Marcos Kaseman, the founder of Angels de Medellin… acting crazy as ever!

Click on the photo to see more shots I took there!

Before I could leave Medellin I had to make one last stop off in my favorite place to shoot photographs in all of Colombia.  Angeles de Medellin was started by a gringo named “Marcos” Kaseman from the USA.  He’s been doing wonderful stuff in this poor barrio just outside of Medellin and am glad I met him while in Colombia.  If you want to read what I wrote about his project, click here, as that post I wrote explains all about this foundation.  If you ever want to volunteer there, just get into contact with Marcos and he’ll get you squared away. He’s always needing help so don’t be shy!

I first went to this barrio on the recommendation from a friend and I ended up helping to organize a photo-project their for a Christmas party that Marcos does every year for the village.  If it wasn’t for Marcos most of the kids in this poor neighborhood wouldn’t receive anything for a present.  It was then that I feel in love with the people there, especially the kids.  It was without-a-doubt the poorest community I visited in Colombia but also the safest.  I never felt scared or worried with camera out and was a BIG reason why I always enjoyed going their for photos.  The people might not have much but what little they do they are proud of and take pride in their community.

So it was only right, that the last photos I took in Colombia would be at Angeles de Medellin in Regalo De Dios.  The shots I got that day were mostly just kids and truth be told I was happy with that.  You can’t go up this mountain and not see all the kids that Marcos has helped over the years.  They’re so much fun to hang out with and always smiling… I will miss them all but will forever have their photos to remember them by.

How cool is this kid?  Seriously when I seen him standing along this building I asked if he’d let me take his photo.  He wasn’t that serious as in the photo and happily said “si!”  Love, love this shot because he looks so old, yet so young at the same time… which I think a lot of the kids who grow up poor do at times.

(LEFT) After I finished up for the day this girl walked up and asked why I didn’t take her photo and if I would.  I’m glad I did as she was beautiful.  (RIGHT) This little one was funny.  I put her on a concrete wall for her pose and told her to act natural… this was what I got.

I tried a group shot of the kids that started following us and told them to act wild for the camera.  Colombian kids are fun!

This little girl came out with her pet turtle and asked if she could be photographed with it.  Said sure and found out later it’s an endangered species.  Not sure what kind it was but Colombian kids have done this before when out shooting and it’s always stuff you’d never think of (one being a boa snake in a small poor village).

This little boy was sitting outside his house doing nothing.  We asked if we could take his picture and he just kind of nodded ok.  His oldest sister came out and gave us the final approval but I couldn’t get her to pose though.

This girl was a sweet heart and she stayed with us the whole day as we walked around shooting photos.

These two little ones were in a house that their mother was cooking arepas in.  Long and better story about the mom I’ll write later on but the little boy was a ham for the camera and the little girl sat in her chair while her mom cooked and never moved or made a different expression the whole time I was taking photos.

The two kids above have been abandoned by their mother who works as a prostitute.  Their grandmother takes care of them now in the village along with several other kids but was told she is an alcoholic.  Sad because these kids were so fun and I hate to think of the hardships they will endure later in life because of their poor upbringings.

It’s been almost nine months since I did my last “Taxicab Confession” post.  The first one was in Jodhpur, India and it got such a GREAT response from readers that I thought I would do another one while in Colombia.  Everyone said the same thing… “WE WANT MORE!”

I started this post back in October but the photos I had from that day I lost on a hard-drive that got stolen.  So I couldn’t use any of those interviews for this series.  Was a shame because one guy told me how he got a call for a pick-up at a house in Envigado (same area where Pablo Escobar used to live).  He said a guy walked up to his window when he arrived and told him to pop the trunk.  He did and the man threw something in, shut the trunk, walked around to his window and tossed him a $100 USD bill.  He told him to get rid of the body!  Yeah I know, crazy huh and so I just had to ask him what he did with the body.  He said he drove straight to the police station and told them what happened, that was it.  Hard to top that story and it kills me I lost the photo of that guy but that’s life.

So before I left out in April I took a day to start over and see what I could get.  As expected I got lots of guns, drugs and sexy women stories that were a far cry different from the confessions in India.  Read below to see what the Paisa taxi drivers had to say about the strange and crazy stuff that happens to them while working the streets of Medellin, Colombia!

