Although she may not eat it, Reina Menjivar is as sweet as the breads she bakes. At the age of eighteen, she’s one of the sharpest minds in the family. She works hard at the local high school making meals in their small cafeteria. She wakes up early in the morning and returns tired and […]
He came strutting out from behind a tree. Before I could really absorb what was happening, he was standing five inches from me. He wore a thin facemask and a hood that covered everything except his eyes. He had thick eyebrows. His clothes were all black; black pants and cheap knock-off crocs with mud on […]
The first time I felt awkward about it was in Cambodia. We were on a service trip in a rural community. We spent the day painting walls and playing with kids. We all had Nikon cameras swinging from our shoulders. I handed mine to a friend and asked for a picture. The impulse felt natural […]
When they say traveling means you’re an ambassador for your country, they aren’t kidding. On the morning of November 9th, 2016 I was eating breakfast and staring out into the busy streets. The owners could see I didn’t want to chat today. I couldn’t hide the fact I did not want Trump to win the […]
Read them what you wrote. Tell them why you took the picture. Be transparent. After years of recording, documenting, and snapping pictures in low-income communities, I’ve learned a number of lessons about doing so. The meat of my experience comes from making mistakes and being close enough with the community in Honduras that they feel comfortable […]
I listened as the man raised his voice, making them seem small and ashamed. La Ceiba MFI isn’t the only money lender in the area. There are close to fifteen banks, many more employers, and a handful of other microfinances in El Progreso, Honduras. Many of these lenders do a fair amount of work with […]
An interesting comparison: I made a video about this man’s story regarding a lender who puts pressure on him. His conclusion was to continue working with La Ceiba MFI – the institution I work for – instead of going to other banks. I sent the video to the student body at the university responsible for […]
My brain is buzzing but my face is calm. I’m helping an elderly client with a broken leg walk to his chair. He sits down next to his wife, across the table from a representative. We’re in a bank; a very big bank where everything is tan. The floor tiles are tan, the kiosks are […]
People were confronting each other in front of my apartment yesterday. It happened twice, in two events that seemed connected, but I didn’t know how to connect them… First, a police pickup truck drove past me on my way to the grocery store. It screeched to a halt at the intersection. Standing at the corner […]
Elvia Rosa plays it close to the vest. On a number of occasions, she has withdrawn from me. She isn’t a fan of sharing information and doesn’t like having her photo taken. I’ve always been respectful. I tell her she’s not obligated to share anything and I always lower my camera around her and her […]
Jeff Paddock
Suddenly-Human 