Halim Ina Photography

Jenesis, Model, Friend, Studio, Cleveland, Ohio, February 1, 2012

2012-01-31T22:43:00.000-08:00

Before she arrives this evening for her session with me, Jenesis allows me to preview her wardrobe through images. Rather than selecting pieces and then advising me of her choices, she listens gently to my request for darker, timeless pieces and organizes her wardrobe to reflect my request.

In this image, Jenesis displays an outfit from her past and tells me the story behind it, giving the image that much more meaning. She moves from one pose to another effortlessly and changes her expressions at the same time. We make images with direct light and also include images like the one above with indirect light.

She arrives early in the evening and stays until early in the morning, going through my portfolio as well as selecting three images for us to print. Rather than being in a hurry to leave after the session, she engages me in a conversation regarding some of the people in my work, showing a sweet sensitivity to their stories.

She selects a print from my portfolio to also take home with her as a gift, and it is a print of a young Cuban girl, a selection made even more fitting due to the physical characteristics shared by both. She sees in herself this young girl and shares her love for her with me.

Her trust in me, and in my work, is exemplary and provides me with a serenity that comes with having photographed a beautiful spirit. We will collaborate once again and soon.

Ainsley and Julia, Studio, Cleveland, Ohio, January 27, 2012

2012-01-31T22:24:00.000-08:00

Before we arrange for our session, this young model goes out of her way to send images of her outfits and of her vision for the collaboration. Rather than sending a few vague adjectives, she lays out the pieces of clothing and makes individual images for me to see.

She accommodates my schedule, is driven by a loyal friend named Julia from a great distance, and allows me to photograph her until quite late in the night. Upon being lost on the way up, rather than turning around and going back home without calling me, they drive for a considerable amount of time until they are able to get a hold of me. They maintain their composure and present with an enthusiasm that allows the session to proceed without a single issue.

She lays out her pieces once again for me to see, and changes from one to another without a single complaint. We listen to their choice of music, and make images along the way. In her first session with me a level of communication is achieved that at times takes several sessions. We finish the collaboration by sharing a few prints, then bid farewell until our next session.

Over the next two weeks or so, she maintains contact with me, shares our images through her social network, and does so proudly. She assures me that she would like nothing better than to perform once again for my camera, and is honored to be included in my family of portraits.

The fact is that she is a sister to those in my portfolio and has the humility to assume the honor.

We will be collaborating once again this Friday and I look forward to what she brings to the session.

Cassandra and Praxa, Collaboration with, Studio, January 30, 2012

2012-01-30T20:51:00.000-08:00

In this work I was trying to convey the feeling of a sinister yet subtle erotic spirit, organic, geometric and serpentine. This was captured and expressed with precision by Cassandra.

Praxa Anebus

Young Student, School Now Closed, Humana People to People, Rajasthan, India, November, 2008

2012-01-28T18:49:00.000-08:00

On the day this image was made, her school was open and girls walked in and out freely. A young girl from the village, barely older than her students, was the teacher. The classroom was provided by her own village. They took turns walking up to the wall and writing with the same piece of chalk.

On this day all of the girls gathered on the roof of the school, as the sun faded behind us over the mountaintop. For a minute, we talked back and forth about the impossibility of making portraits according to my needs. The girls and their mothers watched as we talked frantically about what to do, worrying that we might lose the chance to do what we had already done for the other schools.

I asked permission to move a bench and the women help me, laughing all of the way at my seemingly erratic thought process. We placed the bench in front of a stack of straw and ask the girls to sit upon it, facing the sun now set over the mountains. The softest of light caressed their faces and allowed me to make images for them.

In my mind the entire time was the promise of next year, and a return to this village with better plans.

Two years later the schools run by the foundation closed. She has nonetheless never been forgotten by me. A fruitful conversation has been initiated with the foundation and we have every intention of locating the funding and reopening her school, as well as nine other schools in the area.

Presently, with the help of Dolly, we are in the process of presenting this proposal to a list of corporations, foundations and schools. We hope that they also see the value in the education of a girl and join us in this worthwhile endeavor.

Should you, the reader, have any ideas that could help, your message will be received with an open mind. A benefit is being planned for the schools with the guidance of a dear friend named Mike. As plans become clearer more information will be provided.

Willoughby School of Gung Fu, Master Joseph, Students, Suburb of Cleveland, Ohio, January 26, 2012

2012-01-26T21:45:00.000-08:00

This evening a gift is handed to me by my dear friend, a master in the art of Gung Fu.

A week or so ago we discuss the thought of documenting his students, and his school. We talk about the details, and without a single hesitation this good man agrees to allow me to photograph the women in our first session. Diplomacy and kindness are displayed in every single one of his words.

We plan on an evening, and cancel once due to my schedule. We try again and this time my focus is completely on the school, on the students. I arrive before class begins and am enabled by the master to set up my equipment as I wish. I do so at the other end of the studio, while the rest of the students arrive. They begin the lesson while my lighting is set up.

We begin with the Master of course, making it a bit easier for the younger female students to begin. He is thoughtful, precise with his movements. He understands my needs as a photographer and holds his positions for me. He moves from one position to another effortlessly.

We then call our first student, the younger of the two women. We begin with simple gestures, then document various positions, movements. Her presence is incredibly poignant, and holds my attention through four or so rolls of film. She has never been in front of a lens before outside of her mother's, yet she is able to communicate with a clarity few possess.

We ask her to take a break and return after a little bit of time for her next session. She smiles ever so gently and goes back to her lesson. The next young woman comes over and leaves her hair up for the session. She is a seasoned student, both in Gung Fu and in ballet. With only the slightest of explanations, she places her body and arms in positions favorable to my eye.

Roll after roll are exposed in joy, and we celebrate by bringing students and Master together for a few portraits as well. We move the lights to a different position for more directional lighting, and make a series of the two students in various positions. Then we set the background up once again for the younger student. She knows that we have saved a few more rolls for her and seems to shine with happiness.

Her hair is up this time, beautifully scuplted while she waited for her turn. She once again displays an uncanny ability to both concentrate on her positions and to look directly at the camera. In the end she is made aware that my work with her will continue perhaps as early as next week, and through the rest of the year as well. This bit of news makes both young students quite happy, almost as happy as me.

Instead of walking to their cars, all of the students help me with my equipment, stand out in the rain next to my car and help me load it into the trunk. This evening they teach me the meaning of humanity, of respect. I will return next week perhaps to this beautiful corner of the world.

Session with Sylvia and Praxa, Electrical Cord, Hallway, December, 2011

2012-01-20T17:35:00.000-08:00

Yet another image from our first collaborative set.

Even though Sylvia needs to be at work earlier than most in the morning, she gives her time without a single complaint. While many might resist the preparation necessary for this image, she gives of herself while being weighed down by an entire length of electrical cord.

We walk back and forth from my studio and to the end of the hallway. We attempt to remain quiet but often times burst out in laughter. She is an incredible spirit, and Praxa's creativity is infectious.

We use one source of light, and a reflector on the other side.

While Sylvia has rarely modeled, one could never tell from her portraits. She is a complete natural.

I look forward to documenting her spirit once again.

Vamptress LeeAnna, Model, Sister, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2012-01-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

The new year begins with a sweet message from my dear sister, Vamptress LeeAnna.

People ask me about my trip out to Los Angeles: 'So what did you do out there, photograph models?'

There is a notion that perhaps models are different. While they may be so in certain instances, my experience out West taught me that they are very much like the women in my portfolio from Asia and Africa. They have their stories to tell, and can do so quite eloquently.

One such example is my creative sister, Vamptress LeeAnna. This young woman drove almost two hours just to meet me for an afternoon. She came out with an incredible man, and his support made this collaboration that much more meaningful.

The weather was misbehaving and rather than going along with the mood of the weather, they spoke only positive words and allowed me to lead them a bit further up the road, perhaps twenty minutes or so until we found an area full of sunshine just past the rim of the clouds. We exited the main road and then drove around looking for a spot, one that allowed for images made against a light wall and images made against the backdrop of the sky.

We found one, in the middle of a new development, and parked our cars. Vamptress took a few minutes to get ready while we set up for images against the yellow wall at first. The image above is from this series. The range of her expressions was indescribable, she went from the expression of a stranger to that of an old friend, within a few frames, from sultry to familiar within seconds.

Tomorrow will be spent in the darkroom printing these images, along with her selections. Rather than being photographed and walking away, this young woman has become my sister and continues to inspire me.

Another Image from Collaboration with Sylvia and Praxa, Hallway, December 19, 2011

2011-12-31T14:11:00.000-08:00

Step by step Praxa adds layers to the presentation, and allows me to document each step. While many others would only want the final product photographed, he allows the construction of the image to be shown as well as his technique.

Working with studio lighting for the first time, I make attempts to move Sylvia into positions emulating my traditional work, raising her above the camera and placing the light to her side. She is asked to look down and away from the light, allowing her eyes to relax and focus on the lens rather than the light.

With this image another world opens up for me, allowing me the possibility to work indoors and yet attain a sense of connection between this work and my work from around the world. Today I experimented with a few more options and look forward to our next session, hopefully the first week of the new year.

I share my deepest gratitude with Sylvia and Praxa for this gift.

Collaboration with Sylvia and Praxa, Hallway, December 19, 2011

2011-12-30T20:56:00.000-08:00

We meet after work and arrange a session in the hallway of my building.

Within a span of three hours, perhaps four themes are presented seamlessly and a dozen rolls exposed. Even though Sylvia needs to work early the next morning, she gives of herself as she has before and allows Praxa the time necessary to bring his vision forth.

Over the next few months we will collaborate further, allowing me a chance to bring into my portfolio images unlike those already present. My hope is that my lens will do justice to Praxa's vision.

Blindfold, The latest creation by John Mikhail Asfour, December 25, 2011

2011-12-25T19:41:00.000-08:00

I have been blessed to have been surrounded by genuine people throughout my life. One such person is my dearest cousin, John Mikhail Asfour. He has always shown me an immense ability to love and to ask for little in return.

Through tragedy as a young man he found purpose. In a conversation earlier this morning, I was informed by John of his most recent publication. It is named 'Blindfold' and can be found on websites ranging from Barnes&Noble to Amazon.

The following is quoted from McGill-Queen's University Press, and includes his poem 'Silver Threads.'

'Blinded by a grenade in Lebanon as a teenager, poet John Asfour came to Canada armed with James Joyce's words, "For the eyes, they bring us nothing. I have a hundred worlds to create and I am only losing one of them." Blindfold investigates the ways in which disability influences our lives and is magnified in our minds. In a series of thematically linked poems, Asfour draws the metaphor of the blindfold across the eyes of sighted citizens who are impaired by estrangement, emotional complexity, and social pressures.

A sense of exile and belonging dominates the poems, following the journey of a blind man whose life in his new land has been hampered by prejudice and barriers to communication. Exposing the rich and surprising possibilities of a life that has undergone a frightening transformation, Blindfold relates feelings of loss, displacement, and disorientation experienced not only by the disabled but by everyone who finds themselves separated from the norm.

Silver Threads

He recalls

the absence of sound, the impossible silence

the disappearance of light.

He is only aware of

the movement of his

mother's hand inside

her purse, looking

for her handkerchief.

He recalls her

warning not to play

with unknown objects

the type that explode on impact. Later,

he lies in the dark remembering

how she pointed out

the silver threads of the morning light

just the day before

and he sparkles

with guilt.

Review quotes

"Asfour provides readers with a deeply moving glimpse into the frustrations and disorientation of physical loss, as well as the heroic effort to find the language and metaphors that will translate his experience into poetry." Harold Heft, The Montreal Gazette

John Mikhail Asfour is a translator and former professor of literature. The editor of the landmark anthology When the Words Burn: An Anthology of Modern Arabic Poetry, he has written four previous books of poems.

Magdalena, Model, Sister, Mormon Rocks, Outside of Los Angeles, California, Fall of 2010

2011-12-23T08:02:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks her images have been printed in the darkroom. Few other individuals are represented as much in my portfolio as Magdalena. The image above was made late last year in an area called Mormon Rocks just outside of Los Angeles.

The location served us well, since Los Angeles for most of my stay was cloudy and unusually wet. Magdalena and her dear good friend met us early on this glorious day and followed us to the rocks. The fact that they drove through two hours of traffic to make it to our location as the sun appeared made a deep impression on me. They impressed me even more so by bringing with them an endless array of clothing, all of it dark and timeless as requested.

On our way to the location she shared with Bailey a worry: perhaps her new hairstyle would be an issue for me. The night before she and her friend had cut each other's hair and she shaved the sides of her head. Bailey assured her in my absence that the new style would be a hit. As I entered the car Bailey shared this with me in Magdalena's presence, all to my delight. We would be documenting her like nobody else, and as she will never be again. Nothing could have pleased me more.

We found a spot on top of a formation for us to work. The wind was incredibly strong yet Magdalena adapted beautifully, never complained. With the wonderful support of my dear friend Bailey, we were able to switch between outfits and work for perhaps two hours before the sun disappeared beyond the clouds.

Magdalena likes to move while being photographed. Unlike those with preferences for static poses, her dance is a way to express her thoughts at any given time in a most fluid manner. We danced on this day, and she was sensitive enough to listen for the shutter release... almost anticipating the movement within the camera itself. As the mirror lifted out of the way and the curtains opened, the shutter clicked and Magdalena continued with her movements.

The image above is but one snapshot in the series, a series I will continue to print.

Raven Le Faye, Model, Friend, Parking Lot, Oakland, California, Fall of 2010

2011-12-12T19:23:00.000-08:00

She brings with her an incomparable selection of clothing. Before we meet she sends images of her clothing for my review, all laid out neatly and numbered as well. She is the only model from the San Francisco area to allow for changes in my schedule, the only woman to truly desire inclusion in my portfolio.

Before my last day in Los Angeles, I decide to make the trip and document this most exquisite spirit.

My experience with Raven Le Faye is nothing short of educational. In a previous posting under her name in my blog her story is told. In this posting it continues. To this day she shares the images from our collaboration through her blog, she stays in touch with me and sends messages once in a while as friends do.

While my images of her are quite different than anything else in her portfolio, she feels comfortable enough to include them, to showcase them. She understands the role she plays and advances my work through her efforts as well.

She is a giving and confident woman, changing from one outfit to another in this parking lot without question or resistance. The sun strikes her eyes with exuberance and yet she adapts. She learns to look in other directions, to take advantage of the black asphalt surface. The wind begins to pick up during our session and adds a sense of motion to the work. The dress begins to dance, and her hair follows.

When our session ends, we talk for a bit and go our separate ways. The drive back to Los Angeles lays ahead of me, and my flight home happens to be the very next afternoon. For innumerable reasons the task of this return is effortless. The very last roll of film from the trip is finished on this afternoon, as the sun sets behind the trees and telephone wires.

Her work can be seen below.

Raven Le Faye on Model Mayhem

Raven Le Faye on Tumblr

Bedouin Girl, An Alley with Wind, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Summer, 2005

2011-11-26T21:11:00.000-08:00

In the beginning my work includes images with indirect light and darker backgrounds. This is certainly true of the early portraits from the Middle East. My inexperience at the time forces me to seek shaded areas and use any light available. Much of the time the results disappoint me, lead me to seek other avenues to produce images respectful of the subject matter.

On this one day a few children catch my attention while photographing a neighboring home. At this point my work in Lebanon is in its sixth year or so, and the people of this area have become accustomed to my camera. I talk to their parents and they allow me to make portraits of the children.

Looking up the alley from the main street, a three story apartment building is at the entrance to the left while a one story home is to the right. Further up is a small shed to the right that houses the livestock and another three story apartment building next to a home on the left. Then the alley ends in an open field. The alley is quite narrow, able to accommodate one large car at a time.

Over the years many portraits are made using the indirect light bouncing off of the larger buildings to the left. The result is a natural studio, with soft boxes to the left and various backgrounds to the right. For the portrait above the shed serves as the background. The young girl stands in front of a large window with only the bottom of the frame showing. The white shape behind her is the window to the back of the shed.

What makes this natural studio that much more incredible is the constant flow of air. On every occasion, the wind provides movement better than any fan could and is relentless. The result is that every exposure brings with it another composition.

This young girl is a Bedouin that has long since become a Lebanese citizen. Once migrants with livestock, now they live in concrete homes and tend to their sheep daily. The girls refrain from attending school and are responsible for the livestock. She and her younger sister walk the animals to graze all by themselves, and show a confidence most striking to a first-time viewer.

She is a tough, young girl... as is her sister as well. They take every bit of energy out of me when being photographed. They are extremey resilient and show remarkable fortitude. They cannot be pushed around and fend for themselves without reservation.They know that they have me at their disposal and that pleading for their portraits is most natural for me. At times it becomes a bit overwhelming... but has yet to keep me from asking. Last year I made the decision to only visit socially and allow a year to pass before asking for their portraits once again.

I hope to visit next summer and make their portraits once again. There is a slight chance that they will refuse, since they have become older and, in this most conservative Society, become less accepting of the image. Regardless they have given me more than I could have asked for already.

Joylyn, Model, Photographer, Friend, Near Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2011-11-18T17:24:00.000-08:00

She introduces herself to me through Model Mayhem and we arrange a session. During my time in Los Angeles, the climate is a bit out of character with clouds and rain in the forecast. It becomes apparent to me that my photography will take place over the mountain range, and away from the city.

