Close your eyes for a moment and dream with me. Feel the cool rain hit your face as the heavens open up above you with a downpour that soaks through to your very core. Listen to the orchestra of monkeys, owls, parrots, insects, and frogs as they speak, sing, search, and cry. Feel the heat and humidity as it envelops you, making you suddenly aware of each pore, each hair on your body. Sense the magic and mystery around you. This is the Amazon. This is Yasuní.
It has been almost a month since I arrived here at Yasuní Research Station (www.yasuni.ec) to work on a collaborative project with the Pontifical Catholic University of Ecuador called Yasuní en Imagenes. Located in the lowlands of Eastern Ecuador, Yasuní National Park is one of the most biologically diverse hotspots in the world. Our goal this summer is to produce photographic and videographic work for an exhibition in November about Yasuní National Park – its flora, fauna, indigenous cultures, natural resources, and the interaction between all the aforementioned elements.
The images in this post are meant only to give a glimpse of what is in store for the forthcoming exhibit:
The infrared image in the post is an image of the Napo River that one must cross to reach Yasuní. I am beginning to work with infrared photography, as I believe it could add a new dimension to the traditionally ever-vibrant images of the Amazon to which we are accustomed.
The following image is the entrance to the research station at night. The night sky here is something of legends, though even here, light pollution from nearby communities and oil stations has an impact.
The third image is my only successful image of fauna so far, as my attention has been focused on the scientific investigation here at the station and the indigenous cultures. We were lucky to come upon a family of Red Titi monkeys near the road and even luckier to be able to get our cameras out in time to capture photographs of them.
The image following was taken at the Saturday fair in Pompeya, where Huaraoni and Kichwa people indulge in fried chondacuro (image), ice cream, and crates upon crates of beer. Like many Native American communities in the U.S., indigenous communities here are experiencing an increase in reports of alcoholism, following exposure to Western culture.
I have been blessed to work with absolutely phenomenal people for this project. Esteban Baus, Rubén Jarrin, and Jorge A. Castillo-Castro, all of whom are gifted photographers and supremely knowledgable biologists, have coordinated this project in collaboration with Miguel Rodriguez, director of the research station. Since our arrival in Yasuní, Jorge and I have started to work with a nearby Huaraoni community in a cultural exchange endeavor: we are offering a photography workshop to enable the people of this community to tell their own stories through photography. In doing so, we are beginning to learn about their culture, language, and history. The last two images in this post show just a snapshot of the Huaraoni world today (forgive the generalization): maintaining that which is traditional while embracing that which is modern. Although this transformation can be argued to have many origins (i.e. television, internet, visitors), its link to the roads built for oil exploration and extraction is undeniable and intrinsic. Amidst this transformation lies a very important story, one that I hope to enable the people in this community to tell themselves through the power of photography. Step by step, one day at a time.
Now, open your eyes and open them wide. Breathe and prepare. Every day is a new adventure.
