An orphan bathes with water from a well that was just dug on the property.

Some of the more than 500 children assemble for a time of singing.

Lunch being served to the children.

Children at the orphanage eating lunch.

In the middle of a tiger preserve, eighty miles from medical facilities, in an area frequented by Maoist terrorists, live 525 orphans and children at risk. They have no electricity and live in mud and straw homes. Yet, Central India Christian Mission provides food and education for them in the best way their current resources allow. “If we had not accepted these children, ” says Ajai Lall, founder of CICM, “most of them would have died because there was no one to take care of them. Before we got these children, they were living under trees and tin sheds. There was no school in the whole region.”

Many of these children were left to fend for themselves when their parents traveled to large metro cities in an effort to make a living for their families. Some of their parents ended up as bonded laborers in the cities and have not returned to their children. Other children at the home were rescued from child slavery. Pappu Sadhu, CICM area director laments, “Child bondage labor is a critical problem in my country. Through this children’s home we have saved so many children from slavery.” Laws exist in India to ban the use of young workers. But, in the rural areas surrounding the children’s home, many children are forced into labor by wealthy land owners looking to exploit them for higher profits. Throughout India, estimates of child laborers, ages 5-14, range as high 44 million. UNICEF statistics even go as high as 75 million. Many of these children were sold as bonded child laborers to cover some small (relatively speaking) debt their families incurred.

Sadhu added that there are still so many children waiting for an opening in the home, “Now, we are not able to take them. We need more space. We need more food. We need more teachers.”

Listen to a short sample of the children singing.
Orphans-Singing Click Here
Call to action: Visit http://www.indiamission.org/ and sponsor a child.

All Photographs copyright Gary S. Chapman

(Nikon D4, 70-200mm f2.8 @135mm, 1/1200 sec, f2.8, ISO 400)

(Nikon D4, 24mm f1.4, 1/60 sec, f7.1, ISO 3200)

(Nikon D4, 24mm f1.4, 1/160 sec, f2, ISO 100)

(Nikon D4, 70-200mm f2.8 @135mm, 1/640 sec, f2.8, ISO 200)

(Nikon D4, 24mm f1.4, 1/250 sec, f2.5, ISO 3200)

(Nikon D4, 24mm f1.4, 1/60 sec, f4, ISO 4000)

A teacher with her students in one of the mud and straw buildings.

Boys read and nap in a dorm that holds over 200 children.

Street beggar comes to my window in India

Street beggar giving thanks in India

Beggars in Nepal, Haiti, Israel-Arab Quarter, Israel-Christian Quarter and India

Begging. It makes us nervous. We squirm. We try to look away. We attempt to ignore.

But many places I go in the world I can’t ignore those that are begging. My heart screams to help. My head, in frantic fits of logic tells me why helping is a bad idea.

While the poverty is real,  beggars in some countries beg as part of organized crime. Babies have been rented by beggars for better results. Children have been maimed to attract soft hearts.

Will my giving actually help (other than ease my conscience)? Will it reinforce a culture of dependency? Will it just reward criminal gangs that “own” the beggars?

I don’t have any hard and fast answers. I have given. I have ignored. I have laughed and played with children beggars without giving them anything. I have bought food for obviously hungry beggars. I have said NO when pushed by overly aggressive beggars that don’t sit right with me.

All I know for certain is, that in a few weeks, I will have the same battle of choices during my next assignment.

SOP 1 Classroom-Photo by Bethani Montgomery

School of Photography 1 Class 2012-Photo by Josh Fletcher

CNN Photo Blog-Gary S. Chapman 2011-Persecution in Pakistan

Few people know about the plight of Pakistani Christians. My photos on the persecuted community living there are on CNN’s photo blog. Vivian’s reflections on our experiences are linked on the Belief Blog. Please go to the links below and feel free to comment and share to get the word out.

CNN Photo Blog

CNN Belief Blog

A worker feeds a child with disabilities.

