Tag Archives: portraits

Prints For Prints: A Makeshift Studio in Rural Ethiopia

One thing that has become apparent while traveling anywhere is how precious a photograph print is to a family, especially in the rural areas of Ethiopia.  Most families have no record or image of their loved ones, and when we are able to give prints to villagers, it is appreciated beyond measure.

So this November, I will be traveling to Ethiopia with a small team of photographers and we will set up a small portable studio in several villages. We will capture portraits and donate the prints to the families we photograph. In addition, each US photographer will be paired with an Ethiopian photographer so there is an exchange of talents: technical skills, cultural awareness, and love for humanity.

We are planning a fundraiser to help with the costs for this project.  The concept is simple: we are calling the fundraiser “Prints For Prints”, and we will auction matted prints from photo-loving friends (both amateur and professional photographers). The prints will be sold at a very reasonable “affordable art” cost ($50-100 sliding scale) during a fun and relaxed party, followed by music by Portland’s very own Ethiopian funk band: The Tezeta Band!

This event will be held on August 8, 2013 starting at 7pm at the Secret Society Ballroom and we hope you will be able to attend.

All ages welcome until 8:30pm, then it is 21+.

Follow me at @jkabana on Instagram during November to see this project in action.

Facebook page: www.facebook.com/PrintsForPrints

See our Website to view all of the prints and the fabulous photographers!

 

Villagers in Marovoay, Madagascar look at a Polaroid photo that was just made with their family.

(Villagers in Marovoay, Madagascar look at a Polaroid photo that was just made with their family.)

Prints For Prints Poster

 

 

 

 

In Bed With A Magazine

My affinity for magazine photo assignments has escalated into a full blown love affair. I find myself sneaking into my office at 2am to finish editing and polishing those images so they will fly off of the printed pages.

And I am a cheap date: magazine editorial rates can pay for a few books, but hardly enough to help with college tuition for my three offspring.

But if truth be told, I do this because I repeatedly fall in love with some of the subjects. I never know when it will hit me, and it is a random thing. The way a hand brushes lint from a skirt, a pause in a spoken sentence, a flip of an attitude, a squeal of glee, one sarcastic comment.

I go home, download the images, and BAM. I am in love.

Here are a few people who have had that effect on me.  There are more tucked away on external hard drives, but I snagged a few here because, well, I love to think about what they bring to the world, one small gesture at a time.

(See if you can guess who each person is. Scroll your cursor over each image for the answer.)

An author:

 

A girl living happily on a commune:

 

A beer maker and a building restorer:

 

A folding bicycle maker:

 

The Littlest Cowboy In Frenchglen, Oregon:

 

An indie movie maker:

 

A dancer:

 

A redneck bar stool philosopher:

 

A bookstore owner:

 

An architect with a penchant for the drawing outside of the box:

 

Two crusty miners in Plush, Oregon:

 

A TV and movie star caster:

 

A Shakespeare Theater lover:

 

A lovely creative force who conceived of The Girl Effect:

 

A bread maker:

 

Another author:

 

A chocolate shop owner:

 

A mean ass goalie:

 

An environmental visionary:

 

Portland Does Good!

I just completed a series of portrait images for Portland Monthly magazine depicting a whole assembly of Portlander’s who are doing great things for the world.

Music, nutrition, university fees and more are topics the subjects are addressing in this feature magazine article.

Julia Plowman (pictured below), the founder of The Girl Effect, is one of the subjects featured, relaying her newest entrepreneurial path.

Magazine Portrait: Gus Van Sant

I spent an hour in my studio with Gus Van Sant, and as one might imagine, it was a highly interesting evening!

He talked about how he gets ideas for his films and a bit about his history. But the most fascinating things he spoke about were of the mundane. He is incredibly aware of his surroundings and I loved the endless questions he had regarding minutia found in my studio.

Read more about him in the latest issue of 1859 Magazine.

Love this man.

Worldwide Photography Biennial Exhibition

One of my favorite images, “Abera”, was selected by Steve McCurry in his list of “special mentions by the juror” category and will be included in the curated exhibit opening at the Borges Cultural Center in December in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

This image is dear to me because while I was deep in a remote area of Ethiopia photographing a midwife, I turned around and saw this young boy looking at me with the most intense expression. I had seconds to react, obtain his ok to permit me to photograph him, and not lose that moment where he seems to be looking into my soul.

My focus was off. I usually focus on the eyes, and in this image the center of focus is on his hands. But had I taken longer to compose the shot to my liking, I would have captured an entirely different portrait.

I look at this image almost every day to remind me of the level of humanity that is found in the spirit of the Ethiopian people.

(Funds from any sales of prints are returned to projects in Ethiopia.)

 

Yoga For The Larger Woman

One of the most gratifying assignments I have had in 2012 is the series of images I created for the “Yoga For The Larger Woman” calendar and video, commissioned by The Yoga Project.

In a country where the beauty norm is often associated with ultra thin bodies, it is inspiring to see these women transcend stereotypes and show the world how they honor their bodies and minds within the practice of yoga.

Many thanks to Lloyd Lemmermann who captured sound, and Nina Johnson who was on hand to offer technical assistance and digital file management. Their support and energy toward the project was profoundly appreciated.

Contact The Yoga Project to order a calendar.  Your support and nod of encouragement means the world to these women who have lowered their blood pressure, discontinued anti-depressants, stopped needing insulin and have enjoyed a variety of other health benefits via their practice of yoga.

An added bonus: Angela Farmer wrote a poem specifically for this project.

View news story here.

 

Bar Faces

While touring Oregon state on assignment with 1859 Magazine, some man said “How about THIS for your camera?” and made a face at my cellphone. It was so much fun for everyone to see this image, I decided to do more. And more. Everywhere I go, if the someone looks “faceworthy”, I ask them to make a face into my camera.

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