header

Category Archives: New Hope Children's Home

Click on the title of the blog post to view the entire entry.


Vanity or Memories?

August 18, 2009 – 10:55 am

Here at New Hope, we aspire to enrich the kids lives with photography in many ways. So the kids take the cameras and enrich their lives with photos of themselves, their friends and their family through their photos.

How do they do it? Almost every kid, comes back after their turn using the camera with a picture of themselves. Whether its them taking a picture of themselves or someone taking a picture of them for them, they always have a photo of themselves amongst the ton of photos they shoot (some have taken over 100 in one hour! I used to think 24 photos on a roll of film was impossible to use up!).

Probably the most interesting example I’ve seen yet is little John looking pretty fly with some sun glasses and holding a picture of himself which his sister took when she used the camera just a few days ago. It doesn’t bother me that they take pictures of themselves all the time. I think it just shows how kids in Peru are the same as kids all around the world. There is something about using a digital camera as if it’s a mirror.  If you look at peoples Facebook and Myspace pictures you’ll notice that there are a lot of pictures taken by the person with their arm extending towards the camera lens with a serious expression, as if to say “Yeah, I look good”. However vain it seems, I want the kids to have photos of themselves and their friends for the future; to have memories and to look back and laugh. That’s pretty much been my goal for this trip, to provide the kids with memories of friends, family and yes, even themselves as they looked when they were younger. But at the same time, we’re planting seeds of photography and giving them something fun to do, and so far the kids are having a great time making memories.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Peru | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

Gone and here again.

August 11, 2009 – 9:55 pm

Greetings from the place I like to call “The AQP” (the airport abbreviation for Arequipa, Peru). I’m back at New Hope doing a bunch of photography stuff for two weeks and I’ll be the first to tell you that this is a very different trip for me than my previous. First, I’m only here for two weeks instead of six months. You can get a lot done and become really comfortable in six months. Being here only a few days has been hard to get adjusted (physically and emotionally), and when my time is up after two weeks I’ll have just started to get my high altitude lungs to say the least.

This is also the first time I’m staying at the home by myself (without any other gringo friends) and things can be a bit frustrating language wise, and a bit lonely in the mornings and evenings when all is quiet (that is if it ever is quiet with 50 kids). However, the loneliness is temporary and when the kids see me they ask “Classes de la fotografia?” and then they make the camera gesture in front of their face as if they took a picture. I can never tell them a definite yes or no for a class because it all depends whether their homework and chores are done, and they have to ask their tutor too. There are kids that have been able to take pictures, but not as many as I had planned.

When planning this trip I had grand visions of photo classes galore, kids pasting, cutting, and coloring a grand photo craft and all the rest that goes along with it. But I forgot one detail when planning for these classes. The kids are already in a bunch of classes, normal school classes that is, and a ton of homework to boot. To say the least, they only have so much time to take pictures.  The project I had planned isn’t  going to happen this time around, but  the kids who have finished their chores and homework will be able to use a camera and shoot their little hearts out with the subject I give them.

My grand vision is probably a bit too much for one person for only two weeks during the school year. It’s been really hard to let that photo project go for right now. So, instead of the glorious project, we are shifting gears to do something special for the kids with pictures. I’ll post more about it in the future as it gets closer to being finished and unveiled.

Being back has been great in many ways, I’ve hung out with kids I’ve missed and thought about a lot, and I’ve also met some new kids. Victor just arrived three days ago, and since he isn’t enrolled in school yet he’s just wandering around kicking stones and day dreaming. So, I gave him a camera and we shot some pictures together. He seemed to enjoy himself and he got a few good shots, the one of the fish that you see below. It was his first time using a camera and I think that’s the coolest part about doing all of these classes, when someone who has never used or seen a camera gets to take pictures.

Beyond cameras, I get to do some things that photographers don’t do. Like, pick up kids from school. This is one of my favorite things to do while I’m here. I get to walk in the warm sun (get stared at because I’m so tall and foreign) for about a half mile or so and then the kids come out of school all excited and run up and give you a hug. This is where you really get stared at, because all the little kids coming out of school have never seen anything like a gringo, let alone up close and knowing some of their friends from school. The kids are all smiles since school has just finished for the day and then once we have everyone we walk with partners to ensure everyone makes it home safe (usually about 15-20 kids). The kids usually pair up with a good friend and horse around the whole way home. Its hard to keep that many kids in line, but you do the best you can.

Some days you pick up the older kids, which I described above, and then some days you pick up the nuggets (aka: Luis, Julio and Nilar, the little boys). If you’ve ever had a hard day for any reason, picking up the nuggets is best cure for the blues. These little boys are so funny and cute. I once bought them ice cream when I picked them up from school and apparently its engrained in their minds that gringos picking you up after school means ice cream. And of course we spoil them with it, one ice cream is only 30 centimos, or 10 cents in dollars. So we walk home hand in hand licking our ice cream and talking about their day at school (most of which I barely understand, but I like hearing them talk about it anyway). They’re still at that age where they’ll go on and on about school instead of responding with a “nothing” to your “How was school today” question.