“I once picked up a married couple one evening.  They were both drunk but the lady started to throw-up in the back seat so I stopped to kick them out.  The husband got mad and started kicking my taxi and we fought!  He threw a rock into my windshield then called the police on me.  When the police came they said it was their fault and made the man pay for my windshield, which was $480,000 COP ($267 USD) ”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $73,000 COP ($40.55 USD)
• Years Driving: 9 years
• Biggest Tip: $20,000 COP ($11.11 USD)

Pet Peeve: “I hate gringos and black guys from the coast because they slam the taxi door when they get out!”

“One time I picked up an old nun who was really short.  She was so short that I didn’t see her in the back in my mirror and I forgot she was in the taxi.  I seen someone standing on the street waving for a taxi so I pulled over and he got in the front seat.  I realized then that I already had a fare but lucky for me they were going to the same place and was able to charge them a separate rate!”

• Owns his own taxi
• Years Driving: 4 years
• Biggest Payday: $213,000 COP ($118.33 USD)

Taxi Tip: “I enjoy picking up gringos, they tip the best!  If they don’t speak any Spanish that is ok for me.  All they have to do is write down the address and I will find it if it’s in Medellin.”

“I picked up 3 guys once and something was different about them.  They kept talking in code to each other and on the cell phone… I realized then that they were paramilitary!  They didn’t do anything to me but I was very nervous the whole ride.”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $65,000 COP ($36.11 USD)
• Years Driving: 10 years
• Biggest Tip: only $2,000-$3,000 COP ($1.67 USD)

5-0 Run In: “I got pulled over by a female police officer once.  She wanted to see my documents (drivers license) but I had left them at home in a different pair of pants.  She gave me a ticket because I didn’t have them and it cost me $250,000 COP ($138.89 USD)!”

“I was driving one night in a bad neighborhood and I drove right through a gang fight on the street without knowing it.  When I realized what the sounds were I speed through as fast as I could.  When I made it out I seen 4 bullet holes in the windshield but luckily none get me.”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $70,000 COP ($38.89 USD)
• Years Driving: 20 years

I Heart Japan: “A Japanese tourist once took me out to eat lunch, then gave me a $50,000 ($27.76 USD) tip.  I really like Japanese tourist, they are so nice!”

“One night I picked up a travesti (ladyboy) that was drunk.  He got in the backseat and I took off.  I looked back in the mirror a few minutes later and he was getting naked.  I pulled the taxi over and kicked him out naked on the street next to a commercial building with lots of people around.”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $60,000 COP ($33.33 USD)
• Years Driving: 18 years
• Biggest Tip: $20,000 COP ($11.11 USD)

Lawyers Suck: “The only time someone didn’t pay me was a drunk lawyer.  He said he didn’t have the $14,000 COP and I didn’t feel like fighting with him over it, I didn’t make a scene on it and let him go.”

“Once a 42 year-old lady gave me a taxi for free.  I asked why she would do that and she said I don’t owe her any money but when she wants sex she would call me.   Finally after 5 months I told her no more because I was tired of her calling me all the time.  She sold the taxi and ended up giving me half the money.  She still tries to call me to this day but I don’t answer her because I know she was married.  Her husband was a rich man but a bad lover!”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $80,000 COP ($44.44 USD)
• Years Driving: 18 years
• Biggest Tip: $50 USD.  An American didn’t have any pesos with him so he gave me $50 and told me to keep the change!

Guerrilla not Gorilla: “I picked up three men from the bus terminal one night.  We started driving and next thing I know I was waking up on the street.  They were guerrillas and they hit me on the back of the head and knocked me out.  They stole my taxi.”

“I picked up a prostitute once who tried to drug me with Scopolamine (a common drug in Colombia that is colorless, odorless, and tasteless that can be put into a drink or blown into ones face).  I didn’t smell anything but my hands started tingling and I started to get dizzy.  I pulled the taxi over as quickly as I could and kicked her out.  I called my sister for help and she came to find me.  When she found me I was sleeping in my taxi.”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $68,000 COP ($37.78 USD)
• Years Driving: 20 years

Kids Will Be Kids: “I stopped at a red light one night and 4 boys, ages between 12-16 years old, walked up and put a gun in my face.  They stole my money, glasses and clothes.  I was left naked in my taxi!”

“I picked up a prostitute who wanted to have sex with me in the backseat.  I told her I was a good Christian and don’t want that.  She was drunk and wanting to make some money on a slow night.”

• Owns his own taxi
• Years Driving: 5 years
• Biggest Payday: $200,000 COP ($111.11 USD)
• Avg Payday: $150,000 COP ($83.33 USD)

Taxi Tip: “It’s safer to call a taxi to your place then to get one off the street.  If something happens the police can call the headquarters and see who drove to your location for pick-up.”

