I read a lot of arguing back and forth on forums regarding one camera vs. another in terms of their capabilities and performance such as high ISO performance, low light capabilities, etc, etc, etc.  Well, here’s an actual test site that may shed some real, fact-based light into these arguments.

As one grows up in the first world, they learn to see the developing world as exotic lands of vibrant color and fantastic ceremonies.  I recall that for a grade school project I made a large cut-out of the African continent, and populated it with carefully detailed stand up paper people, all dressed in their traditional local costumes, as copied from the encyclopedia.  I marveled at the variations in dress, and how each country had its own unique outfit.

This viewpoint continues on well into adulthood, encouraged by travel brochures showing smiling local people in their indigenous dress, and every traveler with a camera aims to capture those same shots on their journey (see previous post for a couple of my examples).  But after spending just a little bit of time in a developing country, one learns that these types of images are far from the “truth.”  The ones who still wear the colorful traditional outfits are almost always the poorest and most politically ignored segment of a country’s population.  Though they often smile and laugh, their lives are far from exotic and joyful.  They are often difficult, full of pain, and short.  During my recent brief trip to Guatemala, I repeatedly came face to face with these realities of life in a developing country, even more so than I ever did during my many months in Peru.  And in my photos I found I still battle with the the contradictions of exotic vs. reality.

San Miguel Dueñas, Guatelmala

I was visiting a compound of several families’ concrete block houses surrounding a paved courtyard containing the shared sink and stoves.  These girls returned home in the late afternoon, and I immediately got caught up in taking photos of them.  Lost in my concentration, my traveling companion gently reprimanded me, “That’s enough, let them put it down.  It’s heavy.”  “Right, right,” I said and immediately stopped, embarrassed that I hadn’t realized this myself.  Although one cannot deny the momentary smile on these girls’ faces is genuine, the reality is that they are child laborers.  They had spent the day working in a coffee field, and then as they walked home they gathered and carried the wood, slung on their heads, as they do each day.  I imagine that the attention being paid to them by Elizabeth and I is a big part of the smile you see on their faces and in their eyes.

Concepcion (second from left), Kevin (second from right) and family – 11/16/2009

On another day we visited two boys and their families in order to interview and photograph them to write an article about them that will hopefully find them sponsors.  The two boys are about to enter high school, and each has lost one or both parents.  Without the help of a sponsor to pay for school, books, and supplies, they will have to leave school and begin working.  Elizabeth has written more about their stories here.  One of the boys, Kevin, is losing his mother Concepcion to cancer of the uterus, and his father died just a month earlier.  After interviewing Kevin, it occurred to us that his family probably doesn’t have a single photo of themselves or their mother, which would obviously be a nice memento now and after her passing.  We returned the next day to take a portrait.  They gently lifted their mother on her bed, where she has lied for endless weeks lacking the strength to get up, and supported her as I quickly took a couple shots, praying that they would be properly focused and exposed in the near complete darkness of the dusty, dirt-floored room.

Although she is dying of cancer, there is nothing she can do about it because the family lacks money for both doctors and trips to Guatemala City for the treatment.  And at this point, it would be physically impossible for her to get on and ride a chicken bus the 1 hour into town.  She does not have doctor’s visits, she does not even have appropriate medication for the pain.  She is dying a slow and very painful death.  Sadly, I later learned, many types of uterine cancer are preventable or successfully treatable if detected early with regular doctor visits.  In fact, conditions leading to cervical cancer can often have a 10 year window for detection and treatment.  But Concepcion has probably rarely seen a doctor in her life, and certainly did not have annual examinations.  We had learned the previous day that the other boy, Luis, had also lost his mother to uterine cancer and a very similar death.

Immediately after we left, the head of the NGO I was working with (who had dropped off food and supplies to deal with the bleeding) called a contact and got hold of some appropriately strong pain medication that they, like many of us often do, had left over in their medicine cabinet.  I went into Antigua and had an 8×10 print made, and found a simple but nice wood frame.  We returned to Kevin’s house, and presented it to Concepcion.  She sat up in bed and a huge smile washed across her face.  The pain medication had already begun to work wonders, and for the first time in weeks, maybe months, she was not in constant, unbearable pain.

This week I “attended” a video chat with David duChemin, discussing his latest book and photography as a vocation.  Many of the listeners had questions about starting out as a humanitarian photographer, which David answered with his usual helpful and generous responses.  He has also addressed this issue in the past on his blog, and it is the basis of his book Visionmongers.

Starting out as a humanitarian photographer, or any type of photographer for that matter, involves learning about so many diverse areas beyond the art and craft of using a camera, a flash, and Photoshop (all of which are full time undertakings in themselves).  There is also a ton to learn about business, copyright, marketing, branding, finances, insurance, client relations…the list goes on and on.  But I’d like to go into detail about one important and practical aspect of starting out:  the self-assignment.

(All the photos in this post are from early self-assignments)

In order to discover if travel or humanitarian photography is what you really want to dedicate yourself to, it is vital to get out there and really try it out.  Travel to a foreign country, get out in the field, and spend days working at it, as if you were on a real assignment.  One can think about it from the comfort of home, drooling over the beautiful photos of your heroes, and imagining the excitement of traveling in exotic places.  But you may find that working in the field, spending weeks away from friends, family and soft toilet paper, and suffering days of intestinal distress is not all you hoped for.  As David constantly reminds us, it’s hard.  I encourage anyone not to invest too much time, thought, and money into this dream until they have undertaken this important test.

Planning and executing a self assignment is challenging, but entirely do-able and realistic for anyone who is dedicated to the idea.  Even if you have a full time job and aren’t making that much money, it can be done.  Don’t quit your job yet to dive head first into self-employment, but use your vacation time to test the waters.

Money: The first challenge is always money.  You have to save up money for the gear, for the time away from work, and for the trip.  This is done the old-fashioned way – by scrimping and saving.  You’ve read it many times before, and it sometimes seems unrealistic, but it works.  Save money anywhere you can – stop eating out, bring your lunch to work, cancel cable, cancel Netflicks, get your books and movies from the library, stop buying stuff, use the right ATM and stop paying fees, scour the Internet for the best price on the gear you need.  It may take longer than you want, it may even take a year or two, but it works.  Remember, each restaurant meal you skip here equals three equivalent restaurant meals in a developing country – or better yet, it equals a week’s worth of groceries when you travel.  The recession has already given everyone a head-start into living and thinking more economically, you just have to be dedicated to it a bit more and a lot longer.  Also, once you begin traveling to developing countries and seeing how people find great joy in life yet live with so few possessions, your new economic lifestyle will seem that much more appropriate.  I’m not just saying all these things because I’ve read them or because they sound like they will work.  I’ve done them…all.  Also look to Ami Vitale for inspiration.  She worked long and hard and saved, then headed off and launched her career exactly this way (see the How You Finance Your Stories video at the bottom of this page).  Look into counties that aren’t very expensive to fly to.  For someone in the USA, that means look to South and Central America.  Depending on the time of year, there are incredibly cheap deals.  For example, I recently saw $84 tickets to Guatemala on a major airline.  Yes, $84 each way!  That’s cheaper than flying home for Christmas.  Granted, it is a redeye with a long layover, but it gets you there.  Be flexible and use Kayak.com to find the best prices.

