A Visual Journey

On Photographing Colombia

2011-10-03T00:06:00.000+02:00

A group of circus arts students relax at a dwelling in the barrio of
Alta Menga, a so-called invasion in the hills above Cali, Colombia.

If hope directs my glance, by optimism I release the shutter. More so when faced with sorrow. A residual habit formed perhaps as a survival mechanism from a childhood where danger and sad whispers were an ordinary part of the mundane. Yet, since then I have been aware of my good fortune, especially as more and more I live by the distorting mirrors that are the lives and memories of others in my native country. In retrospective, that place, both the land and that which flows through my emotional veins, now seems like a scene where good humor, like a sense of rhythm, is not a virtue or a luxury, but a unit of measure. And it is no longer just a place to revisit from time to time in order to seek confirmation of my trepidations and hopes, but also a portable fountain whose flow I have no power to swim against. This lust for light in a world with so much darkness is therefore a self-imposed responsibility, the legacy of good fortune and the driving force of a grateful set of eyes eager to conspire to share that hope.

Se Va La Gata

2011-08-23T00:53:00.001+02:00

De Cali se va la gata... pero no para Barranquilla.

Colombia, 2011.

Reinventing Rio

2011-07-23T00:19:00.003+02:00

From Smithsonian Magazine

The dazzling but tarnished Brazilian city gets a makeover as it prepares for the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympic Games

By Alan Riding
Photographs by Eduardo Rubiano Moncada

When it comes to Rio de Janeiro there is no avoiding the obvious. The city may be as famous for its Carnaval, soccer, flesh and fun as it is infamous for its hillside slums and organized crime. Yet its defining feature remains its breathtaking setting. No visitor can ever forget viewing the city from on high for the first time. Even natives—the Cariocas—stand in awe of its grandeur. How could I feel different? I, too, was born there. As a writer friend, Eric Nepomuceno, put it, “only Paris comes close to matching Rio in self-love.”

Read more at: Smithsonian Magazine Online

Garafía: Between The Sea and The Sky

2011-07-01T00:05:00.005+02:00

Originally Published by National Geographic Italy, January 2009.

Text and Photographs by Eduardo Rubiano Moncada

Standing on a jagged rock formation 2,426 meters above the same sea we can see far below, the world's largest erosion crater spews behind us intermittent clouds that quickly vanish over our heads. We are at El Roque de Los Muchachos, the highest point on La Palma which, 2 million years in the making, is among the youngest of the Canary Islands. Few masses of land on Earth rise in such a dramatic and steep angle from the sea. We set out to explore this northwestern-most part of the island, a fascinating municipality known as Garafía.

The Atlantic Ocean is less than 11Km away, and its immense expanse blurs into the sky at the horizon. To our backs, a dizzying drop into the living, breathing crater and its micro climate provides us with the same sense of scale and awe that must have drawn the ritualistic ancient natives to this very place in search of contact with the divine.

The adjacent extension of land downhill from the Roque is home to one of the most extensive arrays of telescopes found anywhere. This complex, which forms part of the European Northern Observatory, represents a scientific continuation of the search for our origins in the modern world. Here, carrying forward the legacy of Galilei, Newton, and Herschel, international scientists turn their instruments toward the firmament under the exceptional viewing conditions of La Palma, which is protected by “La Ley del Cielo” (the Skylaw). Enacted in 1988 by the Spanish government, this law aims to optimize viewing conditions by reducing light, radio electrical and atmospheric pollution as well as aviation routes.

As we begin our descent from the barren summit, we immediately encounter the Telescopio Nazionale Galileo which, since 1996, operates as Italy's foremost astronomical observation instrument. Further down the slope, amidst the cover of low vegetation, crews work around the clock during the last construction stage of the Gran Telescopio Canarias. It will be inaugurated in 2009 as Europe's largest, most advanced optical/infrared telescope.

