The best part of what I do as a photographer

The best part of what I do as a photographer? Getting to know people that I would probably never, ever encounter if it wasn't for being a photographer. Meeting people from different cultures and spending some time with them, eating with them, drinking tea with them really keeps things in perspective for me, and I find immensely enjoyable. I am lucky. Here I am getting to know and sharing a bit of tea with Abhimand a bit before I photograph him earlier this year on an assignment for Abbott. He was on his way to deliver milk from his cows to the milk receiving center in Shirdi, India about five hours east of Mumbai.

Life goes on, documenting relief efforts in the Philippines post Typhoon Haiyan

I was in the Philippines documenting on going relief efforts by Direct Relief post Typhoon Hiayan. Even with all the devastation of peoples lives and livelihoods.  People rebuild, babies are born, and life goes on. This little guy was only about an hour old and he still had the umbilical cord attached along with the placenta. I was privileged to be there for the umbilical cutting. He was born in a clinic that Bumi Sehat Foundation along with its founder Robin Lim set up in Dulag on Leyte Island an area that was destroyed by the typhoon. Inside the clinic are a series of tents where, women go through labor, babies are born, mothers recover, midwives live in, medicines are stored, and healthcare is administered. Amazing women who work there on 24 hour shifts, every single midwife a rockstar.

The devastation had been cleaned up in some areas and some areas not really. In Tacloban fishing boats were washed ashore during the typhoon and no one knows when they will be moved. So people have restarted their lives right under the boats. With children playing around them, meals being prepared, and homes being constructed.

On assignment: Cover your eyes and hope for the best

"Smile!" but look at me.

When on assignment I am sent with specific requirements on what ideas the images are supposed to convey, as well as look and feel. "Oh, and make sure there is room for type! but not sure of exactly where it will go." So as random as it feels sometimes, I get mandates like "go photograph pregnant women in India with gestational diabetes." One of the most important aspects is authenticity. Keeping the images "real" is probably the biggest challenge. Its much easier when things are planned and working with models. You can control the look and the feel of the images that way. Although that can have its pitfalls when it comes to looking authentic. Working with real people it can be hit or miss, of course being a professional it is expected that there is more hit than miss. You can tell people stand there and look this way, and that way, but how do you convey an idea you want them to express in their faces and body language? This becomes particularly problematic with cultural and language barriers. Many times I show up at a persons home in a rural area of another country that is off the grid like an alien from another planet that just got off a spaceship. Although my visit is usually pre-arranged. Most people have no clue about, why am I there, what I am doing, why am doing it, why is it important,  and what is the point of it all. Not to mention I am probably the first foreigner that they have ever seen up close let alone interacted with, and a man no less which can be an issue in very conservative countries. Also I want to take lots of photos over here, over there, doing this, doing that....I get 20 minutes tops before people start getting tired of the whole thing. Plus they have work to do!

So whats a photographer to do? Sit down and have tea, share a moment, get to know each other a bit, and do more than hope for the best.

My 2013 in photographs.

2013 was an interesting year full of some of new places, great people, interesting experiences, and most importantly photographs. These are mostly instagram photos of some of the places I went, stories I documented, and people I met in 2013. Looking forward to what 2014 holds.

Fundraising and trekking for a good cause.

People I photograph tell me all sorts of stories about themselves, good stories, funny stories, and tragic stories as well. Although my photography does help by getting their stories out to a broader audience, and action being taken. I am usually left wanting to do more; something more concrete. With so many people that need help, where do you start? When my friends, founders of @kidsofkathmandu asked me if I was interested in fundraising for some new projects they were working on in Nepal, not to mention "lets make it interesting by trekking to Everest Base Camp" I was sold.

I visited the school where the project I was fundraising for, to see the place and meet the kids. What a wonderful group of curious, and super excited kids to be in school. The money that has been raised will go to clean water, solar power, and spruce up their living area to make it more comfortable. Small things that will make a huge difference in their daily lives. The best part will be that this is just to start things off. There will be local support to help sustain the original investment. This support will give these children an opportunity to help themselves. I am very grateful of the people who had confidence in me to donate to this project. Many thanks to the founders of Kids of Kathmandu, Andrew Raible and Jami Saunders who lead busy lives in NYC and work tirelessly to do good for some of the less fortunate. Two people who I find inspiring, and I am lucky to count as friends.