Gear: You might not yet be able to afford the latest and greatest professional gear.  In fact, until you are sure you really want to do this, you probably don’t want to invest in a 5D Mark II and 2 or 3 L-series lenses.  Every photo forum you follow, pixel peeper you talk to, and gear review you read is going to convince you that you need the most current, top of the line gear.  But you don’t.  I do recommend using a dSLR and not just a point and shoot, so something like a Canon XSi and a versatile zoom lens like the Canon 18-135mm (or the Nikon equivalent) offers more than enough quality and range to start off with if you can’t afford more.  On my first self-assignment all I had was an outdated Rebel XT and a single, 28-105mm lens.  It didn’t prevent me from getting the shots I wanted, they’ve been exhibited, won awards, been honored by the United Nations, and no one has ever told me that the quality of the photos is unacceptable.  (And remember that no one, outside the photo world, will ever even think to ask you what camera you used or which lens you chose.)  Sometimes, with that early gear, I wasn’t able to zoom as much as I wanted for travel shots, or get wide enough for the close-ups of humanitarian work, so that is why the 18-135mm (which wasn’t available until recently) would be a pretty ideal single lens solution now.  (The secret fact is, I even have a couple great photos in my portfolio, and won a camera using an Olympus SP-320 point and shoot.)  Don’t go overboard with bags and accessories.  Get a simple holster bag, a couple filters (UV and polarizing), a lens pen and cloth, a rocket blower, extra batteries and memory cards, and then stop looking.  You don’t need anything else.  I promise.  (Well, also your computer, external hard drive, and some type of insurance coverage for it all.  And maybe a Pac Safe 55 to store it in securely.  Hey, no one said this was cheap!)

Researching the NGO: Figure out what type of NGO (non-governmental organization) or non-profit organization you’d like to photograph, and which countries interest you, and start doing research.  Which subjects most inspire your passion for this work?  Disabled children, gender equality, health, faith-based work, community development?  In every developing country there are countless NGOs doing each of these types of work and more.  As a professional, you might not be able to be this specific in your choices, so take advantage of your self-assignment.  Do searches on the Internet, and look on idealist.org.  It is hard to imagine that any small, typically struggling organization does not want free, semi-professional quality photos for their website and newsletters, so most all will be welcoming to your offer to volunteer.  But it is very important that you are quite clear that your interest and intent is to photograph their work.  If you sign up to be a general volunteer, you will be expected and obligated to be doing whatever work they ask of you.  Do not think you can be a volunteer and also take photos on the side.  You will not do a good job of either that way.  Be perfectly clear with them that you are interested in primarily photographing the work they do.  That doesn’t mean you can’t spend a few days as a volunteer, and by all means you should (see below), but they should not be expecting you to be a typical volunteer.

Ask questions and find out as much as you can about the actual work they do.  Don’t just trust what you read on their website, but find out exactly what they do and where they work.  They may say they work in 4 different communities,  but really they might only visit 3 of them once a year for a medical visit or to bring donations.  They might say they have a number of different programs, but really they may only be currently focusing on one of them based on staff and volunteers skills.  Make sure that your area of interest is really what they are doing now.  Explain to them your interests, and see if meeting your goals will be possible with them.  NGOs are often run by incredibly generous, helpful, kind, friendly, flexible people, and they will want to help you at your project.  But they are also incredibly busy and strapped for resources, so learn to communicate and work with them on their terms.  Many organizations require that you pay to be a volunteer.  This may sound strange, but you have to understand that they need money in order to keep doing the work they do.  Just the fact that you are working for free does not pay rent for the NGO’s staff.  But be wary, there are many placement services that make money by being a middle-man, so make arrangements directly with the NGO.  If your volunteer fee includes lodging, or even food, it is often quite reasonable to pay them.  However, there are also many excellent organizations which will not charge you anything.  If this is the case, be sure and support them by bringing donations (books, toys, art supplies).  See my Resources Page for more information on volunteering.  Some organizations run restaurants and hostels, so support them by eating and staying with them.  Also, if you are thinking of joining a mission type trip, like a medical mission, find one that is being organized from your area so that you can document the planning and the departure of the group at the airport.

Working in the Field: It seems every photographer I admire always discusses the importance of talking to and getting to know the people you are photographing.  Sometimes that means just chatting with them and buying some of their wares before you start to photograph them, other times that means living among them for several days, weeks, or months.  As a photographer working with an NGO, this means you should consider being a volunteer for a day, without your camera, without photographing.  Yes, that is a painful experience, to see potentially great shots slip by left and right.  But this sacrifice will quickly pay off when you start to work.  This gives you an opportunity to learn what the organization does and how they work.  It also allows you to start to get to know the people they serve, and for them to become comfortable around you.  It is obvious that this approach, rather than barging in with your face behind a camera, is going to result in much more genuine photos.  Also, stay out of the way of the director and the staff when they are working.  Make your arrangements and ask questions before or after the workday.  Be flexible to ever-changing, never scheduled situations, but also, always remind the director of what you want to be doing.  She might go running off to visit one of the client’s homes or villages, and you want her to know to always grab you and take you along on those types of trips.  Take advantage of your time there to do, see, and photograph as many different types of places and situations as you can.  Talk to everyone you meet – other volunteers, people at restaurants and hotels.  Many other people are doing volunteer work, and they may point you in the direction of a great photographic situation.

Develop, learn, and practice a good workflow for saving and backing up your images every day.  It is time consuming and easy to want to put off, but if you get behind there will be no catching up.  I reccommend using David duChemin’s global workflow as a starting point.  Always have your camera with you, even if you think you are just being taken to the bakery for some bread and are told you’ll be back in 5 minutes.  You will inevitably be taken on a two hour detour through a part of town off the beaten path, with amazing photo opportunities, during the magic hour.  Always carefully prepare and assemble your gear before you start each day, and have new batteries and memory cards accessible while you shoot.  I highly recommend you always remember to “make haste slowly.”  What this means is that you will often be in a hurry, but don’t rush and act in a panic during critical moments, in preparation or in shooting.  Change lenses carefully and slowly, then rush back to the action.  Clean the mysterious glob off your lens carefully and delicately, then get back to shooting.  There are countless opportunities to damage your gear, and while it is durable, somewhat waterproof, and stray marks and dings on your tools are not something to fret over, a dropped or scratched lens is.  After this, well, I don’t know what to tell you – you’re going to learn a lot.  You are going to learn your camera and its settings inside and out, you are going to learn to work under pressure, always being ready, always trying to capture the fleeting shot and changing light.  You are going to start to learn what works and what doesn’t as far as compositions, camera settings, perspectives, etc.  You are going to begin to learn about life in a developing country.  And you are going to very quickly learn if this work is truly your passion and your calling.

In addition to the instant rebates Canon USA has on numerous lenses and Speedlites, there is a new rebate on select camera-lens kits.  I also just discovered (through an ad on Amazon) there is also a loyalty program rebate offer.  If you bought and registered a Canon camera in the past, and then bought a new one recently, you may be eligible for a $20 mail-in rebate on PowerShot cameras and $50 mail-in rebate on EOS cameras.