Taking us out of the calm and silent land surrounding the observatory, a twisty, narrow road leads downhill through a thick blanket of fog into a pine forest. One hour of treacherous driving later, at a crossroad halfway down from the summit, we find “El Bailadero”, a small roadside tavern where locals stop to rest and share a meal under a warm and rustic roof. With courteous nods, they acknowledge the arrival of us, foreigners, before turning back to loud conversation in the smoky room. At the far wall, in a bulletin board, a home-made sign asks of the whereabouts of a beloved, lost pet. “His name is Cho”, reads the text below the picture of a Pastor Garafiano, an official breed of dog original to Garafía.

Inhabitants of this region have always shared a special relationship with nature that goes beyond the use of its resources. Ancient natives, who lived in naturally-formed caves on the walls of the barrancos or cliffs that dominate the landscape, left behind evidence of their activities, which since only recently has been studied in depth. Not far from “El Bailadero”, at around the same altitude of 1000 meters, people long ago made the largest concentration of rock carvings found on the island. Varied in motifs, these were attempts by their makers to favorably influence natural conditions such as rain and fertility. Like today, those locals depended heavily on agricultural and herding activities.

As recently as the 1950's, Garafía was among the wealthiest areas of the entire archipelago. However, during the last few decades the population has shrunk as younger generations relocate elsewhere on the island in search for employment and a less isolated way of life. In the locality of El Tablado, a remote village built on a mountain top near the sea, evidence of this trend is alarming. With cliffs at either side of the tiny road that threads through the scattered houses, most of which are abandoned, this community once thrived with hundreds of inhabitants. Today, only around 30 people remain, mostly elderly individuals. “If people do not begin to come, this place will die”, says Francis, a man in his late 40's who dreams of building a horseback-riding business for eco-tourists.

On a clear night toward the end of our tour, we set up camp inside a cave 200 meters above the sea. The sound of the waves reaches our ears throughout the night, mixed with the calls of goats seeking each other in the darkness of the next cliff. The next morning, as we start a new journey, we encounter an old shepherd and his son atop the rocks, looking down at the same herd they released months earlier so they could learn to survive in the perilous terrain. They face a long wait, rope in hand, as they attempt to lure the nervous animals back in. With a cheerful wave, they bid us good bye and we turn back toward the path again, leaving behind a colorful scene in search for more.

Despite the warmth of its people, a wealth of hiking trails, archaeological sites, an inviting climate and breathtaking landscapes, Garafía seems largely forgotten and its future remains uncertain. This is a place where the waves crash against fresh volcanic rocks in an explosion of light, sound and movement. Here, the dramatic geography still holds undiscovered traces of a long-lost people who once turned to the land itself to reach out to the heavens. Yet, an enchanting aura remains in this intriguing part of the world, where humans still seek to mimic the upward motion of an astonishing, restless land.

This is Garafía, between the sea and the sky.

See more photos from this story by clicking here.

Reserved for The Aware

2011-05-06T17:16:00.004+02:00

It was less of a sunrise than the yielding of darkness. The question lingering over the past days had been how to achieve an image of the place that would evoke a new, fresh, different perception.

It didn't take long to realize my mistake.

The evolving emotions during the train ride along the Urubamba river were the first sign that any attempt to completely harness sensory elements would be futile. Following the flow of those waters, as if gently guided by their ancient, simple wisdom, the same that perhaps once herded an entire people in their quest to discover a platform from which to elevate their innermost longing, an overwhelming force began to rid me of my pride.

Fade to black

Upon the death of night, another machine carried us upward, crawling the impossible slant of our mountain captors, astounding monuments. The living, breathing soul of their mass revealed itself at twilight as enormous, dense lengths of fog moved at awesome, yet silent speeds through the chasms of the land. By then, and half awake, the metamorphosis to humbleness was complete.

Sharing the soaked state of all vegetation and rock formations around, we timidly walked onto the stage at the narrow plateau. Then it happened.

I cannot recall when the drunkenness began; only that I felt winded, dwarfed, defeated... weightless. No image, no tale, no text and no expectation would have ever prepared me. I suspect the same must have happened to the first humans to set foot upon the galactic launching platform that we now, in this blink among the eons, call Machu Picchu.

