2.28.2010 Uganda, The First of Many Africa Adventures

As many of you know, I had the amazing opportunity to go Uganda on a photography workshop with Momenta Workshops with two fantastic instructors, you should check out Jeff Hutchens and Jamie Rose photography work as they are not only incredible photographers but really great teachers as well. I highly recommend their workshop, and Momenta goes to lots of places besides Uganda. All my fellow photo junkies should definitely check them out.

The workshop focused on working with non-profits, and creating a personal picture package for your portfolio. Both weeks I got to work with non-profits that focused on sustainable projects. It was fascinating to learn that even the third world is going green!

There were 5 students who went on the workshop with me and I truly was impressed with each of their works and perseverance through 2 weeks of varying levels of challenges. Working with non-profits is tough! Making beautiful pictures in the same place 4 days in a row really challenges a person creatively, and pushes you to look beyond what is directly in front you.

Directly following this blog, will be two addressing both Lira and Uganda specific projects! Here some fun photos from the trip! Consider this your behind the scenes look of what it means to shoot non-profits in Uganda!

Our first meeting with our non-profit heads in Lira.

Fizzah and I getting the back ground story on our non-profits.

Agaton, Whittney, and Madga look considerable less serious.

My first day post shoot, after being on the back of a boda (motorcycle, riding double), 45 minutes both ways to a remote village.

Magda was the only one who understood what riding a boda for 1-1/2 to 2 hours a day could do to you. It was worse than horseback riding.

 

Exposure lessons, I will never forget the Sunny 16 Rule.

 

 BLT....T is for Top Up, guess you had to be there.

Our nightly fire hazard, when the generators are on, you plug in!!

Nightly editing sessions.

Jeff....A picture is worth a thousand words.

 

 I am not sure I can explain Shit Head (really that's the name of the game).

Our hotel turned into a club on the weekends, so the hotel owner reserved us a table. Woohoo! Please note that our favorite waiter James (of the Whispering Chapati) is over Jeff's shoulder.

This is the crew of boda drivers who brought us back to the hotel after dinner.

On yet another Boda ride, the others all made fun of me because I would barely hold on to the boda driver. Who wants to hang on to a strange man?  Fizzah took this photo while we were riding 3 to a boda.

 

At our hotel, The Acholi Bear, we spent a lot of time editing on those balconies.

Out shooting in the local market in Gulu.

Ralph (Oh Agaton!)

Whitney

 

Magda in her favorite The Green Bar! I think she got a marriage proposal from the owner. 

Fizzah and I on the Boda!! 

Can you tell I had a great time on this trip?!

***Most of these photos do NOT belong to me as they were taken by all of us on the trip, I must give credit where credit is due!

Greetings from Haiti

Dear Family & Friends,

First of all, Dom and I would like to thank all of you for the emails, phone calls, and packages that we have received from you over the weeks after the earthquake. We cannot express how blessed we feel to be safe and sound and so well loved by our families and friends. We were able to take a vacation to the Dominican Republic last week and are spending this week in Wisconsin with Dom's family. This has been some much needed R&R and we are so thankful to be with our family. We are planning on returning to Haiti on Sunday, February 14th and anticipate that unless unforeseen changes occur we will complete our tour there in July of this year.

We know that many of you have put together packages for us and others have been asking for ways to help Haiti.  We plan on putting the packages sent to us to good use upon our return. However, we understand that we are really unable to to reach those who need the most help. Our immediate circle of friends are those who have jobs to return to, and a means to rebuild the life that they once had. Many Haitians do not have this opportunity in the future. Dom and I feel that it is important to encourage our friends to consider making monetary donations to some organizations listed below as opposed to sending aide through us. We simply cannot reach the people who require the most help and we feel it is so important to direct resources to the proper venues.

We have been matching the donations of our family and friends, and have already donated $500 to Catholic Relief Services. We chose Catholic Relief Services because it had a base in Haiti pre-earthquake and we personally know the people working at the non-profit. We also support the American Red Cross and the World Food Organization and feel that these three organizations are doing profound work in Haiti. Please let us know if you make a donation and we will match that as well.