Click here for all the info:

http://www.usa.canon.com/consumer/controller?act=PromotionsAct&fcategoryid=101&WT.mc_id=C126552

My recent trip to Guatemala to photograph for an NGO gave me an opportunity to field test a bunch of new gear under real working conditions – jumping on and off chicken buses, crammed into the seat of a van for hours with all of it on my lap, roaming around the streets of Antigua trying to be discreet as possible carrying a 70-200mm lens and a backpack full of equipment, and photographing for long hours at a time.  I had done a bunch of Internet research to choose the best and the most appropriate gear, made a couple trips to B+H and Calumet to get it all, and it all worked out as good, or often better than expected.  I’m not sponsored or compensated by any of these companies (but wouldn’t be opposed to it if they happen to be reading…)

Antigua, Guatemala

First off is the Lowepro Compu Trekker AW.  I chose this to be both my carry-on and my working bag during the day.  The size worked perfectly for both needs.  It easily fits the airline carry-on size, including smaller international requirements in some regions, yet fits more that it would first appear.  With careful configuration of the interior dividers, I fit 2 Canon bodies (an XT and a 7D), a 70-200mm f/4L IS, a wide angle zoom, a standard zoom (all with their hoods turned backwards), a 580EX II flash, diffuser, 2 external hard drives in cases, a couple memory card cases, and some filters.  In the outside pocket, I had a couple battery chargers, extra batteries, medium Rocket Blower, miscellaneous cords, caps, and accessories.  In the rear pocket designed for a laptop, I easily fit a 32″ 5 in 1 reflector.  Once I was in Guatemala, I played around with the dividers until I found a set-up that best fit my flexible daily needs, and allowed quick preparations or lens changes.  The pack is extremely comfortable, has tons of padding on the straps and the back so that its weight never bothered me and I didn’t feel the reflector in my back.  I often wore it for hours a day while I was working, and it was never a problem. In fact, on my final night when I went out to dinner in Antigua without it on my back for the first time in 2 weeks, I commented that I felt a bit naked.  The top handle is strong enough to grab and carry with, as is often necessary while jumping in and out of cars or putting it down and picking it up.  There is also a waist belt that I used a couple times when I had it fully loaded, like going to the airport, to relieve my shoulders of some of the weight.  And it comes with a built in rain cover that stows away at the base of the bag.  The Compu Trekker Plus might be a better carry on size so that you could carry more gear on the plane with you (if it fits the airline’s requirements) but it would have been too big for daily use.  The Compu Trekker has a tripod strap system that I didn’t use, and another outside pocket that is, conveniently, exactly the size of a Lonely Planet guidebook.  Here are some photos of the backpack in action at the Chichicastenango Market, taken by my travel companion Elizabeth Jimenez:

A couple great additions to the bag are Eagle Creek combo locks and Eagle Creek Pack It Sacs in the small size.  The backpack’s zippers are rugged enough to handle constant abuse from the combo locks, which although they are weighty, are far better than keyed locks in the field so that you don’t need to go digging for the key when you are in a hurry.  You just have to be a little careful when opening and closing the bag – the locks dangle and flip around, and could easily bang into something fragile in the backpack.  The Pack It Sacs were a last minute find at EMS, and worked out great.  I used the Sacs for all the small accessories:  batteries, memory cards in cases, LensPen, camera and lens body caps, various wires and cables.  This way all those items aren’t flipping around inside the big pocket.  I clipped some rubber bands to the key clip within the outside pocket of the backpack and then attached them to the clips on the Sacs, so that way the Sacs won’t accidentally fall out if I flip the bag open and close while the outer pocket is open.  There’s enough play to access them and then shove them back into the bag.

Another great accessory for this backpack in the PacSafe 55 wire mesh security system.  It fits perfectly around this size bag, and secures your bag and your gear in a hotel room or wherever.  It has a long cable that you loop around something secure and lock in place.  It also comes with a small, compact storage case for when not in use.

Chichicastenango, Guatemala

BlackRapid RS-4 Camera Strap – This strap is wonderful, and I highly recommend it.  I was hesitant and suspicious at first, but I quickly adored it and will always use it.  I had even emailed BlackRapid before purchasing to ask about shortcomings of earlier models, and they addressed my concerns personally and completely.  The strap is comfortable, easy to use, quick, strong, and rugged.  I often use it in conjunction with wearing the backpack, and although the straps fight against each other on my shoulder, it still works fine.  I’m a bit envious of the RS-7 that just came out, since it has a curved, ergonomic shoulder pad that may work better.  Watch some of the videos out there as to how to use it, and be sure to moisten the rubber gasket before attaching it to your camera.  The big pain is that the part attached to your camera body is best left in place, yet that makes it less easy to place the camera down on a table or in your bag.  Also, the textured tightening screw part of the connector will rub up against your camera body in various situations, so I put some black duct tape on the bottom edge of the camera to protect it.

Hakuba Digital Media Storage Wallet – These are great, soft sided, thin memory card cases that hold 6 memory cards each.  I picked up this recommendation from Karl Grobl’s website.  I’m sure there has been a situation where an elephant stepped on a memory card case and all photos were saved by a hard sided case, but as far as my needs, the soft ones work just fine.  Get into the habit of inserting black cards face up and used cards face down into the cases’ packets.

Sto-Fen Omni Bounce Diffuser – works great on the 580EX II, although very snug and is always difficult to get on and off in a hurry.

Honl Color Correction Filters and Speed Strap – I only used these a couple times since you can’t use them in conjunction with the diffuser – an obvious statement if you think about it, but one that had not occurred to me when I bought them.  I’m going to continue experimenting with the full or 1/2 CTO to add warmth to outside fill flash, as recommended by Nevada Wier (actually she uses a Kodak Wratten 81A gel, but I think they are similar).  The kit is very slim and fits perfectly in one of the inside pockets of the backpack.

Antigua, Guatemala

‘da Products Screen Protector – This is the second camera I have used this product with, and I am once again very happy with it.  It is a very inexpensive yet high quality screen protector for your LCD, made with acrylic.  Get ‘da40D Protector for the 7D – it is the perfect size.  It is a slow, careful, time consuming process to attach the adhesive strips, get it clean, dust and fingerprint free, and perfectly centered, but once it’s on, its there to stay (unless you want to remove it – in that case, to remove the ‘da screen protector, like to return a defective Canon 7D, use dental floss to break the seal at the bottom corners, then slowly peel off.)  I know that today’s LCD screens are durable, but I feel more comfortable and carefree about constantly wiping off my protector with my fingers or shirt than I would directly on the built in screen.  This is also why I use B+W UV filters on the lenses.

Calumet micro fiber lens cloth – Stores perfectly in another slim inside pocket of the backpack, and always handy to have.

Giottos Medium Rocket Blower – I initially used the small size in order to save a bit of space, but it didn’t have the power I wanted, so I sprung for the medium.  Always have it handy for getting dust off lenses in a hurry, because blowing on them – no matter how careful – leads to spittle on the lenses 5% of the time when it doesn’t matter and 95% of the time when you are in the most critical situations.

Pearstone LP-1 Lens Pen – Works great for cleaning off mysterious spots and smudges that always appear on the lens (this is why I always use UV filters) as well as that a-fore-mentioned spittle.

B+W brand UV Filters – clear, protective filters for the lenses, slim for the wide angle.  The slim is probably not needed with a crop sensor camera, but is recommended for a full frame camera.  The slim comes with a lens cap that does not stay on well after a little bit of use, as there are no front threads for the Canon cap to fit on.  If I had to do it over, I would probably get the regular filter so that I could use the Canon lens cap.

Impact 5 in 1 Reflector, 32″ – This size is perfect for travel and fits in the backpack, however I never actually used it so I don’t know if the size is useful in the field.  It is best suited for set-up situations and portraits, which I didn’t have the opportunity to do on this assignment.  I could have used it once to block some stray sunlight falling into a very dark room and potentially messing up the exposure, but I didn’t think about it until later.  I did, however, carry it around a lot and never noticed because it is lightweight and very durable.

External Hard Drives – I used a 160GB Iomega Ego and a Lacie Rugged USB 500GB.  I’ve used the Iomega on extended trips before, and love it.  I’ve never had any problems with it, and it is solid and sturdy.  But with its small storage size, and now that I am shooting all RAW on the 7D, it filled up in just over one week so I don’t think it will be making any more trips.  I decided to try out the Lacie Rugged USB for this trip.  It is lighter than the Iomega, and doesn’t feel as solid and sturdy, but it worked just fine.  They both fit perfectly in the Case Logic case made for these types of drives, which I recommend getting in different colors so you can quickly differentiate your different drives.  I leave them in the cases at all times, but you have to pull the Ego slightly out to plug in the cord, and place the Lacie upside down in the case for the cord to fit without removing the drive each time.

