18-SEP-2011
Monk, Order of the Magnificat monastery, Gualaceo, Ecuador, 2011
I photographed this monk in his chapel. His hooded robe, crucifix, and the emblem of his order define his world. He looks at us with a steady eye, his hands clasped tightly behind his back. It is a portrait of self-confidence and stature. In this case, I chose a neutral background to keep the portrait as simple and clearly defined as the calling of the man himself.
03-SEP-2011
Matriarch, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this portrait at a neighborhood church bazaar. She was sitting on the street in front of her church, being serenaded by a brass band concert. When the music ended, she knew it was time to leave. People were coming to help her. I caught this image as she grasped her walking stick and was about to rise. She has lived a long life, and that life is etched on her face. I liked the blue scarf around her shoulders, and the way the light catches her gray hair. Given the attention she received at the bazaar, she almost certainly is among the most respected senior members of this tightly knit community.
02-SEP-2011
Hat maker, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
Like many visitors to Cuenca, we were given a tour of a hat factory, in this city famous for its straw hats. I found this fellow dipping the straw into a steaming vat with a paddle. Just as he extracted the paddle from the water, he shouted something. At that instant, using a column of hot steam to abstract the scene, I made this shot. The working portrait is full of vitality and drama. He certainly puts a lot of himself into his work.
23-SEP-2011
Singer, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This woman was singing to our group as we celebrated the culmination of our four-week visit to Cuenca. I used a relatively short telephoto lens (90mm) to make the picture from well across the room, and later cropped it into a tall vertical frame. She has a powerful voice, and at this moment, she has closed her eyes and tilts her head back as she reaches full volume. Her voice filled the room, and the tall frame symbolizes the strength of her performance. Her red scarf and dark background add to the dramatic tone of this portrait.
02-SEP-2011
Improvisation, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I found this young man checking his carefully created hair-do in the rear mirror of a parked car. It was sprinkling rain at the moment, yet it did not deter him from his mission. We can see the reflection of his hand in the window, and the intensity he brings to the task. His improvised mirror adds another layer of incongruity to the extreme nature of his hair-do.
17-SEP-2011
Urban scene, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
A mother and son match strides as they take a younger sibling for a ride in a stroller through the streets of Cuenca. The dripping orange graffiti on the wall complements their red outfits and the toddlers orange pillow. All we can see of the young child are the white shoes, which are spotless. The mother seems briskly self-confident as she navigates her young family through their urban neighborhood.
20-SEP-2011
Smoky street, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I made this picture through the front window of a bus as it moved through the streets of Cuenca. In neighborhoods such as this one, street food is cooked on the sidewalks, creating a smoke-laden atmosphere at certain times of the day. I liked the way people are moving through the smoke the smell is tantalizing. The focal point of the image are the silhouetted people clustered around the food itself they seem to be either making or buying a meal, or perhaps both.
07-SEP-2011
Procession bound, Biblian, Ecuador, 2011
As we waited for a religious procession to begin in this mountain village, I noticed many people arriving from rural areas. Some came in the back of trucks, such as these people. I made this image as one of them rumbled past me. The woman in front sees me, but displays no emotion. The people behind her, three of them wearing traditional Ecuadorian fedoras, add important context to the image.
07-SEP-2011
Body language, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I enjoy shooting in cities when it is raining. I usually wait the rain out by standing within a covered entrance to a store and often photograph other people as they do likewise. Such is the case with this image. This image is all about contrasting body language. I liked the way this woman leans back against a wall, and clasps her hands as she does so. The man in the poster opposite to her seems to be bending towards her, almost as if he wants to dance. The body language relationship between the woman and the figure on the poster might not be noticed by passers-by. I am sure this woman is probably not thinking about the figure on the poster, either. However, when I express such a relationship in a photograph, it is obvious that I am calling special attention to it. The woman may be ignoring the poster here, but those who view this image will see her unconscious response to it.
22-SEP-2011
Contrasting efforts, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The man pushing this cart of empty propane tanks has a physically punishing job. He cant see what we can see the man coming towards him just around the corner carries only a small bag in his hand. Meanwhile, two models are pretending to work in an advertisement overhead. They are doing nothing more difficult than holding a piece of paper in their hands. The propane tank man does not look at the advertisement, either. He cannot see the contrast of physical effort that we can see in this image. I also liked the play of color here the man wears blue clothing, the wall is painted bluish gray, and two of the propane tanks are blue. Even the background in the advertisement is a shade of blue. The entire street scene seems to work together, supporting my contrast of effort idea.
06-SEP-2011
Differing worlds, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
These men, both wearing suits, were having a long conversation within a colonnade that borders Cuencas central square. They cannot see the reaction of the woman who tends her knitting a few feet behind them. In this image, she seems to be listening to them we wonder what she may be hearing at this moment. She represents another realm of Ecuadorian life the world of craft. Meanwhile, the men in the suits seem to suggest the world of business, and its attendant economic power. They talk, she listens, and we look. We must draw our own conclusions.
22-SEP-2011
Schoolgirl, Sayausi, Ecuador, 2011
She stands at a rural bus stop, still studying. She does not notice the people who pass her along this street, nor does she seem to see me. She is so involved in her schoolwork that she has time for nothing else. I made many images of her this one best makes the point about self-absorption and diligence.