Photography

Haiti is more than the sum of its problems. In reality, much of the country - art, scenery, people - is beautiful.  Below is an interesting Beta Fusion Article by Tim Rogers about young Haitians using Instagram to show others the beauty of their country.  Instagram gives people a chance to post the aspects of Haiti that they know, appreciate, and would like to share with others.  Please feel free to share links to other sites with Haiti-related photography.  

Nick Hobgood, a regional consultant for DAI, learned how to scuba dive off Haiti's northern coast.  He has since produced a high quality photography book of over 100 colorful pictures of fish, other marine life and landscapes taken between 2007-2010 in the Baie de l’Acul, Cachal Beach, Caracol, Cormier, Fort Labouque, Fort Liberté, Isla Amiga, and Labadie.  Proceeds from the first 250 books will support the expansion of Reef Check's EcoDiver program in Haiti.  More information follows.   

Below is a New York Times Photo-Blog (Lens) about photographer Maggie Steber.  Steber has been involved with Haiti since 1986, and her photographs capture both turmoil and beauty.  Her photos, along with commentary about them, can be found on her website "The Audacity of Beauty".  Steber knows Haiti intimately and has never given up on it.  Her photos and experiences can help others better understand Haiti as well.  

Below is a guest blog from Nina Persi, an art student who visited Haiti to document the lives of orphans living in Saint Joseph facilities in/around Port au Prince and Jacmel.  Having returned to Pennsylvania, she is using her photos to raise awareness about vulnerable children in Haiti (of which there are many) and to raise funds for the Saint Joseph Family, an organization doing exceptional work caring for them.  More information on her trip, the Saint Joseph Family, and how you can get involved follows.  

Historic sites throughout Haiti speak to resistance, perseverence, and the long struggle for freedom.  Unfortunately, many of these sites are now falling apart.  Stephanie Curci has created a website that is both map and visual record of Haiti's historical sites.  She plans to expand the number of sites represented and make it interactive so visitors can post their own photos and narratives.  Stephanie welcomes feedback at scurci@andover.edu.  In the meantime, below is an article she wrote for the Journal of Haitian Studies on preserving and reintegrating Haiti's unique historical legacy. 

Lens, the New York Times photography blog, recently covered a Zanmi Lakay photography project in Jacmel.  Through Zanmi Lakay, 28 Haitian children were given cameras and asked to document different aspects of daily life in a city trying to recover and rebuild.  A description of the project is below.  The photos are well worth a look and you can view them by clicking here.  Who knows? Perhaps one day, some of these children will become photojournalists themselves.

1. Don't just read about Haiti, see it! Matt has uploaded a number of interesting new photos to the Haiti Innovation Flickr Site.  They include shots of a Vodoun ceremony, Port au Prince's fragile but beautiful gingerbread houses, coastal life, and grafitti art in Port au Prince.        

There is a Haitian proverb that says what the eyes can't see, the heart cannot feel. The United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) has selected their photo of the year, taken in Haiti. Below is an article Barbara Hans wrote about the photo in Der Spiegel Online.  If you would like to see more photos of Haiti, take a look at the Haiti Innovation Flickr Site or a list of Haiti Photo Blogs (part 1 and part 2).

Matt recently uploaded a new set of  photographs to the Haiti Innovation Flickr Account.  These photos were taken during emergency operations where Haitian Red Cross volunteers and American Red Cross staff worked hand in hand throughout the country.  Red Cross has considerably ramped up their programming over the past month.  These photos give a sense of how profound the damage was in a way that may be impossible to convey through writing. Other non-profits may use photographs from this set provided that they credit Matthew Marek and Haiti Innovation.

Tequila Minsky is one of the newest members of the Haiti Innovation community.  She is a long time Haiti hand who is both a photographer and a frequent commentator on Haitian issues.   You can view her photographs by clicking here. Below are some blogs that she has written lately.  Enjoy!