We plan on meeting at Vasquez Rocks Park, a location suggested to me by another wonderful model named Vamptress. As has been the week previous, clouds are in order for the day in and around Los Angeles. I arrive at the park and cannot see the rocks, or much of the landscape around me.

We speak on the phone and decide to drive out to Palmdale where information tells me that the sky is clear. We meet on the side of the road and she follows me to a small water tower near Lake Palmdale, a location spotted by me a few days earlier. It is both secluded and higher than the surrounding landscape. On our way the clouds disappear and the sky becomes much clearer. The sun is shining on the water tower and this can be seen all the way from the highway as we descend down from the mountain.

The feeling is indescribable.

We park our cars and meet formally. Her personality is quite charming and she helps me feel comfortable straight away. She is dressed the part, and we make portraits immediately. She is a professional and brings with her the wardrobe discussed previously, dark and simple. She stands on a small hill and I position myself below her, allowing the sky to take its place behind her.

The winds are mighty and we make the best of it, allowing her hair to play around. Rather than distressing about the situation, Joylyn enjoys the circumstances. She changes between pieces of clothing easily and without stress. We work for perhaps two hours and then decide to head back to Los Angeles. Instead of separating and going her way however, she allows me to join her for a meal in a local restaurant.

We sit down and break bread over meaningful conversation. She tells me about her life, about her family and about her modeling. She is real, and genuine. My time with Joylyn teaches me that everyone has a story, that models are more than faces and that understanding can be found in a stranger. Joylyn is anything but a stranger to me on this day. She sends messages to me now and then, always asking about me.

I admire and respect this woman, and will continue to be her friend. She is a 'Rock Star' indeed.

Migrant Workers, Syrians living in Lebanon, Bekaa Valley near Zahle, Lebanon, August, 2010

2011-11-08T09:25:00.000-08:00

We make a portrait inside of their home on this day, with one flap of the tent open to the right allowing light to enter. Outside the view of the public and to the side of their mother, two sisters share expressions otherwise rare in this reserved society.

They live as migrant workers, traveling from Syria to Lebanon for work. These young girls go to the fields a few times per week to harvest vegetables for twelve hours in the hot sun, dressed in three to four layers of clothing as is customary. They return to their homes only to find more work, from collecting water to washing clothes to cleaning the home to helping their mothers with dinner.

The man in charge of this camp is my friend and finds work for these families. He keeps a detailed log of each worker and their salary. As of last year and depending on the type of work being done, an average young girl will earn perhaps $5 per day.

After fourteen years with these children, my senses have yet to become desensitized to certain details, from the coarseness of their hands to the cracked nature of their skin to their parched lips. Whenever the hair is exposed as in the younger girls, it lacks a softness normally associated with youth and is soiled with the dust and particles from the environment.

These two sisters have been present in my work since its inception. They have distinctive personalities, sharing the trait of shyness regardless. The young girl with her arms crossed to the right of her mother is a bit more reserved and cooperative, always accepting my invitation to be photographed. Her sister has been photographed extensively by me and as such perhaps is a bit more hesitant in being photographed. She nonetheless accepts in the end, with a bit of pleading from me.

They both have light eye colors, and wonderfully full hair. I have photographed both of them with their hair uncovered and covered.

Sometimes we miss each other, and they return from the fields with a sense of sadness in having missed the fun of being photographed. We always find a time however to collaborate on a different day, and their happiness is restored at least with respect to me. The day will come when they will no longer accept my invitation to be photographed. At first it will be with a sense of pride in joining their older sisters in this reserved culture. Then it will be with a bit of nostalgic sadness, and this will lead perhaps to their acceptance as it has with some of these very same older sisters.

I miss them very much, this family of women living near my mother's hometown.

Samantha, Student, Model, Model Mayhem, Cuyahoga Falls, October 7, 2011

2011-10-31T19:31:00.000-07:00

This past Friday is spent in the darkroom printing negatives from our October 7th session, including the image above. For our session we decide to meet near Samantha's home in a shopping plaza, and find our way to the end of a row of storefronts in search of a clean, white wall.

This is the first time that she has met me yet she comes on her own, without company. Her trust is palpable. She arrives with a selection of clothing that suits my style, dark and timeless. We talk for a few minutes, look through my portfolio and get a better idea of the desired vision. I then hand to her a print from my work overseas as a gift before our photography begins, in order for her to see the family that she is about to join.

She is deeply touched and expresses such to me.

We decide on our first outfit and then proceed to expose film. While she has had little experience with me, her expressions are natural and warm. She moves from one emotion to another with ease and is most professional in her responses to my direction, difficult tasks made that much more so when the sun is directly striking her eyes as is my style.

She allows her hair to flow with the wind, without hesitation or worry. A most remarkable fact is that our location is in the middle of a parking lot and next to a shopping plaza. Samantha is able to ignore such and produce images of exquisite value, all the while sharing her thoughts regarding our collaboration. Her ability to speak another language and her experiences with travel have given her insight many others lack. In this way she is able to relate to the people in my portfolio and communicate to them through the lens.

I respect and admire this young woman, and hope to improve on our collaboration with the weather improves next Spring.

Kittie, Photographer, Model, Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, October 8, 2011

2011-10-30T22:24:00.000-07:00

We meet on Model Mayhem, she responds to my proposal as follows:

'We can talk and I may very well accept.'

In the weeks prior to our photographic collaboration, we exchange a number of messages detailing our thoughts. From wardrobe to location, she offers creative solutions when others simply freeze. She understands my work beautifully and wants to be a part of the family.

Instead of wanting this for herself, she offers to collaborate for the sake of the project. She goes out of her way to gather the clothes necessary, adhering to my request for simple and timeless pieces. She adores vintage clothing and has a closet filled with remarkable examples.

She invites me to her neighborhood for the session, and into her home as well. Her family is present along with her wonderful boyfriend. Before we walk in to review her selection of clothing, I talk to her father and boyfriend, sharing with them the reason for my interest in her. They wonder about my work, and have seen a bit of it through the internet. During our talk I show my portfolio to them, and tell stories regarding my work.

Quite naturally they are also curious about my interest on this day. They see faces in my portfolio from Ethiopia and Cuba and India, then look at the young girl across the table from them. To me she is priceless and this much is communicated to them. She is just as beautiful and kind as the people in my book. She trusts me in the same manner, and shows a respect that many others fail to share.

She gives me the benefit of the doubt without having ever met me prior to this day.

We then walk into her home and up to her room, without hesitation and with the parents' permission of course. On our way through the house, her younger brother is present and is as confident as any young man from my experience. He greets me with a cool demeanor, and seems to be quite the presence in the kitchen. We spend some time looking at her photography, and then at some of her artwork. She is a creative spirit and this makes me very happy.

She is proud of her artistic expressions, and shares her work with kindness and humility. We then look through her selection of clothing and all of it according to my specifications. In addition to the simple black pieces, she shows me a piece from the Victorian Age as well as a few Mid-Century pieces. We are both very excited at the prospect of this collaboration and go back downstairs with our treasure.

The drive to find a wall is next, and we pile into her car for the search. It takes us less than ten minutes and, with the help of her boyfriend, we locate a wall of a warehouse next to a local hotel. The lot is spacious and empty, just perfect actually. The sun is still pretty high and we talk a bit before the photography begins.

The portrait above is made with the first dress worn, and the afternoon flows as beautifully as any session in my experience. We communicate effortlessly and expose a dozen or so rolls before the sun goes down. I am beyond excited at the results and this past weekend have printed four negatives from the session. In my opinion I have found a young woman with whom to collaborate locally for a lifetime. She is once again priceless and promises to continue helping me make images as the one included above.

What else can one ask for?

I can think of nothing else, and go to sleep tonight thinking of our next time together.

Mentally and Physically Challenged, Chamacanga, Western Kenya, 2007

2011-10-28T19:53:00.000-07:00

Her home is a small group of buildings resembling a school campus in Western Kenya. She lives with perhaps two dozen children and the caretakers of the facility, religious figures as well as laypeople.

All of the children are inflicted by either physical or mental challenges, often times a combination of both. The people of this wonderful home have taken it upon themselves to speak to the communities around them, gaining access to these vulnerable children. In many instances, the families of these beautiful children keep them from public view, afraid of the social stigma associated with having such children. The caretakers shared stories with me that made me reflect deeply on the human family, and wonder quite a bit about our innate goodness.

In the middle of rural Kenya and with very little other than the buildings in which the children are housed, good people tend to daily chores associated with a most difficult situation. Without access to medical personnel or basic supplies or luxuries such as the internet, they do their best. All of the children have uniforms, and rooms in which to sleep. It feels like a large family, with many of the children treating each other like sisters and brothers.

On a sunny day we make portraits of the entire population within the campus, including all of the children. In a few instances the good staff help children stand still for their portraits, and in a few other instances a wheelchair is provided for support. Some of the children laugh uncontrollably with the joy of the moment, while some take this opportunity to share with me a snapshot of unimaginable difficulty.

From this day forward, I take it upon myself to locate such a school in each country visited by me, and to tell such stories. This is the least one can do, while aspiring to do much more.

As Father Felix of the school tells me in an interview:

'What it means to me having children of this type is that I will look at them as Gods' creatures who need all of the assistance possible to live the life god meant them to live as human beings when he crated them, so that's why we struggle hard to make sure that they are helped positively, physically, mentally and even spiritually... like on Sundays they attend mass, those who can listen they listen a bit and they are just there with the hope that God blesses them as they come because our intention towards them is something very positive.'

A message from a new sister named Jade, Model Mayhem, United Kingdom

2011-10-16T22:19:00.000-07:00

Just over a day ago a message arrives from a young woman named Jade. Through a mutual website she finds my work, and takes the time out of her busy university life to send an email my way.

'I love seeing your work pop up on Model Mayhem. I think it adds a sense of the real world into a very unreal world - if that makes sense. For me it makes me think... what is more important... fabricated beauty that can be transformed into icons for all women to look up to or the contrast which I think that your work shows... real people in their own situation, comfortable in their own skin in a very real world. No nonsense!'

'I wondered do you ever see or keep in contact with the people you photograph? I see it says money goes to the people. I wondered do you get to know them beforehand? Just curious as you have such a diverse range of people. It really interests me as to who each person is when I look at them so I wondered if you get to k now them in order to take the portrait?'

'I find your work very inspiring as both a model and a photographer as well. I understand you are probably very busy. I just wanted to share my thoughts.'

Besides the generosity of her words and her most insightful views, what strikes me most about this young woman is her humility. She shares her intimate thoughts with me and asks for nothing in return, ends her message with nothing but goodwill.

Here is a young woman from a great distance with the sensitivity to ask such questions. Unlike many others from my experience, those that have looked at the portraits and then turned to have an unrelated conversation, this young woman has seen the people in my work rather than my work. She understands its purpose and wants to reach through the screen and learn the people's stories. Rather than looking at a child's face in one portrait and comparing it to perhaps the face of someone in her life, she acknowledges that each person has their own voice.

She then visits my other websites, reads the stories and watches the videos. She sends another message before I respond to her first one. She tells me that she understands my work more fully after watching the videos and reading the stories, and thanks me once again for my time, even though she has yet to receive a message from me in return.

We go on to exchange a few messages on this wonderful day, paragraphs long when the usual is a few sentences in length. She has a strong desire to follow a different path. While studying photography is a first step, she feels the need to do more perhaps in the world of nature conservancy. She goes on to ask me how my work began, how my photography relates to the people within it. She listens to my story with respect and acknowledges the difficult road ahead of her, yet another sign of her humility.

At the end of our exchange I ask to include her words in my next blog entry. Without hesitation she approves and according to my request sends a picture to go along with this entry. She will read it this morning and my hope is that she will approve yet again of my words.

I feel that I have met a brave spirit this weekend, and one to enrich my life as well as the lives of countless others in the near and distant futures. She is a sister to me now, and makes me proud to be her brother.

Bedouin Girl, Behind a Service Station, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon

2011-10-08T08:28:00.000-07:00

Last weekend I began printing negatives from the distant past, from my early work.

Unlike my newer work, this image includes her surroundings and uses available, indirect light.

She is a young girl living behind a service station in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley. This is her first and only portrait, since her family has moved on without a trace. Like many of the families living as migrants in this area, they have moved from Syria in search of work and continue to move for the same reason.

I remember her well, and the circumstance behind this portrait. The refection in her eyes confirms the place of our collaboration, and the people standing around watching this image being made. On this day I visit a tent to inquire about a group of children. The adult tells me that the children are working in the fields but that there are more children nearby.

We talk for a little bit and get noticed by these very children. They run across an uneven, dry field and make their way to us. They have heard of me and know that I am the photographer. The girl above is one of them. All of the children appear as her, with disheveled hair and skin abused by the sun. When my hands run across their hair, the feeling is of coarse wool.

We talk for a little bit and the adults consent to the photography. The front of a storage facility is perfect, with indirect light coming from behind me to the right. The children line up and wait for their photography. I am alone but the children are very cooperative. She stands in front of me and behind her is a window without glass. In the distance and to her right is a window of the same size.

It is the late afternoon and the sun is behind her. A handful of negatives are exposed, and she moves to the side to allow others to be photographed. This is the last time my eyes have witnessed her face, her incredibly poignant features. Next year I will return to the same place and ask about her, hoping to make her portrait once again.

Cosette and Cousin, Old Havana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-10-01T05:57:00.000-07:00

She stays home these days, a result of a terrible vehicle accident just after my departure in July. In addition to her extensive medical conditions including the abnormal curvature of the spine, this young woman now has to endure a most painful recovery. We can be assured however that she will do so as she has done since a little girl, with the smile above in the portrait made by Eldo. Even with the multiple corrective surgeries, she has never lost her spirit. This is one strong, young woman.

She is selfless, and always brings the positive. She was the first girl in her street to allow her photograph to be made. Billy and I were walking around Old Havana when she crossed the street. Her freckled face and light hair caught my attention and we asked her to be photographed. She was confident even back then, and denied our request in a nice way.

We continued to walk and then heard a man calling us back. He sat on a ledge across the entrance to her home. We walked back to hear that she really did want to be photographed, was just shy because we were strangers. He explained all of this to us while she stood next to him smiling. We ended up making her portrait and portraits of her friends from the neighborhood.

Since then I have visited her neighborhood endless times over the past seven years. We are family now, sit in her home without being noticed really, watch television with her brother, listen to the local gossip, meet the boyfriends as they come and go as with any teenagers, accept their unwavering generosity and always exchange kisses upon our departure.

She lives in a small apartment, the size perhaps of a medium bedroom in the States, cut in half vertically to make a second room above for sleeping. The kitchen is little more than a ledge, and the bathroom is a cutout separated by a curtain. She lives in this home with her mother and two brothers. Yet she is the most radiant, young woman. She exemplifies to me a person showing me the best of humanity while perhaps enduring the worst.

This summer we photographed many times, once attempting to photography at Eldo's home. It ended up being cloudy so we changed our plans and went out for dinner in a small restaurant on the Malecon. The girls were beyond excited, for this was our first time together outside of photography. They ordered pizza for the most part, and had fun just trying to finish the big portions. There were a few other tables around us, and some wondered at the stranger with the Cubans, and vice versa. Unfortunately they are accustomed to seeing tourists with Cubans under a different light and seeing a stranger with perhaps a dozen Cubans, mostly children, was a break from their perceptions.

She inspires me to do more, to be better. On my last visit, I handed to her a small gift and told her so. She just smiled and told me this: 'It matters little the size of the gift Halim, I am just happy to receive it.' She is the reason for my return year after year to this enchanting island nation.

Mother, Friend, Sister of Teacher, Banganga Village, Rajasthan, India, 2009

2011-09-29T20:40:00.000-07:00

She works to make tea for us, and lifts the garment for a split second.

We are looking at the front of her home, the kitchen area. She never ceases to work, moving from one task to another without pause. Four years she and her family have been in my life, and now she smiles at the thought of being photographed by me.

Her sister lives next door and is a teacher for Humana People to People India. It is through her sister that we meet. When I visit their homes they make two cups of tea for me, two meals as well. They watch me finish the first and then try to finish the second. They sit around me smiling at the amount of water going down my throat along with the food. They know that their food is a bit spicy for me, but that I love it nonetheless.

In their presence I feel at home. I can walk anywhere and photograph anyone without asking. I have been there as the sun began to rise and stayed until it set. They have been the first village in my trip and also my last. I have walked hand in hand with their girls, and sat alongside the men having conversations.

Her family owns a large portion of land, the same with her sister. They do quite well and are respected highly in their village. Rather than hiring others to help with the work, they do everything themselves. Everyone helps. The girls are always cleaning, making the home neat and comfortable. The men are constantly tending to the land, to the animals.

They recycle everything, cook extravagant meals for the oxen and always keep each other company. They are constantly together, and find happiness in this. The daughters of both families are like sisters as well, and I find it hard at times to differentiate between the families. In all of my experiences with these two families, I have always felt joy and kindness.

The girls attend school without question. Before the birth of the only boy, these two families had only daughters. Rather than seeing this as a calamity, these two families have made this small corner of the world a paradise for the girls. They have the support of their mothers and their fathers, and the love is deeply felt.

