Haiti: “I will return”
Dr. Ines Espallargas from Barcelona, Spain, a general practitioner, spoke of her recent time in Haiti with the Christian aid group Manto de Guadalupe: My greatest desire was to be able to doctor and heal, or at least relieve, the physical suffering or raise the morale of all the people I could treat. However, my [...]
Haiti: Fasting and Praying
Worshipers gather daily outside the shell of the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption to fast and pray. The cathedral, built in the 1800′s, was destroyed by the January 12th quake that also killed the Archbishop. (Canon 5D2, 24-105mm @24mm , 1/800 sec, f4.5, ISO320) Photo ©Copyright Gary S. Chapman 2010
Haiti: Hell on Earth
Just got back from Haiti. I did not spend much time in Port au Prince, really just passed through on the way to an orphanage way out in the country. The amount of debris and trash left on the streets in the capital is staggering. Months after the quake, many people, even now, consider life [...]
Kenya: Best Gift Ever
When was the last time you were overjoyed to receive a brand new toothbrush as a gift? This young orphan in Kenya responds with genuine delight. Moments like this are a constant reminder to me of how little we really NEED. We want more. We don’t NEED more. Often, we don’t even realize that by [...]
Zimbabwe: Feeding the Entire Person
The teacher told me that during the times of hyper-inflation and acute food shortages in Zimbabwe, their students had difficulties learning. Hunger sapped their energy and ability to concentrate in class. Many just did not bother coming to school. Once the school began a free feeding program, the teachers could see a marked difference in their [...]
Zimbabwe-Creativity
Sometimes we think we have to buy THINGS to solve problems. What about the problem of no desks, no chairs, no pencils or paper? How can these young children in a rural school in Zimbabwe learn to write? They use chalk on the floor to copy what the teacher writes on the blackboard. Obviously, it [...]
Zimbabwe-Offering
People prayed. The plate was passed. A few minutes later, an elder in the small church said, “Our offering today is $33.00 and a blue pen.” In fact, he had just used the pen gift to tally the coins and bills. He told me later that they often get eggs or chickens and rarely much [...]
Egypt: Loving people
Do I love people or do I just love taking cool photos of fascinating people. I can’t get this question out of my mind. I think I have to deal with this before I can go further. If I don’t really love and care for the people I photograph…what’s the point. ©Copyright Gary S. Chapman [...]
Mexico: Twins last day of school
Laura and Lucero, 10 year old twins from a small town in Mexico, pause along a mountain trail on their way home from a school graduation party. At times, being a photographer gets in the way of really knowing people. So much of the time I am only an observer and not a participant. I [...]
Mexico: Different
When I photographed this man’s feet in a small, isolated village in Mexico, I was attracted to the simple story of his worn feet in homemade sandals. That is the only reason I took the photo, visual interest. Yet, as I look at this photo now, I think of the incalculable differences in the paths [...]
Kenya: Eternity Begins
How little we think about death. But when we are touched by it, the reality hits so hard. It is so final…so unchangeable. We are so powerless to stop it. Is that why we don’t think about death, because we feel we can’t stop it? Are we living our lives hoping we are never going [...]
Kenya: Great Photo
A fellow photographer recently asked me to write what I thought made a great photo: We all say, “Oh, that’s a great photo, or man, that is one cool shot.” But what makes it great? I know that when I say a photo is great, this photo, on some level, has “engaged” me. A shaft [...]
Kenya: 3600 meals
A woman at one of the orphanages in Kenya cooks at least 3600 meals over an open fire per month. In a mud hut with no electricity or running water, she feeds more than 40 children. Our traveling partner to Kenya offers these thoughts: “Americans shouldn’t feel guilty for receiving all of God’s blessings on [...]
Kenya: Orphans
Miriam Wanjekeche is 26 years old and giving her life to 10 adoptive children. In this 3-minute video she speaks about her children and the hope she has for them. The still photos were shot at her home as well as three other homes we visited. Click on the photo above to view the hi-resolution [...]
Kenya: Again
Vivian and I returned to Kenya after the trip I made during the violence of January. The “war” as some have called it, left many new orphans and a church struggling to find homes and other ways to care for those that have lost everything. One small church of 23 families took in 46 children. [...]
Kenya: Not Forgotten
He kept trying to get my attention…and I kept avoiding his gaze. But when I did glance in his direction, I could see that he was obviously mentally impaired. From then on I continued to avoid him. I just didn’t want to deal with him. Then, a few minutes later I felt a tug on [...]
Kenya: Lines
The next time you (I’ll include myself here) are tempted to complain about the lines at the checkout, take a chill pill and consider the plight of displaced families in the world’s trouble spots. Lines are a way of life for refugees fleeing violence or famine. As I photographed the people in line, great sadness [...]
Kenya: Originally headed for Darfur
I was supposed to be heading into Darfur. Then chaos and violence erupted in Kenya. No fuel was available for our charter plane. Instead of canceling the trip we decided to try and aid the IDP’s (Internally Displace Persons) that had fled from the fighting and were now seeking refuge in large camps around the [...]
Egypt: A Memory
I heard a “famous” photographer speak a few days ago. One of his thoughts about family life was presented with what seemed to be a sense of deep regret. He spoke of leaving for an extended overseas assignment and watching his child wave goodbye. He related his divided desires, “The lure of the yellow box [...]
Pakistan: Eyes
This crowd in Pakistan was so dense that it would have been difficult to raise my camera to my eye as we slowly bumped and hustled along. I also knew that if I had tried to look through my lens I would probably have lost the image. I chose instead to shoot from the hip, [...]
Mexico: Not So Different
She has raised 14 children in a one-room home made of sticks and mud, without water or electricity, during her 85 years of life. To see more of her village and people go to www.garyschapman.com/mexico.mov Or, if you have a slow internet connection, try this lower resolution version at www.garyschapman.com/mexico_low.mov ©Copyright Gary S. Chapman (45mm [...]
Mexico: A Life of Value
When asked where he was from, this man replied, “donde la vida no vale nada”, which means “the place where life has no value”, in reference to a famous song about the city of Guanajuato, his birthplace. You can read every one of his 88 years in the lines of his face.(Caption by Daniel Chapman) [...]
Jamaica: Prison Boys
Inside, it was dark, humid, and smelled of urine. We were only allowed a few minutes to shake hands, look around and offer a few words of encouragement. Since I could not stay, I can only imagine their life behind bars. This short visit was definitely a case of being of more value to me [...]
Cairo: Muslim Girl Cover-up
At the church I attend, I was asked to present a gallery of my photos from around the world. On Thursday, my daughter and I hung the photos, taking great care of the groupings and wall placement. On Sunday, when we arrived at church, I noticed a table and three-panel display advertising a summer camp [...]