“I picked up a women at a hotel once (it was an hourly hotel).  When driving I noticed a car was following my taxi.  When I stopped to let the lady out, the car stopped behind me and a man got out and started yelling at the lady.  They were fighting when I pulled off as I found out it was her husband and he wanted to know why she was at a hotel!”

• Owns his own taxi
• Years Driving: 1 year
• Biggest Payday: $200,000 COP ($111.11 USD)
• Avg Payday: $160,000 COP ($88.89 USD)

Cops Make The Best Drivers: “I’m a retired police officer with 21 years.  I just drive the taxi for extra money now and to keep busy.  I never have any issue with getting tickets because I tell them who I am and they tell me to be safe and leave me alone.”

“I picked up a street collector (basically a bum who collects trash out of bins to recycle) and the man gave me a $200,000 COP ($111.11 USD) tip!  I didn’t know this before but we were talking and I told him about my personal problems at the moment with money for my family.  When he gave me the money he told me that a rich man gave him $500,000 and he gave me the $200,000 because he said he didn’t need it as much as I did and wanted to share the wealth.”

• Rents his taxi per-day at $69,000 COP ($38.33 USD)
• Years Driving: 5 years

3 Is a Crowd: “Three men got into my taxi and told me to drive outside the city.  After 20 minutes one guy pulled out a gun and made me pull over.  They kicked me out and stole my taxi.”

“I picked up a women from Costa Rica who wanted to go to the metro.  I lived in Costa Rica for 2 years so we talked a lot about her country and I gave her my taxi card with my number on it.  When she got out she forgot to pay me.  She called me later that night and said she forgot and was sorry.  She paid me and did the right thing.”

• Owns his own taxi
• Years Driving: 10 years

Americans are Rich: “An American man gave me $15 USD once because he didn’t know where to go and I helped him out.  I didn’t even give him a ride as he was on the street and just told him how to find the place.  Was easy money!”

“I picked up five people from a bank once.  We drove down the road and at the first stop light we were waiting for the light to change.  Two men on motorbikes came up to my window and told me to turn off the taxi and there would be no problem.  They had guns and robbed the five people in my taxi, which they had a lot of money.  Somehow in the confusion an envelope fell and got left in my floor in the back.  I found it later and it had over $200,000 COP ($111+ USD) in it!”

• Owns his own taxi
• Years Driving: 12 years

Sometimes A Tip Isn’t Money: “I once had two girls get in one night and they started kissing each other in the back.  Then one lifted the other girls shirt up and was kissing her breast!  I didn’t say anything but I did adjust the mirror for a better look!”

If you want more and haven’t read the original post I wrote when in India, click on the photo below!

I meet Valeria through a travel friend here in Medellin.  He’s been gone for a while now but he had asked me if I would submit some photos for his new online magazine for the upcoming issue.  I said sure but I didn’t have a lot of content because I had two hard drives crash and one stolen since being in Colombia (long story).  He said ok to it only being photos of Medellin but had a request for certain photos.  One photo being a shot, framed landscape, of a true Paisa chica.  We talked and came up with the idea to use his old girlfriend for the shot.

I got a hold of Valeria and she was excited to do a photo session with me but we needed to agree on a date and location for it.  She suggested we go to her farm (in Spanish called a “finca”) just outside of Medellin.  When I got there it was more like a resort then any farm ever could be.  It had a paintball course, a soccer field, fruit orchard, huge swimming pool with jacuzzi and a pavilion BBQ area.  The house could sleep 40+ people easily, had a 4 car garage and the best part were all the animals walking around on the property (birds, dogs to large turtles).

A friend, Oscar, went with me to help assist and we couldn’t of had a better day for weather.  We spent from 11am to 7pm shooting different shots in different outfits for her.  I just needed one good photo for the magazine and anything after that was just for fun to see what else we could get with the light set  Below is what we captured that day.

Photo Credit: Oscar Zamora

Photo Credit: Oscar Zamora

Photo Credit: Oscar Zamora

I’m not a fan of spot coloring but I thought why not on this photo since it’s not a serious one and is just for fun.  This parrot was insane for the chips we were eating.  He also wanted some of my beer but sorry about his luck it just wasn’t in the deck of cards!

If you wan to see more photos from this session, check out my Facebook Fanpage for more!