When we leave after each visit, all of the girls and their mothers walk to the edge of their property, bidding us farewell. They continue to do so until they cannot see us, always with smiles on their faces. Perhaps one day I will return to this part of the world and stay a while longer. I can imagine waking up the next day and seeing them all around me, rather than worrying about heading back to town before the sun sets.

I want to see them grow up and have children of their own. Then I can photograph all over again.

Athlete, Havana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-09-26T17:41:00.000-07:00

He might look prepared for the portrait above made by Eldo. He is however anything but as he watches us photographing two young dancers. He walks up without making us aware of his presence, and sits on a ledge under the shade while the young women perform in front of us.

We are using an old stadium once built for the Pan-American Games of 1991. In the history of these competitions the people of Cuba have placed second in terms of the number of medals achieved, second only to the United States. This speaks volumes of a people with a fraction of the resources available for such, both in terms of finances and population.

A beautiful white wall stands behind the women and the sun shines beautifully.

He seems to be more interested in watching us rather than exercising. So during one moment of relaxation I walk over to him and ask for his photograph. His smile only pushes the two dancers further. They walk over and begin to persuade him otherwise.. It takes them less than a minute to help him make his way to that beautiful white wall.

He is a natural, completely at ease in front of the camera while two photographers make his portrait. I am working on a tripod and Eldo is working with a hand-held camera. He responds without pause to our requests, performs solo and then goes on to perform with the dancers. When we ask him to remove his shirt, he removes it immediately without question.

The dancers tease him, they flirt with him and he holds his own without once regretting his decision to be photographed.

A week or so later he receives his portraits from Eldo.

Neighbor, Central Havana, July, 2011

2011-09-18T19:11:00.000-07:00

The image above is made by Eldo, a fellow photographer and a friend.

This man is sitting on a ledge and cleaning a bowl. We approach him and strike up a conversation. He is neither surprised with our interest nor our gear. He agrees to our photography and continues with the bowl while we work from different angles.

Rather than worrying about his neighbors or the strangers walking by, he continues talking and working at the same time. He tells us that many people bring their cookware for him to clean, and that he does so to pass the time rather than to receive payment. He is now retired and finds joy in bringing a healthy shine back to these utilitarian objects.

We talk for twenty or so minutes, and then walk on to a morning of street photography.

A few days later on my way back from a visit to Hamely, he surprises me by calling out from the other side of the street. I learn that this is his home and that the other day he was sitting on the other side of the street to clean that bowl. Hamely only lives three blocks away from Eldo and this man lives in between both homes.

Only a few years ago such a conversation would have been impossible due to my limited knowledge of the language. Even with the advances that I have made, without this gentle man's patience such a conversation would still be difficult. He nonetheless speaks slowly with me and bids me farewell.

I promise to have his portrait delivered once it is printed and Eldo does so a few days later, after my departure from the island.

Jessica, Daughter, Student, Model, Twinsburg, Ohio, August, 2011

2011-09-11T17:49:00.000-07:00

When asked which portrait she would like to receive as a gift for her time with me, she answers: 'you choose.'

With this wish I select a portrait of a young girl from Kenya, an orphan actually. She could have selected the famous but went with an unknown. While Jessica may come from a Society graced with so much, she nonetheless makes time to give of herself for girls just like the one unknown in her possession now.

We meet in a the parking lot of a local park, and arrange to collaborate in the outfield. Children have gathered by this time and they have started to practice under their parents' supervision. Rather than being unsettled by all of this, Jessica smiles and thinks of it as playing together.

The sun is shining and the sky is blue. Working in such an environment is pretty difficult for most, but Jessica makes the best of it with grace and patience. She walks a great distance back and forth, changing from one outfit to another, without a single complaint. Instead of losing faith because of the bright sun, she closes her eyes now and then to relax. She then opens them up with resilience and purpose.

We work for over an hour and then pack up to head home. She waits for me to put everything away and then helps me carry it all back to the car. Instead of getting in her car immediately with a simple note of thanks, she makes the time to chat a bit and bid her farewell in a most genuine way. She is a sister to the girls in my portfolio, and they will see her portrait soon enough. They will feel her kindness and share their love in return.

Two Cousins, Hamely y Grettel, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-09-05T19:04:00.000-07:00

We work on the roof, away from the hustle and noise of the street. For the very first time in our collaboration, we are allowed to work in comfort and privacy. Hamely's mother sits in the shade nearby, trying to stay cool. We set up a small studio consisting of a white sheet and proceed to make portraits until the heat forces us to break for the day.

I have been photographing Hamely for seven years now and she never ceases to amaze me. She knows my strengths and weaknesses, plays them to her favor but only in the sweetest of ways. A few rolls go by usually before she allows herself to shine.

In the beginning we communicated through a translator named Billy and gestures. Now Eldo helps me with the language but I am able to speak my mind to her like never before. She knows that Spanish has become my second language precisely in order to speak with her, to share my thoughts and hopes with those just like her in my Cuban work.

She wonders how I have learned to speak Spanish. I tell her that listening to language lessons in my car on the way to work each day has served me well. She smiles at the thought of me doing so, like her in class perhaps. While she is quite brave in the streets, holding her own with the boys and in the presence of tourists, she is a most gentle girl and is silent especially when the time comes to separate.

I love her so and she is quite aware of this since I have told her so many times over. She wonders about my life in the States, about my family. I tell her that she is my family, that she is the reason for my visits to the island. I could care less about the buildings, about the other tourists, about the old American cars and about the propaganda pasted all over the place.

She is the reason for my visits, she is the person for whom this work is made. She has a place in my portfolio like no other, and with my newly learned Spanish she has heard such. We speak openly and without fear of miscommunication. In the beginning I was told to be more reserved, for misunderstandings might happen. According to my experiences with the girls in my Cuban portfolio however it has served me well to communicate openly my admiration for them.

We always work with them in a respectful manner. While the men working with me like to at times smoke and drink, perhaps speak to women now and then, they do understand that while they are with me and the girls none of these activities are to be tolerated. When we have lunch, we do so without alcohol and when we work with the children any smoking to be done is in between the visits. While many of these visits include older women, our communication with them is to be completely neutral.

Hamely and her cousin understand that when I am finished for the day the only things waiting for me at the end of each day are a warm meal and a restful night. Unlike countless others visiting the island, I arrive alone and work alone and sleep alone with the exception of the good people helping me in my work. She knows she is the center of my world while we are working together and afterwards.

The smile above is the smile that she shows me every single time we meet.

Friend of Emmanuel, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-08-31T15:20:00.000-07:00

During a visit to Hamely's home, this young girl's portrait is recognized by Emmanuel. He nods in a cool manner when he sees her picture and tells us that he knows her from school, she is his classmate. He also knows her home and offers to take us there before being asked.

We arrive at her home five years after this first portrait. A young woman opens the door with a cigarette between her fingers. She greets us with a bit of unease and then goes inside to tell her mother about our search for the young girl above. She returns and invites us in without a smile, seemingly against her instinct.

Two more people stand inside a dimly lit room, an older woman on a bed still sleeping and a teenager standing at a distance in the corner in the room. The latter is the only person with a smile and the only person with a hint of curiosity. We learn that this curious girl is the girl above, and that her mother has since died. She now lives with her aunt and her cousin.

She speaks nothing but communicates volumes with her reactions, her expressions. Like so many before her, she communicates to me a happiness in seeing us return after so many years. Unlike the cool mannerism of her cousin, she exudes kindness and love. Her aunt however cools things down with her attitude. She wonders about our intentions and the reason for representing young girls in my portfolio. I take the portfolio to show her and display the variety of people represented. There are older men, younger girls, affluent and less privileged subjects.

She seems a bit upset at being shown so and tells us without our asking that her niece declines another portrait this year, all to the dismay of the young girl. For the sake of asking, I look to the girl above in the corner in the room and ask her if she would like her portrait. She nods with exuberance and this tells me that perhaps in the future we will make her portrait, once she has escaped her present situation.

In the meantime, I remove her print from the book and hand it to her. She receives it in her most delicate hands and then smiles in response. Regardless of surroundings, we achieve our goal and inform this young girl that we will be waiting patiently for her portrait perhaps next year.

Emmanuel, Brother of Hamely, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-08-31T06:05:00.000-07:00

The older brother of Hamely, Emmanuel will assist us in any way possible during our visits. He is a quiet, young boy with a most gentle demeanor. Like many boys however he does have his way and teases us a bit with his theatrics from time to time.

Even though his sister is the center of my photographic attention in the family, he is most patient with me. During my last visit for instance, he recognized one of the faces from my portfolio and offered to take us to her. He helped carry my equipment for eight blocks and led us directly to her home. As it so happened they are classmates in the same school.

Her story will be reserved for the next entry, for she deserves her own space.

Emmanuel is well-known and liked in his neighborhood. It seems that everyone knows him when we walk around in the neighborhood. He usually salutes his friends in a cool, reserved manner very much like his expression above; the image was made directly across from his home. He will be attending a new school this year and will only need to walk perhaps twenty meters or so, for the school is right next to his home. This makes him quite happy.

Drawing by Hamely, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-08-28T13:30:00.000-07:00

This drawing is by Hamely, a young girl that lives in Central Havana. She lives in a small home, perhaps a bodega in its previous life. The rooms are separated from each other by bed sheets, and the kitchen consists of a burner and is open to the rest of the home.

She lives in this small space with her mother, stepfather, brother, sister, aunt and two cousins. One small window the size of a milk crate brings light into the space. One side of the room is made of metal sheets, doors once used as entrances to the corner store now their home.

Our first day in her neighborhood this year yields photography without her. She is away to the countryside with her father, just like last year. We go on and photograph her siblings and cousin. The next time we meet she is yet to return, and we photograph the children at my friend's home. We decide to walk back to their home two blocks away and suddenly hear that she has returned.

As we walk up the block to the main street, we see her perhaps twenty meters away. Her face lights up and she runs all the way to us stopping only when she hits my arms. We hug for a few minutes with everyone looking, wondering about the foreigner with the Cuban princess. This surprises me so but is a most welcome development. While the people on this island are less conservative than their counterparts in my other work, such an expression of happiness is still rare.

I have been photographing Hamely for the past six years but this is the first year she has expressed herself so fully. We go on to photograph her four more times this year, any time we get a chance to do so. We spend hours in front of her home, inside as well. We make portraits of the entire family and provide them with the photographs a few days after each session.

She loves the camera, and loves to make pictures as well. She holds it like a professional, with the strap behind her neck for safety. She poses her sister, brother and cousins as she wishes. With her they feel relaxed and provide more relaxed expressions. Every time we leave a negotiation is needed to remove the camera from her hands, always with humor.

She draws the picture above and hands it to me, with her mother smiling in the background. She knows that I love the sun and includes it along with a portrait of herself above the table. She also knows that I love her so and knows that I will return to her as long as my legs carry me.

Leaving the island this year, and especially her home, takes more out of me than in any previous year.

Marc Benjamin and the Children, August 18, 2011

2011-08-18T18:21:00.000-07:00

"When I 1st discovered Halim Ina Photography I was instantly intrigued.

I am a huge fan of B&W portraits and as I read the inside info to the images I then was deeply touched. I was compelled to paint the children. They spoke to me & inspired me. I love what Halim Ina is doing and it's really wonderful to contribute to such an selfless act of kindness"

Marc Benjamin

www.fashionhome.com/2010/11/sir-ben-marx-the-leader

www.stwrongtonemedia.com/sbx/index.php

www.modelmayhem.com/444087

www.twitter.com/#!/7sir7

www.facebook.com/#!/MarcBenjaminPatterson

Note: My experience with Marc Benjamin has been nothing short of enlightening. Here is a man quite busy in his life, taking the time away from his day to day activities to paint children he has never met in person. He contacted me months ago and has never let me down. He told me then that he wanted to paint the children, asked for my permission and never stopped believing. Here he is above, his face close to the children, showing them respect and sharing with the rest of us a small bit of himself. He is pure humanity.

Miss Dayna, Daughter, Model, Friend, Childhood Park, Los Angeles, California, 2010

2011-08-14T18:11:00.000-07:00

From Cuba to California, from Habana to Los Angeles the images take us.

This young woman is a model living in Los Angeles. She is kind enough to share her portrait with us, to allow her images to be published for the sake of girls from around the world.

Out of all the places in Los Angeles for us to meet, and one chosen by me near her home, we end up collaborating in the park of her childhood. Bailey is with me and is a witness to this. We begin making portraits on a hill, move onto another area and then next to the baseball field.

These images are made as the sun is setting, with the softest of lights caressing her features.

She is a remarkable, young woman. Her expressions move with ease from one mood to another. We finish our session for the afternoon and then she takes us to the local burger joint, being beyond surprised that we have yet to experience it.

For the next ten days I must admit that an addiction developed for this specific spot.

Dayna has joined the rest of her family in my portfolio, as she has welcomed them into her life.

A Ballerina named Irinita, Lizt Alfonso School of Ballet, Habana, Cuba, 2008

2011-08-10T09:32:00.000-07:00

We meet in front of the famed Lizt Alfonso School of Ballet. While looking for a spot to photograph someone else, I stumble upon perhaps forty ballerinas waiting with their parents for classes to begin. The girls are standing in groups and chatting with their friends, the same with the parents. The space is a large square, surrounded by beautiful, two-story buildings with light walls. The place is one large soft box, and I decide to head back to inform the family of the location to be used for our photography.

Then the thought of photographing the ballerinas comes to me. I am by myself, without my interpreter. While I have learned quite a bit of Spanish since my first trip to Cuba, speaking with dozens of parents regarding the photography of their daughters intimidates me. I walk around a bit and hope for a friendly face. I find it in a young woman, and she speaks both Spanish and English.

I begin explaining my work to her and a few parents around us, a bit of Spanish mixed in with the English. She tells me that my Spanish is fine and to speak to the parents in Spanish. After a few minutes, a few more parents come around to hear about the work. I show the albums of my work to them, and ask them to allow their daughters to be photographed.

From the view of the parents, it must be quite a leap to allow a stranger to photograph their daughters in a public space. Regardless one girl steps forward, her name is Irina. Only after her courageous offer do others begin to line up. We decide to begin the photography since classes will begin in less than twenty minutes.

We pick the front of the school as the background, with the opposite building beautifully lit by the sun. I put the bags down, grab the tripod and begin setting up. Everyone gathers around, curious to see the work. They see a scene different than the usual perhaps, a medium format camera set up on an immense tripod, with a cable release and film to boot.

Irina steps forward, in front of her classmates and strangers alike. She is a most confident, young girl. She smiles at my fumbling, at my nervousness initially due to the fact that twelve girls with their parents are waiting all of a sudden. There is a calm about her that makes me feel quite comfortable however and a few exposures are made of her. She then walks away and stands to the side watching the rest being photographed.

Everyone writes down their names for me, and provides their addresses as well.

The doors of the school open, and the girls all walk inside to begin their lessons. Most of the parents leave, but a few wait outside for the classes to end. At this time my friend arrives and we make her portrait in front of the school a little bit away from the previous spot.

We walk away with the memory of this experience deeply stamped in my mind. In the next blog entry, the story will continue.

Amanda y Vanesa, Ballerinas, Alamar, Cuba, July, 2010

2011-07-31T17:36:00.000-07:00

This is their portrait from last year, Vanesa and Amanda. They have been friends since birth, living next to each other in a complex of apartment buildings. They are six months apart in terms of their age and without siblings, Amanda being the older girl.

In this image, Vanesa is being photographed for the first time. When we arrive on this day to photograph Amanda, I am told of a friend close by, also a ballerina. A long story short, Vanesa is collected by Amanda's mother and we make portraits of both on this incredible day. The background happens to be the white wall of an apartment building housing only artists.

From her apartment nearby Amanda's grandmother watches us as we work for over one hour. As the session nears its end, Vanesa becomes dizzy and faints. She falls backward and onto the concrete walkway one meter below the surface on which she is standing. The sound is indescribable but it seems that her hair prevents any serious injury. Everyone rushes over to her, two walk quickly to the corner store for some water and some ice cream.

We sit awaiting the water and talk with Vanesa. She seems intact and answers all of our questions. She apologizes for the incident and in our opinion has nothing to apologize for of course. Rather than waking up for breakfast on this incredibly hot day, she is rushed out of bed in the morning for photography in the sun with us without warning.

With the arrival of water and ice cream, all seems to improve and we walk over to her home. We offer to take Vanesa to the hospital but both families seem comfortable with her recovery. We bid them farewell for the day and return to the city.

Over the next five days and in between photographic sessions in the city, we return to their homes with flowers and an interest in her well-being. They are deeply touched, as are we by their kindness. We form a bond during this trip, our relationship takes on a new meaning.

On the last day, we drop by once again to bid them farewell. Rather than doing just that, we are invited by the girls to photograph once again. This time around, we find a place on the beach with only grass under their feet. We photograph for two hours with nothing but the sun over our heads and finish the last roll of film in my bag for the year.

During my most recent trip this past month, the girls have grown up by it seems a decade. They have entered their thirteenth year and have become teenagers. They show a curious interest in the boys around us, on the beach and by the apartment buildings. They have a confidence about them that is new to me, and one that makes me proud to know them. They are still the best of friends and hug each other anytime they get the chance.

We are offered the white wall next door but choose the beach once again. We photograph twice on the beach and once at the old Pan-American Stadium nearby. When I ask the girls about being photographed in their regular attire, they smile at each other and nod in the affirmative. They had wanted to do so but were afraid to ask. Our first session on the beach this time around is quite festive and one reminiscent of a fashion shoot.

