Two Years Later

It’s hard to believe that my last – and only – blog post was two and a half years ago! I sometimes struggle to find the balance between living in the present and stepping back to think, write, tweet, and instagram about it all. I know that these things are not necessarily mutually exclusive but it feels like that to me at times.  When I’m behind the lens, I feel so absorbed and so completely in the moment, that I forget to document these experiences in other ways. But I vow to participate more!

I think one of the more significant experiences I’ve had was traveling to Africa (Zambia and Tanzania) with World Vision last fall.  It was incredible to see the work that they do and how deep into the countries they travel. This faith-based organization is committed to women and stresses the importance of self reliance – microfinance, clean water, and education. We all had very lively conversations and I met some of the most dedicated and interesting people.

 


In this small village in Zambia, these women were learning to play a more significant role in the governing of their community. Here, they are talking about managing their personal finances and running their own businesses.

 

 

 

 

 

Another person I met was an animal whisperer. The day we met, he told me to follow him. So I got in line behind him, followed by the giraffes and zebras, all in single file. The only time the animals got upset – or even noticed that I was there – was when I stepped out of line to take photos. It was feeding time and they trusted him completely.

 


This young woman, in her school uniform, helped greet us with a participatory song and dance game called “Do What I Do.” It was a fun bonding experience that made me wish we had something similar here in the US when I was in high school

I was humbled by the resiliency and warmth of the people that I met, but I was never not aware of the vastness of the land and its relationship to them.

First Blog Post

Now that I have started to tweet (@Lisaberg1), I want a place that allows me more than 140 characters to think and talk. There’s so many components that go into photography but it all comes down to making great images.

I had the pleasure of working with Ines and her grandson, Marcos, in late afternoon light by the Hudson River. Marcos is a model by profession, but I was also struck by Ines’s elegance and beauty. She was visiting Marcos from Argentina, and for many women (like those in the U.S.), laugh lines, wrinkles and crows feet are seen as ‘a problem’ from aging that needs to be fixed (whether through plastic surgery or Photoshop). However, her face and character reflected the large life she has led and is still leading. My goal was to capture that, as well as her close relationship with Marcos.

I felt that natural, end-of-the-day light would emphasize who she is as opposed to any artificial lighting. Shooting right before dusk, during this ‘golden hour’ is unique. Like those special moments in life, it’s fleeting, lasting only a few short minutes.

Retouching is so commonplace that I automatically put the image in Photoshop and clicked on the blur tool. It seemed second nature to me. However, I looked again at the image and stopped myself immediately. I saw that there was nothing to ‘clean up.’ To alter anything on her face would alter her beauty and her being. It’s such a strong and true image.