I often get people that ask me how I get the shots that I do when traveling.  Honestly it’s nothing fancy and usually just involves a flash inside a softbox.  When I first started out doing photography one thing I did was devour photography websites for set-up shots (and I still do this, as you never stop learning).  It’s one thing to see a photo but it’s even better if you can understand how it was made.  Not always easy with photoshop and other tools out there these days but a set-up shot can explain so much in just one visual picture.

So below you’ll find the finished product and the set-up shot of how I captured it with details about the shutter speed, aperture exc.  If you want to see the original photos larger (plus others) with a description about each photo, click “Street Photography: 4 Paisas & a Gringo, Plus One Mad Goat.”

This photo is straight out of the camera with no post-edits

I only have a few weeks left here in Colombia before I will be heading back to the my home in Missouri, USA.  Because of that I have been on a mad dash to try and get as many new photos as I can.  Last week my friend Sebastian took me around Envigado and we had such a blast getting great shots there, that we decided to do it again.  This time Sebastain invited me to his finca (it’s what Colombians call a vacation home, like a cabin of sorts) that was an hour outside of Medellin in a small town called Fredonia.  God I love Paisa people, they are such great friends once you get to know them!  I told him if he drove out with his car and helped me, I would pay $50,000 COP ($27.77 USD) towards fuel and tolls.  He said deal and it was totally worth the money!

He invited his sister (Vero) and her boyfriend (Mauricio) to tag along and help, which left one seat open in the car.  I have a friend here in Medellin, Oscar, that has been to a few photo projects that I did here and I just so happened to see him online on Facebook, so I hit him up and asked “What ya doing Sunday amigo?”  He had plans but canceled as soon as I told him what we would be doing, as he loves street photography.

The plan was simple, use 1-2 lights and hit the street looking for old Paisa Cowboys, interesting characters and anyone else who would let us take their portrait.  Again we wouldn’t be posing anyone and asking them just for a minute of their time, leaving them in the position we found them in.

I have to say at first it was pretty hard going.  The first street we walked down not many people wanted their portrait taken and we got a little frustrated.  I tried to be positive but even I was beginning to wonder if maybe this wasn’t the best place to do photos at.  We hit another street and all of a sudden things changed and people started saying yes a lot more.  The entire day went like that, one street would be cold and the next people were yelling at us to take their photos.

I can’t stress enough that when it comes to street photography it’s more about people skills and luck then your gear.  Approaching people is the hardest part, as a lot of people have to much fear of rejection and shy away from it.  I understand it fully but if you don’t press on you’ll never get that shot you want.  That day proved to be a place that the more people in an area the more likely they would say no for a photo but once we got onto streets that were less crowded people were more open.  Every place presents it’s own challenges, so if something isn’t working for you, try something else.

Below is what I captured that day!

He was one of the first persons we approached for a photo.  He was standing inside his shop doorway relaxing and so we asked if it would be cool.  He wondered why we wanted his photo and what it was for.  I told him I liked his hat, thought it was very “Paisa” and wanted his portrait because of that.  He agreed and I took about 4 photos of him and then thanked him.  My first photo ended up being the best one of the day for me I think.

Left: a man fixing watches in a small stand inside the main plaza. Right: a man waiting at a transport station full of Jeeps.  They use the Jeeps as a taxi, loading as many as they can, then will take off.  You’ll find lots of men dressed like this in the state of Antioquia and just as many old classic Jeeps as well.  It’s the official ride of Colombia I think!

We seen this guy working in a small shop fixing bike tires.  I had to talk with him for a few minutes to get him to say yes and told him he wouldn’t have to do anything but what he was doing.  He agreed and I used one light on camera left in a softbox to light this shot.

Me and Oscar seen this women at a cafe having a coffee.  We both looked at each other and smiled, knowing we wanted her photo.  She just had that real classic Paisa look to her, dressed in her Sunday best.  We asked and she kind of just laughed as to why we would want her photo but said yes.  I didn’t edit this photo at all.  It’s straight out of the camera as is.  Wanted to show you that it’s not always about Photoshop

This guy is AEWSOME!  We asked a shop owner if we could have his photo and this guy was sitting their having a drink.  He said we should take his photo too, “Well yes I would love to amigo!”  I took the first photo of him but he looked really stiff and posed, so asked him to drink his beer for the photo, true Paisa style.  He laughed and said ok and after 12 photos I think I might have advertently got him a little drunk… as you can tell form his BIG cheesy smile at the end!

