Kris Davidson Photography Blog

Guatemala...our last country

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 06:03:00 +0000

Guatemala....what to say...we went to the Guatemala City Dump. It was an organized tour by Semester At Sea. The tour guide was perplexed...and wary...why would these Americans go to the dump, she wondered?

We saw poverty at its worst, survival in the rawest form. People live in the Guatemala City Dump, making a living, finding food in the rotting trash. Hundreds of vultures circled overhead. There are children who live on the perimeter. There is a place for them now, a place called Camino Seguro. Its only goal is to teach them life skills to to get out of the dump, but more importantly...to give them hope.

Hope is the most treasured possession of mankind (not sure who said that, I wish I could attribute that properly).

Guatemala is beautiful, a study in contrasts.

Ah, Nicaragua....

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:47:00 +0000

I went to Nicaragua in 1995 with some Jesuits priests and other college students. We lived with Sandinistas for a month, it was my first exposure to poverty, to hunger...the struggle between the Contras and the Sandinistas was fading (somewhat) but lingered like a very fresh, pink scar. One of my most vivid memories was when we were all driving back from the beach (San Juan del Sur) and we got pulled over. We were 3 gringos...white American females...in a beat up truck of probably 10 other Nicaraguan Sandinistas. The soldiers held their guns at us, me and my friend Sarah. We had been asleep, so it was very surreal, under a beautiful starry night. I never felt fear looking into that teenage soldier's face. But I felt the very humble beginnings of understanding their struggle. In the end, it all passed with a few dollars exchanging hands.

Anyway, these days, ten years later, Nicaragua is one of the (if not the) safest countries in Central America. It is stunningly beautiful.

Costa Rica...Rainforests, Soccer, Heartbreak and Beach Towel

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:40:00 +0000

Costa Rica, the "Rich Coast" is the most Americanized country we have been to I think. As evidenced by the helmets and proper gear at the zip lines ...all very safe in that American litigation-wary way.

I got my favorite souvenir here...a beach towel with the Last Supper on it (modeled here by a friend). Is one supposed to lay out on this beach towel...in a bikini...?

One of the 7 World Wonders

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:35:00 +0000

No words needed for Machu Picchu...

Teenage Mothers in Peru

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:31:00 +0000

We went to a home for young mothers and their children, staying for a while and playing with the babies, helping the young mothers with their English homework....

Enchanted Chile

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Sat, 21 Jul 2007 00:06:00 +0000

Chile is completely, utterly enchanted. Wandering through the impossibly winding streets of Valparaiso was like falling into a painting. Everything is in bright color, artists have decorated every nook and cranny. It's a very European country in many ways. I saw very little overt American influence here.

Amazing Amazon

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 23:59:00 +0000

Went to the Amazon in Ecuador. I have officially turned into a "save the rainforest" person. Such amazing beauty, such abundance of life. Everyone should see this place in their lifetime.

Swam With Piranhas!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Thu, 12 Jul 2007 23:54:00 +0000

Turns out they are generally vegetarian. Seriously! Talk about a bad rap. They eat fruits that fall into water from the dense Amazon forest. And if there is no fruit, maybe dead meat, but hardly ever live meat, they say. As long as there is plenty of natural food (fruit) then swimmers have nothing to worry about, said our guides. So here we are swimming in a body of water called "Piranha Lake."

Neptune Day

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:37:00 +0000

When crossing the equator the toilet flushes the other way (well, supposedly), Neptune makes an appearance and battle lines are drawn between Pollywogs and Shellbacks. Pollywogs are initiated in a ritual that involves mysterious green slime, kissing a dead fish, hopping into a gunk filled pool and, oh, shaving heads. We were shaving heads into the late hours….

Tendering....

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:35:00 +0000

While in Panama there was no place to dock..so we took lifeboats into port everyday. It was amazing...a bit hairy at times. The SAs crew is incredible.

Walls Falling Down

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:32:00 +0000

I rather enjoy traveling with college students, watching the walls of classrooms come crashing down all around them as they see the world. Cliché, I know, but true.

Kuna in Panama

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 04 Jul 2007 21:28:00 +0000

The Kuna people live a quiet life in the islands off the coast of Panama. Large ships preparing to transit the Panama Canal are nearby hailing from all over the world. Panama is a study in contrasts. Wish I could have stayed much longer.