A child brushes his teeth at the children's home.

Children play in the shadow of the Bal Bhavan children's home.

Children at Bal Bhavan praying before bedtime.

“We’ve found babies in the trash dumps.”

“We’ve found babies in the train toilets, on the train tracks.”

“We’ve found babies at our doorsteps.”

“People leave babies at the hospital sometimes.”

“In Hindi, the word orphan means ‘a godless child.’  So we call this place a children’s home. Bal Bhavan (the name of the home) literally means ‘children’s palace.’ We want them to be able to call this place their own home.”

–Lashi Lall Howard–Director of Bal Bhavan Children’s Home.

We have all seen them…ads asking us to support orphaned kids. Who do you believe? Who do you support? Well, I have seen these kids CICM helps. Their workers are amazing. Your money won’t be wasted here. CICM–Central India Christian Mission supports around 4,500 children throughout India, Nepal and Bangladesh. Bal Bhavan is home to 98 children.  Click CICM to help. NEWS UPDATE**Just found out another 350 kids were supported yesterday after people viewed video and photos produced by Andrew Tucciarone, Jon Sturdevant and myself. A few weeks ago 225 people stepped up to help kids too. This should be very encouraging to all photographers and workers in this field.

All Photographs copyright Gary S. Chapman

(Nikon D3s, 50mm f1.4, 1/400 sec, f1.4, ISO 2500)

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/6400 sec, f1.4, ISO 200)

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm f2.8 @85mm, 1/320 sec, f7.1, ISO 200)

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/125 sec, f2.5, ISO 4000)

Buddhism: A Buddhist monk circles Boudanath Stupa in Nepal while spinning his prayer wheel.

Hinduism: Hindu Sadu at Pashupatinah, Nepal

Islam: Muslim men praying at Jama Masjid in Delhi, India.

Christianity: New Christian believer being baptized in Delhi, India.

Four faiths all leading to the same place? The same end? Can everyone be right? Are there multiple roads to eternity that all join together as they near a place called heaven? Can I do enough good works to merit a place in heaven? What do I really deserve? Is it us vs them…a fight to the death? Can I neglect every faith and still be right with God? Are there millions of gods? How do I chose one? Can a modern intellectual really believe in a god? Am I a god? Are we asking enough questions? Are we giving up on God, eternity, heaven and the pursuit of truth because it is all too confusing?

My intent with this post is to encourage readers to continue asking questions about faith and not to offend anyone.

All Photographs copyright Gary S. Chapman

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm f2.8 @145mm, 1/1600 sec, f2.8, ISO 3200)

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm f2.8 @122mm, 1/800 sec, f2.8, ISO 400)

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm f2.8 @180mm, 1/400 sec, f2.8, ISO 400)

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/6400 sec, f1.4, ISO 200)

70-200mm 2.8 Villager in central India. Originally tried 24mm but did not like distortion. I was shooting this tableau and the man walked out...perfect.

50mm 1.4 Woman and her offering at Boudanath Stupa, Nepal.

24mm 1.4 Woman sick with fever, Mission Hospital, India

The combination of lenses I use when I travel is constantly changing. On one trip I will go super light, so light that I, on purpose, don’t look like a pro. Other times I will carry everything from 14mm up to 300 and throw in a tilt shift and an extender just to test airline weight restrictions and build a few extra muscles. But for the last several trips I have standardized on three lenses: 24, 50, and 70-200. This simplicity of glass is suiting both my back and my creativity. Sure, without the wide and mid zooms I have to move my body more. But the fast 1.4 primes and 6400 clean files have opened up new opportunities to capture moments in near darkness. A caveat though — shooting at 1.4 is a bit dicey on the focus. I often have less than an inch of sharp critical focus. You’ve got to get the focus spot on the eye.

As David Duchemin always says, “Gear is good vision is better”. Make conscious, informed decisions about your gear choices. Experiment. Get comfortable with your choice and then let the creativity flow.