One thing I really appreciate about Colombians is that they don’t ask for money for a photo.  This guy had a small fruit stand on a desolate street with no one around.  When we asked him if we could take his photo he got really happy that someone had noticed him.  After I took this shot he wanted me to take one with his fruit stand, you could tell he was proud of it and no telling how many years he had had it.  People like this is why I always love coming back to Colombia!

I really didn’t think this cowboy was going to say yes but we were all surprised when he did without flinching.  This one was a personal favorite of mine from that day.  He just had this look of “Don’t f*ck with me/hey how you doing.”

We turned the corner on a street and standing in the doorway of a small bar was Pocho.  Drunken and dancing by himself we couldn’t help ourselves.  Oscar held up his camera and Pocho just gave us a drunken thumbs up and kept dancing, which translates as “I’m drunk and don’t care man!”  The bar tender came out and told us he was drinking rubbing alcohol with water!  If you don’t know, that is serious drinking and you can easily kill or blind yourself doing that.  Oscar and I both had a hard time getting his photo because he never stopped dancing and wouldn’t stand still.  By the time we were done, 1/2 the street was around us laughing that we were taking Pocho’s photo.  Something told me that most of the town knew him this way and I can only imagine what kind of hangover he had the next day.

Goats are officially to me, got to be the dumbest animals alive I think.  The parking garage where we parked the car had this goat tied up in the corner when we arrived.  I had made a mental note to see if I couldn’t get it’s photo when we came back to leave but when we got back the goat was gone.  Didn’t think much of it, until we started taking a few last minute shots of the group and the owner came up and asked if we would take his photo.  My friend Sebastian knew the owner and said yes.  He left and I was wondering where he was going, 2min later he showed up with the goat and asked if we would take his picture!

We set the garage owner up on some steps with the goat next to him.  The owner told us it’s name was “Nieve” which translates as snow.  He started feeding the goat and this is when I realized how dumb/insane they are!

Left: Look into my eyes and I will steal your soul.  Right: Attack goat!

Like I said, this goat was insane!

To see more photos from this day, check out my Facebook Fanpage where I have a lot more.  Comments are always welcomed!

(Left) Sebastian and Gabriel (Right)

This last week I had an old friend from Medellin, Colombia hit me up that I hadn’t talk to in a long while.  I haven’t seen Sebastian much since I have been back in Colombia and we both felt bad for that, so we decided to meet up at his house this last week.  He’s been busy with college but he had taken a class at university on photography and had some questions about how I go about taking street photos.

I used to live just a block away from his house in Envigado and I always love photographing there.  The people in this area of Medellin are laid back, friendly and fun, not to mention it’s really safe and I’ve never had an issue with my camera being out there.  It’s the one place in all of Medellin I just feel comfortable/safe at all times and the kicker is this was where Pablo Escobar grew up.  It used to be the murder capital of the world 25 years ago but now it’s one of the safest places in all of Medellin.  So I was excited to see an old friend and visit a favorite spot!

I decided instead of just telling him about what I do, that we would just go out and photograph together so he could see first-hand my style of photography and how I get those photos you see on this website.  I wanted to keep things simple and not over complicate it, so I took with me my: Canon 5DII with a 24-70mm lens, a Westcott 28″ softbox on a collapsible stand, one Canon 580EX II flash and a PocketWizard Plus II trigger to fire it.

He had a friend, Gabriel who I met last year at a party, that wanted to come as well.  Gabriel had emailed me last year for camera advise so thought it would be great to catch up with him to and see how things had been going with him photography wise.  Before we went out I gave them both a 5min class on my camera on how to lock focus and compose a shot.  Then showed them both the light set-up and explained a few points about why off camera flash rocks for street portraits.  They got the gist of it easily and we made a plan that I would start and show them a few examples while they took turns holding the light, then I would turn the camera over to one of them and we’d all take turns while out-and-about.

The hardest thing that most people think when it comes to street portraits is the technical part of the camera and flash.  Truth be told it’s not, that’s actually the easiest part.  The hardest part is getting the courage up to ask a complete stranger if you can have a minute of their time for a photograph.  Sounds easier then it is but it’s not.  Hell I still get stage fright sometimes to and I have been doing this for the last several years… it’s normal for everyone as no one likes to be rejected.

I set up the camera and flash and we really didn’t adjust it much when out.  I was rather proud of these guys who had never done off camera flash before as almost all their shots were tact sharp.  The only real problem they had was asking people for permission but that was what I was there for, to push them to ask and not give up.  Sebastian was the one more confident in asking people and Gabriel did the best composing people for shots but was the shiest of the two.