Chichicastenango, Guatemala

SanDisk Extreme III 16GB Memory Cards – I talked about these in the previous post.  Once again, no particular reason why I use these rather than Lexar…maybe a sponsorship would help seal my loyalties…

Insurance – Although I am a member of NPPA – National Press Photographers Association, I also joined NANPA – North American Nature Photography Association, in order to get their equipment insurance, which is much cheaper and has a much lower deductible than NPPA’s, even including the extra $100 to join NANPA.  The insurance is primarily for the equipment only, so you are not paying for liability coverage geared toward a business as you are with every other photo equipment insurance plan I researched.  Please note that the NANPA membership fee covers you from June to June or something like that – they don’t pro-rate, so you will not get a full year if you join at any other time, which of course is ridiculous.  The insurance covers photo and computer equipment at home and while traveling.

Skooba Satchel 2.0 Laptop Bag – This was my second carry on, in which I carried my laptop, some books, misc. charging cords, some toiletries…you won’t believe how much will fit in this!  As they say themselves, it is deceptively slim looking and incredibly light.  It has these great little air squares for cushion everywhere – like bubble wrap made from durable rubber, and has an extremely comfortable and ergonomic strap.

Lowa Tempest Lo Hiking Shoes – I’ve worn these shoes, this same pair, for almost 3 years straight now, and they still have a little life left in them.  I wore them every single day for a total of 7 months in Peru, walking the cobbled streets of Cusco, and traveling the country.  And I wear them nearly every day walking the streets of Brooklyn and Manhattan (I don’t have a car, so I actually walk, a lot.  They are so comfortable I never notice them.  They are light, durable, and somewhat waterproof if treated regularly.  I recently bought a backup pair for the inevitable day that I have to give them up.

I recently returned from a trip to Guatemala, where I was taking photos for an international NGO that works with children, literacy, and education.  It gave me the perfect opportunity to try out a bunch of new equipment and really put it to the test in the field.

First and foremost, it was the first time I really had the opportunity to use the Canon 7D body.  The camera performed wonderfully in many ways, however, I did have focus issues.   With both wide angle and telephoto L-series lenses, the camera was consistently focusing inches or more in front of the subjects.  I played around briefly with the AF Microadjustments, with the intention of taking a closer look at the situation when I returned home.  More about this below.

I had another, odd and unexpected complaint in the field, and that is with the high speed shooting modes. One has the choice of 3fps or 8fps, yet I needed something more like 5fps! I’ve included some images throughout the post that are straight from the camera (I merely converted from RAW to JPEG).  Anyway, on to the review:

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

Design: The camera is extremely comfortable to hold and use, especially due to the the size, shape, and material of the grip, and it felt to be designed perfectly for my hands.  It is nicely weighted with both a 16-35 f/2.8L II and a 70-200 f/4, and carries well with an R-Strap attached to the camera body (the 70-200 f/4 doesn’t come with a collar).  Due to its similar design and button placement as previous Canon models, it was easy to get used to changing various settings on the fly – everything from ISO right up on top to Flash Control in the menus.  There are a few settings that I quickly fell into, but that I would like to experiment with a little more with before I settle permanently into.  Here are a few notes, in no particular order of importance:

Av Mode – I set the camera to Av mode for 99% of the time, as that is how I typically work (because I always want to control the depth of field).  About the only time I took it out was when I was experimenting in an HDR type situation where I was in Manual and bracketing, trying to properly expose both a dark colonnade I was under and the cathedral in bright sunlight beyond.  I haven’t yet worked on combining the exposures, but here is a nice shot that came from that situation:

Antigua, Guatemala

ISO – I had high hopes for Auto ISO, thinking I would be given the freedom to stop worrying where I left it set, but I quickly found that in Av, I didn’t like the slow shutter speeds that were resulting when I selected the aperture and the camera selected the ISO.  So I ended up never using it.  I would like to experiment with it some more, and figure out if there is something I can do to keep the shutter speeds in a better range.  As many people have discovered, it is wonderful to have the versatility to change ISO on the fly, but one often gets caught up in shooting, and forgets to change it to an appropriate setting, and thus sometimes the shutter speed isn’t the most ideal.  So, I just have to stay in the habit of paying attention to where all three settings are as I go from indoor to out or change lenses, etc.  This is aided by these settings being visible in the 7D viewfinder.

High Speed Continuous Shooting – many people marvel at the 7D’s ability to shoot 8fps in High Speed Continuous Mode.  However, for my purposes on this trip, that proved far too excessive.  I often shoot a burst of photos when someone or something is in motion and I want to capture the peak of action or a flattering pose, or when a gesture or facial expression might change rapidly.  Unfortunately, 8fps results in a lot of unwanted files, and as I will soon address, these files are HUGE and rapidly fill up a hard drive.  But sadly, the Low Speed Continuous drive setting is only 3fps, which is too slow to capture the rapid changes in a scene.  The 3fps speed was one of the main drawbacks of my previous body, and a major reason for upgrading.  What I need is something in between, maybe 5fps!  Perhaps Canon or someone will tweek the firmware to allow this…

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

Custom Functions – To get the most out of the 7D, and to set it to function best how you work, you need to dig into the Custom Functions.  One of the settings I use is customizing My Menu, and then having My Menu always appear first when I hit the Menu button.  (My Menu Settings / Display from My Menu=enable)  I played around with different items on My Menu, but have settled for now on the ones that I use most often or that I may quickly need and want to access without digging into the menus.  They are:

Flash Control – you can quickly adjust all the settings for the built in flash, external flash, wireless flash.  You can even control all the setting of the 580EX II remotely – when it is not attached to your camera.
Exposure Compensation/ AEB – exposure compensation is easy to change at any time with the big dial, so this is for using when I want to bracket
Review Time – I found that I was often shooting away without chimping (looking at the LCD), so I often just turn off the LCD review altogether.  Other times, however, I want to review
ISO Expansion – I haven’t used this yet, but I wanted it handy in case I want to use the high ISO.  I typically have this turned off because I didn’t want the camera to default to High ISO during any situations.  But considering I wasn’t using Auto ISO, this all seems unnecessary, and now that I realize this, I will have to replace this with something else on the menu!  I never went above 1600 ISO, which I did have to use sometimes in very dark classroom settings along with the flash.  Upon quick review of those images, the lack of noise in these files is really good.
Format – this is to format the memory card in preparation for use the next day.  Always reformat the card, never simply erase them or use the Erase All option if your camera had that (the 7D does not).  However, after formatting, turn the dial to select another menu item so that next time you hit Menu, Format isn’t still selected and you quickly make a grave mistake of pressing it.
Highlight Tone Priority – this is a great setting to use in a high key situation, or with a bright subject or scene.  It helps to retain detail in the highlights so they don’t get blown out, such as a white wedding dress, or a snow or beach scene.  I never did use it, but I keep it in this menu to remind me it is there for the day when I do need it!

Chichicastenango, Guatemala

Other important Custom Funtion Settings:

Safety Shift – I enable this setting.  It allows the camera to shift the shutter speed or aperture automatically, without your expressed permission, in order to get the shot.  This is great for situations where the light suddenly and dramatically changes, such as at a concert.

AI Servo Tracking – I kept this at the default setting because I hadn’t yet read how it works, but now I will set it a notch slower.  What it does is decide to stay focused on the initial subject (Slow), or focus quickly on a new subject that moves into view (Fast).  Typically I want to stay focused on my selected subject, and ignore someone or something that momentarily passes between us.  If you want to quickly focus on different subjects at different distances, put it on fast.

