Inspiration and more...

Serenity
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

After an inspiring and eventful week, more great news! The work on the photo exhibit is progressing well. Some of the photos were presented in slide show to sponsoring Rotary Club and everyone was impressed. The selection and matting of the final images is already well under way and April should be an exciting time. It looks like I will be doing some design work for the Los Amigos del Padre Juan marketing committee, as well. Of course, I am ready and willing to do that for them! BTW, check out the Los Amigos Facebook Group and sign up! (I bet my friend they would have 200 members in the first week, help me get his 5 bucks!)

The inspiration from this week has led to another interesting find: the existence of volunteer photography and Non-profit publishers. Turns out when organizations have fundraising events they get volunteer photographers by listing on major internet sites. Hmm, sounds like an idea of mine that was laughed at a while back... I will be offering my services on weekends to non-profits in MN working with children and for all Gala events. In the months of June and July I will be doing more wedding photography so I will have to scale back the volunteering but still contact me to see if I can squeeze you in!

That's it for now! I am off for some language training and then a Middle East seminar. Enjoy the weekend.

More HDR...

A Dry Heat
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

There is not many things that I won't find needing a little exposure blending to make them even more beautiful. This is a great example of a high contrast scene being just too much for my D200's little sensor to handle. Enter Photomatix (the best HDR package in my opinion now). As I took the five exposures, I distinctly remember my buddies saying, "what the hell is photographing now?" Good photographs come from all angles, usually the "odd" angles make for more interesting images. A good picture takes your eyeballs out of their everyday world -- 6-feet off the ground looking forward.

This stuff is addicting...

I just got some new pictures in from another American who went to Peru. These pictures have me as the subject and any idiot can see I enjoyed the heck out of what I was doing! Further reason to try to find a way to do this type of work full-time. If anyone has any suggestions or connections, please email me or call any time!

First Exhibition!

Chimbote Child
Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

Good news! I have arranged for my first photography exhibition to be held locally. As part of the publicity campaign for one of our fundraisers, I will be allowed to exhibit photos from Chimbote, Peru, for 30 days at a local venue! There will be between 25 and 30 images in various formats from 5 x 7 to 20 x 30, all matted and ready to be framed (or enjoyed as is). Any prints that are sold will directly help fund the Rotary and Los Amigos mission to help our friends in Peru. Information about the photos and our mission, as well as donation forms will be available in the front entrance to the Chanhassen Recreation Center throughout the month of April. Please stop by and learn about an amazing humanitarian operation that is being run by local volunteers in their free time. It is truly a labor of love!

Unofficial Photography...

Helping Hands

Copyright 2009 Matt Mortensen

The trip to Peru was more than just a great travel photography experience, it was also a chance to do some pro bono wedding photography. My friend Katie Stensgard from Fargo had a beautiful wedding ceremony where she married Coco, a great guy from Peru. Being the 'unofficial' photographer gives you a great chance to hone your skills and do a good friend a favor. They made such a great pair that it was not hard to create touching images. The real key to getting good wedding photos (after all the formals are done and checked off the list) is capturing interactions between the main players in the wedding. You want the bride to look at your images and relive the emotions that she felt at that time. There is no shortcut or tips for getting these kind of images. You have to like and understand people. You also have to be able to predict when the next important moment is likely to occur. If you can do neither of these things than PLEASE do not shoot weddings. And to all you brides out there, if your wedding photographer does not smile and tell you how beautiful you are when you interview him/her, run away! There is a reason good wedding photography costs $3000+ (at least when I do it), it is the complete package of personality and professionalism on top of all the technical wizardry!

Amazing Peru...

In the desert of Peru walks a man with a mission. His name is Father Jack Davis and his mission is to help the poor of Chimbote, Peru. I had the great pleasure of getting to know both Fr. Jack and Sr. Peggy while visiting Peru. Never did two kinder souls grace the streets of South America. Father Jack has been working in this poor barrio for over 25 years and has made a difference that would turn any cynic into a believer. Together with St. Michael's church in Prior Lake, MN and Chanhassen Rotary Club the lives of some of the world's poorest people are being changed one aching day at a time. But don't confuse this mission for a bleeding-heart effort. Oh no, you won't finder a tougher manager than Fr. Jack. He may as well be Jack Welsh for the demanding way he manages those who work with him. What he wants is change and his success is apparent from the huge garden that blooms outside the parroquia-twenty years ago it was a barren dirt soccer pitch. The only thing locals respect more than Jack's ability to get things done is the fiery spirit with which Sr. Peggy approaches her job. She will hug an elderly Peruana as she enters in the morning to work in the soup kitchen and at night she will gladly take a knife from a drug addict who strays too close to the gate.
Please look for more stories hear at DRM about Chimbote and also pre-order my book that will be coming out in the next 12 months. All profits will go to continuing the progress being made in one of the world's most forgotten cities. Keep the change going--be part of a winning team, donate today at Fr. Jack's website.

Return to USA...

Just got back from Peru this morning and WOW! What an amazing trip to a place full of amazing people. No pictures or amazing stories for now; the long plan travel back from Trujillo to Lima and then Minneapolis via Atlanta took a good amount of the desire to write out of me. For now let me just say that Chimbote, Peru is a place like no other and full of special people. I think my fondness of Latin America crystallized in the markets and beaches of the area. For all those who I met along the way and took one of my cards, 'Bienvenidos!' Thanks for all your help and sharing your time with me. Muchissimas gracias a todos para su tiempo y socorro! We will do our best over here to make progress and we know you will do the same down there. Gracias especiales a Deisi Paolo Ramirez Diaz para tu bien trabajo.