Looking at the photos afterwards I found it hard to tell which shots were mine and which one’s were theirs and I had to smile as couldn’t have been more proud of them.  Look through the photos below and try to figure out which photos I took and which ones they took.  If you need help, you can click on my Facebook Fanpage and see who took what (I bet you would be surprised at which ones they took), plus I put a description about each photo their.

So look through them all and leave a comment on which one is your favorite photo and why.  I know the guys would love to hear feed back about what they did besides just from me.

Carlos and Luis taking a few photographs of kids asking us what we are doing there

I was told about a gringo who had built a program for displaced families in the mountains surrounding Medellin, Colombia called Angeles de Medellin.  The friend said it was a great place to volunteer and maybe photograph.

Once I finally got in touch with Mark he invited me out to the mountain, where he has been working.  He explained that the area was very poor and there wasn’t much infrastructure there but the people were friendly and there would be no issues what-so-ever with my camera gear being out.  He said all I had to do when walking around the village was tell them I was with him and no one would bother me.

The name of the place is Regalo De Dios and it’s in Bello, Colombia (about 15 minutes outside of Medellin)

I invited a couple other photographers with me (Carlos and Luis who helped me with the Help-Portrait Project) but to be honest we had a goal for the day there.  Our goal was to look around, scout the area and see if it would be a good place to do a photo project for Christmas.  More to come on that later this week but it’s safe to say we’re on and it’s going to be great!

So we walked around a few hours taking pictures and talking with the locals.  Most of these people have nothing, seriously nothing.  House are made with scraps they can find, a covered roof made of tin is a luxury and running water is unheard of for most.  That being said, we found people so giddy happy and very open to talk.  I don’t remember not seeing a smile every time we walked by a new house.

Below was what I captured and will give you a glimpse of what I got to see that day.  These are all in Black & White but will post later photos in color and more about Mark.

This women was burning trash on the street.  She laughed when we photographed her because she couldn’t figure out why anyone would want her photo while she burned trash.  I think the photo says why!

The old lady was so proud of her AM/FM radio

A Paisa cowboy!

These kids were in a shanty house that was being used as a daycare

The kids really got a kick out of us stopping by and taking photos of them.  All giggles when we showed them the LCD screen afterwards!

A man has a typical Paisa meal on the street next to his house, two little girls playing with an umbrella on their porch and an old man stopped and let us take his portrait.  He only asked for a copy and will be printing him a copy for sure next time I go and visit. 

Help-Portrait Medellin newest project is:  Angeles de Medellin

• Date: 17-18 December, 2011
• Time: 9:00am-5:00pm
• Location: Regalo De Dios in Bello, Colombia.  Take the metro to the Santo Domingo stop, then take bus 055 – el pinar to “Regalo de Dios” ($1,000 COP) which takes about 15 minutes.
• Requirement: 20,000 COP per volunteer (to help pay for the prints, leftover funds will be donated to Angeles de Medellin)

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Para leer en español, haga clic aquí

People have been asking me when the next portrait project will be, after the last one we did, and this last weekend I settled on a NGO called Angeles de Medellin.  Please take a second and read about Marks work there and what it is all about (there are videos that explain it all as well in case you don’t feel like reading).  I will give you a short run-down if you are to lazy for even that.

Mark came to Medellin six years ago and started doing volunteer work on his own in the mountains surrounding the city.  When Mark first started helping in this community it was nothing and he had nothing.  He started first assisting displaced families that had become victims of violence because of the civil war between rebels and the Colombian military.  What started out as a few hundred people has now grown to a few thousand families that Mark has been actively assisting since he started the project.  In fact, when he started in this area it was controlled by FARC rebels and once Mark knew his life was threaten he didn’t leave but instead approached the FARC leader in the area to ask permission to stay and work.  That FARC leader is now in jail but Mark is still going!

One big thing that Mark does every year for the community is host a Christmas party.  It’s the most anticipated event of the year for the families, especially the children.  What Mark does is two parts; one is to provide staple items to the family that they can use.  Items like fruits, veggies, oil exc.  The second part is providing toys for kids two to 12 years old.  The toys Mark is able to get are at the lowest price-point and nothing special but for the kids that live in this area, this will more then likely be the only present they receive this holiday.  The local kids call Mark “The Father of The Mountain” and he doesn’t walk for very long without having at least 2-5 kids following him around while he makes his rounds visiting the families.

It’s truly amazing to see what Mark has built up in the mountains of Medellin and the many faces he has helped.  It is one of the safest communities I have been to and everyone had smiles when I got a tour of it last weekend.