AI Servo 1st/2nd – Read the manual to understand which situation works best for how you shoot.  Is your priority focusing on the subject, tracking the subject, firing off rapid shots?  Personally I think 0 or 1, with the AF Priority, is best.  (The camera makes sure it focuses first before taking the shot.  It may cost you a microsecond of time however.)  I have to think about the tracking vs. drive part of these setting though, so for now I keep it at 0. Setting 0 continues to prioritize focusing possibly at the expense of speed, while setting 1 will prioritize the speed of subsequent shutter releases at the expense of focus.

AI Servo AF Tracking Method – This seems that it must work in conjunction with AI Servo Tracking.  The names of the choices are a little confusing but what they do is Setting 0 will focus on a closer subject that enters your view, while setting 1 will remain focused on the initial subject.  I keep mine on 1, since I want to stay focused on my initial subject.

AF Focus Mode – I enabled all the AF modes in the Custom Functions – by default, several of them are not available to you unless you change that setting.  I started out using Single Point, but then changed to Spot for more precision.  The cost of using Spot is that it may not focus as quickly or as well when hand held or with a moving subject.  I occasionally used AF Point Expansion when photographing rapidly moving children.  I don’t know how other photographers work (according to a Canon rep who gave a 7D presentation at B+H, there are big name professionals who still focus with the center point and recompose), but I always choose the focus point I want manually, using the Multi-Controller button.  This takes a little longer, now that I am dealing with 19 focus points, but that enables me to quickly get the composition I want, makes sure the camera focuses on what I want it to (um, well, sort of focus – see notes at bottom page), and to get subsequent shots without too much reframing.  There is an important custom setting so that you can use the Multi-Controller directly to change the AF point without having to press the AF thumb button first.  Oh, and I changed the custom settings so that all the focus points always show, and that they light up upon achieving focus, even in bright sunlight (which they would not do if you had this setting on Auto or Disable).  That way I always know when it has focused.  I’m also thrilled that the 7D has a grid display that you can turn on in the viewfinder, which helps me keep my horizons and compositions straight.  The viewfinder looks pretty busy, filled up with AF points and the grid, but when you are shooting away and focusing on your subject, you don’t even notice they are there.

Single Point Focus vs. Spot Focus Size – The size of the area being looked at for focusing purposes on the 7D, using Single Point Focus, is actually a cross shape (all focus points are cross type, center point is dual diagonal as well at certain apertures) that extends about 2x as big as the actual square you see in the viewfinder.  With Spot Focus, the size of the cross is about the size of the square you see.

Orientation Linked AF Point – This setting allows you to choose your favorite AF points, and when you are hold the camera horizontally or vertically, those points are automatically selected.  However, it is very complicated to set, so much so that is would seem Canon doesn’t even understand it.  The Canon rep did not fully explain it properly at the B+H presentation, the instructions in the manual do not work, and after 3 different instructions by email from Canon, I may finally have the correct way.  I still have to try their latest directions. (note- nope, latest instructions still don’t work properly)

I also changed the button/ dial function settings so that in Manual mode, the big dial controls shutter speed and the top dial controls aperture.  The default is the opposite.  I changed this because I almost always shoot in Av mode, where the top dial controls aperture, so when I switch to Manual mode, I want that to remain the same.

Check out this site for a great review of the Canon 7D, simple explanations of these various Custom Functions, and helpful comparisons to the 50D and 5D MkII.

Jalapa, Guatemala

AF Microadjustments – This is a great setting on the 7D which enables you to tweek the auto-focusing to your different lenses.  My 16-35mm lens, despite costing a boatload of money, did not seem to be focusing very sharply.  I am going to have to work with the Microadjustments to hopefully get this in line.  (see below for outcome of this adjustment attempt)  My other lenses seemed to be doing fine, but I’m sure they could be tweeked too.  Two sites that look to be helpful are below.  The second has a focus chart and instructions:

http://www.northlight-images.co.uk/article_pages/cameras/1ds3_af_micoadjustment.html#Anchor-Canon-49575

http://focustestchart.com/focus21.pdf

Viewfinder – The viewfinder on the 7D is big and bright and wonderful.  It is nearly 100% view of the image you will capture.  The aperture and shutter speed info is of course displayed below, along with the current ISO setting, which one should get in the habit of glancing at often.  See the AF Focus Mode category above for more info on what you can view in the viewfinder to assist with focusing and composition.

Picture Style – I had this on Standard, since I shoot in RAW and intend to post-process, however, I would like to do a comparison of the styles to see which one best matches my visual preferences – although I think they would only affect JPEGs.

File Size – I shot RAW for almost the entire trip, and quickly discovered that these files are HUGE.  The files range from about 21MB to around 31MB each.  I used SanDisk Extreme III 16GB cards, which worked great, and one card often lasted much of the day.  I have no good reason for using SanDisk over Lexar, other than the fact that the Lexar people haven’t approached me about sponsorship… :)  The Extreme III cards have been replaced by the new Extreme and Extreme Pro cards, and are thus the old ones are much cheaper at the moment, especially with current rebates.  At 30MB/s, they were fast enough for the types of shooting and short bursts I was doing.  However, downloading them to my computer and external HD were pretty slow using the SanDisk ImageMate CF card reader.  Eventually I’m going to have to spring for a card reader that goes right into the PC slot.  I used Adobe Bridge to simultaneously save the day’s files to 2 external hard drives.  The 160GB Iomega Ego filled up before the trip was over, but fortunately I also had a Lacie 500GB.  I am dreading the number of external hard drives I am going to have to buy for travel and for home storage, but once you go RAW, it’s hard to go back to shooting just JPEG.  I’m going to have to look into the Drobo system that many rave about.

Battery Life - The battery life of the 7D is excellent.  When you get new batteries, first charge them all the way.  Do not recharge until they are completely drained.  Do this one or two cycles.  I know they say you no longer have to do this, but some claim that seasoning the batteries like this will maximize their charge life.  Anyway, one battery lasted well into 2 days of shooting, maybe longer, I didn’t keep track.  They just keep going, even with heavy use, chimping (LCD reviewing), and frequent use of an external Speedlite flash.  I carried 3 batteries, but probably could have gotten away with 2.

Antigua, Guatemala

Automatic Sensor Cleaning – Like most good dSLRs these days, the 7D automatically cleans the sensor at start up and shut down.  Since the dust that is shaken off is collected on a tiny sticky strip at the base of the sensor, it seems to me that you should hold the camera straight as this happens.  I’m not sure if this is actually true, but I think I read in the manual that it even says to place the camera flat on a table as you use this, so I have gotten in the habit of holding it straight and still as I turn it off and on.  Yeah!  No more having to clean the sensor manually with a Rocket Blower!