Amanda and Vanesa mean the world to me, for they understand my work, our collaboration and give of themselves without asking for anything in return. I tell them so and advise them that they are the reason for my return year after year, rather than the old buildings in the city or the history of the island. It is their kindness that lures me back.

The Girl with the Clear Eyes, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-07-30T13:58:00.000-07:00

I find her this year as she has graduated from High School with a degree in education. By the end of this year she will be teaching children have her age in a local school. Her mother is quite proud of her and displays her daughter's graduation and achievement certificates.

She has gone from a little girl on the side of the Malecon to a young woman poised to teach the next generation and help her family at the same time. Her eyes are as clear and filled with life as ever. She holds a smile beautifully every time we turn our attention to her.

As before, she lives with her mother, stepfather, grandfather and two siblings in a one room home. They have split the room vertically and have added a bedroom above where five people sleep on mats laid out on the floor. On the first floor is a small bed for the grandfather, a tiny kitchen area and a small television.

This time around, in addition to seeing her pictures from last year, she receives a publication on whose cover her portrait sits. When her eyes catch this she smiles even more so, remembering a time six years ago when she shared her desire to be a model with me. Here she is, equal with all women before her to grace the cover of a magazine.

With this presentation another surprise is shared with her. I tell her that people from around the world have seen her portrait, and have shared interest in having a print. Many have in fact purchased her print and wanted to share their admiration of her strength and beauty through the act of a print purchase. I then hand to her and her mother the proceeds from those print sales, for they are the fruits of her labor and love.

They are deeply surprised, even though they experienced the same last year. Instead of counting anything, her mother instructs her to go upstairs and place the funds in a safe place. The feeling in the room is one of exuberance, for after six years we have managed to forge a purpose from a simple portrait. We talk for a bit more and then head home.

A few days later we return for another portrait session. We are welcomed as always with grace. However before beginning our photography, the future school teacher wants to show something to me. She takes my hand, and with the permission of her mother, guides me upstairs to the bedroom. Her stepfather is also upstairs getting ready for work as a security guard.

She points to a new bed, one large enough for the women in the family. This is the first time she has ever had a bed in which to sleep night after night. To put words down describing the feeling inside is impossible. Suffice it to say that a great emotion came over me and we just stood there smiling, the stepfather included.

She then took my hand once again and walked downstairs with me. She pointed to the new floor-standing fans in the room. This is also the first time that she has had such ventilation in her home, enough to keep her and her family cooler during the day. A few people are also sitting inside and look pleased at my reaction.

While my partner in work has seen much reaction to our work with the families before today, this experience also leaves him with the impression that the photography has taken on a new meaning. We leave the family on this day like never before, and promise to return the next week.

Should you like to make a difference with the purchase of her print also, you may contact me at halim.ina@gmail.com or visit my website below.

www.halimina.org

Barbarita, Habana, Cuba, July, 2011

2011-07-27T16:42:00.000-07:00

During the last few days I decide to visit the families and share my thoughts regarding our work. Along with the discussion, photographs from the previous visits are shared as well.

During one such visit, we experience one family living in a new place. At first sight it seems to me that this is their place of work. The apartment is little more than a single, small room. When we enter the bed is to the right and the tiny kitchen is to the left, with a small aisle separating the bed from the cabinet hosting the stereo and television.

There is barely enough room for us to stand, let alone sit. We spend time with Barbarita and her mother, as well as the owner of the home who is also being attended to by our friends.

The man is an elderly man, quite friendly and open to our visit. He is missing one leg and lives alone without a family, therefore needing the assistance provided by our dearest friends. We share the photographs from the previous year and decide to make an appointment to return and make new portraits for Barbarita. We bid farewell for the time being and head out to the next family.

Once outside I ask my friend Eldo a question: 'Do they get paid well for this work?'

Hearing this, Eldo is surprised at my lack of understanding and proceeds to educate me on their situation. As it turns out, Barbarita and her mother are working for the possibility of inheriting the tiny apartment. The elderly man, lacking a family, is able to include them in his will and pass on the rights to his home in exchange for their assistance during his final years. They receive nothing in terms of payment during his lifetime. It is the promise of a future home for which they labor.

'A lesson a day' they say. On this day, it is perhaps a volume.

On my next visit to her home, I am greeted by her mother, sister and brother-in-law. Without a translator we have a conversation regarding our collaboration. A few years earlier Barbarita's mother decided that her daughter's photographs can be made but only for my personal portfolio. She was content with this and decided against the publication of the portraits and the sale of the prints.

During the second visit, Barbarita's mother seems a bit anxious and nervous at the same time. She is trying to tell me something but is having a hard time telling me so. My understanding of Spanish is acceptable but nuances cannot be understood. With the help of her son-in-law, we achieve clarity. Her mother explains to me their plight at this time, the hardships they are facing and the difficulty in even obtaining the smallest of items for her daughter. Things that can be taken for granted back home are nearly impossible to purchase for her.

With this in mind, and with the portraits we have made over five years, she asks me to present her daughter's work in order to educate the world about their life and also to perhaps help in any way possible through the sale of the portraits.

Should the readers of this entry be interested in helping in any way possible, perhaps through a purchase of her print, then I would be more than glad to have such a conversation.

In the end, the purpose of the work is as her mother desires, nothing else.

www.halimina.org

Fatouma, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Summer, 2005

2011-06-23T20:25:00.000-07:00

Just today sixty rolls of 400 ASA film is ordered from New York for the upcoming Cuban trip.

On my mind during the order is the portrait of Fatouma above. It has been over six years since both this image and my use of anything but slower film. For this trip to Cuba, it is my intention to make images both in direct sunlight and in subdued light.

Since Fatouma's portrait six years ago, many visits to her home have been made and her portrait repeated. This first image is perhaps considered the easiest one for me of her, for she was a stranger to me then. Ironically as she has gotten to know me she has become a bit more shy.

Usually she allows herself to be photographed on the first day, perhaps in response to the pictures handed out and to the excitement of the other children. Then upon subsequent trips during the same two week visit, she becomes withdrawn in the sweetest of ways and goes about her chores which range from gathering water to tending to the sheep to washing clothes.

To see her tending to a dozen or so animals, all the while she is less than half of one animal's weight, is incredibly fascinating. She lacks fear and approaches each task without trepidation. She is a most confident young girl and asserts herself in response to either girls or boys. On my last trip, she denied me her portrait in the tradition of girls from the area growing up.

She however lives in my memory through the portrait above. I will still visit her as long as she will allow it. Perhaps one day I will photograph her daughter, at least until I am denied her portrait as well.

One With Clear Eyes, Outside of Havana, Cuba, July, 2010

2011-06-19T19:59:00.000-07:00

Many have seen her since the first portrait back in 2005.

In that portrait she walks out of the water, barely allows her hair to dry and sits down on the sidewalk across from the famous Malecon to let a complete stranger make her portrait in less than five minutes.

On this day and five years later, she stands in front of her house early in the morning with her hair up and gives me two hours to make her portrait. She wakes up by 7:00 a.m. on a summer morning and walks back from her friend's house for us.

The day before, she tells me with a smile: 'You can come back as many times as you like.'

I thought she was lost on me two years before, as she experienced the turbulence of her teenage years. Although still a teenager in this portrait, she displays a calmness beyond her years. While my hands fumble around for the next roll of film in excitement, she smiles and chuckles.

If she is the only person in Cuba to photograph, she is reason enough for me to go in less than two weeks. She is the girl with the clear eyes, and this is just the beginning of her story.

Dancer, Portrait by Eldo, Roof of Home, Havana, Cuba, July, 2010

2011-06-12T18:24:00.000-07:00

Two years ago her portrait was made in front of the ballet school. In front of perhaps fifty people, students and parents of students, she stood tall and allowed two rolls to be exposed. Her mother gently helped her along through the process, proud to see her child so strong and graceful.

On this day, after much hard work by Eldo in search of her home, she suddenly arrives with a young family member for her portrait. This is a complete shock for me, since we have been trying really hard to find her. Eldo it seems wanted this to be a surprise.

She comes dressed for her performance. The temperature is by now above any comfort zone, and the color of her fabric absorbs even more so the sun, high in the sky by now. Nonetheless she closes her eyes and stretches her hands out, holding her poses for minutes at a time. She never once complains and is kind enough to allow my instructions in a limited Spanish.

For over an hour and during one of the hottest, most humid days, she performs for us. The young man also grants us his patience and kindness, helps her along and explains what is difficult for me to communicate. The respect she shows me will always be remembered. Here is a girl that has come from a home far away, dressed in her uniform while other children are playing in the streets of her neighborhood. She has a discipline that most lack, a love that few have ever seen.

Just today I received an email from Eldo. As I was scanning her negatives in preparation for my visit this July, he was visiting her family on my behalf. The news of my visit was shared with them and their response was like her response one year ago, one represented in her portrait above.

People often ask me: why do you visit these people? Do you fail to realize the importance of your family here?

I can only point them in the direction of the young girl above and hope that they understand.

Kamoy Magazine, Spirit Issue, Nerissa Irving Collaboration, June, 2011

2011-06-07T18:50:00.000-07:00

The publication of my work in the Spirit Issue of Kamoy Magazine has been made possible through an incredible collaboration with Nerissa Irving, Editor in Chief and Creative Director.

The images within and their stories are in honor of the girls of Rajasthan.

'With this presentation and with much gratitude to Ms. Nerissa Irving, we hope that people will feel compelled to promote girls education in this most beautiful part of the world. Over the span of ten years, Humana People to People India has operated girls schools in these villages, all with the permission and knowledge of the parents. while an education is most elusive to girls in their situation, these young women have been able to attend classes usually headed by a young woman from their own village, serving as an example to them and their friends.'

'Unfortunately, these dozen schools were closed last year due to a general lack of funding. The good people of Humana People to People India have turned to me, to the good citizens of this world, to view the education of these girls as the education of their own. Our hope is that the readers of this wonderful publication will find inspiration through these images, through this story, and present incredible ideas culminating in the reopening of the schools. Perhaps a bake sale will surface, perhaps a collaboration with a local girls school, perhaps even a print purchase through my website. Regardless of the method, the intention will be most appreciated and treasured by the girls of Rajasthan, India.'

This is our hope. For a copy of this issue, you may click below.

Kamoy Magazine: The Spirit Issue

Girl, Student, Friend, Humana People to People, Rajasthan, India, November 15, 2009

2011-05-30T06:56:00.000-07:00

On the sixteenth roll of film, the sixth click of the shutter represents the image above.

Before the shutter is released, a few variables need to be attended to however. In this village and the year before this portrait, the school faithfully run by the foundation had to be closed due to funding shortages. The mood has changed since then, understandably so.

On this afternoon, I arrive without the good people of the foundation, dropped off by my friend and left to fend for myself. It's a little early and so I decide to wait an hour for the sun to set more so. A few of the older girls come around, but mostly it is the boys and men that gather. At first they are quiet, then the younger boys become restless.

They do what boys do around the world from my experience, test the limits. They first begin with words, and laughter. This is easy to handle because smiling back seems to entertain them. However, when this fails they begin to touch the equipment, to ask to be photographed.

The girls feel badly but cannot do anything to stop the boys. In years past, the people from the foundation would make sure that such never happened because we would photograph the girls on the roof of the school without any boys around. In this case however I am on their land and it's their place to do as they wish.

This goes on for about an hour until a few of the older boys feel it within themselves to help out. One gets a chair and we begin to organize the girls. This is my first experience doing so by myself, without the foundation. Many of the girls want to be photographed but cannot volunteer in front of the boys. A few do however and we end up walking to the field like last year.

We place the chair and the girls bravely begin to take their places. They are of course outnumbered perhaps four to one by the boys, and the noise of the place is almost as overwhelming even in an open field. We do manage however to begin the portraits and the girls ignore everything but the camera. More so than any year before this experience, I realize the difficulty of this work for the girls, and its importance.

The older boys are very helpful however and throughout the entire session they need to constantly remove boys from the foreground and the background. After about an hour, this young girl approaches. She was hiding back in the village and came out once she realized perhaps that it was safe for her. It takes me a minute but then I recognize her eyes, her neck and her stance.

Once she sees my delight, she smiles and stands for her portrait. The result can be seen above.

Her school is still closed to this day. I hope better for her and her younger sisters and will continue in my efforts to reopen the school in this village.

Widow, Glasses, Mosque Courtyard, Zakat Foundation of India, Old Delhi, India, 2008

2011-05-25T17:10:00.000-07:00

Like many women in her widowed situation, she has been left to defend for herself and for her children. Instead of being looked after by her community, she belongs to the majority receiving nothing from the State and lacking a pension.

In many instances, life after the death of the husband is a life waiting for death itself. So many women are married when quite young to men much older than them. As a result, the death of their husbands leaves them as young women with children and without a security net. The stories are endless, the humiliation eternal.

Depending on position and caste, some of these women are forced to shave their heads, others refrain from wearing jewelry or from presenting their beauty to the world. They are to remain invisible for the rest of their lives, almost as a means to relieve Society from its conscience. With over 40,000,000 widows in existence, this leaves a void difficult to ignore.

One can see them on the streets, going about their day trying to form a life for themselves and their children. While the news portrays advances in their State's well-being, they tend to the homes of others for just enough to eat and little else. This is a most difficult existence and one made even more extreme by the social norms of the day.

Some will say that India has changed, that such practices have disappeared. It is my place only to describe the images created by me, the lives of the people represented within. For them, little has improved in their lives. The humiliation of presenting themselves in front of complete strangers for a sack full of rice is glaringly apparent. While making their portraits serves to support the foundation helping them, the difficulty in the portraiture could never be avoided.

Here are women that are in this position, standing in front of a stranger to have their picture made. I am a witness to their humiliation and yet another source of humiliation. It is the rape victim being forced to make pictures of her bruises, both external and internal.

The photograph in the end will hopefully tell her story without taking anything away from her.

Widow, Glasses, Mosque Courtyard, Zakat Foundation of India, Old Delhi, India, 2008

2011-05-18T15:14:00.000-07:00

What has she done other than lose her husband?

She wakes up one day without a spouse and finds herself without the support of the rest of her family. Her family has thrown her out, views her as a burden and at times a bad fortune. She wanders the streets asking perfect strangers for help when her own family is unwilling to offer the same.

One foundation is doing more for her than her own family. She receives a month's supply of goods from Zakat Foundation of India, due to the generosity of individuals according to their Muslim faith. The foundation helps the donors estimate their giving, enabling them to both adhere to their beliefs and to help someone else in need.

The effect of their giving is immediately felt on the other side of town, where a group of women are gathered today near the local mosque, next door to a medical clinic also run by the foundation that provides medical care to the indigent, to the homeless and to those without a single thread of support from Society.

On the street level, good work is being done daily by good people and out of the spotlight. The doctor of the clinic is barely noticed as nurses go about their routine, as patients walk in and out of the pharmacy. Here babies are delivered with care and love, and pride exists on the faces of the parents like under any other healthy environment.

Making portraits under these circumstances brings limitless value to my work, to my life.

You may learn more about this wonderful foundation by clicking below.

Zakat Foundation of India

Widow, Courtyard of Mosque, Zakat Foundation of India, Old Delhi, India, November, 2008

2011-05-14T04:43:00.000-07:00

Like the previous images of widows in my blog, the courtyard of a mosque is the scene for this portrait. The courtyard is open to the sky and for an hour or so allows direct light at a low angle against a white wall.

The wall is next to an area of washing hands and feet, where men gather to do so before prayers. So men are doing such constantly while we are making portraits. This is incredible due to the fact that we are photographing covered women in a mosque, with their acceptance and permission.

Over 40,000,000 women in India are widows, countless of them experience hardships like the woman above. For many, the remaining years are lived in anticipation of death to free them from this life of isolation. On becoming a widow, many women are viewed as burdens on the remaining family. While a tradition of burning widows has been outlawed, their remaining life is referred to as a living version of such.

Upon the death of a partner, women are traditionally forbidden to remarry while men are free to do so. In light of the reality that many women marry when young, this means that many will be handed a life of destitute loneliness for a long portion of their remaining life.

The woman above receives support from Zakat Foundation of India, and the good people that give of their earnings in accordance to their Muslim beliefs.

Widow, Courtyard of Mosque, Zakat Foundation of India, Old Delhi, India, November, 2008

2011-05-01T07:36:00.000-07:00

Like many in her situation, this widow feels neglected by her Society and her family as well.

With the help of Zakat Foundation of India, she receives a supply of goods on a monthly basis. The widows gather on a busy street next to a mosque, provide the foundation with their identification and wait in line for their turn.

The scene is calm, with women standing and sitting in groups sharing stories. The difficulty in their lives is unimaginable, and they present themselves with dignity and humility. The goods are made possible by donations from devout Muslims as part of their faith. It has been my experience to witness people walking in from the street, calculating their donation according to their financial standing and then making that donation on the spot.

On this day, her portrait is made in the courtyard of the mosque, the only calm place available for us in the area. Outside the streets are incredibly busy and filled with activity. In the mosque all is calm and quiet. The women arrange themselves on the floor and wait for their time. We find a white wall to act as our background and one by one they stand for their portrait. Some faces are covered, others are bare. Nonetheless they express a tiny but considerable part of their struggle through the lens, for us to experience.