So, that is Mark and a little of what he does.  Seriously, if you haven’t read the article I wrote about him and seen the videos, click here now!  So what we have decided to do is take family portraits on Saturday & Sunday from 0900-5:00pm of each family that comes to Mark’s office for the Christmas Party.  Mark will be giving kids presents and families food boxes.  This is what we will do:

• We will be taking a family photograph of each of those families that would like free print.  We will be using a backdrop and two strobe lights inside a building next to Marks office.
• Once we take their photograph we will go to a print lab and have a copy made for each family.
• The prints then will be given to Mark to hand out to the community as he sees fit.

We decided on this because a lot of these families arrived to this community with nothing but the clothes on their backs.  Some even might not have had a professional photo taken of themselves before.  A great photo can last forever people!  One thing I want say though is that we will have only one camera set-up for this project.  The idea is that hopefully if you are not helping with the family portraits then you would be helping Mark in any way possible (he needs a lot of help every year for this event) or taking candid street shots of everyone around the scene, documenting it and sharing with others in the Facebook Group.  The only photos that will be printed will be the family portraits, just to be clear.  This is will be a two day event, so if you can’t make it Saturday, hopefully you will be able to Sunday or vise-verse.

If you would like to join us, let us know by joining our Facebook Group page, the more the better!  If you know anyone in Medellin that might like to help, then please pass the word!  If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me, Troy, through my contact form on this website.

Come help us this year in Medellin to give these kids and their family something special!

While hanging out in Medellin, Colombia I have been wanting to do some volunteer work, through photography, somehow someway but hadn’t really researched it out prior to coming.  Like all things I do, I just wing it and hope for the best.  A friend told me about a gringo helping displaced families in the mountains surrounding Medellin.  Once I heard that I started to do search on locating this man and seeing if there was something I could do to help.  I have spent one day with him so far and plan to do more in the near future.

Angeles de Medellin is a program started by Mark “Marcos” Kaseman to help victims of violence from Colombia’s civil war that are now displaced.  He started the program 6 years ago and it now consumes all his time .  I’ll let Mark tell you more about it below.

For email subscribers, click here to see the video that explains it all

“Hello, my name is Mark Kaseman and I am from Fairport, New York. I have lived in Medellin, Colombia since May of 2005. Since March 2006, I have worked with the poor and displaced children and families that live high in the mountains above the city of Medellin. My program is called ANGELES DE MEDELLIN.

Thanks to donations from loving people around the world, I am able to purchase food, clothing, medicine and school supplies for children and their families. All donations go directly to helping these families. I work out of my home in Medellin and have no staff. A wonderful Colombian lady named Sara Zuluaga Parodi, has volunteered in helping me for various events especially with translations since June of 2009.

I volunteer teach at a private school, Leon XIII, located in the mountains where I work. Five days a week, Monday through Friday, I travel an hour and a half from my home to assist in teaching classes in English and Computers. In March of 2010, Allen Chen, a generous American from Los Angeles, California, donated 5 computer systems to our school. Because of his gift over 250 children, ages 5 – 17, have now begun learning to type and use computers. 98% of the children in my school Leon XIII had never touched a keyboard in their lives before this March.

Every day that I work in the mountains, I marvel at the love and kindness that these children and their families have given to me. For the past 5 years I have been blessed with hundreds of new-found friends. These lovely people are poor but happy, caring and loving, humble and appreciate everything that I am able to do for them. Many homes are made of plastic sheeting wrapped around wooden poles with dirt floors. They are all displaced from Colombia’s 60 year civil war and civil violence in the city of Medellin itself. These families are innocent victims of gang violence and have had to flee their former homes or farms with just clothes and nothing else.

Because of the generosity of many “Angels,” I have been able to sponsor events and provide support thoughout the year. This past year, I purchased crutches for a 19-year-old girl named Viviana, who lives in abject poverty. She was born without one leg and is missing most of her fingers. Yet every day, she cooks and maintains her home for her 3 brothers while her mother works as a cleaning lady in the city. Viviana is my HERO! She smiles and is happy every time I see her. She is just one story of the many lives that I have been able to touch and make better because of friends learning about my program and helping me help her and her family.”

The work Mark has been doing is extraordinary, especially since he’s doing it all himself.  He was there when FARC Rebels actually had control of the area but he prevailed and kept his program going through it all.  Mark is the real deal and can’t say enough good things about him!  It’s people like him that I get to meet along the way, of my unreorganized travels, that make the world great and is “Why I Travel”

A girl sits in front of a computer station that Mark was able to get donated.  He said she comes in everyday to practice her English through games on the computer and can now type 40 words a minute!