Video – I did not have a chance to even experiment with the HD video on the 7D yet…so much to learn, so little time…

The next post will review all the other gear I used on the trip – the camera backpack, R-strap, accessories, etc. – and perhaps some of the other lessons learned.  Here are a few other images, straight from RAW to JPEG without any processing, to show the potential of great natural light:

Jalapa, Guatemala

**Important Note (12/04/2009)** Upon carefully reviewing my images from the trip, my opinion of the 7D has changed drastically, based on the focus problem.  I have tried to adjust the AF Microadjustment for the wide angle lens, and that has been completely unsuccessful.  Both controlled and field tests give wildly different results ranging from +4 to +14, and differ widely for various focus points.  And then tests using one focus point and and its best setting, such as +13 for an outer focus point, results in wildly inconsistent ability to focus on a close, still, well lit, good contrast subject.  Less than one out of three shots comes close to focusing properly on the manually chosen focus point, both with or without AF spot point, using f/2.8 and an appropriate shutter speed, 1/180 or higher.  I am attempting the hard reset suggested by Canon, have updated the firmware, and again cleaning the contacts, but that is going to result in more annoying, time consuming testing.  And I have yet to have a close look at the photos taken with the 70-200mm lens to determine if the focus issue affected those images.**

**12/07/2009** The photos taken with the 70-200mm f/4L lens were front focusing as well, sometimes as much as a foot or more at 200mm from dozens of yards away.  After 3 days of intense testing and unsuccessfully tweeking with the wide angle, I have no choice but to return the 7D.  With its inability to properly and consistently auto-focus, it is simply not a reliable or professional quality camera.  The problems I had with the 7D autofocus are not unique to me, but rather are exactly the problems described by others who have tried to work with this camera.  (do a search for Canon 7D autofocus problem or issue)  And the fact that one can not attach Canon’s top-of-the-line $1400 L series lenses to Canon’s brand new, $1700 camera, head out into the field and take consistently focused photos with little or no adjustments – without the need to perform rigorous tests and without a request to send the camera and lenses right back the the manufacturer first – is beyond comprehension.  In researching this issue, I learned they have a history of focus problems – with the 1D MkIII, with the 5D MkII and now with the 7D.  Quality control needs to happen before it leaves their hands, not once it reaches the consumer.  My brand new wide angle lens has had to be sent back to Canon for calibration, at my expense, and the telephoto will have to follow.**

San Miguel Duenas, Guatemala

My photo Women in the Plaza – Combapata, Peru, was one of 50 selected – from thousands of photos from over 100 countries – to represent the United Nations Development Programme and their Humanizing Development campaign.

The photos will be published in a book sponsored by the Presidency of Brazil, and are currently on exhibit at the headquarters of the United Nation’s International Policy Center for Inclusive Growth (IPC-IG) in Brasilia, Brazil.  The exhibit will tour major international cities throughout 2010, including NYC, Bangkok, London, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Johannesburg and Bonn.

According to the IPC-IG, “The meaning of ‘Humanizing Development’ cannot be expressed in numbers. It shows examples of people winning the battle against poverty, social exclusion and marginalisation. It calls for the humane face of development. It spreads hope, initiative and determination. It transmits inspiration to each of us and feeds our dream of transforming the world we live in into a just place. A world that enables all of us, regardless of our birth place, social and economic status, sex, sexual orientation, race, ethnicity, religion and ideology, opportunities to fulfilling our potential as individuals, human beings and members of our society.”

As a photographer dedicated to documenting the work of  humanitarian organizations throughout the world, I’m extremely thrilled and proud to have been selected for this honor, and can’t wait to see the exhibit in NYC.

The women in the photo are queued in the main plaza of Combapata, Peru to receive monthly Juntos program benefits. The Juntos (Together) program, a conditional cash transfer (CCT) government program, provides cash to the poorest families if they meet certain criteria. Recipients must have children under the age of 14, enroll their children in school and have them vaccinated. Pregnant mothers are required to utilize mandatory pre- and post-natal healthcare programs. Peru’s Juntos program, similar to CCT programs in other Latin American countries, was launched in 2005.  I captured this image as I was dashing through the plaza on my way to see the construction of the Keshwa Chaca, the Inca straw bridge.  The bus from Cusco had dropped me off at the main road, and I was heading to where the colectivo taxis headed towards Yanaoca, as detailed in this post.  (How do I know all about the Juntos program then?  I had long wondered why the women were lined up – it was obvious it was for some type of assistance.  I spotted a logo on the organizer’s vest in one of the photos, and a little bit of Googling and some friends in Peru helped fill in the blanks.)

At this point I find myself seeking out and viewing photo exhibits in terms of “what can I learn from this work to help improve my photography?  What makes these images successful?”  So instead of just contemplating these things in my head and torturing whichever friend happens to find themself across from me in a bar, I’ll start to put my thoughts down here.  I think I’ll mainly focus on “lessons learned” – what I’ve picked up from looking at and thinking about the images.

I happened by the Leica Gallery last week, and had the chance to see its Pete Souza – Obama exhibit.    The success of the images on display are a result of a few strong and consistent choices and techniques Souza applies in his photography, including his awareness of the moment, his framing and point of view, use of natural light when available, and his awareness of precedent.

All photos shown in today’s post are by Pete Souza.

Souza is the “Chief Official White House Photographer,” so he obviously has unparalleled access to President Obama’s daily activities.  His ability to capture special moments was obvious from the start or the term, with his two elevator shots from the night of the Inaugural Ball:  an intimate moment with the First Lady, and the final image of the night with the President heading to bed.

p012009ps-1185, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

This first one of these, which can also be see on Souza’s home page as well as on the White House Flickr site, demonstrates two of his strengths:  his ability to capture both the moment, and the intimacy of the environment it occurred in.  The subject of a majority of the photos in the exhibit is a specific moment, but one that typically speaks to a wider subject or theme.  This photo was just one brief encounter between the President and the First Lady, yet it clearly represents their relationship and personalities.  The same is true for the other photos in the exhibit.  While Souza has undoubtedly captured hundreds or thousands of singular moments between Obama and his staff, the ones he displays all demonstrate more than what was occurring that split second.  They show the relationships, the personalities, the mood.  They do this through the facial expressions, the body language, the framing of the space around them.

P041509PS-0280, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

The second characteristic of many of these photos is that they capture the intimacy of the moment and of the spaces they occurred in.  Souza often accomplishes this through use of a wide angle lens and by expanding the frame beyond the subject to the space around it to show that the interaction is taking place on a plane, or in a corridor.  He also does this through creative framing, looking in through a doorway or window, or using a lower point of view.

P040309PS-0047, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Another tool he uses is making references to previous photos or works of art. By possessing knowledge of the work that has come before him, he has an eye for similar situations and compositions. There seems to be a few particular references to Kennedy era images. For example, this one of Sasha sneaking up on Obama brings to mind the photos of JFK Jr. playing under the his father’s desk – the father hard at work with the playful child on the floor (there are also a couple photos in the exhibit with Caroline Kennedy and Obama discussing that photo and looking at the desk for the hidden door).

P080509PS-0410, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

And one can’t help but to recognize the tongue-in-cheek reference to DaVinci’s Last Supper here:

P021009PS-0647, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Other images make use of light and of details to tell the story of the situation.  While Souza is probably often using flash to light his indoor subjects, he has a keen eye for natural light when the situation presents itself.  There are a few shots of Obama at his desk, or a detail of his hand, that use dramatic natural light to set the mood.  He also focuses in on very specific details as the subject of some of the photos, often times hands.  For example, Obama’s hand on a phone, Michelle’s hands clasped behind her back, or a Ghanean’s hand, gold jewelry, and tribal outfit.

P071109PS-0919, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Finally, Souza sometimes turns the camera around, to capture the expressions and reactions of those viewing the President.  Several times I have run across the tip to turn around 180 degrees and see if there is another image behind you that is worth capturing, and Souza clearly demonstrates it is worth looking:

P060609PS-0979, originally uploaded by The Official White House Photostream.

Here’s a brief interview with the photographer:

http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4974144n

So, I believe these are some of the elements that make these images successful.  And what makes them powerful, important, and lasting is that in addition to capturing a instant in time, an expression or detail, or an interaction, they also speak to a greater moment, personality, or relationship.  That’s about enough for this lesson.  Look forward to retroactive reviews of Robert Frank’s The Americans, Phil Borges’ Tibetan Portrait, Vermeer’s The Milkmaid, and Cornell Capa’s Concerned Photographer.  Vermeer?  “What?”, you wonder?  Well, stay tuned and see…

In my journey becoming a travel, culture, and humanitarian photographer, I’ve spent a lot of time researching other photographers who do this type of work. In addition to simply looking at, contemplating, and studying their photos, I also scour their websites for any and all information and nuggets of knowledge I can find. They are typically very helpful in listing the equipment they use, but also offer everything from packing, traveling, and working advice to post-production tutorials.