I am looking forward to following up on the kids as the projects moves forward and will of course update everyone as I know. I did finish my trek, that story is in a previous post, and I am still fundraising a bit more to try to get closer to my goal of $9,000 which goes a long way in Nepal. Here is the link to the crowdrise fundraiser

http://www.crowdrise.com/everestbasecamptrek/fundraiser/williamvazquez

Here are A few photos of some of my time visiting a few of Kids of Kathmandu's projects in Nepal.

Trekking to Everest Base camp one

I Trekked 60 miles over 2 weeks and climbed more than 9000 vertical net feet. There were lots of ups and downs both literally and figuatively on this trek.  Nine strangers and myself started this together, and we finished together.  I learned a few things that would come in handy. Things like you should be very wary of passing Yaks, always wear a headlamp when visiting the toilet at night, watch out from up above for falling 50 pound sacks of potatoes on narrow mountain trails (thanks Tikie for helping me miss that one), bring wipes that have a fresh scent, and sometimes a snickers bar is the only thing that will help you climb that last 1000 feet. All kidding aside it was a great opportunity to raise funds for an orphanage, the main reason for the trek (more on that in another post) and to visit one of the rarer, mythical places in the world. I miss my fellow trekkers after spending 24/7 time with them for two plus weeks.

This is a bunch of images from my Instagram feed shot on my iPhone from the trek. The best camera to have is the one that you have with you. I will post other shots that I did as I liberate them from my real camera, even some black and white twin lens Rollie shots.

Stories from the road: My father is a barber...

Stories, from the road: "My father is a barber, my grandfather was a barber, I want something else. Although I am very talented. Abbott has given me an opportunity to be something else."

"Want a haircut?"

Ravi, Ahmdebad

"Need a Lift?" she said, documenting women's health in Kenya

"Need a lift?" she quietly said, as we passed by her on a path among the corn rows. We were headed to visit Pheobe, an obstetric fistula survivor, and her family at a village in Mumias, Kenya. I said no, thinking how a person as small as she is ride that giant bicycle with someone on the back. One of my traveling campanions had no issues with that. He hopped on the bike and rode off with her pedaling away. We continued on and after 15 minutes I arrived to find him sitting in the shade and relaxed, while I stood there sweating and over heated. Next time don't think so much I told myself.

A moment of reflection, documenting women's health issues in Africa.

A moment of reflection before her surgery is set to start, in a room that used to be a kitchen now an operating room where doctors help women heal. Not just from physical problems, but from some emotional ones also, to live a better, and fuller life. Documenting a day in the life of the Gynocare clinic dedicated to women's health in Eldoret, Kenya.

Africa on my mind: documenting malaria testing and obstetric fistula treatment in East Africa

As I prepare for a return trip to Africa. East Africa this time around (Kenya and Uganda) to work on malaria and obstetric fistula stories I think back to my recent trip to Sierra Leone. I put together a video of some highlights of the trip.

Sierra Leone highlight reel from william vazquez on Vimeo.

This is the video I made for Direct Relief about their Midwife support program in Sierra Leone.

Direct Relief Midwife support program; Sierra Leone, Africa from william vazquez on Vimeo.

Photographing for Direct Relief, maternal and child health clinics in Sierra Leone, Africa

I was commisioned by Direct Relief to document their efforts in reducing maternal death for both the mother and child. Direct Relief provides midwife kits to graduates from the School of Midwifery in Makeni, Bombali District, Sierra Leone. The midwife kits provide the tools needed to safely deliver a baby. Tools that are almost impossible to find in Sierra Leone. I was commisioned to document in photography, and video different clinics in rural parts of the country as well as the graduation of the most recent class. Sierra Leone emerged from a brutally violent civil war 10 years earlier, and their infrastructure was decimated. It was one of the more challenging trips I have done with all sorts of issues ranging from lack of electricity, the extreme heat, eating well, bad roads, spotty mobile service, limited internet access, and very basic lodging at times. This is one of the countries where the term "conflict diamonds" originated from. On the up side though the people were amazingly friendly, and welcoming everywhere I went from small villages to the capital city.