Student, Al-Arqam Academy, Zakat Foundation of India, November, 2008

2011-04-29T21:23:00.000-07:00

There are days when nothing seems to work and then there are days when everything just comes together. For the above image to happen, the students need to be in school, their families allowing them to attend classes rather than work in the fields.

For the above image to be possible, the headmaster's permission is necessary, our car must make it for the three hour drive without a flat tire or an exhausted radiator. Getting lost on the way might cost us the precious hour necessary to arrange the photography.

Before she steps forward, others must do the same. She must look around her and see her friends also willing. Always one needs to step forward and then the rest will follow. Their families expect them at home yet they give me two hours after school to make portraits.

When we arrive on this sunny day, the girls are still in class. We are introduced to them by each teacher and my mind is hoping secretly that they will remain after class to be photographed. Without exception, all of them stay. The sun is shining and we have perhaps one hour before it begins to fade. There are almost thirty girls awaiting portraits, giving me less than two minutes per person.

The work however passes without much concern because these girls work with each other, arrange themselves by age and are ready when their time comes. Each makes the most of her presence in front of the lens, wastes little time. Just an hour or so ago in the classrooms, these expressions would have seemed impossible. Yet in front of the headmaster and some of the teachers, they shine like the very star that strikes their faces so gently with light.

This session and her education is made possible with the assistance of Zakat Foundation of India. One year later, during my third visit to the school, another foundation had purchased the school and had made some incredible changes to the facility. A playground had been installed, a road and driveway have made access much easier and the building has been painted in glorious colors and patterns.

The classrooms have been remodeled and outfitted with new desks and libraries; the foundation has delivered new science and computer rooms. Bread is no longer made on an open fire but rather in a beautiful, new kitchen. One can see the pride on the cook's face as well as on the faces of the rest of the staff.

Sadly though on this day, our arranged visit seems to coincide with a trip by the children in the other direction. The headmaster informs me that the children have gone to New Delhi for a school outing, just the city from which we came. It seems that my plans have been made without his knowledge and we leave the pictures from last year with the headmaster along with a sincere apology to share with the children.

It has been three years since my last visit to this school. However, the headmaster's number is in my phone list and will be used when the time comes in the near future for a return. These children deserve more than a single visit; they deserve to be treated with respect and to have their portraits made once again with laughter ringing in the background.

Girls, Students, MADODEF, Western Kenya, 2007

2011-04-22T15:46:00.000-07:00

Going back in time is as easy as pulling a picture out of the box. It feels remarkably in the moment.

The image above is but a few minutes ago. These three girls have perhaps finished their education in this rural school, maybe they have gone onto higher education with the help of the foundation. For the time being, they are three friends choosing to make this portrait together.

When we arrive on this overcast day, the students are surprised to see us. They choose small groups for the session when asked, and do so effortlessly. The school is to their right, their friends are standing to their left. Every few minutes it rains a little bit. We continue on, my camera covered with a hat and the girls ignoring the droplets altogether.

The foundation, MACODEF, supports more than a few students in this rural school. The main reason for the foundation's involvement in the lives of these students is the fact that HIV/AIDS has turned many of the area's children into orphans. Driving through the small towns produces images of small coffins lined up at storefronts for sale, along with their larger counterparts.

It is a stark reminder that while much of the West has almost forgotten about this virus, certain parts of the world are faced with its endless menace, with its lack of mercy for the living. Let us hope for the sake of the girls above that the present is different.

Young Girl, Student, Kanjar Community, Prostitution, Nirvanavan Foundation, Rajasthan, India, 2008

2011-04-18T19:26:00.000-07:00

A conversation is had in a classroom this past week.

The makers of such portraits as the one above deal in a form of exploitation it seems.

This argument is made in almost every situation during my years as a photographer, from the valley of Lebanon to the villages of India. Regardless of language, the above words are expressed to me without exception.

Even though the experiences have been innumerable, a simple answer has yet to be formulated because each situation is different. Sometimes it is the mother of the child, at times it is a complete stranger from a neighboring village and sometimes it is an art student from a local university. Each suspicion of injustice deserves its own response.

Most of the time, the people closest to the person whose portrait is sought are the most understanding. Much of the time, it is that student in a classroom thousands of miles away whose opinion is most hardened. This seems irrational but has been my experience.

Even though the people in the field have encountered exactly that type of photographer, they continue to give the next photographer the benefit of the doubt. Even though that student has yet to step into the field as an artist, his mind has yet to open to the idea that many people will do for others only for the sake of doing.

This young girl has every reason to walk away from the camera. Her community looks to her for one reason only, to earn money from her future as a prostitute. She walks around the village stepping over used condoms as they lay on the dirt paths, without giving them much thought. She cannot attend school because she is deemed 'below the pollution line' by the rest in her Society, the largest democracy in the world as praised by so many. She wakes up to this reality every morning and goes to sleep in the evening with this thought in mind.

Yet she stands in front of the camera with a hope that every child possesses. She refuses to be denied this one chance to express her joy, to share her story with other children in the world, in a language without need for translation.

She does so and without hesitation, regardless of the photographer. She understands that it is the act of doing so that matters for her, rather than whether the photographer will honor her wish to be seen. The tree falling in that forest does make a sound, regardless of an audience.

Rather than falling however, she rises to a place few have ever reached.

I have witnessed this and will continue to honor her.

So does another student in that classroom, the one that raises her hand and responds to the accusation of exploitation. By doing so, she restores honor to the girl above and to our own community here.

Her name is Margaret, the other student in that classroom with her hand raised high.

She is a sister to the girl from Rajasthan.

Girl, Orphan, Student, MACODEF, Western Kenya, 2007

2011-04-13T19:34:00.000-07:00

We arrive in the middle of the day to a small school in rural Kenya for her portrait. There is little shade and we find a grassy area for the children to tell us their stories.

We begin with the boys, allowing the girls to get accustomed to our presence. All of the children's names are noted by the good people of MACODEF, a local and international foundation working in this area. Each child is given their chance to sit in the spot chosen, given a few moments to share their expressions with the camera.

Once the boys are finished, it is time for the girls. The expressions range from bewilderment to complete ease, from shyness to brazen confidence. The foundation tells me that many of these children are orphans, some partial and some complete. They also inform me that the source of their present plight is an epidemic of HIV/AIDS.

This is the first time that the words 'partial' and 'complete' have been presented to me in this way and my mind will never see these two words in the same manner. Prior to this experience, hearing that a child is 'complete' would have given me an entirely different notion.

The girl above is one such example. My memory fails me now as to category, but remembers her to be an orphan to be photographed according to the wishes of the foundation. She, like many of the other children, left her shoes back at the entrance of her classroom.

Like all of the other children, her head is shaved to prevent the presence of lice.

She is a testament to a child's enduring spirit.

Magdalena, Model, Friend, Model Mayhem, Mormon Rocks, Los Angeles, California, 2010

2011-04-10T19:37:00.001-07:00

Funny how things work out sometimes.

Magdalena hears about me in an anonymous manner through a mutual friend, another model. That same model tells me about Magdalena and that she will be joining us for a photographic session.

Then Magdalena sees one of my announcements and takes it upon herself to send a message to me, unaware of my identity and sharing her desire to collaborate. We enjoy the moment and then arrange to collaborate through our mutual connection, her friend.

Due to circumstances involving the weather and transportation, it seems that the session is doomed to never happen. Then Magdalena takes it upon herself again to arrange a ride with another friend, drives almost two hours to meet me and thus makes for a most spontaneous and beautiful afternoon.

We arrange to meet outside of Los Angeles and drive even further to a location called Mormon Rocks. It so happens that the sun is smiling in between clouds and we climb one rock formation in order to gain the upper hand on the surroundings.

She shines in this atmosphere, learns that my purpose at this very moment is to document her and nothing else. She is the reason for my existence on this afternoon, she is the theme. While backgrounds and clothing and statements of fashion have their place, the point of our collaboration is to present a moment for Magdalena to tell her story, to share with us her thoughts.

This is what she does above.

For more of her work, one may click on the link below.

Magdalena

Cwen, Daughter, Model, Friend, Model Mayhem, Parking Garage, Washington, D.C., Summer, 2010

2011-03-30T18:49:00.000-07:00

She goes by the name of Cwen, we meet through a modeling website called Model Mayhem.

Responding to one of my posts, she shares her curiosity with me and offers to join her brothers and sisters in my portfolio. The sentiment that she shares with me is most genuine and we proceed to stay in touch.

Since my negatives are processed in her hometown, it seems practical to arrange a time that coincides with a visit to pick up my negatives. When presenting this idea to Cwen, she tells me just to tell her when and she will arrange her schedule around mine. Incredible.

A time comes when it's necessary to collect my negatives from a recent trip. She agrees to the time and goes about the process of finding a location. She tells me of a parking garage that will give us access to the open sky and we arrange to meet there.

After work one day, we drive to Washington and sleep overnight in a small town perhaps two hours away from the city. In the morning, we start our way before sunrise and almost make it to the garage, getting lost in the process. The highways are beyond confusing but Cwen, on the phone, calmly helps me to a spot and tells me to wait for her.

She goes out of her way, meets us on the side of the road, and then leads us to the garage. We park next to each other, leaving a spot in between as our studio. We spend the next hour making images in front of a white canvas, against the blue sky and on top of my car. We are fortunate to have the most perfect weather, warm and sunny the entire time without a single cloud in the sky.

Just as we are getting along nicely, an older woman in a car asks for the parking spot. She seems to be quite impatient with the thought that the parking spot is being used for something other than parking. She of course has a point and we move our equipment so that she can park her car. We think that perhaps all other spots are taken, then find out that the other half of the parking lot is empty. Regardless, she does have a point.

We set up about twenty meters away from our first spot and continue with the photography. The image above is made during the second half of our session. While film is changed and unlike so many, Cwen goes about asking many questions regarding my background, my photography. She then asks the sweetest of questions: 'when are you coming back?'

She then tells me that she would love to have me photograph her family. This honors me tremendously and we expose a few more rolls with this feeling in mind. Her portrait above is an example of the chemistry possible between two people having never met in person.

You may view her modeling work through the link below.

Cwen

Book Store Clerk, Habana, Cuba, 2008

2011-03-27T18:33:00.000-07:00

In between sessions we rarely do any work, other than organization.

This afternoon we happen to be sitting in a small park and notice the traffic walking by us. While speaking about some differences between us, the tripod is extended and the camera mounted.

We continue having a lively conversation and, in between making points, as a person now and then to pause for their portrait. Incredibly, almost all pause for a quick snapshot. The man above does so and makes a minute to tell us about himself.

He loves books and works in a book store. He is always reading and proof of such is in his hands. We make note of his name and address as he bids farewell to us.

We finish our discussion and then walk to a restaurant for something to eat.

Having become familiar with formal portraits, this single image makes me wonder a bit about the past few years. It seems just as magical to make portraits in this way, a split second decision without much preparation and anticipation.

Caretaker, Home for Mentally & Physically Challenged Children, MACODEF, Western Kenya, 2007

2011-03-26T15:19:00.000-07:00

In the sweetest of voices, she tells me of her struggles, of her needs regarding the children. Most of the time, there is barely enough to provide in terms of food, clothing and even shelter.

She and her staff work feverishly to make sure that the children have the bare minimum to eat. Since the children in this home are mentally and physically challenged, the process of feeding them is much more difficult.

She nonetheless tends to them like her children, speaks about them in this way. Her tone is very soft and calm, perhaps accustomed to speaking to children in need of such care. These children come from homes perhaps where they had been treated differently. She shares with me some of their stories, of how some had been locked in rooms and others chained to a tree stump.

This is the pain that she caries on her shoulders and does so on behalf of the children, taking the burden from them so that they can concentrate on their progress, on their well being.

She is the caretaker of the children's home described two posts ago. You may learn more and perhaps become active through the following link.

MACODEF

Raven Le Faye, Friend, Model, California, States, October, 2010

2011-03-23T20:30:00.000-07:00

During my time in California, the weather seems to be acting outside the routine. For consecutive days, clouds seem to be the normal and rain as well. With this in mind and the forecast as well, messages are sent to the remaining models both in Los Angeles and San Francisco.

The idea is to switch the days because the weather pattern seems to favor San Francisco for the remainder of the week and Los Angeles for the weekend. All but one model are unable to change their schedules however and it seems prudent to cancel my visit to San Francisco while remaining in Los Angeles for the remainder of my time.

Then Raven sends a message to me, one that includes an honest request to include her in my photography. In this message, she takes the time to include images of her wardrobe labeled for my review, with her wearing many of the pieces providing a fuller idea of the presentation. The effort involved in doing so makes a deep impression on me.

My plane departs on Tuesday and our plan is to meet on Monday. A session is planned in Los Angeles on Sunday as well. With Raven's most genuine message in mind, a decision is made to photograph on Sunday, drive halfway up to San Francisco during the night and finish the drive in the morning on Monday. We agree and then plan to meet in a park recommended to me by some friends.

Sleeping on the side of the road for the sake of brevity, the morning's drive proceeds quickly. The path up the mountain is quite difficult making me feel a little sorry for having Raven do the same. She arrives on time and we both realize that the location is a poor one, both in terms of light and temperature. Instead of a negative reaction, she agrees to drive down the mountain for a better location.

She of course cannot read my mind and follows me on the highway once we reach the bottom of the mountain. Driving and looking for a place to photograph on California's highways might be a very poor combination of tasks but one that is finally accomplished. We find a building with perfect white walls and black asphalt pavement. The corporate building is filled with employees but the walls that interest us both face the sun and are at the back. With the exception of a security camera, nobody bothers us during our session.

We speak for a few minutes and get ready. After a few exposures, it seems to me that perhaps Raven will have a hard time keeping her eyes open with the strong sun. She tries quite hard but seemingly cannot do so. While this saddens me, it seems unreasonable to continue making images with strained facial features and an abrupt decision is made by me to end our session and perhaps head down to Los Angeles early for my flight tomorrow.

Seeing the quickness of my decision as perhaps unnecessary, Raven comes forward and with the most gentle of tones opens a conversation with me. She explains to me her reasons and asks for us to try again. This is deeply touching and we decide to try one more roll of film. Needless to write, she stands anew in front of the camera and shows me a side of her yet to be seen.

She is incredible and continues to be incredible for the next three hours. We expose roll after roll of film in the spirit of the moment and end the afternoon exhausted and exhilarated. Only in my overseas experiences has a last day proven to be so productive, so creative.

We bid each other farewell and I head down to Los Angeles for my flight the next day.

You may see more of Raven's work below.

Raven Le Faye

Mentally & Physically Challenged Orphan, MACODEF, Western Kenya, February, 2007

2011-03-16T15:27:00.000-07:00

The people tell me that this is his only shirt, as is the case with the two dozen or so children in this small orphanage. We arrive early this morning before the children wake, many of them sleeping almost naked in their simple beds.

The simple building is located on the outskirts of a government school where the other children from the area attend classes. The orphans in this small building however will never attend classes on even this simple campus. For them to even receive the minimum care in the orphanage, their families needed to be convinced.

The reality is that before the orphanage these children were hidden from Society, some locked in rooms while others chained and restrained. There is a stigma involved with their physical and mental condition, as perhaps in many other parts of the world. In their present home, they sleep peacefully and are attended to by kind and gentle spirits.

Another fact is shared with me by the people in the orphanage: many of these children are anything but orphans. They do have families but their families have chosen to place them in the orphanage for various reasons, ranging from shame to inability to maintain proper care.

So we arrive this morning and see the children get ready for their photographic session with speed and excitement. The sight of children moving quickly in the shadows of the building gives me an immense sense of honor, of humility. Here are children facing daily hardships that most in the world will never glimpse. Yet they get up this morning and give of themselves without asking for anything in return.

The children from the neighboring school gather on the fence and watch with genuine curiosity. Like the children in the orphanage, they face an extreme life regardless of their mental and physical abilities. They stand in silence and lend their support to their brothers and sisters being photographed, until they are called in by their headmaster.

We photograph for perhaps one hour, against the back wall of the building. The caretakers handle the children with gentle hands, guide them to the camera and allow the children to make their own expressions, to claim their own identity. The young man in the portraits above does just that, without guidance from anyone. He stands his ground and tells his story.

One may view more regarding the foundation doing good works on behalf of the children below.

MACODEF

Tareequa, Tsemey Tribe, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, February, 2010

2011-03-06T18:48:00.000-08:00

People will often ask: how do you remember their names?

How does one forget?

Towards the end of her photographic session, she allows me to hold her hand and turn her body from looking right to looking straight to looking left. Her friends giggle the entire time and she gives them a few words in between exposures.

Her hair is perhaps the source of amicable teasing and is the result of my curiosity. When we arrive this morning, she is the first to greet us. Her little village is off the tourists' map and she rarely sees an outsider. The look on her face as she sees me demonstrates this even more so.

We get out and start making our way to the elders to ask for permission. They grant us a chance to make portraits and doing so away from the road makes this session perhaps the easiest session during my entire time in Ethiopia. The area is calm and quiet.

Before she has a chance to step away and neaten her hair, we ask her permission to make her portrait as she is and without change. She is completely surprised, laughs in a very shy way and accepts. The images above are the result.

In a previous post, a picture was provided of her in color and a fuller story was also shared. It can be viewed by clicking below.

