Guido Dingemans, humanitarian photographer

Images from around the globe. Portfolio: guidodingemans.photoshelter.com. Twitter: @GuidoWorldPhoto

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I've spent the past two months in Eastern/Southern Africa, covering the effects of El Nino for several ngo's. The region is suffering from the worst food crisis in decades. In rural areas, many people currently survive on one basic meal a day, and the worst is yet to come. Millions of children suffer from acute malnutrition. Soon stocks will run out. In this image: children's feet in a dry riverbed in Chikwawa District, southern Malawi. 1/250s, f/5.6, ISO 200. (c) Guido Dingemans/Getty Images (2016)

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This week, I was out on assignment with the Himalayan Cataract Project in Gisenyi, northern Rwanda. It was amazing to see what a few minutes of surgery, costing only $25, can do for a person. In only two days, about 150 people were given back their sight by Dr. Geoff Tabin and his team.

This portrait was shot the day after surgery, only minutes after the bandages were taken off. Beautiful blue eyes still full of wonder. To learn more about the Himalayan Cataract Project, please visit their website: www.cureblindness.org 1/200s, f/3.5, ISO 2000. But mostly a Canon Speedlite with a diffuser and a Black Foamie Thing. © Guido Dingemans (2016). Licensed by the Himalayan Cataract Project

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I spent some time in the Middle-East before flying to Uganda. Now those are two completely different worlds. When travelling between continents, cultural differences can become quite obvious and a little shocking sometimes. It can take some time to adapt.

According to the form she’s just completed, this girl is sixteen years old. And obviously, she’s a muslim. No wedding ring there. Since she’s taking an HIV-test, most likely she’s sexually active and has run at least a small risk of being infected with the virus. She’s being tested in public, on a plastic chair along a busy road. Her father or one of her brothers or nephews could pass by at that very moment, but she doesn’t seem to worry about that. In fact, she’s having a laugh with her sixteen year-old classmates, who are also being tested. And she doesn’t mind a foreign photographer taking pictures. Apparently, taking an HIV-test is no big deal to her. I’m guessing it’s not her first time.

I’m taking the shot and tell myself: it’s okay, this is not the Middle-East. Welcome to Africa.

1/250s, f/5, ISO 400.

Consider supporting the AIDS Healthcare Foundation. They’re doing a great job. To learn more, please visit their website:

http://www.aidshealth.org/#/

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by the AIDS Healthcare Foundation.

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Here’s another fun picture from Uganda, shot for Plan International. A boy puts on girls’ panties during a demonstration on how to use sanitary pads, at Mbula Primary School in Tororo District. There’s a serious side to this. In a playful way, the taboo surrounding the subject of menstruation is being broken.

1/320s, f/7.1, ISO 640.

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Plan International.

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Here’s a snapshot of last summer that reminds me of the time when photography was just an amazing hobby to me. I remember walking around unknown streets with a cheap camera, just capturing the moment and having fun while doing it. Of course, it’s totally awesome that I’ve turned that amazing hobby into my profession, and I’m still having fun regularly, but still, sometimes I miss those early days.

This image was shot on the streets of Masaka, Uganda. And yes, I was on assignment that day and these kids were not on our shot list, but I just couldn’t resist running after them. Well, I’m only human.

1/640s, f/5, ISO 320.

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by BRAC.

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Apologies for not posting here for a while, but I’ve got a brilliant excuse this time: exactly one month ago I became a first time father and as you will understand I had other things on my mind. Pink things mostly, since it’s a girl!

However, I also have to make a living as a photographer, so new plans for the next few months are already unfolding. I’ll be heading back to Africa soon and I’m taking bookings as of now.

So, to pick things up, here’s a sweet shot from my recent visit to Uganda. I met this beautiful girl in Kabedopong village, near Gulu in the north, where she was attending a village health meeting with her mother.

1/160s, f/4, ISO 800.

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by BRAC.

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Tomorrow, it’s been five months since that first devastating earthquake hit Nepal and I remember it like it was yesterday. It was one of the most terrifying experiences of my life.

This image was shot in remote Rasuwa District, during the distribution of emergency aid to mentally disabled victims of the earthquake.

1/640, f/4, ISO 400.

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by the Karuna Foundation.

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A young man is being tested for HIV in a small clinic in Lilongwe, Malawi. A matter of seconds really, and results are clear within ten minutes.

1/160s, f/4, ISO 2000. And a little Speedlite.

© Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Jhpiego.

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During my week-long assignment for BRAC here in Uganda, I followed 19-year old Angela (not her real name) for a few hours. This is her with her newborn baby (front row, right) during a visit to the rather packed village clinic in Bugembe, Jinja district. She's here for two reasons. Her baby will be vaccinated and Angela herself will have her blood tested for HIV. Over 7 percent of Uganda's population is living with HIV. That's about 1.5 million people, including nearly 200 thousand children. Next week, I'll be shooting for the AIDS Healthcare Foundation, so expect to hear more on this subject. 1/200s, f/3.5, ISO 200. And a little fill-in flash from a Canon Speedlite. Just like about 95% of my recent images, this one was shot with a Canon 16-35mm f2.8, which has quickly become my standard walk-around lens. (c) Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by BRAC.

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I’m about to become a father myself, which might explain my sudden interest in taking pictures of newborns. Another, more down-to-earth reason is the fact that I’ve been working with ngo’s focusing on maternal health and family planning quite a lot during the past month here in Uganda. Last week I spent on the road with BRAC, an international ngo based in Bangladesh. In six days, we covered their work from the far south to the far north of Uganda and back. About two thousand kilometres in a Landrover, all across the heart of Africa - now that’s an amazing road trip. Did I mention before that I love my job? This cute guy was born a few weeks back in Entebbe, Uganda. Even baby’s in Africa need to be kept warm. Find out more about BRAC’s wonderful work around the globe here: www.brac.net 1/800s, f/5.6, ISO 400. (c) Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by BRAC.

