Category Archives: Assignments

Screening of “A Walk To Beautiful” and Our “Footsteps To Healing” Video

The screening of the movie “A Walk To Beautiful” and our own “Footsteps To Healing” newly released video drew a large crowd at the Hollywood Theater last week.  We are humbled by the response many people have to the maternal conditions that occur in Ethiopia and other parts of the world.

The video I shot for our film was the first time I used the Canon 5DM2’s video capability, and I was amazed at the quality results.

Stirring The Fire: Inclusion of Ethiopia Work

My work surrounding maternal health in Ethiopia has been included on the Stirring The Fire website, and I was invited to chat with Phil Borges about the direction of the project.  I will return to Ethiopia in January 2011 for a month, and perhaps as early as November 2010 to continue documenting the maternal issues which rural Ethiopian women face.

White Bird Dance Assignment: Wally and Paul

White Bird Dance rocks my world. I relish each performance and it is exciting to see how the world is brought to Portland via dance through this program series. Yesterday I had the pleasure of walking through the Rose Garden with the founders, Walter Jaffe and Paul King, so that we could create a series of images for their program and promotions.

And yes, Barney was there also, and created quite the frenzy as people greeted him!

University Of Washington Assignment: Shasta Abbey

Just returned from a very quick trip to the Mt. Shasta area, where I photographed University of Washington alumni monks who have lived in the Shasta Abbey monastery for over 20 years.  I only had a few hours to create images, but it was a thoroughly delightful time.

The world is small: the monk who led me around grew up as a boy in California with one of the doctors who is involved with our Ethiopia maternal health efforts.

1859 Magazine Assignment: Horseback Through Vineyards

You can probably imagine my tail wagging Snoopy dance I did when Kevin Max, editor of 1859 Magazine, called and asked me if I would like to take on an assignment where I would photograph people riding horses through Oregon wine country.  I love this lush area of Oregon, am in awe of the amazing wines that our state produces, and really dig assignments where I am photographing people having fun.

The assignment was flipping fantastic – much more than I ever expected!  What surprised me the most was the camaraderie that exists between the vintners.  Since we were visiting many vineyards over two days, and this was essentially a press tour which could result in highly desired PR in Oregon’s National Geo-like magazine, I imagined the vintners jockeying (ha!) for inclusion in the magazine.  Instead, I saw exchanges of support, purchases between vintners, and exclamations of admiration for the neighboring vineyards.

What surprised me secondly was that I would be riding.  And that horses can get spooked.  And they can run.  Whoa Nelly!

Special shout-out to Mary Hansen from ArborBrook Vineyards for coordinating the tour.  We will be back, and your wines are de-lish!

Footsteps To Healing Book Published

We are pleased to announce that our book, Footsteps To Healing, has been published!  This book relays the intimately personal stories of three Ethiopian women and the maternal health issues they each endure.  In the book, we also outline solutions to help alleviate and heal the various conditions.

Maternal health issues in Ethiopia and other developing nations around the world are devastating to women.  Help us take steps to provide medical training to local health officials, donations of materials, and medical attention to those countries that need it most.

Purchase the book here:  http://stores.lulu.com/ethiopianwomen

Many thanks to David Maier’s Mt. Hood Community College Integrated Media class for taking on the design project, and to student Julia Art for her beautiful design work.

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