Photo Blog

Still Here: Images from Haiti

2010-07-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Still Here: Images from Haiti is a show which is currently hanging at the Ag2 Gallery in the French Press at 1101 State St. in Santa Barbara, CA. The images were taken while I was in Haiti this March and April working with a few NGOs.

Still Here: Images from Haiti

Photographs by Lindsey Ross

Innocence, playfulness, levity, and weightlessness still exist in Haiti as people seek escape from tragedy and hardship.

Haitians have a relentless spirit and enjoy life in ways anyone can relate to: spending time with their family and friends, swimming in rivers on hot days, riding bikes buoyantly through their neighborhoods. While it is important to be aware of Haitian hardship, it is equally important to celebrate the other, joyful side of Haitian life. One does not exist without the other – both are essential to the human experience.

The title “Still Here” was borrowed from a multimedia dance performance “Still/Here” choreographed by Bill T. Jones, which expressed all facets of the human experience of terminally ill patients. My parents took me to see this dance performance at the Wexner Center in Columbus, OH when I was 13.

IV Halloween 2009

2009-12-24T09:42:00.002-08:00

Carp beach at night, full moon

2009-12-01T23:57:00.001-08:00

Ciao, Marco Panini

2009-11-30T16:04:00.000-08:00

Marco Panini, thank you for your relentless wit and passion for life. I learned a lot about myself as a photographer and person by following you around downtown Carpinteria.

Richard Hardeman - Carpinteria Bus Driver

2009-11-29T11:30:00.000-08:00

I am fortunate enough to freelance for a weekly newspaper in Carpinteria, California called the Coastal View News. They will publish a six month long series of monthly picture stories I will produce about residents in their town who give it the small-town character. The idea for this series was inspired when I audited a picture story class at the Ventura Campus of Brooks Institute this fall. In my class we discussed how the news is overrun with violent and freakish stories often in order to gain readership. These stories are so prevalent, publications lose track of everyday people who work hard and lead "normal" lives. His challenge to show our readers "normal life" in an interesting way. The series I am shooting for Coastal View News is both a tribute to locals who make Carpinteria tick year-round and also an exercise for me in creating interesting picture stories about everyday people who are often overlooked. So far it has been a fun, rewarding and good learning experience.
I typically shoot journalistic projects with a Nikon D200 or D700. I use autofocus a lot. I purposely shot this entire assignment with a Leica M8 and mostly with a 50mm f/1 lens. The Leica, although it is digital, has limited settings, it is very basic, and does not offer autofocus. This forced me to slow down while shooting this assignment think about composition and framing and shoot more deliberately. It also produced more dreamlike, ethereal photos than the Nikon because of the narrow depth of field of the 50 mm f/1.

Event Samples - Lea & Anthony Wedding

2009-10-07T18:43:00.000-07:00

Portraits

2009-01-12T16:24:00.001-08:00

Joe de la Cruz, boxing trainer - Westpark Community Center, Ventura, CA

2008-11-10T19:24:00.001-08:00

La Barge and Diamondville, Wyoming

2008-11-02T13:01:00.000-08:00

The light was so nice when I drove through La Barge on my way home to Bondurant, WY and when I was driving back to Ventura through Diamondville, WY, I had to stop and take some photos. The gentleman next to the green truck helped me attach my new Wyoming license plates to my car. Unfortunately I didn't take any photos in Bondurant, Pinedale or on Jakes rig on the Pinedale Anticline. It was a short visit to Wyoming.

Club America v. Chivas Guadalajara soccer game party, near Ventura Avenue

2008-10-26T20:07:00.000-07:00

Ventura Fire 10/22/08

2008-10-25T20:13:00.000-07:00

Skeleton Suit and Crash Kings at the Roxy!

2008-10-25T19:44:00.000-07:00

Five Favorites

2008-10-22T14:33:00.000-07:00

Composition

2008-10-17T20:50:00.001-07:00

POV: Farrier Carl Stephens, Ojai, CA

2008-10-13T02:22:00.000-07:00

Dramatic Light Assignment

2008-10-13T01:23:00.000-07:00

La Universidad Metropolitana

2007-11-30T05:23:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 28

There was an opposition march at the Metropolitan University of Caracas on Wednesday. Like on Monday, the students stood along the highway holding signs, handing out flyers, writing "no" in shoe polish on cars. The National Guard was there again but this time, threats to shoot tear gas emerged only after about 30 minutes of protest. They were armed with gas masks, home-made shields, helmets and Vick's Vapo-Rub (to put under their eyes and nose. It helps with the tear gas). One hour into the protest, the National Guard begins to simultaneously fire tear gas and spray water at the students, pushing them up the ramp into the school gates. A battle ensued for the next three or four hours. Students fired back tear gas bombs and rocks. National Guard and police pushed the students back to the school with a surge of water and tear gas and then the Guard receded. Students fired back and taunted.