These photos are more of my expericnes, and a feeling of the place. As a policy I don't publish any photos that my client can use until they have published first. So I will publish more at a later time. Many thanks to Lindsey Pollaczek the project director from Direct Relief who organized the trip and traveled with me. She organized a great trip and is a super traveler. It was a positive and deeply felt experience.

While we were having lunch under a tree, a boy carrying water and mangos passed by.

At the graduation the local photographers were pretty aggressive on getting their shots. So was I....

Crossing a bridge and just washed laundry drying the in the sun.

A typical village with land being cleared for planting.

A shot of me with way too much gear photo by Lindsey.

We did lots of driving to get to some of the more remote clinics, over 20 hours in total for the week.

A house by the road. Some of the houses are from the colonial period of Sierra Leone.

Everywhere I went I would have an entourage......many curious and cute kids

Typical road in the more rural parts.

More ground being cleared for planting. Slash and burn, not a good thing.

A typical girl selling bananas, and eating a mango.

Sometimes we had to get off the road to get to where we needed to go in Kono, Sierra Leone.

A general store in rural areas.

Everywhere we went we got smiles and waves.

Graduation ceremony complete with marching bands and procession in Makeni, Sierra Leone

Some of the midwife graduates posing for a photo on the football pitch. The graduates played a soccer game....It was great fun to watch

I photographed an expectant mother at her home and she invited us to lunch. Rice with cassava leaves, palm oil, pepper, and a warm 7up. In the photo Dr. Heidi from the Medical Research Center on the left, and Lindsey from Direct Relief on the right. Not everyone in the shot was invited to the lunch...this was our entourage who stayed to watch.

Photographing the expectant mother while being observed.

These girls were way too cute and loved having their photos taken.

It was hot, very hot!

Sometime we drove at night. We tried to avoid that.

In Freetown the weekends are a time where football is played on the beach there must be about 20 matches going on. Keeping ft is a big thing with people jogging everywhere.

Night time in Freetown....The smell and smoke of cooking fires all over the city, make the city very smokey, and its dark in places due to no power. This is the Times Square there is a big jumbo screen playing videos.

Typical roadside businness'

Typical road

Motorbikes are everywhere.

The marching band, and Abdul the trumpet player.

There was also an all girl marching band.

Each midwife team had someone to drive away the bad spirits. She was the best.

More motor bikes.

A goat tied up outside out guest house in Kono

The common area of the guest house, not bad

The bathroom in Kono. Pretty basic

My room in Kono with the requicsite mosqito net but the fan was not working. It was a long and sweaty night.

Hanoi Vietnam, Buddhist ceremony at the Ngoc Son Temple

In some images I create I control everything, models locations, time etc....Sometimes I am at the mercy of everything. In this photo there is some control going on, a subtle exchange between photographer and subject. An exchange that which guides the final result. Also predicting where the action is moving and waiting for the moment. These ladies performing a buddhist ceremony made it hard for me; thats what makes it fun. Photos are not taken they are made.

Global Cultures and Authentic Lifestyles promo

New e-promo out today. Photos from Shanghai, China and NYC.

2012, a year of travel in photos.

2012 was a big year of travel. Almost hit the 4 corners of the globe. With all that travel I still didn't get to the highest airline status close, but close is not good enough, and I still don't have a regular sleep schedule. A few of my activities while traveling, I stayed in a castle, lots of pointing at things I didn't know the name of, running around, driving many miles on the wrong side of the road on the wrong side of the car, speaking every language I know sometimes in the same sentence, and got a lot of "not possible" in trying to get my projects done. Most interesting place Hanoi, strangest food shredded dried squid with hot sauce, excellent by the way.