Story of Tareequa

Child, Banjara Community, Rajasthan, India, November 25, 2008, Roll 3, Exposure 12

2011-03-04T16:58:00.000-08:00

On the same day as the previous posts this image is made.

As the title suggests, this is the last negative on the third roll on November 25, 2008. The child belongs to the Banjara Community, one that is on my mind as of late. The more learned about them the more desire to document that follows.

In between sessions, we find ourselves sitting down for a cool drink at a crossroad. The local shop acts as a bus stop as well. Sitting perhaps a few meters from us is a group from the Banjara Community, children as well as a few elderly people along with the parents of the children perhaps.

One thing noticed is how this community interacts while in the presence of others. While they are quite active in our presence, laughing and enjoying their time together, there is little contact with the people around them. A certain sense of confidence permeates through their interactions, giving me the impression that they receive all of their needs from within.

Even the smaller children find little wonder in my foreign face, much less so than the other local men sitting across the aisle from me for example. The children look at me out of curiosity and nothing else, then return to their parents without any further glances. They have their own language, speak on their terms.

One day soon, one day very soon.

Banjara Girl, Rajasthan, India, November 25, 2008, Roll 2, Exposure 6

2011-02-27T19:08:00.000-08:00

As the title describes, the image above represents the sixth exposure from the second roll of film on Thanksgiving Day in Rajasthan, India. This young girl belongs to the Banjara Community and attends a school for working children sponsored by Humana People to People India.

During the day, she works collecting plastic, fabric, metal and so forth for a middle person to come by and purchase. Then for perhaps three hours, she attends classes in a humble building and acquires the most rudimentary reading and writing skills. Her parents have certainly been informed and have given their permission for her education, as long as she is still able to work during the day.

Today, Humana People to People India faces serious funding challenges along with the usual social and political turbulence. Through these images my hope is that we can help the foundation help the people. Should you find it within yourself to recognize an opportunity to aid in this venture, you may feel quite free to contact me through this medium.

Perhaps a sister school can be found locally, perhaps a bake sale or even perhaps a purchase of this print. Regardless your initiative will be most appreciated by this and every single child under the Humana umbrella.

In Search of a Banjara Girl, Rajasthan, India, November, 2008

2011-02-26T19:40:00.000-08:00

This is the young girl referenced to in the last entry, the one from the Banjara Community. When we showed the picture albums to the street children, it is this young girl that they recognized. She was the reason for their smiles and laughter, they recognized one from their community.

This is her second portrait in as many years. The first time we met was during my first visit to India, during a special day arranged by Humana People to People India. On this day many activities were under way, including one contest between women walking very fast with containers balanced on their heads.

My first portrait of this young girl was made behind the main tent, with white fabric from the tent serving as the backdrop. This portrait was made the following year at her school, a basic open classroom on the roof of a building donated to the foundation. While she was absent when we first arrived, she showed up later because she heard that we were there to photograph her once again.

A previous entry described this incredible day; suffice it to put down at this moment that over ten dozen images were made of her, ranging from two clips in the hair to one clip to a roll or so without either clip.

The year following this portrait my documentation of her continued, this time in a village a bit distant from the school. By this time, she and her community had moved out of the town to a more remote location. The children had stopped attending the foundation's school and she was working as a house maid as well as tending to the family's livestock.

Two years after the portrait above our collaboration ended. Although we found her once again after asking around, by this time she had become so shy, so conscious of herself, that she refrained from even stepping out of the tent to exchange greetings. The younger girls were making fun of her, even teasing her about the attention she was receiving from this stranger.

So we of course respected her wishes and photographed the younger girls. One day they too will refrain from being photographed. Until that time however we will return.

Child, Student, Banjara Community, Rajasthan, India, November 25, 2008, Roll 1, Exposure 12

2011-02-25T17:54:00.000-08:00

So many of their children look like any children from around the world.

Here is a child that belongs to the Banjara Community, can be from anywhere and from any family. Earlier this day, we stop by the side of the road for some oranges and apples. The people from the foundation tell us to stay inside the car because outside of the car we will garnish attention.

We decide to ask for forgiveness and walk with them to get the fruits. As we do so we of course witness their warning up and close. A few children gather around us and start their usual hustle, all in good jest and with genuine intention, for they are only trying to support their families.

One of them looks at me differently, recognizes me from last year. At that point the book of images from last year is shown to them and they begin to laugh, realizing that some of their friends are in that book. A few strangers take note and wonder what this outsider has in common with these young street children. We ask them if they are going to be in school later in the afternoon and they all give us the affirmative in the sweet Indian style with their heads.

We bid them farewell and go looking for a specific child. A few of the children a little further up the road recognize her in my book and point us in the correct direction. We locate the young girl's village and arrange to return the next day for some photography. Afterwards we return to that street corner and locate the children from earlier in the day.

Their encampment is kind to us, allowing our photography amidst the chaos. Voices are everywhere and people are running behind the subject and in front. The people from the foundation are certainly more nervous than me since they are the ones speaking directly to the people. Forgiveness can be granted to me since I am a stranger and lack further understanding.

Nevertheless all goes well and a chair is even located for the children to stand upon for their portraits, giving their faces access to the sun in the middle of the crowd. One such face is the child above, from the Banjara Community but resembling the face of children everywhere.

We will return and photograph this community, for they are on my mind day and night.

Banjara Woman, Rajasthan, India, October, 2009

2011-02-24T19:39:00.000-08:00

The image above is a still from moving footage. While we are on this day unable to make still images of this group, they allow us to film them during their tasks. The rest are standing to my left and she watches them as they watch her, all the time making three pieces of bread at the same time.

My friend tells me that she is able to place one on top of the fire, one inside the fire and one in her hand in preparation for the fire. Watching her as the camera records her movements proves this to be true.

From this home we move on to photograph a few children nearby, some of whom follow us from this home. It seems that they too want their portraits made but, without the men from their homes, are unable to do so.

Earlier in their history, the Banjara Community were known as the salt traders, moving this and other commodities from one part of India to another, going as far as China and Europe, even to the United States. Many consider them the ancestors of the Roma Community throughout Europe and of nomadic groups around the world.

The literal meaning of their name is: 'One who moves or wanders in the jungle.'

Soon, perhaps in the next two years, they will be a focus of my documentation more so.

The Humanitarian and the Model, Cuba and the States, February 14, 2011

2011-02-14T18:34:00.000-08:00

A more recent portrait of a most famous countenance, this one being made a few years after her first. She stands across the street from her grandmother's home, her hair freshly colored and dripping onto her neck, her shirt.

She stands strong, as in her first meeting with me. She is forever confident, beautiful and kind. Her features have been seen by countless, have affected and effected all having had the privilege of hearing her story.

Today, another wonderful woman walked into my office and shared a most wonderful gift with this Cuban girl. Without hesitation, she handed the gift along with the card to us. This she had in mind even before walking into the building. This wonderful woman has undergone extreme difficulty over the past two years under my care. She has remained courageous throughout and has shown me the face of appreciation.

Her words from the card are as follows:

I greatly appreciate all you have done for me. I also appreciate how you are using your God given talent to help the children of India. Please accept this gift as a token of my gratitude. I would be honored if you would use it to help 'your kids.'

Thank you for caring,

Sue

Helene, Model, Friend, Outside of Los Angeles, California, Fall, 2010

2011-02-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

While a few dozen models are contacted prior to my visit, perhaps a few including Helene follow through with our plan. Even though the weather is almost uncooperative throughout my visit, she is willing to allow for spontaneity and allow me to make her portrait.

On the day we are supposed to meet, it is both cloudy and cool in Los Angeles. We meet at Vasquez Rocks Natural Area Park, a location halfway between Los Angeles and Palmdale. The clouds are unforgiving and prevent us from making her portrait in the style desired.

Rather than giving up, she pushes forward and agrees to follow me to Palmdale where there is a better chance of seeing the sun. As we drive the twenty minutes to Palmdale the clouds disappear and the sun comes shining through. With some good fortune this will last for an hour or so and give us the chance to collaborate.

We take the first exit and head towards an area on top of a hill. We had planned on making images of Helene on a flat boulder in different meditation positions. What we have now is gravel and she courageously goes through her meditation regardless of dirt and her black attire.

As we end the session, she also allows me to make portraits of her in my envisioned style. The wind is blowing and the cold takes a hold of Helene. She warms up between frames and gives me a few rolls before we both call it a day.

She leaves me in wonderful spirits, knowing that her portrait will join the hundreds of women in my portfolio, that they will see a face from the West that also shares their features, those from the East.

Kate, Artist, Sister, Friend, North America, 2011

2011-02-04T05:51:00.000-08:00

Over the past two years we go back and forth, exchange messages now and then, starting conversations but never end them.

Then a few months ago, she sends an email to me as a start of another conversation, one that we are still having to this day. There is distance between us both in terms of land and in terms of generations. Regardless we speak in a common language, she understands this work fully.

She sees the girls in my portfolio as queens, as princesses. She understands the use of neutral backgrounds and just this past week decided to pursue the same in a tribute to the women in my portfolio.

Out of respect, she uses a male friend rather than a woman. She spends two hours of her time in the cold to make exquisite portraits, in the style of my work. She then waits until my arrival home to send me an excited message, to visit her blog and experience this surprise.

This young woman's name is Kate and she is a princess alongside the girls in my portfolio, we will continue the conversation this evening. Should you like to learn more about her, you may visit her blog below.

Kate Med Photography

Marie, Daughter, Friend, Model, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2011-01-28T19:42:00.000-08:00

During my time in Los Angeles, we exchange messages almost every single day.

She never gives up, never forgets about our collaboration.

One day we arrange to meet and time seems to get the best of us, we never do meet on that day.

Instead of walking away like so many, she responds to my messages. We talk about a few options and leave it to happenstance.

She is one of a handful that offer so many days to me. The temptation is there to take a couple of them even though it is certainly a selfish act, knowing that she is quite a busy person.

We agree on one day and, as it turns out, the day comes without complications. We meet at a corner coffee store and drive out to the agreed upon spot. Just like the rest of the week, clouds seem to be hanging over Los Angeles in a most unconventional manner.

We take a chance and make a few rolls at this spot, a rock formation called Vasquez Rocks. However it seems that the clouds threaten to come back and she kindly agrees to go further in search of clearer skies.

We drive perhaps twenty minutes to the other side of the mountains and find a peaceful spot, in a parking lot next to a white wall. We make a few rolls in between clouds just as the sun breaks through. While waiting for the sun we have wonderful, short conversations. She is just as comfortable in person as in front of the camera.

Instead of being just another face, she is a friend to me. She gives her time to me as well as her considerable modeling experience. She helps me feel at ease for keeping her from her life for this afternoon. We make one more roll and decide to drive back home. This has been an incredibly memorable afternoon, one filled with images to last a lifetime.

You may learn more about this incredible woman and see her portfolio as well below:

Marie D S

Vamptress LeeAnna, Another Snapshot, Outside Los Angeles, October, 2010

2011-01-23T14:12:00.000-08:00

She has been seen before on this blog, in color and now in black and white.

Just today she sent a most gentle greeting my way, all with the grace of a most genuine person.

She speaks of love in her message because she lives her life in such a way. From my limited experience with her and her wonderful boyfriend, it is clear to me that this is so.

Should you like to see more of LeeAnna and learn more about her other enterprises, you may follow the link below.

Vamptress

Young Model and Widow, Old Delhi, India, Zakat Foundation of India, November, 2008

2011-01-16T18:23:00.000-08:00

A young woman on this beautiful Sunday contacts me regarding the portrait above. According to her first message, the older woman above has been on her mind ever since she visited my website some time ago.

The young woman sending the message informs me that she has saved enough money to purchase the print. While many think that the prints sell easily, the simple fact is otherwise. There are few people from my experience that feel an affinity for the people in my portraits, enough so to make a purchase.

Perhaps it is difficult for most to look at such a portrait in their homes, safe havens from the troubles of the world. This young woman proves to be different with her first message and even more so with her second.

In response to my curiosity regarding her admiration of the older woman above, she writes:

'I have always felt a strong admiration towards people who have lived into old age. I feel that they hold wisdom to understanding life as to what it is, instead falling so deep into ourselves by living as though we will forever. Maybe it is from respect of my own grandparents, who have loved and raised me fully with their hearts. To me she is what I have loved and lived as a child in Ukraine..and to what my own mother was fortunate enough to escape. I am no different from her, as my fate was sealed through the hard work of my mother. Her face stays in my thoughts as does the life I left behind, for the passing of time is the only thing that separates us.'

Sixteen Stories, Cuba, Ethiopia, Lebanon, India, 2009-2010,

2011-01-09T19:26:00.000-08:00

Sixteen Stories from Halim Ina on Vimeo.

Above is an initial attempt to make a short film regarding the photography.

The musical piece is written and performed by Charles Mingus.

My hope is that his estate will allow the use of his musical masterpieces; this is the next step.

Bedouin Woman, Syrian, Bekaa Valley, Lebanon, Summer, 2009

2011-01-09T08:03:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while an older woman steps up for her portrait.

Most of the time my work deals with young girls for they are accessible in this culture. On this afternoon she walks right up to me in plain sight of everyone and makes everything that much easier.

Her row of tents was the first row photographed by me almost thirteen years ago in Lebanon. Most of the inhabitants still remember a young Lebanese man with a strange accent coming by with his camera, even my name. On this afternoon a dozen or so years later we make new images of children unborn at the time of my first visit.

This time around, digital images are also made and distributed a day later. This has proven to be a very positive step in the evolution of the work, enabling the people to see their portraits right away and in color, something almost everyone wants rather than black and white.

While we are photographing the children the woman sit down and watch. A few words are said to them in order to perhaps solicit their portraits, none of them being effective. Then for some reason she gets up, at first being somewhat shy perhaps due to the culture and perhaps due to her appearance. Her reaction draws giggles from the smaller girls but she nonetheless stands with the most beautiful, humorous and dignified manner.

The session goes on much smoother after her appearance and the younger girls feel less inhibited as a result. Did she want her portrait made or was she doing so for the sake of the younger girls? Only she knows the answer to this question.

Dawn and Trent, Arbore Boy, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, March, 2010

2011-01-02T15:01:00.000-08:00

An entry with this young boy from the Lower Omo Valley of Ethiopia has already been made.

This entry is about another story behind his portrait and has something to do with a wire motorcycle.

Before one of my flights within Ethiopia during this trip, the men were as usual going through my baggage and inspecting the bags and bags of film. A few other passengers were also questioned regarding their belongings, helping me feel a little bit less odd this time.

One such passenger was a man named Trent. He was questioned regarding a toy motorcycle he had purchased for his little son. For some reason, the security personnel felt the need to question this seemingly caring man regarding a gift for his son.

After we cleared security, we sat down for a little bit and chatted about our experiences. My photographic work had yet to begin and this flight was to take me to the Lower Omo Valley. We talked about the toy motorcycle and enjoyed the intricacy of its construction. It was completely made of wire and had all the details right down to the mirrors. The security people were also amazed it seems.

Trent and his friends seemed very interested in my photography, in the fact that nobody was with me and that my work was all on film rather than digital. We said our goodbyes and parted ways never to see each other again.

Then one day, just a month or so ago, an email arrived from a woman named Dawn. In a sweet, gentle way she explained that she was looking for a photographer and a dentist that lived in the States, one that had travelled to Ethiopia earlier this year and one that perhaps had met a man with a toy motorcycle in the airport. Since all of those facts applied to me, my answer was in the positive.

She then explained to me that her husband was touched deeply during his time in Ethiopia and that he would so appreciate one of my photographs from our mutual time in that country. She selected an image and kept all of this secret from her husband with the help of her dear friend Kelly.

In her own words:

'It was perfect!!! I wrapped the framed photo separately from your letter and a few notes from me. He opened the photo first, and the tears started even before he really understood the whole gift. He immediately recognized the little boy as someone from Ethiopia, and that was all it took. :) He then opened the other package, read your letter and asked in a somewhat "shocked" voice, "Is this the man I met in the airport?" I think it took him a minute to take it all in, but he absolutely loved. loved, loved it!!! And the print looks amazing matted and framed. Trent is excited to reconnect with you, and I'm sure will do so once the busy-ness of Christmas, birthdays, etc. subsides.'

'I really appreciate your help in putting together such a special gift for Trent. It's really a treasure, and I just knew that he'd love it!'

Thanks again,
Dawn

PS Trent hung his photo today. It's beautiful. He plans to have some of his own framed, and they'll hang alongside yours. :)

Pretty Poison, Model, Friend, Summer, 2010, Northeast Ohio, States

2010-12-31T17:05:00.000-08:00

On that same cold summer afternoon, Cassandra is there.

This is Scarlett's friend, the person who has set up this photographic session. She is kind enough to share her time with me and allow Scarlett to be photographed. When we meet in that parking lot, it is the parking lot of her friend's business.

We start by meeting each other at her home, a home reflecting her personality in every single way. She shows me kindness and courtesy. She and Scarlett bring an energy to the session that is refreshing, especially on this cold afternoon.

We begin our photography perhaps a few blocks from her home by searching for an appropriate wall. We are all included in this search and drive around looking for that wall. We find it and expose a few rolls at this spot, a small business as well.

We then move on to the spot that she had told me about a few weeks ago, even including images of the space for me to see. This is how organized and caring she is, how much she respects the collaboration.

