MIRAMAR

Eight photography students from the Corcoran College of Art & Design (Washington, DC) journaling about their experiences in El Salvador. var _gaq = _gaq || []; _gaq.push(['_setAccount', 'UA-30086575-1']); _gaq.push(['_trackPageview']); (function() { var ga = document.createElement('script'); ga.type = 'text/javascript'; ga.async = true; ga.src = ('https:' == document.location.protocol ? 'https://ssl' : 'http://www') + '.google-analytics.com/ga.js'; var s = document.getElementsByTagName('script')[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(ga, s); })();

[amyjunesmells]

El Salvador En Los Años 40 Documental Subtitulado Español.

[amyjunesmells]

While traveling through San Salvador last Spring, my class got to visit and talk with a phenomenal photojournalist, Mauro Arias, who is working for El Faro, the most widely distributed left-leaning news publication in the country. In talking with him, I really admired his drive to photograph - it was not a want, but a need - to report and accurately describe the often unsavory and overlooked mistakes in the country’s politics and execution of policies.  He has recently published a story, ¿Cuánto cuesta su taza de café? (How Much Is Your Cup of Coffee?), talking about the coffee boom in El Salvador and it’s effects on the job market, human labor and social justice in the country. A typical salary for a permanent/year-round employee here is $140 every other week. That is $70 a week, for all of one’s living expenses, often supporting several family members as well. The cost of picking raw cherries for processing and exporting is roughly 155 times less than what is paid for the same bean, roasted and brewed, at a typical specialty cafe. This is almost exactly what I had initially wanted to do my thesis on, but Mauro’s images are incredible. It’s an important story for all of those involved in the coffee chain to consider.  “The coffee has directed the course of personal histories and of a country to fair weather, on the one hand, and to the injustice, on the other. “

[amyjunesmells]

Veronica Vides, La Barrida (Aguacayo, El Salvador), 2009

[amyjunesmells]

El Salvador landscape appreciation post. I miss it so much.  

[elsalvadorclass]

San Salvador, El Salvador

Can you find the Sheraton, and MARTE?

(via www.stratocam.com)

[elsalvadorclass]

Sensuntepeque, El Salvador

(via www.stratocam.com)

[elsalvadorclass]

Intipuca, La Union, El Salvador

(via www.stratocam.com)

[elsalvadorclass]

Alegria, El Salvador

(via www.stratocam.com)

[elsalvadorclass]

Playa El Zonte, El Salvador

(via www.stratocam.com)

[elsalvadorclass]

The group with visiting photojournalist, Mauro Arias Panama.

Photo by Muriel Hasbun

[elsalvadorclass]

[rebekitahneese-blog]

And for good measure!!!! all the ladies minus tiph 

Rebekah Purcell

[rebekahpurcell-blog]

03/18/2012

Last day of workshops + looking back

Today was a nice end to the workshops I am going to miss the kids we met here. They were all so great to work with—when we left two of the girls came up and gave some of us chocolate bananas as a goodbye! Included in the set of photos are some that didn’t make it into my last posts but here are some of my favorites. 

Rebekah Purcell

[rebekahpurcell-blog]

03/17/2012

Workshop day 1

It was nice to see all the kids again. Today I took mostly video but it was nice getting to re-interview some of the kids plus add to our collection of spots where the kids talk about items that are important to them. I love the energy that the kids have though. They are fully engaged and willing to participate with each activity. It was a long first day I think we all are tired but looking forward to tomorrow. 

Rebekah Purcell

[rebekahpurcell-blog]

03/15/2012

Drive to Alegria

I really enjoyed perquin I wish we could have stayed longer. In the morning some of us woke up early to walk around the small town some more. Once we left we were on the road to Alegria—on our drive there we stopped in another small town called Guatiagua—a town were a majority of women make comal’s or cooking tops.

There was a particular hut that we were allowed to walk in—where an older women and young girl were working. I was so mesmerized by many of the women in these towns. They have such a dignified beauty to them. 

Rebekah Purcell

[amyjunesmells]

Okay so posting gratuitous pictures of your face is kind of obnoxious and weird and all, but one of the kids took this during one of the photo workshops in Sensuntepeque, and I’m pretty sure this is documentation of how I look when I’m actually, 100% completely happy, y’all.  This is an honest photograph. 

[rebekahpurcell-blog]

03/11/2012

Today was election day in San Salvador—we got the chance to walk around two different markets today. It was really nice to see different aspects of San Salvador outside of our hotel limits. It was a hot day—but we stuck together in groups to walk around and explore the areas. People here are really supportive of their elections, given that it’s only elections at a local level there are so many people out—wearing party colors and celebrating!

Rebekah Purcell