Heber Vega is a humanitarian aid worker and photographer based in Iraq, and I discovered his web site through my friend Karl Grobl when he was interviewed for the “10.Q” series of interviews of humanitarian, documentary, and travel photographers. The interviews are really terrific reads and give people a good insight into the challenges of working in regions of humanitarian crisis. I have subsequently frequented Heber’s site often, and have found it a great resource of information.

Last week I was interviewed for the 10.Q series about my experiences in Haiti following the January 12, 2010 earthquake. I was happy to be able to participate in the interview, and I hope you find it an interesting read.

Follow this link to the 10.Q interview of Keith by Heber Vega: http://www.hebervega.com/2010/07/02/10q-interviews-keith-dunlop/

Latitude Magazine -- available soon for the iPad.

Apple’s introduction of the new iPad has provided a new-found enthusiasm in the journalism world for its promise as a media content delivery device. Circulation numbers of traditional newspapers remained relatively stable until the 1990’s when numbers began declining significantly. Today, more people receive their news from the internet than newspapers, and as a result, many newspapers are suffering severe revenue shortages as they struggle to survive. Many smaller regional newspapers have simply ceased publication.

Magazines dedicated to photojournalism have suffered a similar fate. In fact, their demise occurred much earlier. Life Magazine was at one time the premier publishing platform for some of the most famous photojournalists of our time — legends such as Henri Cartier-Bresson, Robert Capa, and Alfred Eisenstaedt. Life Magazine, born in 1883, was highly successful for over two generations, but finally succumb in April 2007 to changing public tastes, and of course economics.

The iPad holds tremendous promise as a way for magazines such as Life to reemerge in the “new media” age. Many publications associated with traditional newsstands have already jumped on the iPad bandwagon. Magazines such as Vanity Fair, Sports Illustrated, Time, and GQ, are already providing dynamic electronic content for the iPad. The New York Times and Wall Street Journal also now publish electronic editions. It is true that many people are wary of devices such as the iPad, Kindle, and Nook. But with more and more people getting their information from electronic media, the future business model of print journalism will be forced to adapt.

Latitude Magazine is a historical record of the world as it exists on one day. On the 14th of each month, contributors will photograph the daily lives of interesting individuals, communities or workplaces in a manner that expands our understanding of the world. I am proud to have been selected as a contributing photographer to the magazine, and I look forward to the response by all our new readers.

The first edition of Latitude Magazine will soon appear in the Apple App store, and subsequent editions will issue monthly.

Keith's "new" Leica M6 film camera with Zeiss 50mm f/2.0 Planar lens. The M6 -- first introduced in 1984 -- is a completely mechanical, battery independent, hand-built tool, that can outperform any modern digital camera in the hands of a skilled photographer. The Leica M style camera concept has not changed significantly since the M3 was first produced in 1954. © Keith Dunlop

Prior to the introduction of the single-lens-reflex (SLR) camera, the Nikon F in 1959, use of rangefinder cameras by professional photojournalists was common. For traveling photographers, rangefinders were, and still are, an attractive option because of their small size compared to SLR’s, and their simplicity in operation.

I worked in Guatemala on a travel assignment in 2003 exclusively with a pair of simple Leica M film cameras and three fixed focal length lenses, and never once wanted for more “advanced” equipment. This was the first time I worked professionally without the comfort of my automated SLR’s. I photographed without the security nets of auto-focus, quick-firing motor drives, and zoom lenses. I returned with approximately 1,100 images over the course of the 16 day assignment, and completely fulfilled my objectives. By comparison, during the first three events of 2010 wedding season, I shot over 5,450 digital images — all captured during a period of roughly 25 cumulative hours.  That roughly equates to five times the image count over a mere 1/16th period of time. This shot count is nearly doubled when I consider those added by my second shooter. All told, nearly 9,300 digital images — a staggering figure that should give any photographer pause to reconsider their methods.