Again and again, I return to Karl Grobl’s website (http://www.karlgrobl.com/) to mine it for info.  He has dozens of pages with incredibly helpful advice (follow the “Cameras and equipment I use” link to see them all).  I discovered that I share his fondness for Lowa Tempest Lo hiking shoes, which inspired me to order a back up pair for the inevitable time when my soles are too far worn.

My latest discovery is David duChemin.  He’ s rapidly become a real standout in this field – with a recent book, Within the Frame, an upcoming book (which will include Karl Grobl in it), a blog, a video blog, e-books, a forum, you name it.  What I’m really loving about him is what a great teacher he is, and how he is shifting the conversation away from equipment obsession and towards more meaningful topics – such, as he says, vision.  I’ve read through most of the current favorite photo books, where I picked up lots of great info and tips for equipment, composition and lighting, post-production workflow, etc.  But I’ve always found something lacking.  They give you everything you need to know to take technically better photos, but they rarely speak to the content and the purpose of the image – as David might say, they give you the how, but not the why.  They don’t offer much in terms of developing one’s style, of strengthening one’s vision.  And that’s what David addresses, so I’m glad I came across him at this time.  Watch a few of his video blogs (free from iTunes under Within the Frame), and I think you will see what I am getting at.  And as I work my way through his blog archives, I’m seeing that his early development in this field shares many similarities with mine, which is encouraging to me as I follow this uncertain but determined journey.  Just beware, if you start to follow him, that you will be taking photo and career advice from someone who once branded himself “The Rubber Chicken Guy!”

I’ve been selected as one of the Ten Finalists in the Conde Nast $25,000 Dream Trip Contest (out of over 70,000 entries!) with my photo Boys Emerging from Chuch – Pisac. This photo was captured on my visit to Pisac where I ran into some fellow Yanapay volunteers, and then we all got on the bus going the wrong way, as documented in this post.

I was requested to submit an essay detailing my dream trip, in which I described a trip to visit and photograph the indigenous cultures of Laos, Cambodia, and Vietnam.

In addition, I won a Sony a350 digital SLR with an 18-70mm lens, and my photo was published in the October 2009 Conde Nast Traveler magazine.  If you are interested in purchasing this new, never used Sony camera, head over to eBay here.

The Ucayali section of the Amazon,
somewhere between Pucallpa and Iquitos

I once visited Istanbul, reaching it by ship, and realized that was by far the best way to enter the city.  One slowly floats past the bustling city, with exotic minarets poking up from the skyline, and then disembarks in the manner travelers had for centuries.  The city of Iquitos is accessible by only plane or boat, and so the same romantic notion overtook me.  What better way to enter this one time rubber boom town carved out of the jungle than by boat down the Amazon?  You can’t understand this city without experiencing the river, I figured, so I flew to Pucallpa, and found my way onto a lanca, a passenger and cargo boat heading down the Ucayali section of the Amazon River to Iquitos.

I then spent the next four days on the equivalent of a Peruvian Greyhound bus, albeit in boat form, with hammocks instead of seats (bring your own), a hundred passengers in one big open deck, 2 trucks, 3 moto-taxis, 1000 kilos of salt, several thousand bananas, a few hundred eggs (hey guess what, you really don’t need to refrigerate them!), 8 pigs (they don’t actually squeal, they cry in a manner disturbingly similar to a very loud toddler), 2 cows, and a crate of chickens.  I also discovered, to my shock and disgust, that while the civilized world is trying to save the Amazon, the Peruvian boat passengers are using it as their garbage can, throwing their empty 2 liter Inca Kola bottles right into the water.  One Peruvian man decided that the boat ride was a good time to consolidate his cd collection, so after he emptied the plastic cases, he frisbee’d them, one by one, into the river.  Luckily, after about a dozen, a couple kids begged him to give the cases to them rather than to the river dolphins.  I think they were more entrepreneurs than environmentalists, but hey, same result.

Early into the first day, we were cruising along and hit bottom. Sudden dead stop! One of the moto-taxis on the top deck went sliding 15 feet across the deck towards me. Then there was the night we got stuck for 2 hours in the pitch dark. The procedure for that is to gun the engines for 2 straight hours as you turn the wheel back and forth and shine the spotlight around on the shore – i dunno, maybe looking for a crocodile who can help.

I did discover the greatest Peruvian invention since the potato: bathrooms that are also showers. That way they are always clean!  And then finally, after 4 full days of a 3 day trip, we reached Iquitos. Everyone just stood on the front deck staring. Maybe out of habit, maybe out of shock. Maybe they had all died, in place, out of boredom. There was no mad rush for dry land as I expected. I thought, hmm, is this just a cargo port and we get off somewhere else? But no, it was over! And I lost another 15 minutes of my life until I figured this out.

At some point, I think it was towards the early afternoon of day three, I discovered I’d had enough of Peru and decided to return to the US.  I spent a few days somewhat enjoying the frantic energy of Iquitos, and am now back in Lima for a long week before flying home.

I haven’t written an update on Clara for awhile, so there is a lot to catch up on!

As previously discussed, my friend Nienke put me in touch with an American special needs teacher here, Celeste, who then arranged for a young deaf Peruvian women, Karen, to work with Clara.  Finally everyone’s schedules coodinated, and they came to Yanapay to visit.  Clara soon figured out that we were discussing her, and she refused to join us, acting unusually shy and hesitant.  Nevertheless, Celeste explained everything to Yuri, and acted as a multi-communication translator, signing to Karen and telling me in English.  Yuri was thrilled with the idea, as was Karen’s mom, whose support was also important for this to work.  I was beaming with happiness, as it seemed Clara was finally going to get consistent help.  In the process, I obtained my name in sign – a “d” next to my glasses.  Finally Clara was forced down to join us, the idea was explained to her as best as possible, and she agreed to work with Karen.

On the first day of class, Karen and I sat down with Clara, and Clara already didn’t seem very happy.  She kicked me under the table in protest, but we carried on with the lesson.  Karen went through the alphabet in sign, and then seeing that she hadn’t brought any materials, I pulled out my flashcards.  She went through each of those, with Clara learning the signs.  She then quizzed Clara, and she remembered nearly all of them.  Not knowing what to do next, I ran to the storeroom to get some drawing materials.  However, when I returned, Clara had run off, and I had no success in coaxing her back.  “Poco a poco” I told Karen, little by little.

The following day, Clara wouldn’t even sit down with us to start the lesson.  We tried and tried to persuade her to join us, but no luck.  Eventually, however, as Karen and I stood around not knowing what to do, Clara invited Karen up to the games room.  Great!  Clara is warming up to her teacher!  I thought.  Karen was hesitant, but luckily she went up and joined Clara.  I left them alone, with the hope that Karen would turn it into a learning opportunity.  After about 10 minutes, they came down and went into the art room.  I tried to spy a bit, but mostly gave them their space.  They weren’t really working with each other, but working next to each other was a start.

By the following day, Clara would no longer greet me.  I assume it was because I was making her work, and perhaps because she comes to Yanapayto play, to have fun, and to be with other kids.  It is entirely possible that she is in her house all day, as she no longer attends school.  She wouldn’t sit down to work with Karen, and I began to think it all might fall apart.  I was away from Yanapay for a few days, and was afraid the lessons be over when I returned. 

