I spent this weekend at a small medical clinic in Southern India that caters to the “Untouchables”. Of India’s billion people, over 150 million are considered sub-human and are denied basic health care and services. This hospital, while open to everyone, has a specific focus on serving those who have nowhere else to go.
The stories of the people I met were equal parts tragedy and triumph. One woman wept openly as she explained that she found out she was HIV positive only after her husband died of AIDS. Because of the stigma of HIV, her family kicked her and her children out of their home and took away all of their possessions. With no family or government support she decided was suicide her only real option.
Remarkably, the staff at this little rural medical clinic found her, took her in, and provided both medical and emotional support for her. Today her HIV is being controlled by diet, medication, and a supportive network of caregivers. Now she works at the clinic and is a unique and powerful blessing to the many chronically ill patients.
This was one of the many stories from this weekend that made me want to both cry and shout for joy.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010 Posted in travel
Sunday, January 31, 2010 Posted in travel
I’m back in India – this time in Chennai (formally Madras). Even though I’m here for work, India is far too photogenic to leave my camera gear at home.
I spent the afternoon fending off jetlag and wandering around temples – hoping for a few decent images to get the cobwebs out. How fortunate I felt when I walked into Kapaleashwarar Temple, home of the Hindu god Shiva. This afternoon the temple had a ceremony where Shiva is paraded out of the temple and through the surrounding neighborhood. Good light, great colors, passionate people – it just doesn’t get better than this.
As colorful as Shiva being carried on devotees shoulders was, my favorite image from this afternoon is this one – graffiti in Hindi and English on the window of a church. I’ve no idea why I like it – maybe it’s the color, maybe it’s the implied social commentary, maybe it’s just because I’m back in India with a camera again!
Ten years ago I photographed the Monarch Butterfly migration near Santa Cruz, California. At the time it was common to see fifty thousand butterflies together. Today I couldn’t find a single one. Apparently they are around – a park ranger said they counted about 100 in the entire park. The decline from last year alone is 96%.
It’s easy to ignore melting polar ice caps, and dying Amazon frogs because they are so far away. This is less than an hour from my house – way too close to home.
Clearly there aren’t simple answers to the current climate crisis. This isn’t a reason to keep doing nothing. It’s enough to make me an (even more) rabid environmentalist.
On a happier note I went out with the wonderful folks at Sanctuary Cruises to look for whales and dolphins. At least we still have them … for now …
2009 was an interesting year for me. While my technique certainly improved, many questions came up around where I want my photography to go. The one thing that became clear is that to continue improving, I need to focus – currently I flit between landscape, wildlife, and travel. I’m not saying that will I only do one type of photography, but to really get better I need to dig in to and invest in one.
My goal for 2010 is to really embrace travel photography. In particular I want to focus on cultural storytelling. I’ll be in India in February and Kenya in June – there will be lot’s of stories to tell.
Despite the questions of 2009, I did come up with a set of images that I feel pretty good about.
Dha Hanu Monestary, Himalayas
Massai Warrior, Kenya
Mesquite Dunes, Death Valley
Elephant Seal, Ano Neuvo
Young Monks after Morning Prayer
Blue Monkey, Kenya
Tufa at Night, Mono Lake
Women at Sikh Temple, New Delhi
Qtub Banar Tomb, New Delhi
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