Life in Camp Hope

As I type this, the team that's headed to Camp Hope are running around checking things off their "to-do" lists and counting down the number of sleeps until Haiti.

I won't be joining them this time and it kills me; it literally aches in my heart.

I just want to be with them and joke with them and experience joy with them.

But it will have to wait, and until then I will be with my people here and joke and experience joy here, and wait until I can go back again.

Enough, whining.

I am thrilled to be sending down the second half of our portrait project to the camp.

In February, Carly and I went from tent to tent capturing the lives and faces of the residents of Camp Hope and promising them a portrait of their family to keep.

This is the awesome part of it too. Something that was intangible and a possible false promise from a couple American girls will become a beautiful tangible gift for these families.

I don't have loads of money to give away but I do have a camera and time, so that's my gift.

It's a small gesture, but I know they will be so grateful for it.

That makes me happy.

in the light

under water

let's go sailing

shoot for the sky

laughter

I absolutely love that all consuming throw your head back kind of laughter.

It's the best kind.

Rose Colored Glasses

Fond Parisien is the city where we worked in Haiti. It's beautiful and right near the water and the mountains. I was goofing around and shooting pictures through the lens of my rosy colored sunglasses and loved the effect. Thus, we have Fond Parisien through Rose colored glasses..

kind eyes

after the storm

“Who is the happier man, he who has braved the storm of life and lived, or he who has stayed securely on shore and merely existed?”

Jeremiah 29:13

Vitality

vi·tal·i·ty

\vī-ˈta-lə-tē\

plural vi·tal·i·ties

Definition of VITALITY

1

a : the peculiarity distinguishing the living from the nonlivingb : capacity to live and develop; also : physical or mental vigor especially when highly developed

2

a : power of enduringb : lively and animated character

look at that grin

Look at that grin, what a cutie!

tres belle

One of my favorite parts about our portrait project in Camp Hope was how the interaction evolved from something formal and awkward into something natural and easy. Once people get comfortable around you they let their guard down and their real smiles come out. They don't always, but when they do, it's so worth it.

Beautiful Smile

"belle souri"

My most used Haitian Creole phrase while I was in Haiti.

I swear I saw the most beautiful smiles in the world.

So much joy and so much beauty, no words necessary.

sweetness

This little girl was such a cutie. We tried to get a good shot of the family and the first several of the shots she shyly looked at the ground with a half smile. I like this one and the half smile she's got going on. It's sweet.

strength

I usually like portraits of smiling children but I as I was editing this evening, I was so taken with this little girl. So much strength in her eyes. I usually equate strength in older faces but man, this little girl, she's got it.

Sunset (Fond Parisien, Haiti)

Colored Pencil Project

Carly, Thomas and I participated in The Colored Pencil Project on our last full day in Haiti. We gave out colored pencils and paper for the kids to keep. We gave them the assignment to draw a portrait of themselves and then a portrait of their world, whatever that might look like i.e. family, school, house, tent, church etc. Some of the drawings were comical. Some were pretty. Some were heartbreaking. All of them were very telling of their experience this past year since the earthquake. I was grateful to have participated in this project and with kids that we knew already.

Become Legendary

Spotted this pair of Air Jordans on the side of the basketball court while the kids were playing one day. I love this shot with the worn shoe and Camp Hope and the rebuilding happening in the background.

I was looking up the slogan for Air Jordans and apparently the new campaign for 25 years of Air Jordans is "Become Legendary"

I love it.

These kids are already legendary.

Everyone loves a beautiful smile

I absolutely loved this woman’s smile. We were out in one of the rural villages of Haiti one afternoon helping with a food distribution and while I was wandering and taking pictures of the beautiful scenery, this woman was interested in what I taking pictures of. I showed her a few of the pictures and her face lit up with this same smile and I asked if I could take a picture of her; she smiled and nodded her head. When I showed her the picture of herself, she lit up once again.

I remember that most Haitians don’t have their picture taken often and less often get to see the pictures that are taken of them. It was a gift for me to see this woman’s face light up in seeing her smile on my camera. I love taking pictures but I love sharing them even more for this very reason.

at sea

I took this from a crumbling and open air church building that was half in the water. This is a little fishing village near Camp Hope. Love a Child has food distributions here because everyone is nervous about the water. Something has been mysteriously killing the fish. The village was beautiful with straw homes and beautiful vibrant colors of the boats and water. Carly and I had so much fun wandering around with our cameras.