Thus, in decimated humor, I put my body to the earth, bowing to even the blades of grass above my eyes, and paid tribute to the stardust that forms all we know, beholden, with this modest capture.

In The Making - 2

2010-10-14T18:08:00.001+02:00

Here is another example of the behind-the-scenes/final-product fun from Islote Santa Cruz, Colombia. This project was subsequently published by GEO Special (Germany) and National Geographic en Español.

The stinky iris warrior...

...and the resulting shot from the session:

In The Making

2010-05-24T17:20:00.004+02:00

It is rare, in my own experience, that the moment in which I capture a photograph is recorded. As a side-show curiosity, here is an example of such a situation in 2008, showing first the image of me at work, courtesy of my project partner, followed by the photograph that resulted. This took place in Colombia.

Cheers!

The Ongoing Process

2010-04-13T23:53:00.006+02:00

To continue this new habit of using my own visual journey to draw life lessons, I must highlight how in photography, much like in every quest, it is possible to warp time and blend past, present and future if one so chooses. The decision to snap a photograph, instinctive or calculated, is but a beginning. So are the decisions that somehow commit us at any moment of our lives. And like in the photographic process, there is always a choice to reinvent oneself, no matter to what degree our steps seem to commit us, which can liberate all or part of who we are and what we are about.

Every once in a while a photo escapes one's eyes in the latter parts of the photographic process. That is, the part of the process that takes place after the shutter is released. Here is one taken inside the Smithsonian Museum of American History on the morning of January 20, 2009, as thousands took refuge from the frigid air before the presidential inauguration of Barack Obama.

Thus, one always has the option to keep looking, searching, seeking, asking...

Cheers,

In memory of Dennis Stock 1928 -2010

2010-01-13T23:13:00.007+01:00

He was delighted to inform me that he'd found a piece of paradise...in Connecticut. Dennis Stock had a sense of humor that I suspect not everyone that met him readily understood. When I graduated from college and moved to New York City, it was partly encouraged by his spirit of purpose, which I had the great fortune of benefiting from more than once. But it was also despite his very jaded opinion of the city life, particularly that city which can trap so many unsuspecting worshipers. Given his origins and background, you might read the lines above suspiciously. However, when one spoke to him and perceived his longing for nature, particularly the countryside of Provence, though underwhelmed by the Europeans' enthusiastic inclination to gravely declare their dramatic convictions, a more clear picture of what drove him came to light. "Keep it simple!", he would insist each time I'd trip over my own words (or pictures.)

I grew to love, admire and respect Dennis for his honesty and the warmth of that wicked smile with which he greeted me every time. It was Dennis who first told me how very bad my first steps in the deceivingly instantaneous craft of photography were and who gave me the first and longest-lasting kicks in the ass to find within myself a way to grow with it and through it. To this day, the lessons from the conversations we exchanged guide many of my endeavors. It was Dennis who, in our last exchange, kept me from jumping ship when the going got more difficult than anybody could have convinced me it would become. "When you get to be my age, you'll look back on your visual journeys with the satisfaction of knowing you lived a fuller life than most people."

During the same exchange we made plans to catch up this winter. It never happened and my heart aches for that. So, looking forward and moving on with the memory of this terrific man, I raise a glass tonight and toast to his presence. Thank you Dennis for your guidance, for your honesty, for your friendship and may your spirit continue to grow in time. I am grateful for you. May you find blissful and eternal new pieces of paradise. Hasta siempre, caballero.

A Dream Within A Dream

2009-09-25T12:10:00.007+02:00

"...Is all that we see or seem

But a dream within a dream?"

Edgar Allan Poe

I made the sketch above 13 years ago, an exercise on perspective, when my ambitions of the time functioned less as a catapult for ongoing efforts and more as a crutch to cope with lack of real direction.

Now, after a period of purging and a sort of self-imposed metamorphosis while in temporary hiatus from a successful sabotage of the creative process and everything that goes with it, things are looking up. It seems that all the musing and exercises (should I say exorcisms?) to round up inner demons and reflect upon inhibited decisions are helping me maintain a restored state of mind featuring a new set of constructive habits. I am glad to have enacted a more studious approach to creative visualization and positive meditation, the practice of which have already materialized in new opportunities to continue a greater process.

Sometimes feeling so awake, much like a few moments of heavy stirring inside this recent cocoon, is like having a dream within a dream.

Let me add that the sketch above, no title until now, has satisfactorily and unexpectedly provided me with another look at my own inner story, past and present. Another go at the drill of perspective. I can once again invoke our often ignored choices, when it comes to "seeing." I should try to have an old familiar song take on a new meaning too.

I hope to soon share more of the visual results of all this.

Cheers,

ERM

Trapped by an Eddy

2009-08-18T19:01:00.002+02:00

These days, I'm stuck in a spiraling vortex fueled by lack of faith in myself and stubborn negativity. It has been a while since any good news arrived and as a freelancer it is not hard to start questioning everything. Such is the extent of this latest struggle with my self-imposed circumstances, that I have considered taking a permanent break from my dreams. Nothing new, really. I guess it's the nature of the chosen adventure. But the question of how long it will take to propel myself out of this whirlpool haunts me now more than in past struggles. It's time to get practical.

Let's see, a global recession is affecting most every person since last year. Then there is the saying of making lemonade when one gets lemons. Perhaps using the tools at hand to overcome is also in order. So what if from time to time one gets stuck in an apparent vicious circle? Why not use the metaphor of the spiral instead? Sure, the lateral direction may seem repetitive, but maybe it is at a new level. In short, isn't it all about choosing how to see?

The photograph above, taken in 2004 at my old Washington DC flat, makes me think of a dancer. Except this dancer is making the very music she dances to.

Time to make some music and dance! And quite frankly, there is much to get done before giving it up.

More soon, promised.

Eddy, trapped by the... oh!

Abandon

2009-07-22T16:43:00.001+02:00

My apologies to those who follow my rants. I have all but utterly forsaken this blog. I could excuse myself with a variety of items, but no. Instead, here is a quick one just to get me back behind the wheel.

Cheers to all!

FOCUS Magazine Reportage: Housing Crisis in Spain

2009-03-29T07:51:00.003+02:00

First published in March 9 issue of FOCUS magazine (Germany).

Online version:

http://www.focus.de/panorama/reportage/tid-13751/focus-reportage-die-spanische-krankheit_aid_378139.html

Cheers,

ERM

Choosing to See

2009-02-19T11:55:00.004+01:00

Every once in a while, simple photo experiences come along which help me remember that we can actually choose how to see. Looking but not seeing is like hearing but not listening.

Sometimes it is a fun and liberating challenge to seek different ways to focus; to seek new details to see.

Here's a simple seeing experience from the Barcelona zoo.

More soon!

ERM

Self Direction

2009-02-15T14:27:00.004+01:00

Photo by Mira Olson

While on assignment last week, I was wide awake one night. This is nothing new, especially since I've become an independent photographer and the stresses and pressure that come with setting things up during the early stages of this career are frequent and potent factors for sheer terror. But behind that night's restlessness wasn't anything related to the normal anxiety of resource shortages, too many frantic thoughts or even the all-too-familiar question "how will it all work out?" No, this night was not even about a bad hotel (I've slept more restfully in caves than at some of those inns.) Instead, it was excitement over the answer to a question I did not even know I had.

To some, the point of this entry might sound too obvious, from your own experiences. To others, familiar but not completely clear. To others yet, this might make no sense at all. Anyway, on that very day late last Tuesday, I realized with more clarity than ever the importance of direction. Self direction.

Though I've concluded for a long time that before aspiring to succeed independently in a creative field I had to first master the art and science of map-making, never did I come face to face with such overwhelming proof of this. In the face of deadlines, unexpected new opportunities and the realization of living a dream, the routine cloudiness of that very dream chase gave way to a thought that I wanted to share with anyone who might find it useful.

Take it for what it's worth, forget for a while about beaten paths, methodologies for success and the emulation of anything that didn't truly come from your own heart and mind. Instead, for a good jump-start in a refreshing road to the materialization of whatever you've visualised, pick one direction, one very specific and relatively quickly attainable goal (in the scale of weeks, not months), and get about the business of plotting the map and making the steps to get there one day at a time.

Self direction is a tough thing to devise and stick to, especially when one is used to partaking in an outlined program of studies, a steady employment, or something like that. But if any success is to be attained, I believe, nothing in the end will work as effectively as focusing on one thing and making it happen. It comes with a price. It comes with patience and discipline. But it's a small investment for the rewards it brings. Especially in terms of redefining the inner workings of our mind. We're creatures of habit and changing makes us sweat.

Finally, I'll share a newfound concept that has helped me overcome the natural obstacles of ridding myself of unproductive habits. Well, newfound to me. It is the simple act of accepting that we can only accomplish a few of the long list of "to do" things we might have for ourselves. So surround yourself with people, things and activities that stimulate and feed whatever habits you need to develop to replace those anchoring habits that the same people, things and activities can help you eliminate.

Cheers and all the best!

ERM

Essay: First Half Marathon

2009-01-10T19:01:00.067+01:00

My girlfriend guest-stars in this fun project we completed last year. I hope to soon bring more of these to my seemingly abandoned blog.

Text: Mira K. Olson

Photographs: Eduardo Rubiano Moncada

__________________________________________________________

When Eduardo proposed to document the month leading up to my first half marathon, I was skeptical. I’m not an inspiring individual who overcame huge challenges such as substance abuse, a disability or obesity. Instead, I’m an average 5’4” woman in my mid-twenties. I have been a dancer most of my life and try to maintain a fairly active life-style. During college, I took up running for the same reason many people do—to reduce stress and lose a little weight. Indeed, as a subject for a story, I’m a bore. Yet this presented me with an opportunity. By doing it, I would be accountable to someone. I’d be forced to train regularly and more likely to complete the race. So, knowing myself and having lacked discipline in following the twelve-week training schedule up to that point, I agreed. And as with many things, agreeing was the easy part.

After eagerly discussing how to realize the project, we developed a plan. If this was going to be a successful endeavor, the first order of business would be to clearly identify some goals. For me, they were preparing consistently and finishing the race. Though I was based in Washington D.C., a runner-friendly city, I travelled often. As a result, any trip could be an easy excuse to skip a run. To ensure commitment and continuity, we decided to keep a detailed log of each training session. In it, we recorded weather, distance, time, terrain, my weight, how I felt and what I ate. This record proved invaluable to keep me motivated and on track, regardless of where I was geographically, emotionally, physically or mentally.

As a photojournalist, Eduardo, a regular runner, avoids making staged photos. He wanted to capture the real experience, meaning he’d have to run alongside, camera in hand. As for me, I had to learn not to smile or pose to show my “good side.” The first few trials were awkward for both of us. I would force myself to look happy and at ease while he had difficulty anticipating my movements. The resulting photographs showed me obviously holding my breath or appearing to ride an invisible scooter. No good. Nevertheless, he soon got his timing down and I learned to ignore the camera.

My month of training included runs in D.C., Virginia, Minnesota and Florida. I had to fit them into all times of day in order to get the miles in. I left my comfort zone by waking up before sunrise, taking showers between meetings and facing cold or heat for longer than desired. I was never able to get into a regular routine, a perfect reason to give it up, but after struggling for a week or so, it became surprisingly easier. Like showering or eating, running turned into a normal part of my day. It didn’t matter when or where, just that it got done. I wanted to make sure that it remained so, as opposed to being something I could avoid. Otherwise, I'd be finished.

The month flew by. I wish I could report that from week to week the improvement was dramatic. I also wish I had run six days each week. But no. In the spirit of the non-extraordinary, I completed a total of fourteen training sessions and logged just over seventy miles. But it made a difference: I lost four pounds. And I learned new things. I became comfortable with different sorts of terrain and savvy about what that meant for my recovery. I improved my running form. I learned to gauge the weather and the wind with a runner's eye. And in a most inconvenient way, I discovered the importance of pre-race nutrition.

It is recommended that the day before a race one should eat a fiber and carbohydrate-rich meal, with some lean protein and a small amount of fat. So I made a rookie mistake. My last lunch: cheeseburger and fries. By the time we picked up our event packets that evening, I was sick. It may have been race jitters alone, but other unenviable evidence pointed to food poisoning. Determined, from midnight onward, I woke up every hour to sip water seeking to improve my chances of completing the 13.1 miles. Before sunrise, skeptical and weak, I put my running clothes on and headed out. We arrived with just enough time to check in and find our corral group as it crossed the starting line.

Despite the stress, the beginning was smooth. We took it easy as others bolted by, while I waited nervously for my body to protest and rebel. Instead, as the minutes passed, I got more and more confident about how prepared I was. The nausea and weakness left over from the night before dissipated and my system seemed to go into autopilot. I could feel that the training had amounted to something. It was helpful to be among a wide range of people, from professionals, to first-timers to those defying the odds. Even Eduardo had it easy carrying a camera, compared to the chained couples, Santa Clauses and baby-on-board runners we saw. Clearly, anyone could do this. Encouraged, I took on the course, one water station at a time.

Just after hour two, at a steady 10:55 pace, we hit the 13-mile marker tired but healthy. The finish line was near, just up a slight hill. Suddenly, the crowd started to roar. The full-marathon winner was also in the final stretch! Prompted by the cheers and energy in the air, I found strength I didn’t know I had and went into a sprint. In a romantic improvisation, we forgot our plan to make a picture of me completing the race, and instead crossed the finish line holding hands. Dazed and high on endorphines, we hugged and I felt curiously empowered and renewed.

The race was a motivator while all the training was the true work. In the end, both experiences were highly rewarding in different ways. Getting into motion for each run was a challenge that I had to face and overcome. Some days I slept in and others I convinced myself that I was too sick or busy. At times I struggled to finish just three miles. But with each training session, I felt proud and accomplished. So the actual half-marathon, jitters and food-poisoning and all, was really just another run. And when I looked back having crossed the finish line, a sense of satisfaction like no other filled me. I was hungry for more. First, we celebrated with beer and burritos.

This project was the first of several we have made together since 2008. Mira, an economist, was finishing her contract with the World Bank in Washington DC when this essay was made. After completing an International Relations Masters degree in Barcelona, Spain, she is now pursuing new ventures as a consultant in personal development, integrating her passion for socioeconomics, yoga, dance and writing. After a productive stint in Rio de Janeiro in 2010, we are now based in our latest semi-permanent base of Florida.

Cheers!

ERM

Rant About Shipwreck Moments...Like Yesterday's

2008-09-24T18:51:00.016+02:00

This is the best image I could come up with yesterday:

Yes, indeed. Yesterday, I took my camera out for a walk, and I might as well have brought a brick instead.

I didn't go in the spirit that Costa Manos meant when he told our class years ago to get out and practice photographing with no film in our cameras—he also added that he himself never did this, fearing he'd miss out on a great shot. Instead, I truly wanted to produce a good image and pull myself out of the funk that has been seriously sinking me lately. Besides, I just acquired some new tools, and that helped motivate me to go explore my new hometown of Barcelona.

After walking around for a while, the usual feeling of a bad photo day crept up and flatlined my drive. Fine, sometimes that happens and I now know how to deal with it. But what worried me most was that the line between that feeling and other worries of the moment began to blur.

As a personal rule, I try not to define my overall state (of mind, body, spirit...) based on a small scale of time. In other words, I make an effort to consider a period of days, weeks or months, depending on the need, in order to understand how I'm doing and better deal with the normal ups and downs of life.

However, in this moment I became confused and worried. Desperate, I started blaming the rain, the flat light and even Catalan culture. But I knew better. A resourceful photographer will make a competent, intelligent image even in the worst conditions, and I quickly reminded myself of that. To get out of this funk-within-the-funk, my mind raced for a didactic exercise of any sort. I decided to post the experience, if nothing else for the sake of squeezing a creative drop out a crappy outing.

It also helps that later in the day a dear friend and photographer asked me for feedback on his latest work. Nothing like stepping out of one's coop to find pleasant surprises in the creative process.

"From now on, think of your best image and make that be the lowest standard you'll accept for yourself!" Yes, Mr. Stock, thanks. Those words have helped me neutralize the most hopeless of situations in which I become blindly attached to a mediocre image that just does not cut it and brings my whole caliber down. I told my friend the same, and suddenly found myself making lemonade out of lemons.

Therefore, this gray gradient image will have to do for yesterday's session. Strangely, I feel pretty good about it. Thanks for letting me share.

Cheers,

www.ermphoto.com

erm@ermphoto.com

Storefront!

2008-07-10T03:15:00.006+02:00

After much procrastination, I am now actively populating the galleries with images of my work available for purchase as posters or prints.

Check it out HERE!

I highly recommend Printroom for such a service to all. Especially if you are in the field and don't have much time to be on top of orders, labs and shipping. I only wish the "galleries" tab were more prominent. But it's a good start.

My former professor, Eric Breitenbach, must be one of the most industrious individuals I have met. Thanks, Eric, for that continuing inspiration.

Cheers,

E

Tools at Hand

2008-07-06T19:40:00.015+02:00

Few things have caused me so much grief in recent times as the problem of not knowing where to begin executing a plan. Despite some experience, lots of lessons learned and much advice from many people, I still struggle at times to get myself into gear and work efficiently.

Late last year, 7 months after I relocated to Hamburg, Germany, things got tough. I had spent the first while learning the language through intensive classes and finding myself in a new country, culture and career situation. The time had arrived for me to find my center again and get back on track with my other long-term plans. Easy enough. Oder...?

I knew the overall direction I wanted to take and had already gone through the process of narrowing my scope in order to work with more clarity. I have enough discipline and persistence to work focused and avoid distractions in following my plans and meeting goals. At the time it seemed that anything I did was justifiable and indeed constructive. Yet I was feeling scattered and stretched too thin. It still happens sometimes.

There's a saying in Spanish, "El que mucho abarca, poco aprieta." This is equivalent to "biting off more than one can chew." That thought certainly applies in these situations and it filled my head during those days. Well, while I mention sayings I must share what an old boss used to say: "When the going gets tough, the tough go to lunch!" Only, in this case, I was close to not even being able to afford lunch.

In light of the tight situation I took desperate but constructive measures. Following a friend's advice, I removed myself from the familiar space and found a quiet spot. I made a list of my most immediate goals. As few as possible. As specific as possible. Then another list with the real possibilities at hand. This one included contacts, information resources, tools and reachable places. Those actions quickly filled me with a sense of accomplishment. Such micro-successes build momentum and end the process of spinning wheels in the mud.

The image above serves, in my own mind, as a visual reminder of "using what's at hand." That day, I was in a situation that forced me to think that way. Indeed, one has many opportunities to implement this concept every day. For us photographers, any assignment or shoot is a prime time to practice.

Open those eyes!

ERM
www.ermphoto.com

Essence and Patience

2008-06-27T01:17:00.011+02:00

These days, my patience is being tested as never before. As I sit waiting for answers from some clients, I struggle to keep myself feeling productive and trying to remain balanced. The problem is, of course, that sometimes we tend to resist the natural flow of things. When it comes to that... I am the undisputed champion in my weight class.

When making this photograph, I had been having one of the most highly frustrating shooting days. So I decided to take whatever I could of the situation into my own hands. This meant playing hunter.

I looked at what tools I had at hand. The first, lessons from the past. I thought of what my old boss, Burt Glinn famously said about the truth and essence of things. After finding a spot with potential, I waited not so patiently for a long while until I could feel the cloud that had made me blind dissipate. Soon, I felt better and relaxed a bit.

Many images result from an incredible lining-up of cosmic elements and being ready for it, but this one actually came out of the method of practicing patience and identifying the essence of the theme I was working on: Bike Week in Daytona Beach. Beyond geographic and cultural specifics, to me this was about virtue and wickedness. A little bit of that, and a basic understanding of relationships and contradictions and...Snap!

If I could more easily identify the essence of my current situation, perhaps I might just find patience. Or is it the other way around? Maybe I'll start by identifying the tools at hand.

Cheers,

E

www.ermphoto.com

Open your eyes!

2008-06-20T23:56:00.008+02:00

Pigeons on a tree. A simple image I had the great fortune to make in Hamburg, just outside the Rathaus, back in 2005.

I am particularly fond of this photograph because it reminds me of a very important thing Dennis Stock told me about ten years ago, as I showed him my very ineloquent first student portfolio.

"Think of a painting. If you were doing this with a brush and all the time in the world, would you frame the image in such a way?" He then referred to all the visual noise in the photograph he was looking at and told me to make sure I never include anything in my compositions that I don't want to make part of the image. Otherwise, I'd be fooling myself (and nobody else) about the photograph being any good.

This sounded very much like an impossible tip. Yet time and again, in the years that followed, I have been surprised by how it is actually possible to encounter situations which, with a greater dose of patience than I possess, make it possible to make an image I might have painted with a brush...and all the time in the world.

My hope is to share this tip and encourage patience, practice, calm and freedom in the creative process.

All the best,

E
www.ermphoto.com

Excuses, Anchors and Sails

2008-06-19T20:25:00.010+02:00

In the process of following my dreams, I've had to overcome several obstacles. Of the hardest, none are of anybody else's making. For years, as I worked toward my goal of becoming a photographer, I came up with some of the most creative excuses to avoid doing what I wanted most. Now, looking back, I realize that I was my own worst enemy in the creative process. My loss. Yet, I still am my own worst enemy. So, to keep at it, I try to remember a couple of basic things:

1. I can come up with one thousand excuses, I used to call them "reasons" to not do what I want to do. These may range from the mundane to the deep and practical. Yet, they are nothing but blocks. In the end, one must find just ONE reason to DO what one craves. Not so hard, but it sounds easier than it is. In fact, finding the reason is the easy part. Letting go off the many habits that keep us trapped where we don't want to be is the hardest. Well, at least the first time it is.

2. I surround myself with as many helpful people and as much useful stuff as possible. A favorite metaphor of mine is the one of anchors and sails, as in a boat. We can ask whether those "reasons" for not doing what we'd rather be doing is an anchor or a sail in our lives? Most likely an anchor. Friends, family members, surroundings, possessions, compromises, etc., are all either anchors or sails.

This one sounded much like a self-improvement course. But I wanted to share something that really has made an impact in my dream chase. Special thanks to Pablo Corral Vega, for all the support, inspiration and help in figuring this one out from a photographer's point of view.

Cheers!

E

www.ermphoto.com

Whereabouts

2008-06-16T00:37:00.003+02:00

Having arrived in Cali, Colombia, on April 26, I have now overstayed my original plans by almost one month. The time here has been very productive and challenging, especially in dealing with post-production on several projects. This continues to be a learning process. Though at times the going gets tough, especially in terms of resources, it is worth every moment and experience. The people whose paths I have had the great luck of crossing during these travels, have quickly become sources of inspiration and friendship.

Perhaps I've found the tools to keep at this in the difficulties themselves.

E

www.ermphoto.com

First Blog

2008-06-16T00:19:00.000+02:00

Here I go. Several of my colleagues and friends have asked when I will start blogging. I now oblige. My hope is that through these posts, I can keep all of you informed about the latest photographic happenings and overall thoughts. My first order of business is to invite all to view some of my work at www.ermphto.com and get an idea of what I've been up to so far. Thanks and all the best.

ERM