Gracie, age 6, poses for a portrait while wearing my favorite black wool cap. (Leica M6, 50mm Zeiss f/2.0 ZM Planar lens, shot on Ilford HP-5 processed in DD-X.) © Keith Dunlop

I should stress that this is not a essay concerned with the tiresome debate of film vs. digital, for I find that discussion meaningless in the context of creating a photograph. Henri Cartier-Bresson said it best opening his seminal book “The Mind’s Eye” with the following declaration:

Photography has not changed since its origin except in its technical aspects, which for me are not a major concern.

And while I consider film and digital cameras simply different tools upon which to accomplish the same objective, I do believe that modern digital image techniques have made photographers lazy. With a modern digital SLR it is far too easy to fire off as many frames as the media card can hold without regard for the image — just look at my personal example. The 32gb memory cards currently available provide for a staggering capacity to capture thousands of images in a very short period of time. Thus, there is no incentive to consider the importance of the composition of an individual image. Why would there be, when you can quite easily fire off a burst of multiple images with the hope that one might be acceptable? Photographers no longer think about “the image”, rather they think about not missing “the shot”. Thus, photographers become consumed with quantity over quality, with the hope that somehow a quality image might be found, after-the-fact, during post-production.

Bresson suggests photographers adopt the following attitude:

One must always take photographs with the greatest respect for the subject and for oneself.

Accomplishing a Bresson-like philosophy of photography requires a tremendous discipline on the part of the photographer. One must be methodical and precise in technique, and adapt a level of concentration during image capture that fosters creation of a great photograph in-camera, rather than on the computer screen later. I have to admit that I have many times fallen into the latter category. But, working with a  simpler film camera, such as a Leica M6, helps me to remember why I became a photographer in the first place. It wasn’t to come home from a wedding assignment with 3,000 images on my CF card, but rather to make photographs that attempt to capture the beauty in form, geometry, and emotion of a particular moment in time.

I haven’t completely gone off the reservation — my professional work will still be primarily shot and processed digitally. But I have come to realize that over-reliance on the convenience of modern digital imaging technology can have unintended consequences. One of those consequences, for me, has been to allow technology to interfere with my responsibilities as a photographer to create photographs. Working with simpler tools — ones that require a far greater level of input from the artist — is one way photographers can remain in touch with the artistic intuition that our clients hire us for. For this reason, I will continue to use my M6, alongside my digital cameras, and my clients will likely see the inclusion of a selection of film-based images in their proofs this year.

Edison Suero, Director of Dominican Republic based NGO MOSCTHA, is pictured with a truck load of relief supplies to be distributed to people displaced by the January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake.

SAN LUIS OBISPO, April 23 – I need to take a moment and extend a personal and heartfelt “thank you” to Edison Suero and the Dominican Republic based NGO MOSCTHA for their support and assistance during my last two assignments to the earthquake ravaged country of Haiti. MOSCTHA has provided me with transportation and logistical support in Haiti for my last two assignments covering the earthquake recovery, without which, the images featured on this site would not have been possible. This point needs to be stressed — none of the Haiti images that I have captured would have been possible without the support of MOSCTHA. No professional journalist working in a war zone — or a country virtually destroyed by natural disaster such as Haiti — can work safely and productively without a support system in place. To this end, I thank MOSCTHA and specifically Edison Suero for insuring that I not only captured images that tell the story of everyday Haitians trying to survive, but that I made it home safely to my own family.

I should also mention when Edison first reads this post, he will probably shake his head and roll his eyes recalling our last conversation before I returned home from Santo Domingo a week ago. I will admit that I am a driven individual who demands the most of myself in terms of productivity. In the same vain, MOSCTHA is a relatively small regional NGO in a very large pond of big corporate NGO’s all trying to provide some measure of relief to a country that has been at the mercy of foreign influences for far too long. Being a small NGO with limited resources and more than the average difficulties in obtaining relief supplies, working with MOSCTHA requires an understanding of their challenges that can often strain otherwise professional working relationships. I have learned a great deal about those challenges for having seen MOSCTHA in action, and I have the utmost respect for people like Edison who drive the streets of Santo Domingo searching for supplies to bring to Haiti.

