday and was blown away by the family feel these dancers have with her and each other. Each of these dancers are not only professionals themselves, but they teach classes for the community youth who attend the school. Katie is a great teacher who is very hands on and detailed down to which toes should be touching the floor and in what position. I look forward to photographing and getting to know these dancers more in the future!

Polar Bear Plunge & Surprise Snow Day

2010-02-08T15:02:00.002-06:00

First off, a few photos from some people who jumped into the Mississippi River on a freezing February day to benefit the Special Olympics:

And today I had plans to photo an entirely different subject, but snow surprised us, so my plans were postponed. As such I took a few snow day photos:

I am still slowly but surely carrying on with my Memphis 360 Portrait Project; however, I also have some different directions I'm thinking of taking in my photography, directions which are even more dependent on other folks, so we'll see how it progresses!

Memphis 360 - Portraits 135-137

2010-02-04T11:30:00.002-06:00

Portrait 135 - Alfredo Peña - Workers Interfaith Network:

Alfredo is a workers rights coordinator for the Workers Interfaith Network (WIN). WIN is a coalition of members of the faith and labor communities who seek justice in the workplace. WIN's members address the root causes of poverty that force many hard-working people to seek charitable assistance even while they work full-time jobs. By organizing people of faith, low-wage workers, and workers' allies, WIN is able establish living wages and fair working conditions for low-wage workers in the greater Memphis area.

Portrait 136 - Mary Norman - Community Gardener:

Mary is an incredible woman, and I am so happy I met her. As the daughter of a sharecropper, she grew up farming. She then joined the Army and was an X-Ray tech until she was seriously injured falling down three flights of stairs. She was disabled as a result of the fall and unable to finish her plans of being career military. That did not hold her back though. She has been gardening on her own for many years, but 5 years ago after speaking with a student at Rhodes College she partnered with the College to write a grant for a community garden on her land. The grant created a partnership between herself, Rhodes College and Grow Memphis (a program of the Mid-South Peace & Justice Center) and has been going strong ever since. The idea behind this garden is not just to provide food (grown naturally with zero pesticides) but also to take back their community and lessen crime through the garden. She also keeps bees, and just had built a chicken coop and the greenhouse you see here. The chickens will be coming soon. She composts and uses red worms to create the best soil for her vegetables and does all kinds of cool stuff to make an amazing community farm.

Additionally, Mary was the only gardener/farmer in the state of Tennessee to be awarded a full scholarship and spot at the Southern University Agricultural Research & Extension Center down in Louisiana. They pay for her flight, room, board and curriculum, and she spends one week every month down there learning great new things to bring to her garden. She will graduate in 2011. Because she can't do everything alone, she relies on her faithful assistant, Adam Guerrero (also a math prof at Rhodes), and she told me that Mr. Lavell Pratcher was instrumental in finding resources and donations to get the farm to where it is now.

Portrait 137 - Jeff White - Performer & Teacher:

Jeff is a funny guy, in fact, he was even voted funniest guy in Memphis at a local comedy club, but there is much more to him than that. He teaches high school English & theater, is an Emcee for the Memphis Grizzlies (local pro basketball team), is in local plays, leads the storytelling group at church, sings & plays guitar during church service, even wrote a song recently. He does all of this while dealing with some very weighty issues in his personal life, which I applaud. He inspires so many of all ages with his humor and performing talents, and Memphis is a better place because he is in it. :)

Update

2010-01-26T21:06:00.002-06:00

January has been a weird month, and has brought with it a creative funk. I have a couple of people portraits scheduled again for Memphis 360, but I've also been shooting other things to try and figure out this funk thing. Also, here is a link to a video made by another photographer, Zack Arias, awhile back that addresses the issue in a cool and encouraging way.

I did some cooking, including my favorite, paella:

I took some moody self-portraits:

And I revisited a bit of Memphis exploration, which I had neglected all of 2009 after my intense 366 project in 2008:

And a real estate shot I particularly liked from a recent job:

More Skate Ramp Construction Photos

2010-01-19T16:23:00.002-06:00

More from Saturday's skate ramp construction at Greenlaw Community Center. If you want to see the rest that are not posted here, check out the set on flickr.

Building Skate Ramp -01-16-10

2010-01-16T21:41:00.003-06:00

01-BuildingSkateRamp-01-16-10
Originally uploaded by Amie V

I took a bunch of photos today of the Skatelife Memphis and Memphis Athletic Ministries crew building the half pipe at Greenlaw Community Center in Uptown/North Memphis. This is Aaron Shafer and Trevin trying to drill holes in a couple of pipes. More photos will be uploaded later, too. The work here is sponsored in part by a Nike grant they received recently. Aaron has been tirelessly advocating for skateboarding sites for Memphis youth, and we all hope that this will help increase understanding of how cool an entire skate park would be for Memphis.

