davidkrier

Girl from the mountains

From a village high in the Andes in Peru

From a village high in the Andes in Peru
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Jun, 2014

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133

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+15

Awards

2020 Choice Award

Superb Composition

+11

Top Choice

+11

Absolute Masterpiece

Outstanding Creativity

Peer Award

All Star

One Of A Kind

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Top 10 rank week 1

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Top 10 rank

Top 10 rank week 1

Top 30 rank week 1

Behind The Lens

Location

This was taken in a very small village in Peru. She was waiting with her parents to be seen at a medical clinic we were working in near the small town of Chalhuahuacho in the mountains south of Cusco. The elevation there is about 13,500 feet (4100 meters) above sea level. Most of the people there have a very ruddy complexion like this girl, and many have some facial scarring, which is the result of so much exposure to the sun. It's sad to see the skin damage but it sure adds character to their faces, especially in their advanced years.

Time

As I recall, it was about mid-morning. We were still setting up the clinic facilities and I was walking around, greeting the villagers who were coming for treatments and checkups. This little girl was waiting with her parents and I only had a brief time to see her before she was off, playing with her friends.

Lighting

The sunlight at that altitude is very harsh so everyone tries to stay in the shade whenever they can. Even then it's possible to get a lot of reflected light coming from other objects, so I didn't need to use any additional light.

Equipment

I usually carry a little point-and-shoot digital camera in my pocket. Since I have many other responsibilities on trips such as this I want to be ready at a moments notice when an opportunity like this appears. This camera was a Canon but I've since lost it in a village on the Amazon River and I've now replaced it with a Sony Cybershot.

Inspiration

She's beautiful, of course. What more inspiration would I need? Well, really, there is a lot more to it than that. People in areas such as this don't have photographs of themselves - or of their families. When I think of what that means for them it really gives me pause. They have to rely on their memories to share everything in their lives. There is no album to turn to when a child asks what their grandparents might have looked like, and there is no comforting photo to look at after a child or another loved one is lost to illness or an accident. I make it a point on all of my trips to take photographs of as many individuals as I can. Sometimes I even turn an opportunity into a portrait session for everyone in the village that day. They come alone or in groups of families, friends, etc. Then, when I return to the village, months or even years later, I make it a point to have the previous trip's pictures printed out - even a little 4X6 format is fine - and I give them to the people. It's amazing to see their faces light up when they see them. I've also formulated a new plan - to try to obtain some small digital cameras to take to some villages we work with (the first project will be villages along the Amazon River) and to train someone in the village for a week on to use them and on the very basics of photographic techniques. They would then become the "official" village recorder and take photos of everyone there and of all the life events that occur - weddings, births, funerals, the big fish that was caught, etc. Then we'll be able to trade chips with them in a few months and they can continue to take pictures while we do the processing. To do this project we'll need some donated cameras and chips, solar chargers, and, of course, some interested photographers who might want to share their skills. If you have any suggestions on finding these, please let me know. And if that isn't inspiration enough, the vibrant colors of her outfit, the gray of the mud wall behind her, and the playful sparkle in her eye will do it every time for me.

Editing

I'm not a very sophisticated photographer - I really just take snapshots. My post-processing is usually limited to cropping to remove unwanted objects or to make the photo more socially acceptable. That's what I did with this one. My original photo, I believe was more inclusive, with parents, etc., but this girl, obviously was the real prize.

In my camera bag

My "bag" is usually my pocket. Therefore I can't really carry much there. My camera is usually not in a case of its own, and I don't often carry a spare chip with me on any given day - those are usually stored back at the hotel. I like to change chips every other day or so, even if they're not full. I have had occasions when I've lost my camera and I don't want to lose any more pictures than necessary. I often carry a spare battery with me, and I make sure to charge them every night when I get back to the hotel. I usually don't carry a tripod (except for - sometimes - a little Gorillapod that fits into my pocket) and most often rely on the internal flash of the camera and natural lighting. I have a wrist strap on my camera, and every time I take it out of my pocket I make sure the strap is around my wrist. Always! I'm very cautious about dropping it into a river or over a cliff, and I have even had it save my camera when someone tried to steal it.

Feedback

My advice for taking pictures like these may be much different because I'm not a professional photographer. My strategy is to take lots of pictures that I might find interesting. I also make it a point to not delete anything, especially in the field. Many times I've discovered something in a portion of a poor photo that is particularly interesting only after I've returned home. If I had deleted it on-site I would never have seen it. Often the particular constellation of things that make a photo stunning - like this girl's smile, outfit, response to me, etc., will never occur again, or, at least I won't have the opportunity to see and capture it. Another piece of advice is to make it a point to really "be" there. When I go to a village I am always trying to imagine what it must be like to live there. Anyone can see the hardships, of course, and things like not having any water in your home and having to use an outdoor toilet in the middle of the night are important. But I'm always trying to find out what makes people there smile. They often seem joyous in spite of what we would see as difficulties, and I want to learn their secrets from them. What is behind this girls twinkling eyes? Who made her outfit with all of the bright colors (they all dress alike in this village)? What entertains them? What do they dream of? You also need to step out of what you might think is your comfort zone. Go to places that are less frequented by others. Engage with the people there. Play with the kids and share stories with the elders (use an interpreter, if necessary). Immerse yourself in their community and share your insights with them. Most of the time they are as interested in you as you are in them, and when they open up so will their expressions. Savor the nuances of their culture. Go to unfamiliar places with a group. It's helpful to have others that you know along so that you will have more ways to measure your own reactions to things. You'll get recommendations about what they find interesting and will learn how your impressions stack up to theirs. Watch what they're photographing. Use your camera's panoramic settings - you'll be surprised at the results you might get. Experiment with some of the other settings. If you still need more ideas, join us - we might take you to places you've only dreamed of. What's more, we take care of all of the logistics. With a few exceptions (medical projects, for example) you don't need to be a professional in any field, but it won't hurt if you are. We'll help you learn what you need to know. And you're very likely to come home with a treasure trove of incredible photographs. You can find us at, www.volunteer-voyages.com. Thanks!

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davidkrier

davidkrier

Girl from the mountains

From a village high in the Andes in Peru

Behind The Lens

See more amazing photos, follow davidkrier

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