An elderly Haitian woman displaced by the January 12, 2010 earthquake poses for a portrait.

The second image in this post bears a significant mention and speaks to the incredible access and support provided by MOSCTHA. I first met the woman featured in the photograph in February during my first assignment n Haiti. I was staying at the MOSCTHA encampment and had turned in for the evening to my tent after a long day of photographing earthquake relief efforts, when I heard what sounded like singing coming from the courtyard nearby. What I was hearing was a religious gathering held by the displaced families living in the compound ever since the January 12, 2010 earthquake. I crawled out of my tent, and quietly joined the service near the back, along with two of the nurses brought to Haiti by MOSCTHA. What transpired over the proceeding 30 minutes was one of the most moving experiences of my life. I observed displaced and homeless Haitian families praying and singing together, as one, in what can only be described as an act of hope and perseverance in a time of desperation and despair that would challenge the faith of anyone faced with the obstacles living in Haiti currently brings. I am not a religious man, but I was moved to tears at this display of oneness and community in a time of unimaginable tragedy.

I met this woman once again when I returned to Haiti in April.  She graciously agreed to pose for this photograph, and I will always recall her apparent unyielding faith, the life lived and etched in the lines of her face and in her eyes, and the beaded necklace and cross (not seen) which was a gift to her from Edison. As Edison tells it, he observed her quietly praying by herself, as she often does during the long hot days in Haiti, and gave her the necklace as a token of respect to her faith and longevity. I will always remember this woman for her dignity and character, and Edison for his reverence to her enduring spirit.

A medical volunteer from the Spanish organization Haurralde provides emergency wound care to an injured Haitian boy at HCH Hospital. At another Haiti hospital, Haurralde volunteers were told to leave because they were no longer needed. © Keith Dunlop

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, April 15 – I couldn’t believe what I was hearing — “They were asked to leave.” This is what a group of volunteer medical personnel from the Spanish organization Huarralde were apparently told when they arrived to work at a Port-au-Prince hospital one recent morning. The group, which has been providing emergency medical care to Haitian earthquake survivors since the early days after the disaster, also helps the Haitian medical system deal with the day-to-day medical needs of the general population. Now, the volunteers were being told they were no longer needed.

One issue that has created the current Haitian medical crisis is the desire of the government to resume charging patients for care. The Haitian government does not benefit from foreign organizations providing free medical care to its citizens, and now they want their piece of the pie. The government would rather have the NGO’s (Non-Governmental Organizations) leave the millions of dollars of donated medical supplies and medications in their hospital storage rooms, go home, and allow Haitians to be charged for access to that material. NGO’s have already largely abandoned some facilities like HCH (Haitian Community Hospital) because they are no longer welcome.

The post-surgical wing of HCH Hospital in the Delmas neighborhood of Haiti is pictured on April 8, 2010. The hospital halls were previously over-flowing with earthquake patients and volunteer medical staff from around the world. The facility now is virtually deserted. © Keith Dunlop

When I recently visited HCH for the second time earlier this month, I found only a small handful of foreign medical workers servicing the overcrowded hospital. Two nurses from Haurralde and one American were running the entire urgent care area with no assistance from Haitian hospital employees. Rotating teams of medical personnel from America had been running the hospital since the earthquake, but they had packed up and left due to alleged friction with administrators.

The UN has recently warned hospitals that they will cut-off shipments of free medical supplies if it is discovered that Haitians are being charged for care. Over 1 million dollars of medication have been provided by the UN to public Haitian hospitals to date. This figure doesn’t include private and NGO contributions. Private hospitals run by non-profit’s and NGO’s would be exempt from sanctions if they are able to adequately show that patients are not being charged.