All Photographs copyright Gary S. Chapman

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm f2.8, 1/640 sec, f2.8, ISO 400)

(Nikon D3s, 50mm 1.4, 1/100 sec, f1.4, ISO 4000)

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/100 sec, f1.4, ISO 2000)

One newborn of twins abandoned at railway station in India.

This child is more fortunate than many babies abandoned in India. She and her twin sibling were found in a railway station and immediately rushed to the Mission Hospital run by CICM, Central India Christian Mission. Just two days old in this photo, the twins will become part of the growing family of children given shelter in the home run by CICM once they gain their strength and can leave the hospital.

The home has taken in many children abandoned for different reasons — an unwed mother fearing the stigma of raising a child alone, birth defects, extreme poverty or couples wanting a boy instead of a girl. Should you care to help any of the orphans being helped by CICM, please check out their site: Central India Christian Mission.

Photograph ©Copyright Gary S. Chapman 2011
(Nikon D3s, 50mm 1.4, 1/400 sec, f1.4, ISO 250)

Explore extreme angles. Glorious is one of the main workers at Land of a Thousand Hills coffee washing station.

Find a background that relates to subject's story. Pastor Pius, a survivor of the genocide, ran for his life and hid for days in a banana plantation. He said, "Every face you see on the streets carrries a hidden pain from the genocide. No one has been untouched."

Just wait for a good reaction or expression. Sophia was orphaned by the genocide. The non-profit side of Land of a Thousand Hills Coffee, (www.drinkcoffeedogood.com) has been able to supply her basic needs for housing, food and schooling.

Look for graphic lines and color. Amie, 23, is chief of fermentation at Ruli Washing Station. Here he is in a fermentation tank. "Before coffee my life was very bad. I was an orphan. I lost my family in the genocide. Because of coffee, I get money and I am succeding."

Have you ever felt the almost paralyzing fear of realizing you have 5 minutes to pull off a story-telling, engaging portrait and nothing seems to be working in your favor? There is no time to set up the lights you brought, even though you ditched your mantra of “carry-on luggage only” to bring the extra bag all the way to Africa. You feel a great creative void inside from whence ideas used to flow like a cool mountain creek. You hear the imaginary tick-tock of the clock that tortures you with the truth that time is running out and the harsh mid-day sun — that is horrible for portraits — is making you sweat on top of your already nervous sweating.

Then you see a beam of light crossing an old wooden wall in the church or you remember seeing an interesting mud texture on a wall. Suddenly, your mind clears a bit and you visualize how a colorful graphic alignment of lines could make a great background. You remember your subject spoke about hiding for his life in a banana plantation… “I can use that as my background,” you sigh in relief. Creative ideas begin to slowly push aside the fear of failure. Time is still pressing in, but now you have a visual hook to hang your portrait on.

When I have to do portraits under extreme time pressure, I look for certain elements that I can place my subject into:

1) Beams of light or pools of light

2) Textured backgrounds

3) Extreme angles

4) Story-related backgrounds

5) Comfortable location where I can have a conversation that may elicit a great expression

6) Graphic lines and colors.

All of these choices of background should help the viewers to understand something more about the people and their story.

I don’t know about you, but I am certain all these ideas don’t just pop into my head from nothing. I am learning to relax more and actually enjoy the creative process that goes from nothing to something as I push fear aside and rely on solutions that come from God’s creativity.

All Photographs copyright Gary S. Chapman

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/160 sec, f7.1, ISO1000)

(Nikon D3s, 50mm 1.4, 1/500 sec, f4.5, ISO200)

(Nikon D3s, 24mm f1.4, 1/40 sec, f3.2, ISO200)

(Nikon D3s, 50mm 1.4, 1/400 sec, f1.4, ISO250)

(Nikon D3s, 50mm 1.4, 1/2500 sec, f1.8, ISO1600)

(Nikon D3s, 70-200mm 2.8 @150mm, 1/400 sec, f2.8, ISO800)