Three Faces of Ngero - "Rendille 2"

CAPTION:

(continued from "Rendille 1" presented below this image)

In development work you at times have little choice but to photograph difficult subjects in difficult conditions to show that there truly is

a need which cries out to be filled. Without photographs it's not easy to assess what's happening on the other side of the planet from the

comfort of your own living room and knowing that many people don't believe what they read, photographs are our best option. I feel

it's incumbent on me, as a senior image maker, to support accuracy in my work as best I can. To present people in need with respect and

with dignity and to remind myself and the viewers of my work...that I do not own their poverty, that I'm only a conduit for their message

and it's extremely important for us to not to mess with that. Ngero graciously let me create these images of her, with her permission each

image presents a different face of just this one woman.

Each image visually different. Each image saying something special about Ngero and who she is. There isn't any way on earth you could

arrive into a desert village, unknown, and try to "take" images without asking first. You'd literally be putting yourself in harms way. I've

spent alot of time meeting people from the village, beginning with the chief - seeking his approval before I ever lifted a camera to my eye.

Nigero knew this and also what the photographs were to be used for and agreed to help me show a small part of her world and to this degree

the images created here are honest. The way I see her or the way I've created this image is more about respecting my subject than it is to

support my project yet when I've managed to create an image that is dignity filled, it's exactly the kind of image I went to create...