Collaboration, fine art project 1, Dominican Republic

This past Christmas I took advantage of being in the Dominican Republic, and started a project with my wife, Scherezade a fine artist. This project has been in the works for a long time it just took a while to get off the ground. We hope to have the project completed by this summer 2013. I don't want to give away too many details until we have it all done so the works can be seen as a body of work. Needless to say it will involve what we do best, using themes that we both find interesting and important. Here are a few in-process shots of one of the pieces without showing too much. This particular piece involved a burro (Chilingo's burro to be exact), Javier as our protagonist, and some costuming.  This is just a start of the process.

Teaching, Photography workshop in the "Dominican Republic"

I am just back from teaching a week long photography workshop in the Dominican Republic at Altos de Chavon - The School of Design. Chavon is a world class art school connected to Parsons School of Design. My wife Scherezade as well as many successful artists in the fine arts and fashion fields went to Altos de Chavon. The theme of my class was the "Narrative Portrait." It was an intensive 5 day workshop where we were working all hours of the day, and sometimes late into the night. A great class with very motivated students, one of the best. I don't get to teach that often, but when I do its a great experience, particularly at Altos.

Moment in time: Mumbai 2/4/11 1:42pm

A rare quiet moment in Mumbai. Most of the time the buses are filled beyond capacity. Love the colors.

What's the travel like?

I get many questions about what its like to work on a project like the one I just completed. A project with lots of travel, and many uncertainties. My response is...."It's the best" Which is an honest answer. Photographers dream about these kind of assignments. I am privileged to work on a project like this with clients that trust me and appreciate my work.

Now the not so glamorous details. I am going to break this up in a few parts in different posts.

Part 1 Organization and travel

I work by myself on these type projects. I travel with no assistant nor a client. I generally connect with a local person that is connected to whatever I am photographing. Sometimes they handle moving me around, sometimes I arrange for local transport in order to show up someplace like a hospital and they show me around. I spend lots of time moving around either in a plane, bus, car, train, tuk tuk, motorcycle, walking, running any and all kinds of transport. No dog sleds...yet, although I have been on one for a different project a while back. I travel as light as possible although it feels like I am still taking too much, particularly when you have to pack for different seasons.

The shoot schedule is very tight that tends to change every day in some form. In this case the design agency coordinates with the client on the schedule. Its up to me to be there on time and ready to work. Its all on a very big spreadsheet that is not too much fun to look at on an iphone.  I have to be prepared to rearrange travel on the go in order to meet the schedule. Thank God for the internet, travel agents, and the iphone! Also being prepared for the unexpected like crazy long layovers, closed airports, broken airplanes, no one who speaks any language that I understand, bad weather, no food where you are stuck, no place to get cash, showing up in the middle of the night, don't take credit cards, no cars left to rent, no taxis, the list goes on and on.

So where did I get this kind or experience navigating? When I was a photography assistant I worked with a few guys who did serious travel, and picked up a few pointers. Thanks guys!

This a slide show of the many things I saw in my travels. No actual work shots yet. My client gets first crack on publishing them.

Wanted: Personal Paparazzi

Much of of my time is spent photographing people working, playing, laughing, vogueing, etc, but I never have any photos of me doing those things. For example in my house there is a wall full of family photos I am in one maybe two of them. Why? because I am usually the one doing the photographing. So in my recent travels I handed a camera to my client........Many thanks Roopal! I really need a personal paparazzi.

This is a photo of me photographing a mother and daughter in front of a temple near Lonavala, India. The little girl was really personable and pretty in pink. What a beautiful family.

Almost done..................

I had such grand blogging plans for my travels....I didn't do much of it unfortunately. I did post some to Facebook when I was sitting still. The demands of moving non stop through different cities, and countries with spotty internet, and crazy data roaming fees forced those ideas on to the back burner. Instead I really focused on the reason I was there; the job at hand. Just a few more domestic trips then I will be done. I will post some stories when I catch up.

Here is a shot in Chandigarh, India at a celebration. They sure know how to throw a party in India.