Daily Dose of Art -- March 4, 2011

Guatemala City, Guatemala.  Streets of the city dump community.  August 31, 2010


My team and I spent the day visiting a city dump where thousands of people lived.  The community was extremely dirty and overwhelmed by poverty.  This photography provides a little glimpse of what the streets were like.  They were very narrow and filled with people and merchant stands.  I like how the small boy is tugging at his older sister's shirt.  This reminds me of the overwhelming sense of child independence in these countries.  So often, kids are left to wander the streets alone at a very young age.  Perhaps a 10 year old girl is taking care of her baby sister, which forces her to grow up years before she needs to.

Daily Dose of Art -- March 3, 2011

WALL OF CROSSES in Tijuana, Mexico.  Taken in July 2010.

You're probably wondering what the heck am I looking at right now?  I wouldn't be surprised.  This is the wall at the international border between Tijuana, Mexico and the USA.  Each cross represents someone who died in their attempts to cross the border.  There were so many crosses that they began hanging and piling on the ground.  Some crosses had names on them, some didn't.  This one caught my eye, and you can probably guess why.

It was such a somber and eerie feeling to be there.  You can peek through holes in the wall to California on the other side, so close.  Something that I will never forget is the drastic change in living conditions when crossing the border into Tijuana.  Almost immediately, you are thrust from a place of wealth and comfort into a place of poverty and corruption.

Daily Dose of Art -- February 25, 2011

I decided to try something new today.  I think adding text to this shot adds so much more emotion, thought, and feeling.  I took this shot in Mexico City in August 2010 while I was wandering the streets alone one afternoon.  Part of me doesn't want to show the photo because it almost feels like exploitation, and the other half does to remind myself of the things Christ teaches us.  The scripture on this photo is from the book of Matthew, chapter 5 verse 3 from the New Living Translation.

I'd really like to hear some feedback on this photo.  Emotions, feelings, theology, reactions whether negative or positive.  What are they?

Daily Dose of Art -- February 21, 2011

On August 1, 2010 I spent the day wandering around downtown Mexico City by myself just seeing what I would come across.  I definitely did not expect to come across a breakdance group that was as talented as these guys.  I took plenty of shots of them but none of them turned out as perfectly as this one.

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Daily Dose of Art -- February 8, 2011

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I met this woman on the streets of San Jose, Costa Rica on August 17, 2010.  I wish I knew her name but I was unable to find out much about her.  She is a homeless woman whom two friend and I ran into after a little while of exploring the neighborhood.  I tried to ask her name and what she was up to, but the only response I got was that she wanted my cheeseburger I was holding in my hand and some other jumbled phrases I couldn't make out.  Before I handed over the sandwich, I tried to get to know her a bit, but I later found out she was mentally unstable and/or high on drugs because she kept repeating broken words and phrases that didn't make any sense like 'Monkey!'  I willingly gave her my sandwich as long as she let me take a picture of her, which she did.  She really is a sweet woman, I just wish I was able to hear her story more.

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Daily Dose of Art -- February 7, 2011

On August 23, 2010, my outreach team and I ventured over to the Atlantic coast of Panama from Panama City to the city of Colon.  We were planning on simply walking around the streets, taking pictures of the city and mingling with those who were willing to talk with us.  However, right before we began to explore, I asked a single child if I could take her picture.  She was in the park with us along with approximately 100 of her classmates, all dressed in their yellow uniforms.  Upon seeing me take her picture, an uproar began and almost instantly every child wanted their picture taken and wanted to be a part of the fun.  It was so neat to see about a thirty minute shoot between the kids and my team arise from one simple question.  Some friends and I ended up hanging out with the kids and teachers a little longer and had a chance to talk with them about their city and school.  What a fantastic day.

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Daily Dose of Art -- February 6, 2011

I met this little boy in a slum community in Ciudad de Guatemala (Guatemala City) on August 31, 2010. I love his little suit and the pink balloon was just priceless.  He was a relatively shy kid but his two sisters were just the opposite.  They loved the opportunity to have their picture taken and went crazy when I showed them their portrait afterwards.  This was such a great day and very eye opening at the same time.  At times you begin to question, "What did I do to deserve the opportunity and life I have?"  The only difference between myself and children like this is the circumstances under which we were born.

Daily Dose of Art -- February 5, 2011

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Love this shot.  I swear I'm not biased though :)  My outreach team was in Mexico City and partnered with some local youth groups to do some outreach ministry in July 2010.  This particular day we were doing 'non-verbal' ministry in which we all taped our mouths and cleaned up trash throughout the city.  And you usually don't notice the dirt and trash until you start picking it up.  It's amazing how much trash was in 10 feet of a trash can.

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DOUBLE Daily Dose of Art -- February 4, 2011

I was browsing through older photos today and came across the shots I took when I visited my friends in Seattle, Washington, in early April 2010.  They took me on a tour of the famous pier and the open market that's there.  I love the sign on the top shot, "Arty Folks Love Artichokes."  It's so Seattle.

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Daily Dose of Art -- February 3, 2011

This shot is on the front steps of what I believe is called the "Saint Paul Cathedral" in downtown Sao Paulo, Brazil.  Such a beautiful structure in quite a gorgeous city.  While touring the inside, something that struck me was finding people praying over a casket which contained a statue which I assumed was supposed to be Jesus.  I found this striking because it seemed as if these people were so focused on Jesus' death, which is incredibly powerful and important.  However, what about the celebration of his resurrection? That is where the hope in this gospel story lies.

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Daily Dose of Art -- January 28, 2011

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The colors of Kolkata, India.  Need I say more?  I love this shot because it shows so many things that really strike me about the city.  The colors, the vibrance, the poverty, the daily life.  This city truly altered my life forever.  What do you think?

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Daily Dose of Art -- January 27, 2011

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So I know I failed to post yesterday but I swear its not my fault.  There was a lightning storm that shut off the internet here.  SO..I'm going to go ahead and post yesterday's photo...today.  No harm, right?  This photo is one of my favorites of when I spent time in Kolkata, India in May 2008.  What an incredible city.  Sights like these were not uncommon but very striking to my eyes.

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