Here it is, my weblog. Take a minute, kick back and look behind the scenes at my studio.
September 30th, 2008
My friends at Life In Abundance have their new website up. Most of the images are from my trip to Ethiopia and Kenya which I shot on my trip to Africa. Rule29 did a great job with the site design. There are plans in the works to go back again in 2009 to bring back more stories of how LIA is making a difference in the lives of the people they serve.
July 18th, 2008
It’s great to get caught up in the summertime fun of the all-star break and first place(ish) Chicago baseball teams, but we’re also interested to see people who are using baseball to make a difference in some young people’s lives. Recently we had the opportunity to meet and photograph Bob Muzikowski who founded what has become the Near West Little League in the Cabrini-Green Housing Projects more than 15 years ago. The project is for Christianity Today. He remains committed to making a difference in the lives of young people, and improving the communities in which they live. We were fortunate to be able to photograph him with some of his players and watch him in action as a coach. Stay tuned for the portrait images from the shoot.
July 1st, 2008
The Sandwich from MacDonald Photography on Vimeo. Recently we shot this video here at the studio. We love the advantages of having a full kitchen right here on site. It gives us the opportunity to prepare everything from deep fried foods for national trade ads, to fresh chocolate chip cookies on a Friday afternoon without having to leave the studio. The thing about having all of this delicious food under our noses and in front of the camera is the inevitable and insatiable desire for something to snack on. We do however resist and instead often go for either a CLIF bar or bagel with cream cheese washed down with a fresh fruit smoothie.
April 30th, 2008
I am finishing my final post after getting back to the states since we lost internet access the last few days. The final full day of shooting in Africa was filled with adventure, smiling faces and sobering stories. The van got stuck in mud and almost rolled down an eight foot embankment. It took two hours and about thirty people from a local village to get us out. It was truly rewarding to work together as a team to get the van out.
Looking back at these images now as I sit a world away brings mixed emotions. As we move forward to use these photos to bring awareness to the situation in Africa I am hopeful that I can do my small part to make a difference. I guess if each one of us just did a small part we can really change things.
April 29th, 2008
After a night of hard rain and restless sleep I was awakened to the sound of Kenny Rogers music blaring in the complex we are staying at. It made for a surreal moment. During the downpours of the night my thoughts went to the children I had photographed, sleeping in their tiny muddy shacks in the slums.
We spent the morning in Kibera, one of the largest slums in Africa. It is estimated that one million people live there. We were at the heart of where the post-election violence took place just a few months ago and so many people were killed. There was a palatable tension as we walked around visiting some of the people who lived there. We met with some of the pastors involved in the reconciliation program.
The afternoon was a much needed change of scenery as we drove through beautiful countryside to Makueni. I was able to capture some environmental portraits of some of the people involved with the Life In Abundance programs that evening.
April 28th, 2008
Playing Catch-up now that I have internet.
April 24, 2008
A flight from Ethiopia to Nairobi, Kenya brought us to a city that was much more industrialized. After just a short trip into the city though, we were confronted with more of the desperate poverty that plagues this country. We were brought into a slum and one of the holistic medical projects. I got to see as people received free eye exams and glasses and watch as bad teeth were pulled. The portable clinic was set up in a small church that was really no more than a large shack. It has been raining here. The senses are bombarded as we walk around in the mud of the slums that is mixed with trash and human waste. I was able to photograph some of the children that lived in that slum. It was a humbling experience. The stories of sickness and abuse that is suffered brings a pit to my stomach. I felt in a strange way that I was privileged to capture the faces of these people.
April 23rd, 2008
After another long day of shooting around Addis we were able to meet some great people and hear some inspiring stories. The kids are amazing. I met so many of these children that were so full of happiness despite the situations they are in. They have a piercing gaze with big beautiful eyes.It was moving to meet an 80 year old blind man that lives in a pile of trash under a tin lean-to. He was so full of energy. He is able to survive thanks to the work of one of the local churches. The stories of need are endless. It is encouraging to see some of these small victories.We are off to Kenya tomorrow. Internet access will be questionable.
April 22nd, 2008
Our crew had an early start and drove three hours out of Addis to the town of Debrebirhan. We had a driver who thought that dodging people, livestock and oncoming vehicles at 100 kph was some type of sporting event. The roads were probably the worst I have been on, even worse than my trip to India. We visited several projects that LIA is involved with. Some of the most moving stories were from those suffering with HIV/AIDS. The man that I photographed below was so distressed over his plight that he tried to hang himself. There were stories of hope though. Babies were being born from HIV mothers without getting the disease thanks to drug and vitamin therapies. Malnourished child were getting proper food from feeding programs and had a future. This country is visually rich and the photographs and video footage we are getting will hopefully help with raising the badly needed funds for these projects
