All you hear is the sound of nature

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Way up in the mountains, about 1,500 feet above sea level, deep in the countryside—away from  engine pollution, law enforcement sirens, the hustle and bustle of city life, all you hear is the sound of nature. The pleasant sound of oxen in the distance, the occasional beautiful sound of crows flying overhead, I was hiking and exploring with a local guide when this farmer on his way home came walking on a the narrow dirt track we were on. He didnt seem to mind that I shot a few frames when he walked close pass me.We chatted briefly, he has never been to Port-Au-Prince and has never been photographed before. He was thrilled when I showed him his portrait on my canon LCD, and he needed to walk about a mile from where we were to reach home. 

Funeral for murdered priest

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Father Joseph Simoly, well known in the Catholic community, was attacked on Thursday, December 21, by three armed individuals riding a motorcycle on rte  Frères in Pétion-Ville, not far from his home. Rushed to the Haitian Community Hospital (HCH), the victim, who received several bullets, did not survive his injuries. Following Funeral mass in Port-Au-Prince earlier today, December 30, he will be buried in Hinche.

The plight of the vendors of Petion Ville open market

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On a regular basis, regardless of the time and day, employees of Petion Ville City Hall pile up in a white pickup truck and descend upon the open market. Wearing light green vests and sometimes carrying batons, steal merchandise, beat up those who resist in all impunity—with the approval of the Mayor, Dominique Saint-Roc, and protection of armed police officers in uniform (UDMO) who's Toyota land cruiser assists in the almost daily operation."They've stolen a lot of my merchandise, I couldn't tell you how much money I have lost" 22-year old Patricia Joseph, wearing the straw hat and red t- shirt comes to the open market in Petion Ville everyday. She sells nail polish and other beauty products. Having your goods stolen have become part of our harship she says, I have two kids to feed, we are now accustomed to always be on the look out for the white pickup truck. 

Haiti's youth - an ongoing conversation

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Haiti has the youngest age structure in the Caribbean, almost 70 percent of Haiti's people are under the age of 30. Eventhough it represents a significant advantage for the country, however, opportunities are necessary for them to become successful. Haiti is a country in which nearly everything needs help, and for those who can afford it, leaving the country has become their only option. According to Chilean immigration officials, 48,000 Haitians are expected to move to Chile in 2017. The majority of Haitian migrants who come to chile are young, 80 percent of them are between the age of 15 and 30 years old. To obtain firsthand account of this alarming situation, I am conversing with young people and so far the ones that I've approached are talking. Following a basketball game in Petion ville, 17 year old, Edouard Ciné Ravix (holding the ball) expressed his frustration regarding the dire present economic situation and said "I want to become a professional basketball player, and if the opportunity ever comes to leave, I am out of here" 

Children are very good at expressing emotion

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

On my last visit to Jacmel, while wandering aimlessly I saw a little girl on the balcony of an elegant gingerbread townhouse. I try to shoot candidly as much as possible when I am on the streets. However, when I asked her if I could take a portrait, she went back inside and came back out with her mother—a very nice woman who agreed that I photograph her daughter. It's important to get the children you are photographing as comfortable as possible, and striking a conversation helps them to relax and even smile, which I wanted for her portrait. 

Official funeral in Haiti to bid farewell to folk singer Manno Charlemagne

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Funeral service for folk singer and activist Joseph Emmanuel “Manno” Charlemagne at a public Mass on the Champ de Mars in Port-au-Prince Dec. 22, 2017. - His death at 69 on Sunday came after multiple stints in exile, many assassination attempts and a star-studded international campaign by the late filmmaker Jonathan Demme to free him from the Argentine Embassy where he sought haven after a military coup toppled Haiti’s first democratically elected president, Jean-Bertrand Aristide - Jacqueline Charles/Miami herald

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article189897489.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/world/americas/haiti/article189897489.html#storylink=cpy

Kanzo ceremony–Initiation into Haitian Vodou

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Kanzo is the name for the initiation ceremony within the Vodou tradition. It is a sacrament, and considered to be one of the most sacred events in a Vodouisant’s life. ezilikonnen.com  - Initiation into the Asson lineage of Vodou tradition is a long process. It takes nearly two weeks to complete. Traditionally, initiation into the Vodou Tradition is done in Haiti. Following the dance ceremony, the initiates are finally Kanzo. They have new identities as Houngans, Mambos, or Hounsis. They need to complete 41 days of restrictions to be truly finished with the kanzo ceremony. Usually, about a year later, the initiates will “dessan kolye” which means to take down the kolyes, which will truly finalize the entire cycle of initiation. The kolye is the sacred necklace of initiation. vodoureligion.com

Self Assignment : Open market

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

There's always room for improvement. Expanding one's vision, skills and abilities are what we creatives shoud be striving for since becoming a better photographer is a never ending process. It's important to try out different  self assignments, I personlly like to challenge myself with the hard ones like shooting photos in an open market down in Haiti. It's a cultural thing, people on the streets do not like to be photographed by strangers. I mostly shoot without permission and without my subject's knowledge. 

Revisiting the Same Photography Location Again and Again

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

 

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

 

"It’s good to keep moving forward and trying new things all the time. There are times when going back to an old photography location can be a great idea. Simon Bond" My first visit to kenscoff dates back to 1973, when a cousin took me to the mountains to attend a yearly summer hang out at L'Auberge —thus my obsession began. I have been photographing kenscoff on and off for over 15 years, lived there 3 times and I still haven't lost interest in making new images.

The environment in Kenscoff, Haiti

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

photo © patrice dougé All rights reserved

Having a show about the environment in Kenscoff would have missed something without visiting and including the photographs above I captured a few days ago at the Wynn Farm Nature Reserve. situated in the mountains of Kenscoff, Haiti at an altitude of 6000 ft, on 30 acres of land. When it was created by Victor A. Wynne, it was known as the Wynne Farm and the goal was to teach soil management through conservation methods. Today, in order to preserve this much needed green area, it is known as the Wynne Farm Nature Reserve.