Foto’s Blog: Personal in Panama
Phodographer Jim Bayer, along the Charges River, Panama 2010
As a pilot Jim has traveled much. He writes “My first experience as a Dog Meets World participant in Panama was beyond my expectation. Thinking you are just going to take some photographs of kids with a little stuffed dog, you suddenly find yourself in the midst of a close personal relationship that starts with with a normal measure of distance and hesitancy and ends with being surrounded by excited, happy faces as their own images emerge from the printer.
Do you want to improve someones self image? Give them their own (possibly first ever) copy of it. What a thrill watching the faces of children light up with pride and amazement as they received their own photograph. It was truly a fulfilling experience working with the tribal families in central Panama and giving them this gift. So, if you want to enhance your own self image, I suggest Dog Meets World for anyone during their next travel opportunity.
”
Foto’s Blog: Sharing is the Universal Language…scenes from Guatemala
NEW Phodographer Hester Bury in Antigua, Guatemala May 2011
I’m Hester Bury and I arrived in Antigua from Chicago early on a Sunday morning in May. I spent the morning walking around the town, getting my bearings and enjoying the beautiful old buildings and cobbled streets. I sat down on a bench in the Parc Central and within minutes was approached by a young girl selling woven bracelets and bags. I bought a couple and then asked her how long she was going to be in the park and if she would like her photo taken. It was mostly sign language as I don’t speak Spanish. I went to fetch Foto and my printer. I returned started to take photos, mostly of the people selling their wares. Before long a crowd gathered and I took and printed photos for more than an hour. The recipients certainly appreciated the gift and one provided small plastic bags so they could be taken home clean and safely. Several tended not to smile at the camera, so different from the US.
For me it was a great experience to be able to recognize individuals through Dog Meet World. Because of my lack of Spanish I was not really able to explain the significance of Foto, but I hope they understood that holding the dog connected them to others all over the world. The printer worked well and provided great quality photos. Thank you for the experience – I hope to inspire others to participate!
Foto’s Blog: DMW is highlight of trip home to South Africa!
NEW Phodographer Robert Karp in Guguletu, South Africa, April 2011
I’m Robert Karp, I work in Admissions at Towson University in Baltimore, Maryland, and I recently traveled to South Africa where I was born to celebrate my 40th Birthday and other family events in the Cape Town area. Wanting to practice Dog Meets World without a contact in a local township I turned to Google where I found a link to Liziwe’s Guest House and Tours. I emailed the house and immediately got a reply from a guy named Andrew who helps organize the tours through a local township. We emailed back and forth as to the specifics of what it was I was trying to do and accomplish. The more we talked, the more excited I became at the idea of doing something like this.
Andrew picked me up and provided transportation both to the township Guguletu and then to the airport afterwards. Once there, and after some briefs tests of my camera and the printer, we started out on our adventure. We began in the neighborhood creche which is what a preschool would be here in the States. I took and printed around 50 pictures of the children there and the process was incredible. For some of these children, the pictures were the first of them ever and they were enthralled with the process and the camera and printer. Tentative glances turned into true smiles, followed by excited chatter and laughter. I was surrounded by a swarm of amazing little children who were taking this all in.
After the creche, Andrew and another man took me into the shacks where the poorest of the poor lived. The pictures I took of the children and families here were the most meaningful and had the most impact both on myself and on the people whose pictures I took and printed. For one family, it was the first and only family portrait they have ever had.
The rest of the trip was spent walking around and taking and printing pictures until my supplies ran out. Afterwards, Andrew told me it was incredibly moving and fulfilling for him as-well because although he loves doing the tours, no one has given back in such an immediate way. He invited me back for my next trip to do a longer day of taking pictures and meeting new people.
Thank you Dog Meets World. It was the highlight of my trip back home.