A Haitian mother with her infant baby girl who suffers from diarrhea and dehydration waits to receive medical treatment at HCH Hospital in Delmas Haiti. © Keith Dunlop

Public Haitian hospitals don’t need to charge its patients, according to the UN, because health care workers are being paid by the Haitian Health Ministry with donated funds. However, these funds don’t reach privately run medical facilities, which has caused the second major part of the current crisis. CDTI (Center for Diagnosis, Treatment, and Imaging) recently closed its doors because it cannot pay its employees or provide for the infrastructure costs needed to continue running the facility. Other private facilities face similar financial problems and some will likely close. CDTI played a crucial role in caring for victims of the January 12, 2010 earthquake, and possesses diagnostic equipment not available anywhere else in the country. The reasons for CDTI’s failure are several, most involve money. More important are the dire consequences to the Haitian population from the loss of a critical health care facility in a country that can least afford it.

Since the rains arrived several weeks ago, malaria is reportedly on the rise in the Haitian refugee camps. There are also fears that the wet season, in combination with poor sanitation, will lead to epidemics of dengue fever, measles and cholera.  The country must also deal with everyday traumatic events such as traffic accidents and common injuries. The UN’s latest published situation report issued April 12, acknowledges that there are “gaps” in health care delivery, and concludes that a strategy to retain national health professionals needs to be developed and implemented immediately. Unfortunately, this revelation may be too late to save the lives of those being lost in the current system.

The following images were captured during a recent visit to the government-run HCH Hospital in the Delmas neighborhood outside Port-au-Prince Haiti. None of these images would be possible without the support of the Dominican Republic based NGO MOSCTHA (see links section), who is working tirelessly to bring aid to the people of Haiti, including but not limited to, the medical workers from Huarralde featured in this article.

An adolescent girl has her dinner of a single baked potato. She lives with her family in the open courtyard of an apartment building made unsafe to occupy by the January 12, 2010 Haiti earthquake. The UN would like to see her family relocated, but three months after the earthquake, no sites have been developed. © Keith Dunlop

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti, April 12 – Three months have passed since the devastating Haitian earthquake, and daily torrential showers have begun to hit the region.  The trouble is, the start of the wet season in Haiti — and more significantly the hurricane season in June — brings a serious new level of concern for the estimated 200,00 people who require relocation from their high-risk camps. Many of these over-crowded camps are located in low-lying areas prone to flooding, and water borne diseases such as cholera and dysentery are significant concerns. Not to mention, malaria is already prevalent in Haiti, and it will only get worse with the increased mosquito population that standing water brings.

One of the more significant issues standing is the way of relocating earthquake refugee to proper temporary shelters is the availability of land. The UN has estimated that it will take a minimum of 600 ha of land, or roughly 2.5 square miles. However, only 220 ha has been identified as suitable by the government. There are also logistical hurdles to overcome in terms of the staff needed to conduct site planning and refugee relocation. A recent situation report from OCHA (United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs) states:

There are insufficient human resources for site planning and development as well as of Social Engineering staff to facilitate the movement of the population to the new sites. The lack of new land allocation is of concern in respect [to the] imminent raining season.

A refugee camp with shelters constructed on an unprepared site from sticks and plastic sheeting. Three months after the earthquake proper temporary shelters have not been built and the hurricane season looms. © Keith Dunlop

Some efforts to relocate people living in camps identified as especially prone to flooding have begun. The government recently began moving over 7,00o people from the Golf Club in Petionville to a site on higher ground in Corail Cesselesse. However, this effort began with little notice to aid organizations who complain that with such lack of notice, time needed to consult with affected people and properly prepare the new settlement sites cannot be done. Aid organizations advise that relocation sites be selected in advance for proper ground preparation work, demarcating shelter sites, and placing latrines in strategic locations that ensure the safety of residents, especially women and children at night.

Further complicating relocation efforts is the lack of suitable temporary shelters for earthquake refugees to live in. Prototypes for proposed temporary shelters are currently on display at the Red Cross headquarters in Port-au-Prince, but none have actually been built. The government is still relying upon plastic tarps and sheeting to provide adequate protection and security to those living in refugee camps. On April 12th, Louis Luck, the senior representative of USAID in Haiti, was quoted as saying the current goal is to provide plastic sheeting to all in need by May 1st, “before the start of the rains”. Unfortunately, the heavy rains have already begun.