Although Clara still wouldn’t greet me when I returned, she was proudly sounding out, “I am Clara!”  One of the volunteers had somehow taught her that.  She was also showing that she could sign her name.  I joyfully discovered that Karen had brought 2 of her friends, and they all worked with Clara that day.  It turns out, in my absence, the teachers at Yanapay had explained to Clara that if she wants to continue to come to Yanapay, she has to work with Karen.    I was extremely curious what they were all doing in the classroom, but I left them alone, and they worked for well over an hour.

A few weeks later, Karen started a job, but she had started to go to Clara’s house on Sundays for the lessons, which are hopefully continuing.  Last week, again after an absence when I went to Puno and Bolivia, I returned and saw Clara signing with Yuri.  It was not longer gestures and pantomimes, but real signing, which she seemed to be doing it with new found confidence and perhaps even a slight bit more maturity than I had seen before!

Please view additional Yanapay photo essay at www.dojoklo.com

OK, so I’ve been very forgetful.  I forgot to do a special post for Tracie and for Aunt Vickie and Grandma on their donation days.  I will have to make that up to you…  BUT, today is Gail Zimmer’s donation day and birthday!  Her donation was for a doll related art project with the kids.  Since I was supposed to be in the jungle now working in Pilcopata, I was going to do that at this time.  However, since that gig fell through, I am carrying my art materials deep into the jungle to Iquitos next week.  When I hook up with a volunteer organization, hopefully in a secluded indigenous community, I will attempt to do that project.  In the mean time, here are some pictures from an outing with the Aldea Yanapay kids.  We hiked just outside of Cusco, and explored a creek and some woods for the afternoon.  The kids loved playing in the water, and many left quite wet, along with a couple unlucky volunteers.

Heading out

Yuri helping a little one across

Jenni in the water

Marylin

Clara getting ready to cause trouble!

“Mira Profe!” The little ones were amazed by the wonders of nature

Diana playing in the mud

Maria calm and composed as always

Yuri and the kids

Ascending the trecherous hill

Returning from collecting leaves and seeds for future art projects

Descending the trecherous hill

Heading home

**Sorry, the links to the photos got messed up.  Please view photos at www.dojoklo.com

As the bus from Puno approached Juliaca, I turned to the campesina woman next to me and asked how I could continue on to the Festival de Tinajani.  Her face lit up and she told me, “Nosotros vamos a Tinajani tambien!” – “We´re going to Tinajani also!” I asked how we proceed there from Juliaca, and she explained rapidly, so I figured it was best just to follow her.  She was with a group of 3 other adults and 2 children, and after we unloaded their buckets of what I assumed was soup to sell at the festival, we attempted to find a taxi.  Ten minutes passed without luck, only bicycle taxis came by, and so I tried again to ask her where I go to get to the next city near the festival.  She convinced me to wait, and finally we got a taxi, loaded the buckets, and all piled in.  Deposited at a large plaza and market area, we happily discovered there were direct buses to the festival, and wouldn´t have to go to Ayaviri first.  I asked the oldest woman how much my share of the taxi was.  “Dos Soles” she quickly replied.  Based on my knowledge of transportation prices, my experience with Peruvians, and the smug expression on her face, I assume I paid for the entire family…and their soup, which I had helped to load and unload.

We all sat on the bus for several minutes, and the passengers started to get antsy.  “Vamos!” they all began to yell.  We moved a bit, stopped some more, moved a bit.  People started to get off to try their luck with another bus.  The young woman sitting next to me had been attaching yarn braid extensions into her hair, and so I assumed she was a dancer headed to the festival.  As soon as she got up, I knew it was best to follow her.  We got on the next bus, which filled up when a man butted right in front of us (an everyday experience in most any line in this country), and unfortunately we had to stand for the ride.   An hour and a half later, we turned off right before Ayaviri, onto a dirt road heading into the altiplano, the high plains between the two spines of the Andes.  As we followed buses and cattle trucks loaded to capacity with festival-goers, a continuous series of buses and combis, now empty, passed us on their way out.  The festival was nowhere in sight, just desolate, dry grasslands, fields, and pastures with cows, sheep, and llamas.  After twenty minutes, the dramatic rocks which I had seen in pictures came into view, then the parking lot loaded with hundreds of buses, then the crowds, covering the hillsides.  Emerging from the bus, I didn´t know where to turn.  There was color and activity in every direction, so overwhelming I didn´t know where to start.  I didn´t want to miss any photo opportunity, but I just had to begin.  Right next to me was a field with some dance groups practicing.  After a few minutes there, I weaved through the vehicles, and merged with the crowd crossing a precarious plywood bridge to the site.  I moved through the rows of food vendors and people eating lunch, chicharones on grills sputtering grease at every turn.  At the dance site, I tried to determine how to best sneak my way in, but each corner was filled with crowds and police.  I circumnavigated the entire area, since I saw other photographers on the far side.  I waved my camera in front of a guard and he let me pass.

Since I had no idea how I was going to return to Puno, how difficult it might be, and how long it might take, I knew I couldn´t stay long.  So I alternated between taking photos, filming videos, wiping the dust off my camera, and blowing it off my lens.  Group after group of dancers performed, each with their own band of musicians and singers.  The announcer´s voice boomed through the PA system constantly, even over the music and voices of the singers, “TINAJANI RAYMI!”  “La Provincia de MELGAR!”  The crowds continued to grow on the rocks and hillsides surrounding the site.  At 1:30 I forced myself away, knowing I had to be on my way out of there by 2:00.  But on the hillside there was so much more activity:  kids flying kites, groups of dancers waiting, carnival games and foosball tables.  I made my way back through the food area, to the parking lot, and once again found myself in the practice field.  A group of women danced in a circle, surrounded by men parading huge red and white banners.  Another amazing photo opportunity!  I snapped as fast as I could, and then delved back into the parking area looking for the combis heading back to Ayaviri.

I got the last seat on one just about to head out, and encountered a small group of Spaniards, the other other tourists I saw the whole day.  We spent the ride amused by the smiles and laughter of an adorable little girl, just as entertaining as the festival we just came from.

I just got off the bus – dancers practicing in a field

The crowd, visible from the parking lot

One of the market and lunch streets

So much overwhelming color, activity, and so many people, I didn´t know where to start!

I got my way into the photographers’ row, right at the side of the dance area

Skirt-twirling action!

Dust, dust and more dust – not so good for the camera and the sensor.  Luckily I had my little blower with me.

This dance involved sweeping the dirt right onto me!

Danza Tondero de Piura, surprising to see so far south

Awaiting their turn to dance

transportation costs:

Moto-taxi from hostal to Terminal Terestre Puno – s/. 1.50 - 7 min
Bus from Puno to Juliaca - s/. 2 – 1.5 hr
Taxi with family and food to Plaza – s/. 2 – 5 min
Bus directo from Juliaca to Tinajani – s/. 5 – 2 hr

total: s/. 10.50 – 4 hours

return trip:
Combi Tinajani to Ayaviri plaza - s/. 1.50 – 25 min
Bike taxi to Ayaviri Terminal – s/. 1 – 5 min
Bus from Ayaviri to Juliaca – s/. 3.50 – 1.5 hr
Bike Taxi to paradero – s/. 2 – the slowest 10 minutes of my life, as every other bike taxi passed us
Bus from Juliaca to Puno – s/. 2.50 – 1.5 hr

total: s/. 10.50 again! – 4 hours

As always, many, many more photos here on Flickr

**Sorry, the links to the photos got messed up.  Please view photos at www.dojoklo.com

Here are some shots from the Inti Raymi morning ceremony to greet the sun, at Coricancha.  I got there bright and early, and hour and a half before, in order to get a good spot on the railing.  But the front row was already full!  What to do?  Wait until someone makes the mistake of leaving their spot, and jump right in!  Then push, nudge, and hold my ground for the next 3 hours.