My SAS staff/faculty friends!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Mon, 25 Jun 2007 05:16:00 +0000

Acapulco!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Sun, 24 Jun 2007 14:52:00 +0000

Untethered....

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 05:47:00 +0000

We are off! After a week of endless staff/faculty meetings on the ship, the students finally boarded in Ensenda, Mexico. It’s already fabulous. Traveling by ship is simply magical. But, it’s been busy. The students had a long day of orientation, lifeboat drills and all sorts of meetings about international travel, living on a ship, their classes and safety, safety, safety. But, we are off! The faculty and staff are incredible. I am super excited to be traveling with this group of experts on Latin America. My Two Americas project will be very well informed as I plan on crashing as many classes as I can. I know, I’m a geek.

My plan is to update this at every port. Here is the itinerary:

Acapulco, Mexico (June 21-June 24)
Balboa, Panama (June 29-July 2)
Guayaquil, Ecuador (July 05-July 9)
Valparaiso, Chile (July 16-July 20)
Callao, Peru (July 24-July 28)
Puntarenas, Costa Rica (August 1-August 4)
Corinto, Nicaragua (August 6-August 9)
Puerto Quetzal, Guatemala (August 11-August 15)

Thanks for reading, more to come soon!

Untethered.....(the pics!)

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 20 Jun 2007 03:23:00 +0000

The Resting Surgeon

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 05:37:00 +0000

Dad_Portrait

Originally uploaded by Kris Davidson

This weekend I was in Dallas and I managed to convince my Dad, a kidney transplant surgeon, to pose for an unconventional portrait. So, here he is, reclining on the operating table.I'm constantly striving to build upon my portfolio of environmental portraits, moving beyond the staid smiling (or serious on purpose) photo.

I also think that photographing the details of the subject's environment without the subject can add valuable information about the subject's personality. In my Dad's case, the picture of kidney's above the toilet in the bathroom.

Upon seeing this, my brother-in-law allegedly stated (he's a lawyer, so it's all alleged) that he was not sure who was more weird, me or my Dad. To me, that means a successful portrait! Audiences are becoming increasingly design and image savvy, which means weird can be a very good thing.

Beginnings of Two Americas Photo Project

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Thu, 03 May 2007 17:57:00 +0000

These are a few of the first images from the Two Americas project so far. Two Americas is a work-in-progress photographic project that looks at the more subtle aspects of the current relationship between Latin America and the United States of America. Beyond the border, on both sides, the cross-cultural influence is far-reaching and complex. While the Two Americas project will consider current hot-topics such as immigration, the main focus of this project will be on the every-day instances of cultural overlap in effort to provide an authentic visual account of the current relationship and integration between the United States and Latin America.

I started the project by doing a ride-along with the Border Patrol in Tijuana. The only place on earth where a 3rd world country borders a 1st world country is the tenuous line between Mexico and The United States. The border is a somber, barren place, with wrecked dreams strewn alongside the debris in the no-man’s land between the first and secondary fences. The first two images here are from the border (San Ysidro and Tijuana). The first image is from the American side; the second image is from the Mexican side ....very close to a McDonald's!

The very nice Border Patrol Agent, Gabriel G., who showed me the sights was actually born in Tijuana, but has been an American citizen for over 26 years. Signs of cultural overlap are everywhere.

As I photograph for Two Americas I strive to provide the viewer with something that is exciting and new but still comfortable and familiar. I am looking for subtle contradictions, evidence of cultural overlap, little bite-sized pieces of a larger truth. I try to find the strangely familiar element to make it a little more palatable, and hopefully, effective in opening a heart or two.

Welcome!

noreply@blogger.com (Kris Davidson) — Wed, 02 May 2007 20:37:00 +0000

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog! I'm starting it as a way to keep friends, family and editorial contacts abreast of my current photo projects...while I frequently update my website (www.krisdavidson.com) too, I'll be posting more day-to-day imagery here, with any back stories and random musings for anyone who is inclined to read it!

Anyway, since this is to be a photography oriented blog, I really should post a picture or two! So here is my niece (the beautiful Baby Belle!) and my sister. In the coming months I will be diving into my new documentary project about Latin American / North American cultural integration...more to come soon!