Memphis 360 - Portraits 133-134

2010-01-15T12:56:00.002-06:00

Portrait 133 - Dennis Head of Y-CAP (YMCA – Community Action Program), an early intervention, prevention program for At Risk youth:

Portrait 134 - Orisha Henry-Bowers - Mid-South Coalition on HIV/AIDS:

Memphis 360 - Portraits 131-132

2010-01-11T16:29:00.002-06:00

Happy new year, everyone! I hope that it is a great year filled with hope and new opportunities for each of you.

My hiatus took a bit longer than I anticipated, but I am slowly getting back into it. We had a much anticipated, but huge letdown of a snowstorm here, but it did get me out of the house to see my favorite 3 1/2 year old:

And I also met my first portrait subject of the new year, Portrait 131 - Jessica Buttermore - Urban Planning grad student at the U of M:

Followed today with Portrait 132 - Randy Alexander - Community Organizer for Memphis Center for Independent Living:

Portrait 365 is changing (Days 129-130)

2009-12-28T15:08:00.004-06:00

I completed Day 130 of this project, but the last few days of it were while I was sick with a cold.. today would be Day 131, but I have no one scheduled (at all this week for that matter), and since I already gave my grandmother my cold, I just don't feel it's a good idea to go out into the world to find a random subject to fill today, and show my thanks by giving them a cold, too.

I've also been giving serious thought to publishing this project into a book, but feel that to do the best quality that I can, I need to give up the 'shooting every single day' aspect. Doing the project the way I have has consumed all of my time, and I've started to notice the quality stagnating, along with my ability to pay my bills. This project means quite a lot to me, however, so while I initially considered scrapping it, I pondered further and decided that perhaps I could just call it 365 Memphians, and photograph people when I can schedule them (still as often as possible, of course) until I get up to 365 subjects, and also spend a bit more time with each subject, so as to better prepare for an excellent portrait instead of just a 'done with today' portrait. Since I am photographing people that I think make Memphis a better place, I don't want to have any individual's portrait be sub-par because of timing issues, especially if I do make it into a book for posterity. My friend Naomi also had an excellent idea, she suggested Memphis 360 -- Full Circle, which I really like, so I may have 360 be the final number of portraits instead.

So, the project is not at an end, but instead at a new beginning, and we'll see where it takes me now. It may be a few days until the next portrait though. I have several feelers out for subjects, but with the end of the year, I suspect that people are too busy to have their photo made right now.

Hope you all have a great new year!

Oh, and here is Day 129 - Jonathan Postal - Photographer, Musician & Guitar Maker:

And Day 130 - Mary Long-Postal - Artist:

Portrait 365 - Days 123-128

2009-12-25T16:07:00.002-06:00

First off, Merry Christmas everyone!! I hope you are enjoying some time off to spend with friends and/or family.

Day 123 - Tylur French - Sculptor:

Day 124 - Kerry Vaughan - Horror Fan:

Day 125 - Josephine Williams - Grow Memphis:

Day 126 - Jacob Flowers - Mid-South Peace and Justice Center Director:

Day 127 - My Amazing Grandma:

Day 128 - Gary Aulfinger:

Portrait 365 - Days 118-122

2009-12-19T19:20:00.002-06:00

Day 118 - Scott Banbury - Wood-Worker Extraordinaire:

Day 119 - Colin Britton - Watchmaker:

Day 120 - Amy Stewart-Banbury - Midwife:

Day 121 - Bob Henry - Owner Barksdale Restaurant:

Day 122 - Astrid & Lincoln French:

Portrait 365 - Days 113-117

2009-12-14T22:54:00.002-06:00

Day 113 - The Wacky Dr Harold Toboggans:

Day 114 - Chuck Parr - Singer & 50's Art & Accessories Collector:

Day 115 - Corey Mesler - Writer & Burke's Bookstore Owner:

Day 116 - Peggy McGowan - Emmy Winner (1st woman ever to win a national Emmy for Camera Operation) & Needlework Expert

Day 117 - Rob McGowan - Artist & Writer:

Portait 365 - Days 107 - 112

2009-12-09T21:57:00.000-06:00

Day 107 - Kip Gordon - Super Photog!:

Day 108 - Kevin Dean - Hope House:

Day 109 - Ben Smith - Chef & Owner Tsunami Restaurant:

Day 110 - Suzy Hendrix - Artist:

Day 111 - Davy Ray Bennett - Guitarist, Singer, Songwriter:

Day 112 - Cindy Cogbill - Folk Alliance, World Traveler, Cook:

Portrait 365 - Days 103-106

2009-12-03T19:53:00.002-06:00

Day 103 - Claire Ryan - Hope House Volunteer:

Day 104 - Bianca Phillips- Vegan & Memphis Flyer Reporter:

Day 105 - Richard, April & Ari Thompson - Mediaverse:

Day 106 - Beth Edwards - Painter:

Portrait 365 - Days 97-102

2009-11-29T22:45:00.002-06:00

Day 97 - Larry Edwards - Painter (as always click on image for additional stories):

Day 98 - Virginia McLean - Friends for our Riverfront:

Day 99 - Jake Schorr & Reggie - Thanksgiving at Westy's:

Day 100 - Marc Cedron - Printer's Alley:

Day 101 - Mary Elizabeth Cedron:

Day 102 - Brett Donnals - Home Beer Brewer:

Portrait 365 - Days 93-96

2009-11-24T09:16:00.001-06:00

Day 93 - Mary Cashiola - Memphis Flyer:

Day 94 - Ken Margolis - Free Puppies:

Day 95 - Jason Doty:

Day 96 - Rebekah Hearn - Memphis Daily News:

Portrait 365 - Days 90-92

2009-11-20T20:24:00.001-06:00

Day 90 - Thomas Robinson - MIFA:

Day 91 - Jana - Extreme Events:

Day 92 - Colleen Couch-Smith - Artist, Derby Girl, Mom:

Portrait 365 - Days 84-89

2009-11-17T00:26:00.003-06:00

Day 84 - David Merrill - Ronin Production Svs.:

Day 85 - Stacey Greenberg & Family:

Day 86 - Marybeth Conley - WREG Live At 9:

Day 87 - 3 Ladies & an Oven:

Day 88 - Millett Vance - Flashback:

Day 89 - Fabian Matthews - Spotlight Productions:

Portrait 365 - Days 80-83

2009-11-12T01:18:00.002-06:00

Day 80 - Chef Robert Hayes:

Day 81 - Lauren Drake - Queen of the Drag:

Day 82 - Joe Royer - Outdoors Inc.:

Day 83 - Harry & Karan Zepatos - Arcade Restaurant:

As always, click on images for additional story.

Portrait 365 - Days 75-79

2009-11-06T22:14:00.002-06:00

Day 75 - Angela Russell - Underground Art:

Day 76 - Beaver O'Cain - Maggie's Pharm:

Day 77 - Lindsay Jones - Memphis Daily News:

Day 78 - Ken Hudson - Architecture Inc.:

Day 79 - Erin A - Birthday Tradition:

Portrait 365 - Days 70-74

2009-11-01T19:38:00.002-06:00

Day 70 - Elisabeth Callihan - Brooks Musuem of Art (click on images for further stories):

Day 71 - Judy Rutschman - "Nature of Conservation" Television Host:

Day 72 - Jodie Vance - Publisher Memphis Downtowner:

Day 73 - Julie Ray & Her Goat:

Day 74 - Elizabeth Alley - Painter:

Memphis continues to amaze me with all of her awesome residents!

Portrait 365 - Days 65-69

2009-10-28T00:07:00.002-05:00

Day 65 was the lovely MB doing her Yoga:

Day 66 - Darlene Newman - my favorite Memphis painter:

Day 67 - Natalie Higdon - Actress:

Day 68 - Lee Warren - Host & Producer of Definitely Downtown:

Day 69 - Mary Carroll - Sustainable Designer:

Portrait 365 - Days 59-64

2009-10-22T19:15:00.003-05:00

Day 59 - Randy Blevins from the Memphis in May organization (click on images to read more of their stories):

Day 60 - Isaac Fosl van Wyke who was biking through on his way south to New Orleans:

Day 61 - Kevin & Bethany Paige - from a shoot I did for their upcoming Christmas album:

Day 62 - Larry Smith - multi-faceted individual and all around great guy:

Day 63 - Chooch Pickard of the Memphis Regional Design Center:

Day 64 - the lovely Sharon Leicham of the South Main Association and member of the Board of Directors of the downtown Farmer's Market:

Portrait 365 - Days 53-58

2009-10-16T22:00:00.002-05:00

Day 53 was Andrew Trippel, Urban Planner Extraordinaire (click images for additional info/story):

Day 54 was Rusty King, Realtor and Corvette Enthusiast:

Day 55 was the awesome Wanda Mooney, posing in the rain:

Day 56 was the ever inspiring Africa Gonzalez:

Day 57 was Wharton Campaign worker Kerry Hayes on election day:

And Day 58, today, was John Kirkscey of the (hopefully) future Memphis Art Park:

Portrait 365 - Days 49-52

2009-10-10T15:01:00.002-05:00

Day 49 was the most adorable and full of personality Rosa at the Botanic Gardens (click on images for more of each story):

Day 50 was Donna Darwin of the Orpheum Theatre:

Day 51 was Felik the Cigar Guy:

And Day 52, today, was Margot of Project Green Fork: