Arica, Chile

So it's been a while since my last blog post which I regret because I had some really good feedback on my last post about photography. On the plus side I have been experimenting with your tips and tricks. Thanks so much! I had no idea I had so many friends interested in photography!

Last week was a full week of workshops for me and my co-workers from all over Peru. I was the official photographer and managed to take a few good shots. I'm even more proud of the fact that during my presentation (eek scary presenting in Spanish!) someone asked me a question about how to take a good photograph (which was not in the script) and I was able to lay down three of the main rules of photography off the cuff.

I spent the weekend of Jan 22 renewing my travel visa in Arica, Chile. While I was there I took a few pictures which sum up my trip nicely.

This is a picture of the Morro (Wall) a big cliff overlooking the Pacific Ocean in Arica, Chile. This wall was the host of a long war during the 1880's and 1890's between Bolivia, Peru and Chile. I found this really fascinating because in Bolivia there is an intense dislike of Chileans because of this war that meant Bolivia lost access to the ocean. However, while perusing though the museum it was quite evident that Bolivia played only a small part in the war which was mostly fought by their allies in Peru. Chile made their way quite far up the coast of Peru before the border disputes were finally settled. Further than Lima!

This picture is of a Happy New Year Sign which was affixed to a gazebo and a few park benches. I found this very entertaining and ingenious.

The is picture of some hieroglyphics that were dug into the mountains. I hired a taxi to take me out to see them and we drove right up past the farmer's fields to get a good look. You can see the shadow of a monkey in the rearview mirror. Of course the closer we got harder the hieroglyphics were to see but the farmer's tomatoes were very impressive up close.

Photography in Peru

One of the most pressing issues in communications at my NGO is how to take a good photo. This is a particular challenge here since 1) I don’t really know what I’m doing and 2) the light is crazy intense – I’m talking white, bright, blinding light - and then when it’s not intense it’s overcast and grey which means that you’re fighting what feels like a losing battle.

I've been soliciting help from my friendly neighbourhood photogs (including Heather Rushton, professional photographer and entrepreneur from Twin Bridges Photography in NS and Jay Aggarwal, amateur photographer and fellow CUSO-VSO volunteer in Ghana). They have really helped me address point number 1 (my general photographic incompetence) so I thought I would share these websites which helped me to understand basic composition and light.

Pro Photo Life: http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=pro+photo+life&aq=f
About.com http://photography.about.com/
Photo Composition Articles: http://photoinf.com/General/Peter_Ensenberger/Improving_Your_Photography_Lesson_Two_Composition.htm

The light issue is solvable but I’m going to need to experiment with my camera. Here's an example of what I’m talking about:

On the left her hand looks like she's been stuck inside for at least a year with no sunlight. On the right I've adjusted the white balance for more natural color.... Now I just have to figure out how to make the adjustments before taking the photo!


Keeping with the theme, here are some amateur photos from National Geographic Travel that manage to overcome the light in Perú. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/your-peru-photos/#/andes-salkantay-peru_30282_600x450.jpg

Please feel free to share any photography articles or tips and tricks you find helpful!

Social Media for NGO´s

Lately I’ve been doing some hard core research on social media and communications for NGO’s. For me it’s a fun and a great way to let my nerd flag fly in my new job. There’s so much out there to learn and so many different ways that people are approaching social media at NGO’s.

Our new website at CAPLAB is going to be in blog format to allow for us to announce events, share stories and present information like our reports, manuals for students and professors and other materials. I’m also looking at how to incorporate pages like facebook, twitter, youtube, picasa and my new obsession: Scribd. (Scribd is a document sharing system and it’s awesome because it has built in analytic features that allow you to see all sorts of information about the people who are reading your documents. For instance you can see how long an article was read, where in the world the hits are coming from and which websites are showing your document. http://www.scribd.com/caplab)

The real challenge is trying to understand the reality of both our audience and the staff. What are the technology limits for students and professors? How much time can staff devote to updating our blog? How can we consolidate these tools so that time online is maximized?

Any feedback out there from tech savvy communicators would be great!

Jin, Chin, Gene

A few nights ago I had dinner at a coffee shop called Gloria Jean’s. I went in there specifically because I was feeling a little homesick for coffee shops in Canada like Just Us in NS or Raw Sugar in Ottawa. You know the ones with the big windows that you can look out and idly observe the passers-by while getting lost in your own thoughts. I also wanted some comfort food.

Anyhoo after taking my order and my name I found it ironic that the barista at Gloria Jean’s couldn’t spell Jean. It was written on my receipt as Jin. I wonder if it was my fault because I didn’t do my regular routine of "Jean, you know like the pants". But it seems even when I give my Jean/pants performance people still can’t seem to spell my name.

It’s not just the Peruvians that have trouble understanding me. Last night a Canadian friend sent a text to "Gene". Then a Brazilian girl confessed that she thought my name was actually "Chin" until she read a note I’d left her with my name on it. Maybe I should change my name to Juana... let me know if you have any other suggestions!

Until next time,
Chin... er I mean Jean