Two weeks is a short lived experience. It will have many memories and emotions wrapped up in these days. But this trip is more than photography or projects, its to stay connected to the kids, love them and just spend some time with anyone who wants to hang out with a tall gringo. Enjoy the photos, I know I have.

Victor taking a self portrait
Victor’s self portrait
Victor’s fish
Pickin up my homies from school. Makiver (left) Me (middle, duh), Jhon (right) Miguel Angel (top)
Victor and Fredy making fast friends as they walk home from school.
Me with a two piece nugget. Luis (left) Nilar (right)
Nuggets getting a sweat treat (ice cream)
Mission accomplished.
Crazy boys. Oh I missed their antics.
Giordano (left and now the youngest at New Hope) Carolina (back left) Sandra (front right) and Nilar (aka a nugget). New to me, but this little bunch of brother’s and sisters have been here for about 3 months. Carolina and Sandra are twins and they are the funniest set of girls I’ve ever met. They make some killer crazy faces. And Giordano thinks so too.
By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (3)

320 square inches of excitement

May 28, 2009 – 5:41 pm

Today we received our first test prints of the kid’s work printed at a very large print size from my favorite on line print lab and framing service, Mpix.com.  I’ve used them for plenty of printing in the past, but this is the first time I’ve used their framing services. And let me just say that the results are phenomenal!!! Why do I use such a strong adjective? Let me take you back to Peru and my childhood.

When we were still in Arequipa and the kids were still shooting pictures with the donated digital point and shoot cameras, there were no issues with how great the quality of the photo held up at a print size of 4×6″. Even an iPhone’s camera can do 4×6’s, but the megapixel size on the donated cameras is no larger than 3 or 4 mega pixels, and we had never tested them at large sizes. So as soon as we started thinking of putting a gallery of the kid’s work together, my thoughts immediately went to “How will the quality hold up at 16×20?” or larger when we really push the limits of these cameras. When framing for a gallery, bigger is always better if you want to grab someone’s attention (I also love really small prints in large mattes, so bigger is not always better, but for the kids’ work it is).  Typically, a camera with about 3 mega pixels won’t produce a good looking 16×20″ print. But through the process and wonders of pixel interpolation built into Adobe Lightroom, it doesn’t seem to be as much of an issue as I originally thought.

So when the giant Fedex box arrived, I couldn’t hold back my excitement. I just couldn’t wait to see the results of how Luis’ print came out (click here to see the original post on this photograph by Luis). How would it look behind glass? Does it look pixelated? Is it a decent looking matte? Does the “true black and white” feature really live up to its name, or is there a purple tint? How does the frame look? and so on. To sum it up, I haven’t been this excited since I was a little kid at Christmas, and my brother and I were surprised with the highly coveted boy’s toy of the year: A stuffed wrestling doll called a “Wrestling Buddy.” I got the Ultimate Warrior, and my brother got Hulk Hogan. But now that I’m all grown up, my excitement comes from other things like Luis’ photograph. When I stare at it, I’m just blown away at its awesomeness, and I continue to grow more excited each day as we accomplish one more thing and get closer to our first solo show this September in Harrisburg PA.

Finding out these results were huge in my book. And now we can focus on raising support for having the images printed and framed. Whew… now that we have those nerves put to rest, I really want to push the limits of these little cameras and see how a photo printed even larger will hold up… :)

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru | Comments (3)

April 21st 2009, Baptized!

April 21, 2009 – 5:40 pm

My little Peruvian Friend Fredy has taken the plunge. The other day, the church and our crew from New Hope headed out to a river in Yura, just outside of Arequipa, where about 9 people were Baptized in the name of Jesus Christ. Among those who were Baptized from New Hope were: Fredy, Benildo, Efrain, Jorge, Maricruz, Estefania, and Paty. For me, it was great to see Fredy take the plunge and make this commitment to God. The reason I say this is because, when he first arrived here at New Hope, he was one of the biggest trouble makers New Hope had ever seen, which is probably saying a lot when you have a home taking in abandoned and abused children. A lot of them come here with all sorts of feelings, but Fredy was the wildest one they had ever seen. He would beat up on girls, talk back to adults, and was just plain old ADHD. But, as of now, he is making good progress. By the time I left, we were great friends, and he had learned what it meant to respect adults and to not beat up on girls (don’t worry, he still thinks they’re icky). So, with the help and love from his Family at New Hope, and most of all, the love of Christ, I’m sure Fredy’s future will continue to be brighter. Please keep these kids in your prayers.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Peru | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

April 14th 2009, High fives for awesome photos.

April 14, 2009 – 12:01 am

Part of my favorite times in class is when I’m able to go out with the kids and shoot photos with them. They show me a photo they just took, and I tell them “chevere,” which means cool. I love it, because I’m able to point out things to the kids, or sometimes they just stand behind me and shoot whatever I shoot. It’s ok if they copy what I’m shooting, because then they can learn about what I like and how they can get a good grade…. just kidding. But it does teach them to see differently when they see me shooting from different points of views, like lying on the ground, or crouching down, or climbing up something to get the shot I want. Another part I like about the classes is that they love taking pictures of me (just me in general). So when I happened to high five Makiver for a great shot he just took, sometimes they catch those moments, and I am able to put their actual photographs towards future purposes like raising money for more equipment and their future classes. This perfect moment of a high five was captured by Miguel Angel.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

April 13th 2009, What the world needs now…

April 13, 2009 – 12:01 am

What do you think the world needs now? Well, at this moment I’m not really sure what it needs. I’m sure it needs more than I can bear to give. But maybe it or you just need this photograph which Sofia set up and shot. Maybe we can learn from a tiny monkey with a blank stare hugging a giant laughing rabbit. So, if you’re tired of all the awful news you read in the news paper and hear on the radio and on the nightly news, come here for your daily joy with photographs like these. And, maybe in the years to come, you’ll catch the name of a famous photographer and realize you used to see their photographs here.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes, Photo of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

April 12th 2009, It’s raining one cat and no dogs.

April 12, 2009 – 12:01 am

Whenever we can, Axshel and I have been doing some shots of people jumping in fun poses against the sky as a background. And, currently, we have added animals to our project (though only because no one was around to help us out). I hope all you animal lovers know that this cat was dropped from about 5 feet off the ground; no animals were harmed in the production of this photograph. In the past, Axshel shot some photos of people jumping and so forth which gave us the idea to do more shots like that and do a whole series for our current project, like you see above, though, at one point, we were even throwing stuffed animals up in the air, because no one and no cats were to be found. But anyway, if you’d like to see another post with similar photos in them, please click here: http://www.sethshimkonis.com/blog/?p=630

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes, Photo of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

April 11th 2009, Best friends

April 11, 2009 – 12:01 am

Like I mentioned in a previous post, little girls are just so giggly. And on top of that, they’re very close. I remember, when I was still in high school, one of my first thoughts about photography was that photography is the thing girls do when they get together in big groups or with their best friend. Why did I think this? Maybe it’s because, whenever I was hanging out at a girl’s house, they always had a ton of photos on their walls of themselves with their friends in group shots at social gatherings. But, none were as artsy looking as this photo taken by Marina of her and Elizabeth’s eyes. I bet none of those girls I knew from high school ever won best photo of the day like Marina.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (0)

April 10th 2009, No more monkeys jumping on the bed.

April 10, 2009 – 12:01 am

Pictured above is probably one of the most out going little girls I have in my class. Her name is Sofia, and she is about 9 years old. She absolutely loves photography class. So, I can imagine that she was following Elizabeth around while it was Elizabeth’s turn to shoot pictures, and that is my theory as to why she is in this picture jumping on the bed. However, all the kids bombard me as soon as I walk in to the home with questions about when we’re having photography classes next, so I suppose they all love class equally. I just hope they like it as much as kids love jumping on beds.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Peru, Photo Classes, Photo of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (1)

April 9th 2009, It’s nothing to lose your head over

April 9, 2009 – 12:01 am

Now that I’m an adult, have no kids, and have been working as a photographer for the past 7 years, it’s easy to forget what it’s like being a kid. But now that I’m teaching photography to kids between the ages of 5 and 19, I’ve found myself being reminded daily of my glory days as a kid and how fun it was. One thing I forgot is how little girls can be. They’re so giggly about everything, and they have this funny “boys are stupid” mentality” towards the boys their own age (but boys have the same attitude too, that “girls are stupid”). And, the levels of shyness really show in the critiques and are a bit funny to me. I would say it’s a 50/50 split when it comes to participation with the young girls. Some are very out going and are able to tell you everything about their photos–what they like and why they think it’s a good photo compositionally. And then there is the other 50%, the little girls like Alejandrina who are shy and don’t know why they took the picture or what they like about it. I’m sure she knows more than she lets on, but, when I show her photos in the critique and ask her what she thinks, she never wants to say anything. Or if she does, I can never hear her. However, she still takes great photographs, and if she just likes to take pictures of her friends or her dolls missing their bodies then that’s fine with me.

By sethshimkonis | Also posted in Kid's Photographs, Peru, Photo Classes, Photo of the Day | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | Comments (2)