As with Scarlett, she also awaits her portraits without worry or concern. She never sends me an inquiry but rather waits patiently knowing that much is on my photographic plate at this time. Just yesterday the portraits were sent to her, perhaps four months after our session. She sends me a note of gratitude immediately, perhaps within thirty minutes.

She also wishes me a very happy New Year. What a gem, what a gentle soul she is.

On my way back home after our photography, a friend calls me and tells me of a wedding reception on the West Side, a coincidence actually since the video camera is with me as well. The gathering is quite casual and a band is present. We set up the equipment and make a recording of the event for the groom, a friend as well.

Such is this afternoon and evening, just perfect in every way.

Her Model Mayhem page can be reached by clicking below.

Pretty Poison

Scarlett Von Sinn, Model, Friend, Northeast Ohio, Summer Day, 2010

2010-12-28T21:57:00.000-08:00

On a cold afternoon we make this image. The wind is blowing quite cool and the sun is perhaps one hour from disappearing. Three of us are working, two models and one photographer. While her portrait is being made, her friend waits in the car and warms up for her portrait.

The session occurs in the parking lot of a friend's business. We set up and use the white wall of the building as our background since our own is blowing in the wind. A spontaneous message a few days prior has made this day possible, in addition to the clarification that traveling to her area has been my intention all along. Her humility and courtesy had given her the impression that they would need to travel to my area and such was most difficult for her and her friend.

Many rolls are exposed, from different distances. In the end however, making her portrait from a closer distance allows me to document her ability to present the most subtle changes of expression. From one negative to another she displays this uncanny talent, so much so that my instinct is to load another roll of film and continue until the sun sets.

During the entire session, she is kind and courteous and without hesitation. Whatever is asked of her, whether to turn her head or to perhaps to look a certain direction, she does so in the most gentle of ways. She honors the people in my portfolio with every gesture, by wanting to be included in my portfolio rather than asking for something in return.

It has taken me almost four months to process her images and she has yet to express concern.

The camera rarely leaves my home in the States, for various reasons. Working with Sarah has given me more reason to do so in the future.

One may see her portfolio through the link below.

Scarlett Von Sinn

Student, Orphan, HIV/AIDS, MACODEF, Western Kenya, March, 2007

2010-12-26T20:36:00.000-08:00

So we walk from one school to another, from one town to another and from one church to another. One variable that seems less than variable is a shaved head. Almost every single child, especially the young, wears a shaved head.

The people from the foundation tell me that this is to lower the presence of lice. While most do come to school shaved, a few children have a considerable amount of hair. The same people from the foundation tell me that certain families are better situated financially and are able to maintain their children's hygiene more easily. Should they be able to prove such care, then their child is able to retain their hair.

On one occasion, we walk by a home where a mother is shaving her child's head with a razor blade. She is holding the blade in her bare hand and coating her child's head in soap water. The shaving occurs over a tub of water and the child holds herself extremely still. The sound of the blade against bare skin is similar to sand paper on metal.

She notices us to the side, smiles and continues with the shave without a second's hesitation.

According to the Mayo Clinic:

Lice are tiny, wingless, parasitic insects that feed on your blood. Lice are easily spread — especially by schoolchildren — through close personal contact and by sharing belongings.

Orphan, Schoolchild, HIV/AIDS, MACODEF, Western Kenya, March, 2007

2010-12-19T20:55:00.000-08:00

Driving from one spot to another, a scene is to become more and more familiar to me: coffins lined up on the side of the road for sale, some obviously small enough for children.

In this part of Kenya, orphans are orphans because of an epidemic called HIV/AIDS. In school after school visited, the first children to be photographed with the help of MACODEF are the orphans under their sponsorship.

These children know little about wars, conflicts and so on. They know all too much about the violence perpetrated on their social fabric by this epidemic. At the time of this child's birth, one out of every ten women in this region is infected with HIV/AIDS.

According to many estimates, the population living with HIV/AIDS in Kenya is third in number behind South Africa and Nigeria. With an active HIV/AIDS population near 1,500,000 living within its borders, the number of orphans in Kenya has increased to 1,200,000.

The young child above is one such example of the ongoing struggle with the epidemic. On this beautiful morning, we arrive early in order to photograph the youngest of the students. The previous day we photographed the older students.

All of the children are wearing sweaters due to the coolness of the morning. They stand up on a chair while the teachers help with their clothing. My position is below them and in a ditch so as to give me a lower angle. The portraits are made with the sky behind them, this is true for the girls.

We make perhaps three to four portraits per child and then move onto the next student. Each child takes off their shoes prior to standing on the chair. The respect between student and teacher is immense.

We finish our work for the morning and then move on to the next school, where the students will be waiting patiently for our arrival, a population that will tragically include a number of orphans as a result of HIV/AIDS.

2010-12-13T20:44:00.000-08:00

Issue #04- December 2010

by Giuseppina Magazine on Monday, December 13, 2010 at 7:46pm

With the release of the December winter issue approaching, I'd like to take a moment to briefly voice some of my thoughts and feelings towards the upcoming issue. While some information will be contained, and kept exclusive to the authenticity of the release I'd like to simply start off by saying how grateful and privileged I am to have developed the community of artists and fanbase here via Giuseppina Magazine. I truly appreciate all who've contributed as well as helped launch Giuseppina by consistently promoting and advertising us! Giuseppina started off as a thought, just a thought to help promote and expose undiscovered and non-published, deserving talent alongside their peers and alike industry leaders. The magazine took flight with our debut release in June of 2010, and it is now widely described by a diverse range of individuals as "beautiful."

As Giuseppina Magazine continues to grow larger, our concepts will vary from our usual artistic thematic to concepts honing more substance. The December winter issue is the first of several issues that will serve as a substantial mark in making a statement. Without further ado, I'm proud to announce our headlining feature, Halim Ina. I was fortunate enough to come across Halim's work in my searches; a brilliant photographer who travels the world, documenting our brothers and sisters. His images simply encapsulate the energy of both the youth and elders prominent in the countries and villages he visits. Unlike so very few in the industry, he uses his photography as a tool to generate awareness, sharing his experiences and imagery with people across the world. I was so inspired in reviewing his work, that I also wanted to share it. Giuseppina Magazine was my solution. In collaboration with Halim Ina Photography, we are bringing something new to Giuseppina Magazine! I hope our fans are eager for more information on the release, and enjoy the cover preview of what's to come!

The issue #04 cover features a beautiful young girl from Havana, Cuba. The image was photographed in 2005. Below are some brief words from Halim Ina, about the image and experience:

"One warm evening at the end of a photographic day, we were resting at my friend's home when his son returned from a day of play. My friend then asked his son to gather a specific neighbor for me to see. Even in the darkness of the room the brilliance of her eyes was more than evident. We talked to her father and he agreed to allow us her portrait the next day.

We arrived the next day to make her portrait and noticed that she had just returned from the beach, still in her bikini. We arranged a place across from the Malecon in front of her home and set up our gear. We made a dozen exposures and then arranged to meet the next day for another session at her grandmother's home. For the very first time in my photography, a second session was arranged after the first.

We arrived that next day and saw her with her hair perfectly made. She had a way about her, immediately willing to allow us her portrait on more than one occasion. Her nature is calm and endearing. We made her portrait on the side of the road and also went to a neighbor's home to make her third portrait while seated on a mosaic floor.

In the five years since her first portrait, she has allowed me every single time to photograph her, five times in all. During my latest visit this past summer, she invited us back for a second session, one that was most appreciated because of her clear understanding of my work. She has now become a young woman and makes the decision to be a part of my work independent of her parents while of course having their permission.

She lives with her mother, stepfather and grandfather, along with two siblings from her mother's recent marriage. The family lives in a small, one-room apartment just outside of Havana. She is in school at this time and, when asked, responded that one of her aspirations in life is to become a model.

Every time we leave, she stands at the door waving her hands. She never allows us to leave without a kiss on the cheek and without her sweet words. This is a young woman who is aware of her surroundings, of herself and of the people that love her. This last category includes the masses of people that have seen her portrait and the photographer responsible for making it."

Please stay tuned for the official release towards the end of the month!

Thank you,

Jessica Rowell

Editor in Chief

Giuseppina-Magazine

Young Woman, Model, Somewhere West of Habana, Cuba, 2008

2010-12-07T08:38:00.000-08:00

People often ask: is this a studio portrait?

Since this portrait is from my experience, it is often difficult to see it from the viewer's point of view. The young woman above has never walked into a professional studio and lacks access to such a luxury.

On our way to the Baracoa, we notice a few farmers working the land. We step out of our rental car and ask permission to make their portraits. They accept graciously and all three of us proceed with our photography. My two friends, both of whom are Cuban, walk around with their 35mm cameras and make portraits of the home, the land and the people.

My camera and tripod are put into place and the first of the portraits is made from a low angle, leaving the blue sky as the background. A few older men are photographed as well as one older woman. In the process, some children gather and their portraits are made. We are near the main road and are visible to others from the area, including the young girl above. She walks over with a friend of the same age and watches as portraits are being made, clearly showing a desire to join in the photography. We ask her to ask her parents and then we proceed to make her portrait.

She is in her element, comfortable in front of her family and neighbors. Her poses are natural and her expressions candid. She tells us that she is visiting her family for the summer and lives in the outskirts of Habana for the rest of the year where she attends school.

We ask her friend to be photographed and she is a bit shy to do so. We finish our work, bid our farewell to everyone and then get back on the road.

In hindsight, perhaps the portrait could have been made to include the background, perhaps the image could have had a more inclusive style. In the end, the choice to exclude the background and focus on the person in the portrait was made, therefore producing a portrait in the style of a studio.

In the end, what is a studio?

We made our own studio that wonderful afternoon, on the side of the road and in the company of brothers and sisters. Others will have agents, contracts, make up artists, hair stylists and a large circle of professional assistants. We had each other, a camera and the sky. For my part, this is a most preferred set of circumstances.

Mursi Man, Earrings, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, March, 2010

2010-11-30T10:09:00.000-08:00

He walks over from under a tree for his portrait, along with the rest of the men. The sun is behind me to the left, we have two hours of light left before we need to start back on the road to the motel. The trouble with the truck forces us to leave the engine running, the noise becoming a part of the background by now.

One by one, the men take their turns. Some of them smile, some of them refrain from doing so. A few bring their rifles, a few others brandish their swords. They have seen me before in the form of other photographers and appear quite comfortable.

During my day with this Mursi Community, tourists come and go. They get out of their air-conditioned vehicles for the standard dozen or so photographs, haggling over the price a few portraits that in the end are less than the bottle of water in their other hand. The lack of courtesy shown surprises me very little for the most part, for these tourists barely look my way as well. They remind me of others from their Society that walk past me in the airports, in the streets, in the coffee shops; barely lifting their heads from the bright screens to notice my presence then either.

One man approaches me however. He is this group's tour guide. He has seen enough and walks away for a break from the excess. He notices me and starts a conversation. He is quite friendly, telling me about his work as a tour guide and the number of visits to Ethiopia before this present one.

He then asks me about my ethnicity, about my history. His face turns to curiosity when he learns of my Lebanese descent and time spent in Lebanon during the Civil War. He inquires as to the exact location of my family. When he learns the answer, he smiles slightly and tells me that he has been to that city.

Knowing his background as an Israeli, my guess is that his time in Lebanon was under the occupation of my country by his nation. He confirms this and tells me of his time in the armed forces during the Egyptian conflict as well. His face is transformed at this time, he tells me of one difference between the two conflicts: during the Egyptian affair, if a missile missed its target it might have struck the natural landscape behind that target... but during the invasion of Lebanon, if a missile missed its primary target it might have struck the urban landscape behind that target, quite possibly a civilian series of casualties.

At that moment, he says something completely unexpected, that he has never had respect for his government's decision to invade Lebanon and to engage forces within the population in such a manner. He extends his hand as a sign and we shake hands in the middle of a foreign nation. Here is a man that might have pointed a rifle at my family in Lebanon, telling me of his sorrow for the act, and then sharing his humanity with me years after the incident.

All the while the women from this village are walking around and trying to sell their crafts to the people under his guidance, pieces ranging from woven baskets to clay lip plates. We talk for a few minutes more until his tourists are finished with their snapshots. We bid each other farewell and he returns to a home on the other side of a border from my family.

It is on this day that the portrait above is made, hours after the conversation with the former Israeli soldier.

Girl with Shawl, Daughter of a Prostitute, Nirvanavan Foundation, Rajasthan, India, 2009

2010-11-23T19:14:00.000-08:00

Is she really that? Does that define her?

Do her aunts still trade sex for money? Are her uncles the pimps behind these transactions?

Can a Society calling itself a democracy allow this to happen in plain view? Are the police aware?

Do the neighbors think of them as the lowest in the Society while they pay for their services?

Does she have a chance in this dark world? Can there be a future for humanity with this in mind?

How much pain has she seen? How many of her sisters have been sent away for money?

When she plays in the alley in front of her home, is she only a wall away from the truth?

Does she perhaps already know her sisters' reality? Does she believe it is hers?

Are there men that believe being with her will cure them of their sexually transmitted illness?

What payment will they make? What price will she pay? What has Society lost?

Does anyone care?

Only the answer to the last question is clear to me. It is one reason for her smile.

She will survive, she will overcome her destiny.

Lacey and Will, Just outside of Los Angeles County, October, 2010

2010-11-20T07:01:00.000-08:00

Although most of the sessions are arranged prior to the visit, a few women contact me throughout my time in California. The young woman above is one such example. Through an announcement on ModelMayhem, she responds with a sincere desire to collaborate.

We arrange to meet within a day or two just outside of Los Angeles County. It has been cloudy all week and raining as well. Everyone tells me that they have never seen such weather in their area. This gives me the feeling that they almost feel responsible for it. A silver lining is that once outside of the county and over the mountains, the weather is usually clear, thus the reason for our meeting in this area.

We meet and then drive perhaps fifteen minutes further in order to place ourselves under the sun. A large white wall is found next to a supermarket and we proceed to make her portrait. Lacy for her part is calm and soft-spoken. She follows instructions beautifully and even though her eyes are very sensitive to the sun, she maintains a positive attitude and allows us to continue our work under the brilliant, blue skies.

She tells me of her dance background and we decide to make a series of portraits with this in mind. She changes from one outfit to another without a single complaint and her husband shows his support throughout, with ideas and with words. Working with them is a delight and we end by exchanging information and two prints to remind them of the photographic family that they have just joined.

Krys, Model, Storyteller, Vasquez Rocks, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2010-11-14T21:17:00.001-08:00

Some respond once, few do more than this during my visit to California.

Many talk regarding their humanity, few demonstrate it.

Most make arrangements, few keep them.

Such is the case with the young woman above. One morning we set up to photograph, only to cancel at the last moment due to car trouble. The difference in her case is that she is awake early enough in the morning to give me a call. The difference is that she arranges another meeting and makes sure to show up, on her own and determined to collaborate.

She has a vision, she wants to express her experience through portraiture. She is humble enough to share time with someone else in front of the lens, another model already present, and she is focused enough to produce the portrait desired within twenty minutes. She is able to express her emotion on film and with four other people watching, in a public space.

Every single one of her portraits, the ones viewed on color positive film so far, are perfect.

After the session, she decides to climb a rocky formation and have her portrait made by Bailey from a distance. She sees this climb as yet another accomplishment and does so with the smile of a little girl. She is an inspiration to us all and we applaud her strength, both in her ability to tell her story through photography and to climb an incline many would decline.

Vamptress LeeAnna, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2010-11-13T20:51:00.000-08:00

One month before my visit to California, a few dozen messages are sent to models in and around Los Angeles and San Francisco. Out of those few dozen messages, two dozen responses are received. Out of those two dozen responses, a handful respond in the manner of the young woman above.

Her name is LeeAnna. As my messages are sent out her messages arrive. She is precise and dedicated to the thought of our collaboration. She reaches out to other models in my list, shares with them her vision. She never gives up, even after two then three then four models fade out of communication.

On the very day that we are to photograph, a model informs me of her cancellation as we are driving to the location. It seems that her boyfriend feels that this location is secluded even though it is a popular park and tourists abound in addition to the park authorities. The compassion that LeeAnna shows me and my work erases such negative experiences for me and restores my faith in humanity.

She has photographed with accomplished photographers, has worked on extensive projects. Yet she makes the time to meet me almost two hours away from her home, without a hair stylist or a make-up artist on location. She agrees to be photographed in the sun and with the wind in her hair. We select one location only to find clouds over that location. We then make a spontaneous decision to meet at another location, near a place called Mormon's Rocks. All this is done while driving separately from different locations.

We meet at the local McDonald's and look around only to see clouds again. My experience, although limited in the area, tells me that the sun will be shining twenty minutes further up the highway. With an unlimited sense of faith in the project, LeeAnna and her wonderful companion decide to follow me in search of light. We drive twenty or so minutes and find that sun, albeit in between clouds.

We take an exit and drive to find a neutral background. We park on the side of a building and organize ourselves, me with my equipment and LeeAnna with her attire. We make close portraits of her, waiting for the sun in between clouds to shine. We are fortunate to be able to expose a few rolls and then decide to make full body images. A small electrical box serves the function of a stand and brave LeeAnna stands on top of it for the last series of images.

She is proud, she is elegant in her stances. In the middle of suburban sprawl, she shows us a most beautiful spirit, shows the other girls and women in my portfolio their sister from California. She looks past all of the buildings, all of the plazas. She looks to her compatriots in Asia and in Africa, shares with them her smile and her strength.

