March 2011 Calendar Wallpaper: A Nomadic Way of Life
In the Fulani village of Jolooga in northern Burkina Faso, villagers stand outside a traditional house made from woven mats of straw. Traditionally pastoralist, this house can be disassembled and reassembled at will, as the family and their livestock crisscross the Sahel in search of fresh water and green pastures. Download the March 2011 calendar [...]
February 2011 Calendar Wallpaper
Curious mixes of ancient tradition and modernity co-mingle throughout Africa. In the town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, a Fulani family zips by on a motorcycle. The driver’s wife carries a toddler strapped to her back with a simple piece of cloth in a centuries-old African fashion. Download the February 2011 calendar wallpaper. IRENE [...]
A Multimedia Presentation on Burkina Faso: When Darkness Falls / Spirit of Humanity
I was invited by the American Society of Media Photographers (Washington, DC chapter) on January 11, 2011 to give a presentation during their 8×10 Program. I’ve had a lot of requests by people outside the area or who weren’t able to make the program to post the presentation online. So here it is! I spent [...]
The Griot’s Work is Never Done
I am finally finished preparing my multimedia presentation for Tuesday evening’s American Society of Media Photographers (ASMP) 8×10 Program. I am happy to say that I zipped up the file and sent it on over to ASMP, together with my bio yesterday. It’s a still photography slideshow from my November trip to Burkina Faso set [...]
Bridal Gifts that aren’t for the Bride
In the town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, a Fulani wedding has taken place. Friends and family of the bride carry gifts and possessions – pots and pans, blankets, textiles, decorative flowers, and other items – from the bride’s home to her new home with her husband. Surprisingly, many of these gifts are not [...]
Girl in a Nomad’s Home AND January 11th Presentation to the ASMP
So I’m a little more than 1/3 of the way through processing the images from my November 2010 trip to Burkina Faso, West Africa. My goal is to pretty much finish processing – including captioning and keywording – by the end of the month, but this is a pretty ambitious target, so we’ll see how [...]
A Burkinabe Baptism
The image below is from a Fulani baptism that I was able to attend in Ouagadougou, the capital of Burkina Faso, on the third day of our November 2010 trip. Muslim families celebrate the birth of a child on the 7th day after birth, and women throughout the city – friends and family – congregated [...]
January 2011 Calendar Wallpaper: An Intense Gaze
In West Africa, certain villages have markets that “assemble” at regular intervals, such as weekly or every three days. People from villages around the region come on market day to buy and sell food, livestock, and other goods and services. Last month, I visited the village of Bourro in northern Burkina Faso on its market [...]
Of Bucket Baths and Shimmer and Shine
Well, after five weeks of wandering the dusty roads of Burkina Faso, West Africa, we are finally back in the good ol’ U.S. of A! You know, I did miss home. We had a great time, but five weeks is pretty darn long. My #1 cause of homesickness? Those of you who know me might guess [...]
Doohaali of Jelgooji, Burkina Faso – Cultural Gem, Dying Art
“Doohaali” is a form of music/song that includes repeated background chants/vocalizations. Traditionally performed at night by children and young adults around campfires in the “bush,” with the relentless onset of modernity, it is sadly practiced less and less. Doohi has been little documented—the most substantive documentation that I have been able to find is a [...]
Peace Be With You from Djibo, Burkina Faso
Here is another photo from Tabaski. Yuma and Aissama (Tabaski’s meat thief), sit by the barbecue, their faces illuminated by the fire. It reminds me of Tracy Chapman’s song, “Heaven’s Here on Earth,” in her “New Beginnings” album. You can look to the stars in search of the answers Look for God and life on [...]
Tabaski’s Meat Thief
The religious holiday of Tabaski is one of the biggest across West Africa, where much of the population is Muslim. It takes place 70 days after the end of Ramadan, the month of fasting. When I lived in Niger as a Peace Corps Volunteer, Tabaski was always my favorite holiday of the year, because of both [...]
Fatimata: Fulani Girl in Djibo, Burkina Faso
Sorry I’ve been absent from my blog!!! We spent the last three weeks in the sleepy town of Djibo in northern Burkina Faso, where I quickly discovered the internet to be TORTUROUSLY slow. There, a 20 kbps download speed is super fast, and that’s…um…slower than dial up! Nevertheless, we’ve been having an AWESOME time, and [...]
December 2010 Calendar Wallpaper is Here! “Hidden from View,” Burkina Faso, West Africa
If you’ve been following my blog over the past months, you’ll know that I pre-wrote this calendar wallpaper post because I’m actually traveling as we speak in…Burkina Faso, West Africa! So I thought it would only be fitting to make a December calendar wallpaper in honor of my last trip to Burkina in 2007. This [...]
Tribal Dancing at the Salon International de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou
A few months ago, I told Chuck, a travel photographer friend of mine (Cecil Images), that I would be visiting Burkina Faso in November. Chuck asked me if I would have a chance to stop by SIAO, the Salon International de l’Artisanat de Ouagadougou (SIAO). I had never heard of SIAO, so I looked it [...]
Women Photojournalists of Washington and FotoWeek DC Present: “Women by Women” Photography Exhibit & Silent Print Auction
Earlier this year, I joined the Women Photojournalists of Washington (WPOW), a group of kickass female figures in the Washington, DC journalist community. WPOW puts on an annual traveling exhibit called, “Women by Women,” and I am one of 19 photojournalists to have been juried into the 2010/2011 exhibit by jurors from the New York [...]
New Work at Gallery Serengeti – Fine Art from an African Pot
I delivered eight pieces of artwork to Gallery Serengeti in Capitol Heights, Maryland a few weekends ago. Gallery Serengeti specializes in “Fine Art from an African Pot” (love that tagline…) Swing by and check it out when you have a chance! They’re located at 7919 Central Avenue, Capital Heights, MD 20743.
April 2010 Wallpaper: Breakfast in Bed, Niger, West Africa
I’m offering my first calendar wallpaper for April 2010 for download here – click on the links below for the resolution and aspect ratio that best match your computer screen: 1024 x 768 - 1280 x 1024 - 1440 x 960 - 1920 x 1080 Once you download it, if you have Windows 7, [...]
Mali: The Makings of a Pot
I recently returned from Mali, where my friend, Melanie, and I had the opportunity to visit the pottery village of Kalabougou, a 45-minute motorized canoe ride down the Niger River from Segou. Click here to see the complete photo story, Mali: The Makings of a Pot.
Back on the Road…to Mali, West Africa
I’m back on the road today, so you might not hear from me for a few weeks, though I’ll try to write if I have time. It was touch and go there for a while. Wasn’t sure I’d make it out today, what with more snowstorms in DC and my passport stuck at the Mali [...]