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Another postcard from Karamoja, Uganda. 1/400s, f/10, ISO 400. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Jhpiego (US).

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Apparently, even after nearly twenty years of travelling in developing countries, it’s still possible to be surprised. I fell in love with Karamoja - the far northeastern part of Uganda - last week. It’s Africa the way you imagined it as a kid, before you read about war, genocide and corruption. Small settlements, houses made of mud with thatched roofs. Women in colourful dresses carrying jerrycans filled with water on their heads at sunrise. Tall, skinny tribesmen walking through the fields carrying spears and bows and arrows. A place where children grow up drinking fresh cow milk and cow blood, because there’s nothing else to feed them with. Surely, Karamoja’s a troubled region - just check out your government’s travel advice - but things have been improving the past years and I was only met with smiles, courtesy and hospitality. Ever since I embarked on my first world trip, I’ve been attracted to remote places ‘off the beaten track’. But working with ngo’s allows you access to places no Western tourist ever sets a foot. The people you get to see don’t dress up in traditional clothing because they are paid to do so by a local travel agency. It’s all amazingly real, raw and pure. And Karamoja is such a place. I’m back in Kampala now, all comfortable and with soccer on tv, but I can’t wait to return to the northeast. Did I mention that I’m available for photo assignments in Uganda until the end of July? 1/400s, f/9, ISO 320, 16mm. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Jhpiego/USAID. PS: bring your ultra-wide angle lens when travelling to Africa. My Canon 16-35mm f/2.8 L proves to be very useful when shooting in cramped hospital rooms and capturing wider landscapes such as the image above. 35mm is also my favourite focal length for street photography, although most of the time I use my 24-70mm f/2.8 L for that.

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I have arrived in Uganda a week ago and I'm glad to be back in Africa. The past four days I've spent on the road with Jhpiego - an international non-profit dedicated to improving the health of women and families, focusing mainly on reproductive health, maternal health, family planning and HIV/AIDS projects. We've been visiting the remote Karamoja region, which is an amazing place, but I'll get back to that later. This is Betty. She's eighteen years old and had just delivered her first baby a few days earlier when we met her at Rengen Health Center III. She was still attending primary school when she got pregnant. Her husband's also still a student. About 1.2 million pregnancies are recorded in Uganda annually. 25% of these are teenage pregnancies. To learn more about Jhpiego and their much needed work, and perhaps make a donation, please visit their website: www.jhpiego.org 1/250s, f3.5, ISO 1600. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Jhpiego/USAID.

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Nine year-old Parnisha stands in front of her family's improvised shelter in the city of Sankhu, Nepal. Their house was completely destroyed during the April 25 earthquake. 1/400s, f/5, ISO 400. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by Plan International, MedAir and Mission East.

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I love my job. I love everything about it, even the boring stuff, like sending out unsolicited e-mails and spending hours at my desk to find out who's actually in charge of the photo desk at this or that international ngo. But of course, most of all I love taking pictures of people. I wouldn't want to do anything else. And then, there's the best part of my job: taking pictures that leave me with a good, warm feeling inside. Usually, it's not the images that are technically near-to-perfect. It's not about shutter speed, depth of field or ISO, it's about the personal experience I had while taking the image. The interaction with the subject. A few weeks ago, I was on a two day assignment in the village of Kalikasthan, Rasuwa District, Nepal, covering the distribution of emergency aid to victims of the earthquake, particularly the disabled. This girl was waiting in line with her family. She was shy, self-conscious and obviously not happy with me and my camera, and at first refused to even look at me. It took me quite a while to comfort her and make her smile. And that smile's right there in her one eye, right there in the catchlight. To be able to capture that - happiness, hope and strength in dire circumstances - that's by far the best part of my job. Perhaps camera settings could've been better, but who cares: 1/400s, f/4, ISO 400. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by the Karuna Foundation. If you haven't already, please consider donating to the Karuna Foundation, which supports the disabled in Nepal: Website (Dutch): http://www.karunafoundation.nl/ Facebook (English): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karuna-Foundation/269875319700005

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Durga (70) is from Kirtipur, Kathmandu. She was badly wounded when her house collapsed during the first earthquake on the 25th of April 2015 and taken to Kirtipur Hospital. Her husband and her father-in-law died during the earthquake, but she didn't know that yet when this image was taken. Her family was planning to bring the tragic news after she had at least partially recovered from her injuries. 1/100s, f/3.5, ISO 3200. With some added light from a Canon Speedlite. This image was taken on assignment for ReSurge International, a US non-profit funding the Burn & Cleft Center at Kirtipur Hospital. To support their wonderful cause, please visit their website: www.resurge.org © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by ReSurge International.

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It was cold, foggy and rainy when we arrived in the small mountain village of Ramche in the remote Nepalese district of Rasuwa early in the morning. Our truck was loaded with food, tents, medication and other emergency supplies. It had been nearly two weeks since the first major earthquake, but due to its remote location, dangerous mountain roads and the risk of landslides, the people of Ramche had received little to no aid yet. Needless to say they were very happy to see us. The image above was shot while taking shelter in a small wooden building during a downpour. 1/200s, f/3.5, ISO 800. © Guido Dingemans (2015). Licensed by the Karuna Foundation. The Karuna Foundation - a small non-profit based in The Netherlands - was one of the first ngo's to reach Rasuwa district after the devastating earthquake. Their work struck me as highly efficient and cost-effective. To learn more about the Karuna Foundation and make a donation, please visit: Website (Dutch): http://www.karunafoundation.nl/ Facebook (English): https://www.facebook.com/pages/Karuna-Foundation/269875319700005