The Haiti that we lived in before January 12th is a different world from the one we live in now. But we believe that we are there for a reason and should see the challenge through. We both have great love for the country and hope that in some small way we can contribute to the process of rebuilding.

Much love to you all,

Crystal & Dom

1.28.2010 Solace

Dear Friends,

My very wise mother sent me an email telling me I should take a photo of the beauty around me in the time of disaster. I know these are not the photos that people are clamoring to see in the post earthquake disaster of Haiti.

However, my heart cannot take documenting the sadness and the fear that surround me at the moment. So I have turned my camera toward other things. These things are more mundane, just simple and beautiful. From time to time I need to turn my eyes away from all the sadness around me and remember that beauty still exists. Perhaps, step by step by just having my camera on my person I can begin to show you Haiti in a different way.

I got home today around 5 and none of my fellow houseguest were home. So I sat outside on my front porch for awhile by myself. I feel safe outside. The quiet was nice, except for the occasional helicopter. I found my quiet moment for the day and maybe some tiny piece of my heart was healed just by looking at the sunset.

Meet Lulu, she is the most ferocious four legged beast in our neighborhood. The dogs in our neighborhood have helped all of us more than anyone knows. I often see a crowd sitting out in the yard with the dogs. Its as if Lucy, Lulu, and Mojo know we all need to be comforted. Many of these dogs will be evacuated out in the coming days and none us really know how to tell them goodbye.

Life Post Disaster

Insides quaking...
Ground is shaking
Death, destruction
Loss of Function

Concrete fragments,
Life is stagnant
Heart breaking
No homes remaining

Life sustaining,
We, ever changing
Breath together
Help each other

Moving forward,
Past the rubble
Remember Haiti
In her glory

12.25.2009 Our First Place Continued!

I promised more photos of our house in Haiti months ago, so here some are from Christmas. You will notice the kitchen and bedrooms are missing because those rooms were a wreck that day. But you can get an idea of our place. I'll add the other rooms soon!

Our "formal" living room with Christmas tree!

Long view of the living room and dining room.

Entry way with stockings!

Dining room partially set for Christmas Dinner!

Dom in the den studying up on carving turkey.

Our back yard patio.

Lucy, our neighbor Liz's dog, whom Dom plays with in the backyard every night.

12.25.2009 Randazzo's First Christmas and First Turkey Too!

This year Dom and I celebrated our first married Christmas, and our second Christmas together in Haiti! This year the stove worked! Hurray!

We decided to step things up a bit this year and invited our neighbors over for Christmas dinner. Our menu included turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, gravy, green chili sauce (of course), grandma's rolls, deviled eggs, and cranberry. Needless to say Dom and I were most concerned about the turkey as neither of us had done one before. Here some photos of Christmas day and us obsessing about the turkey.

It looks pretty good!

Never get between a man and his turkey.

 

Our fridge was stuffed!!

Dom learning how to carve from some professionals!

The most important addition to Thanksgiving...the green chili sauce!

Thank goodness Liz had a meat thermometer!

 

Dom is getting ready to make the cuts!

12.13.2009 Ambassador Merten's Christmas Picnic

Ambassador Merten held a Christmas party for all of the embassy. It was geared toward families with lots of activities for the kids. We also had the pleasure of seeing one of the Haitian Boys Choir perform which was amazing.

 

I think it's safe to say everyone enjoyed the performance, the kids were especially enthralled with the choir.

 

Among other things there was a crafting table for the kids where they could color Christmas Pictures, make antlers, etc. It was a big hit, and one of my favorite spots to photography.

 

 

I also shot pictures of kids from the Embassy with Santa, I must say that I get the most enjoyment out of the kids who are terrified of Santa and their parents are insisting on baby's first or second Christmas photo with this large, bearded guy. For all others who get enjoyment out of things like this, here you go.