Mark shows up Mon-Fri from 10:30-3:00 pm to open the learning center for the kids.  We got there right at 10:30 and he wanted to show us around the village first before opening the doors.  Mark took us around for 30 minutes pointing out the simple homes people had made with scrap material, explaining issues and introducing us to families.  Every five minutes though a child would ask him when he was going to open the learning center!

A little girl sits in front of the computer doing lessons that Mark has acquired for the center.

Mark making rounds in the neighborhood while talking with families about issues, ideas, to just saying hello.  Almost anywhere he walked he had a troop of at least 3-5 kids following him.

If you want to volunteer and make a difference while in Medellin, contact Mark as he is always open for support, either it be teaching English to help with future projects.

If you would like to know more about Mark and Angeles de Medellin, see below:

• Website: Angeles de Medellin
• To join his Facebook Group, where he is active weekly on posting content
• Email: m2750k@hotmail.com or Marcos@Angelesdemedellin.com
• Location: Regalo De Dios in Bello, Colombia.  Take the metro to the Santo Domingo stop, then take bus #050 to “Regalo de Dios” ($1,000 COP) which only takes about 15 minutes.

Another great video by Mikey from Lightenupandshoot.com.  He was the one who told me about Mark and his project (Thanks Mikey!)

Since being in Colombia I have been wanting to do a few photo projects.  Something that revolved around giving back and bringing a smile to someones face.  A friend told me about the Help-Portrait Project and that no one was doing it for Medellin this year.  I decided I would try and put something together.  I came up with a plan after talking with two other local photographers, here in Medellin, into helping me.  I even set up a Facebook Group in case you want to join the next event here in Medellin or to see more photos from the day.

The video below shows what someone did last year here in Medellin for the Help Portrait Project.

The concept was simple:

“Help Portrait Medellin is comprised of photographers and volunteers who want to come together and give free professional photographs back to the wonderful Paisa people of Medellín. We hit the streets armed with our camera gear to the barrios around Medellin. We photograph individuals willing to pose, then print them a copy of the photo that day. We return to the same location to handed them their very own portrait! A lot of people here have never had a professional photograph taken of themselves and this is a way for photographers, travelers and locals to give back to the community and share the love. The smiles given back in return will be your reward… that is PRICELESS!“

If you want to know what happened that day, play-by-play, you can read Katie’s version or check out Carlos website to see what he wrote on it.  Katie’s version nailed it spot on and I really can’t say much more then what she wrote.  I will say thank you for everyone that helped that day.  I didn’t get to meet everyone that showed up but most I did.  I was secretly hoping that at least 15 max would show but didn’t really think as many as 25+ would.  Again, thanks everyone who helped!

Facts On The Help Portrait Project:

• In total we had 25+ volunteers that showed up and helped
• We had three different set-ups for the photos
• We printed off a total of 65+ photos
• More then 70% of the people that helped were locals
• No donkeys were hurt during the event
• It rained on us but only after we were pretty much finished
• Two people didn’t like their free photo (one said she looked to old in it and the other we just figured the liquor wore off)
• We were an hour late getting the prints to the people because the photo lab took longer then they said they would
• We had $37,000 COP ($20.55 USD) leftover for the prints (the extra will go towards the next photo project)

The all white set up was my idea.  I took a tent and bought a few poles to make it.  Total costs for the large soft box was $20 USD!  You ca see how I built on my Facebook Fanpage.

Carlos took the above photos with his black & white set-up

Me talking with everyone before hand on what was going to happen

Carlos sets up his backdrop for his B&W portraits

A few of us putting together the light tent (the photos that had the white background)

Not sure what I was pointing at here but everyone seems ok with it

This kind of helps put into perspective of where we were shooting

The group got some great snaps of a local shoeshine vendor who was pretty charismatic!

Ok maybe we got to many photographers but it was a fun!

We picked this location because if it rained we’d still be able to shoot

Carlos taking a portrait with the light tent set-up behind the lady in the blue shirt

An old women stands in for a portrait while several others snap a few shots

Once we got the photos it was a mad rush to pass them all out

A little girl holds her print

This old women hated her photo because she said she looked old in it

Everyone in the group that helped!  Thank you everyone!!!!

… and since I took the group shot, here is one of me that Carlos took!