She is an inspiration to me, to them.

We conclude our session and cannot find enough words to thank each other. This most beautiful of women and her companion on this day have shown me the meaning of friendship, of kindness and of love. This will be shared with the others in my portfolio, they will feel it through her portraits.

Magdalena, Woman, Daughter, Model, Friend, Los Angeles, California, October, 2010

2010-11-02T20:01:00.000-07:00

The time in Los Angeles is filled with mixed emotions. On the one hand, this is the first time more than a weekend is spent in the States with photography. On the other hand, it is one week away from doing work overseas.

Will the models show up? Will they have the same enthusiasm as girls never exposed to a camera? Will they share a bond with the women in my portfolio?

These questions are answered one woman at a time, one session at a time. The portrait above is an example of an affirmative to all of the above.

Magdalena shows up every single time, working with me on three occasions. She does as is asked of her, she offers her ideas seamlessly and moves in a most free fashion. She climbs boulders with bare feet, changes into different outfits without hesitation, loves the color black and brings emotions my camera has yet to experience.

When we have time, we talk. She shares with me a little bit about her life, one detail at a time. She learns from me that these details will be shared with the girls in my portfolio. The girls in India, Lebanon, Ethiopia, Cuba and elsewhere will learn her story, will see her portrait.

One afternoon after driving back to her neighborhood, instead of thanking me and then departing, she takes time from her busy evening to have dinner with me at a local spot. Instead of joining her friends immediately, she takes the time to have a real conversation with me over a sandwich, a conversation formed out of mutual interest.

The women from photographic sessions in Los Angeles and San Francisco are wonderful examples of humanity; they give of their time and of their talent for the sake of girls on the other side of the world. While many models drop the lines of communication and fail to show up after being confirmed, many more do show up and place their stamp upon my work beautifully.

They are admired by me and respected by the spirits in my portfolio. They prove to me the worth of the past two weeks in California.

Orphan Child, MACODEF, Western Kenya, March, 2006

2010-10-27T20:27:00.000-07:00

In four weeks images from the States will be shared alongside images such as the one above.

The past three months have been filled with portraits from the States, with the last two weeks being spent in California. The impetus behind such work is to include faces and spirits from the West alongside the portraits from the East.

The girls from Ethiopia will be able to see women with similar features from California; the girls from India will be able to share their smiles with women from Ohio. Similarities will be as evident as differences, perhaps more so.

In soliciting models from the States, many lessons are learned. While some models dismiss the work through their lack of response, many accept my portraits with nothing short of love. They give of themselves, they donate their time for the sake of sharing their portraits with sisters in my portfolio.

Being accustomed to working with a team of designers and hair stylists, these very women show up with their own wardrobe and a most humble presentation. They understand my work without having ever met me. In four weeks the first images from California will be presented alongside the images from Ohio, images of women whose understanding of my work is without parallel.

In my own backyard faces have been found, lessons learned.

Miss Dayna, Daughter, Sister, Model, Orange County, California, October 14, 2010

2010-10-15T08:20:00.000-07:00

This is my second day in California photographing women from the West to put alongside their sisters from the East. A young woman named Miss Dayna visits with us and allows her portrait to be shared with the people in my portfolio; she is especially taken by the young Dasanech girl in the above portrait and chooses her print to take home with her at the beginning of the session.

The young woman from Orange County is anything but a stranger. She sends me a note in response to seeing my portraits and immediately accepts to have her portrait made. Even though she is leaving the very next day for a tour of the East Coast through her modeling, she gives of herself for almost four hours today for the sake of her sisters in my portfolio.

She is happy to learn that we want to drive to her area and provides us with a place to photograph according to our specifications. While waiting for her to finish a few necessary tasks for the next day, we decide to drive around a little bit and find a natural setting for her portraits. We drive up to a spot and see a perfect, small hill. We decide to turn into the park and find it to be completely accessible.

So we contact Miss Dayna only to find out that the park is her childhood park, that she grew up playing in this very space. She is so happy to learn of our choice and arrives a few minutes later, ready and completely prepared with a perfect wardrobe, dark and simple.

We work for the next three hours, climbing hills and going between dry bushes with sharp edges. She braves all of it with the most ethereal of smiles. While the sun is shining strong, she maintains her gentle nature, always laughing and keeping the session light and professional. She is to be greatly respected and has now joined the family of portraits she has so admired.

The women in my portfolio will soon see her portrait, her spirit and, most importantly, her smile.

What a gentle soul!

At the end of our session, she learns of the fact that we have never visited an In-N-Out. After a few questions, she immediately plans out our order and organizes a trip to the nearest location. We follow her on the highway for two exits and end up having a wonderful dinner together. She has the curiosity of a young girl and just smiles from ear to ear at our reactions. What a meal!

At times the photography takes on a life of its own, this afternoon was one of those days in great thanks to Miss Dayna.

Upcoming Visit to California, Connection with the Girls in Portfolio, October, 2010

2010-10-09T20:56:00.000-07:00

The past two weeks have been spent corresponding with women, models from the West Coast. Thoughts have been passed back and forth, concepts exchanged regarding a photographic collaboration.

Most of these wonderful women are professional models, earning their wages from their profession. All of these generous women have offered to give their portraits on behalf of the girls in my portfolio, to share with the a glimpse of their world. Without hesitation they did so. In four days, the photography begins.

For me at least, the thought of placing faces usually found on the covers of fashion magazines next to faces never before seen outside of their villages is a motivation. Another is to show an album to the girls that consists of their faces next to women with similar features but from a world far away, women that have taken the time to learn about them and to give their portraits for their various causes.

My hope is to come back with faces like the one above, with expressions very much the same.

Young Girl, Habana, Cuba, Woman, Letter, States, 2010

2010-09-29T15:52:00.000-07:00

Every once in a while, someone from the world of the internet sends a note my way.

With every one of these notes, my perception of the world around me improves.

The message included below arrived unsolicited and as a reaction to the images in my portfolio. It is better to refrain from analysis and present the words to you as they were presented to me.

'Your photos have reminded me that i am so privileged. Ive never traveled to India or Africa but i traveled to mexico in the past. Of course there was the beautiful tourist spots but then there were the areas where it was shocking to me to see what some have to live through and go through everyday when i am just handed everything Ive ever needed.'

'Modeling is new to me and is inspirational, two weeks ago i was unable to walk. For a year i had to deal with horrible debilitating pain. The last few months i had to start using a wheelchair. thanks to a surgeon and for having medical insurance i am now walking again and once again feeling beautiful. I feel like my life has just begun.'

'Not meaning to tell you my life story, i just wanted to let you know that photos really did touch me, i wasn't just saying that to be kind.'

'I now know to appreciate what you have, because you never know how important it is until its gone. Including being able to walk.'

When asked to select an image to go along with her words, she responded with a most humble request, that this image be chosen by me. This in my opinion speaks volumes of this young woman, speaks of her overall love of all people and her preference to leave that selection to the person that made the portraits himself.

Hopefully in the near future an opportunity presents itself for us to collaborate in making her portrait. Then the young girl in the picture above can see the woman whose life has been affected by her story.

Man, Beard, Jacket, Church, MACODEF, Rural Kenya, March, 2007

2010-09-26T20:52:00.000-07:00

When we first arrive to the area, nobody is standing around. A few men with tools walk by as part of an environmental group organized by the foundation. The sun is still high and we decide to spend some time in the pastor's home until people start to come by. They have been told of our planned photographic visit in advance.

We sit inside the home, being watched by the children intently. Spoken word is unnecessary, expressions are the norm. The children express to me the desire to go outside. There, they carry on with their games and are content with the new audience. The girls take up the game as well and play with the boys. The game consists of a small bag that is a substitute for a ball. They try to keep it away from each other, in a game of tag.

An hour or so later, people start to line up. We are provided with a table and a bench. The representative from the foundation takes a seat behind the table and begins to write names down. All is so organized. The women are allowed to be photographed first, with some resistance from a few men, very little resistance though in comparison to the other countries visited by me in the past and since then as well.

The line extends perhaps fifteen meters at first. Each person takes their place in front of the camera and give me a minute of their time, then move on to tell the representative their name. We use a local church as the backdrop, the wall is pure white. We photograph the women first, then the girls and then the men and boys.

The man above walks up with a wonderful jacket. We make a few portraits and then decide to make some changes, his styling is just wonderful. We make more portraits and then he walks away back to his village.

As we finish our work, a wedding commences inside; song and celebration can be hear clearly since windows are lacking. The thought of documenting the event crosses my mind, then fades away along with the sounds of the singing as we walk away in peace.

A Conversation With Athena, September 18, 2010

2010-09-18T18:08:00.000-07:00

There are times when this most limited form of communication breeds understanding. Such is tonight, when a young woman named Athena sends me a note regarding the above portrait.

In her message, she speaks of being inspired by the young Mursi girl, of seeing her as a female even before clicking on the tiny thumbnail, of seeing strength and beauty through her portrait. Finding new inspiration in her, she calls her 'mi Reina.'

We exchange a few messages, each one longer than the one prior.

She is humbled by the portraits, spends much time going through them. In her words:

'Thank you so much. Your kind words have filled my painful day with light and happiness... thank you again for considering working with me. It is truly an honor to stand beside them, knowing all our hardships and days of pain are not forgotten but which memories bring strength to shine through our gleaming eyes and bright faces.'

She responds beautifully to my desire to photograph her and to place her next to her new inspiration. Her humility, obvious through her words and through her immediate responses, is an example to be respected and admired. Instead of writing a few empty words in her responses, she shares a flourish of thoughts, of graceful comments.

Often times when responding to one's comments on ModelMayhem or elsewhere, a response from the sender fails to appear. For some reason, it seems to be more the rule than the exception. For gentle Althea, responding to my messages is as natural as responding to an old friend. She writes with a fluidity that comes with familiarity. The astonishing variable here is that we have just met.

She defines love for me.

She shares her trust without asking for anything in return. When asked for permission to use her words, she responds with 'yes you may.'

For a closer look at this marvelous young woman, click here and see for yourself.

In closing, she takes the time to send me a thank you as noted below:

'thank you. Zikomo kwambiri
thank you. Gracias
thank you. Yewo chomene
thank you. Barka
thank you. Dua Netjer en ek
thank you. Alla magah
thank you. Gaza yagabzal yushen
thank you. Danko
thank you. Imena
thank you. Tamemmirt
thank you. Kazaare
thank you. Mwebare
thank you. Asante sana
thank you. Nandee
thank you. Sabkaa
thank you. Dhanyawaatha
thank you. Abhari ahi
thank you. Galatoomii
thank you. Tampi asiq
thank you. Nitumezi
thank you. Rumba nandri
thank you. Nangreeih
thank you. Tamara krutagntha
thank you. Siyabonga

a million times thank you.
in all languages to all people.
thank you.'

Girls 4 Schools, Short Video Presentation, Humana People to People, Rajasthan, India, 2009

2010-09-12T21:12:00.000-07:00

Girls 4 Schools from Halim Ina on Vimeo.

This is an attempt to reach out to you, friends and colleagues alike, to gain as much support as possible regarding a certain topic. We are trying to pair a dozen schools in the States with a dozen schools in India, sponsor them in short.

Should you know of a school, better yet an energetic teacher, then please do share your thoughts with us. A school in India can be supported by $1,500 per year at a minimum, basically a few dozen chocolate chip cookie sales!

As a dentist, you can count on me to purchase at least half of that amount at your next sale, regardless of cavities!

You have my gratitude in advance for watching, my hope that we can collaborate in the future.

Karo Man, Headrest, Paint, Feather, Lower Omo Valley, Ethiopia, March, 2010

2010-09-11T15:40:00.000-07:00

On the eve of this image, we camp an hour away from this village. The hour can be attributed to the fact that a road is lacking. A rough path is what guides us to this man's home.

He belongs to the Karo Community and lives on the east bank of the Omo River. With a population ranging between 1,000 to 1,500, the survive growing sorghum, beans and maize. They are well-known for beautifying themselves with chalk, charcoal and other materials.

The women in this community produce scars on their body in order to augment this beautification process while the men do the same thing but for a different reason, the killing of an enemy or a dangerous animal. The women also prepare their hair with a mixture of clay and organic material, giving it a most beautiful appearance.

This man carries a headrest, one that he uses when lying down so as to keep his head from touching the ground. This headrest also doubles as a small chair.

We arrive on this hot day after camping out nearby. After this morning, my friends decide that seven days without a meal for me is enough and decide to take me to a hospital four hours away. Before the drive however, we make magnificent portraits, both in color and in black and white. Due to a physical weakness this morning, the truck is parked right behind me, protecting me from the sun. A seat is also provided for me to sit upon, allowing me to manage the still and video cameras with ease and without exhaustion.

The portrait above is a still from the video camera.

We have a short discussion with the men and begin the photography after agreeing on a price for the portraits. In the Lower Omo Valley, negotiations are always necessary and a price is to be fixed prior to the photography. This community, like the rest, are used to tourists and requires an amount for each portrait, as well as an entrance fee for their village.

They are unsure of my work since it requires a dozen exposures for each person at times. We agree that a higher price is to be paid in exchange for the possibility that more is needed by me. We advise them that, for most, the payment will actually be higher. This is the balance that is struck.

We photograph the men first, followed by the elders and then the younger men. In this village, the children seem missing and we walk away without any younger portraits. We drive to the next location, four hours away and with the thought that a good doctor will be waiting on the other end of this drive to improve my condition for the remainder of my time in Ethiopia.

Shannon, Daughter, Student, Model, Cleveland, Ohio, States, July, 2010

2010-09-10T16:29:00.000-07:00

Her profile states her location as being Cleveland.

In the end, the drive to her family's home takes over one hour, a most refreshing one hour. Upon arriving, her family welcomes me as they would welcome a family member. They take me on a tour of the property to find a location for our session, then hand me a cool glass of freshly-made grapefruit juice, by far the most delicious version of this juice in my life.

Four generations of women are present, with Shannon being the youngest. A most conservative and humble family, they open themselves up to my work without hesitation. Her grandmother walks around with a large bowl of popcorn, something she just adores they tell me.

They are most supportive during the session, offering to me multiple glasses of juice and water. They help me carry the equipment in the beginning and at the end of our evening. Their support is also evident in Shannon's ease with the camera. For this young woman to present herself so to a stranger shows how confident she is with her family.

We begin photographing when the sun is weak, believing that this is all we will have. Slowly over an hour's time, the clouds disappear and the sun shines brightly. We move quickly to make portraits with different pieces of clothing. We then move a table to an open area and she takes her place on its top for the remainder of the portraits.

The images above are from the end of the session. The poses, the expressions are all her own. She is a most creative spirit, taking on a new position with almost every single shutter release. We work until the sun is almost down, giving us enough time to sit down for a wonderful chat, to a most delicious watermelon and locally made ice cream. All this is offered without hesitation and with a kindness natural to this family.

We talk about my travels, about their community, for perhaps an hour.

The people in my portraits never get to see such an American family. Their view of the States filters through the television, through the newspapers. With Shannon's portrait, they will experience people just like them, people connected to the land, communities that work with their hands and understand the value of a day's hard labor.

She has made my portfolio that much better.

Sene'a, Friend, Model, Daughter, Cleveland, Ohio, States, July, 2010

2010-09-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

We meet through ModelMayhem and arrange to collaborate at the end of the day. The sun is shining and we drive around looking for a place to make portraits. After a few detours, we find a spot and walk to the end of an open, abandoned space to arrange our equipment.

Her equipment consists of a black sheet she has purchased for our collaboration. This to me is refreshing, for at times choices hamper rather than aid the session. She arranges the sheet on herself beautifully and we go on to make a series of portraits with the sheet in different positions.

Sene'a is quite comfortable with herself, posing in an open space with little more than this black sheet. This is our first meeting and the trust she shares with me mirrors the trust that the people overseas show me. She understands the project and its intentions, giving of herself without asking for anything in return, even waiting until my return from two overseas trips before receiving her portraits.

During these overseas visits, the people of my projects witness her portraits, commenting on her grace and her beauty. They marvel at seeing a darker American, one of such beautiful features. They are normally subjected to a different version of Western beauty and find something refreshing in seeing Sene'a.

She is a sister to them now, for they have come to adore her.

Ebon, Daughter, Sister, Friend, Cleveland, Ohio, States, July, 2010

2010-08-08T10:17:00.000-07:00

Ebon decides to come along with her sister for support, her sister being a model.

She ends up being photographed as well, as natural as the subjects from Asia and Africa.

In describing the people in my portfolio, a dear friend named Edith writes the following:

'A wonderful, exotic piece of wood, a hunk of wood from a tree that has not yet made my acquaintance, from a forest not yet discovered by man or woman, perhaps on a few colorful lizards, a slice of wood cut in an unusual way that exposes a grain pattern previously unseen except by a bolt of lightening that split it in that particular way back in 1837, a hunk of wood shaped around a burl produced by a temporary insect transplant...'

'Not just any piece of wonderful wood, you understand...'

Edith is describing someone else, yet her words come to mind in sharing my thoughts of Ebon.

It is my humble opinion that Edith would feel the same way.

By the way, Edith is a Certified Picture Framer and a link to her work is included here.

While of course my opinion is biased, her work nonetheless is exquisite.