The Guard approached from the ramp on the right and the police approached from the bridge on the left. Students ran when they began firing rubber bullets.

A tear gas bomb ricocheted off a student's arm.

When gas bombs were fired, some students picked them up and threw them back at the guards.

Oh the pain. Those who didn't have full-face gas masks were affected by the gas which caused your eyes and throat to burn and your nose to run.

Student march day

2007-11-24T12:56:00.000-08:00

Wednesday, November 21
This was a day when the students chose to march. The opposition students marched, convening in Chacaito for a rally. There the student opposition leaders spoke charismatically and as they grew more impassioned, the crowd cheered even more. This kind of student involvement in an election is unprecedented in Venezuela I've been told.
That evening, red-clad Chavistas crowded the streets around the Miraflores Palace. On a stage, music groups performed for the students, keeping them entertained until about 7:30 or 8 when President Chavez appeared. His entrance was marked by cannons of red and silver confetti blasting into the air.
"This is a very special thing for us, this president," said one Chavez-supporter next to me in the press box. "There's a lot of emotions surrounding him."

Day seven

2007-11-17T12:45:00.000-08:00

Thursday, November 15

These are four kids who go to the Catholic school near my hotel. They were sitting outside waiting to go into the school at 6:30 a.m. The following photos are ones I took while touring the barrios around Caracas.

Day six

2007-11-16T04:54:00.001-08:00

Wednesday, November 14

Thousands of red-clad constitutional reform supporters gathered in Plaza Venezuela to march through the streets of Caracas to show support for Chavez's upcoming referendum for constitutional reform. People held photos of President Chavez, signs, Venezuelan flags and mini copies of both the Venezuelan constitution and the reforms that will amend it, should the vote pass on December 2.

Day five

2007-11-15T15:18:00.000-08:00

Tuesday, November 13

Presidential Press Conference at El Palacio de Miraflores, Caracas

El Presidente Hugo Chavez makes a grand entrance when he arrives to the press room holding his two month old grandson. Chavez takes his grandson into the crowd proudly showing him off to members of the press.

He spoke, engaging the crowd for four hours without rest.

Day four

2007-11-15T14:41:00.000-08:00

Monday, November 12

Press conference with former Minister of Defense Raul Isaias Baduel as he denounces the referendum for constitutional reform which takes place December 2. One of the constitutional reforms will do away with the limit of terms for which a president can run.

Baduel holding a copy of the Venezuelan constitution, says the referendum is unconstitutional. http://www.venezuelanalysis.com/news/2807

Everyone is very politicized right and people spray paint their politics on walls and buildings, even on granite, high-rises downtown. They also use shoe polish on their cars.

Mototaxi is a great way to get around in Caracas. They go between lanes of cars, honking the entire way.

Days two and three

2007-11-15T13:32:00.000-08:00

Saturday, November 10

Books at a book fair in a park in Caracas

A boy I met near the book fair

Guard watching the perimeter of El Palacio in El Centro (the oldest part of Caracas)

View of Caracas from one of the local photographer's apartments

First night in Caracas

2007-11-09T18:01:00.000-08:00

I arrived in Caracas, Venezuela around 4 pm Venezuelan time today after flying out from Salt Lake City last night at 9 pm. I caught a cab outside the Caracas airport. My cabbie, Carlos, drove hastily through a nearby barrio en route to the highway. We passed through a tunnel with red spray paint spelling "Socialismo" several times. The already narrow streets were made more narrow by the volume of people crossing the streets, standing on corners, riding bikes and motorcycles between lanes to get around traffic. There were little stands where people were selling fresh guavas and bananas.
Next to the highway ramp there was a huge billboard with an image of Hugo Chavez with a message on it that I didn't decipher in time. Another billboard I saw out of the corner of my eye was a painting of Uncle Sam running from something that I couldn't quite see in time.
Several barrios were visible from the highway. The road wound through lush green hills, most capped with jenga-like, stacked, makeshift houses - the seemed endless in some areas. Other barrios were high-rises that looked like a giant cinder block with thousands of bar-covered windows for 30 floors. They were like really really really old-school - circa 1940-style projects.
It was about an hour of highway driving from the airport to my hotel (Hotel La Floresta) in Altamira - a nicer district of Caracas. It's really safe - the front door has a security guard and a door man. The front door has a gate that locks every time someone comes in or out. Beyond that there is a bank-style vault door so I feel pretty secure.
My room in close to the street so there's a lot of honking. Looking forward to it being morning so I can meet up with some of my contacts and start shooting photos. About the photos - I promise to have some tomorrow.