borjapax Posted October 4, 2007 Share #1 Posted October 4, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) The last months I have established a nice relation with Don Fabio. He is the man who informally is taking care of the street where I am leaving in Bogotá. There are plenty of Don Fabios in Colombia. They get some income taking care of the cars and making some cleaning and car washing. They are called "wachiman". Don Fabio has had a hard life: completely illiterate with some psychological deficiency, many years hooked with drugs, raspachin (coca cropper) in one of the most war-torn region in Colombia, victim of one the most destructive natural disaster in Colombia (Eruption of Nevado del Ruiz Volcano in 1985, that provoked the disappearance of a whole city: Armero, with more than 30.000 dead people and many other affected) among other life casualties . The last 10 years, he has been the wachiman in the street where I have rented my apartment since I arrived to Bogotá. He argues that "jesus" help him to find the good way. And, in fact, he is a good person. Pictures taken with both M8 and M7. Summilux 35, summicrom 50. Saludos, Borja Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34995-fabio-wachiman-bogot%C3%A1-colombia/?do=findComment&comment=369359'>More sharing options...
Advertisement Posted October 4, 2007 Posted October 4, 2007 Hi borjapax, Take a look here Fabio - Wachiman - Bogotá - Colombia. I'm sure you'll find what you were looking for!
borjapax Posted October 4, 2007 Author Share #2 Posted October 4, 2007 Some other pictures. Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Saludos, Borja Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Saludos, Borja ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34995-fabio-wachiman-bogot%C3%A1-colombia/?do=findComment&comment=369363'>More sharing options...
jmr Posted October 4, 2007 Share #3 Posted October 4, 2007 Borja, powerful images to support a powerful story - thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
palmskov Posted October 4, 2007 Share #4 Posted October 4, 2007 What charismatic portraits... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Motivfindender Posted October 5, 2007 Share #5 Posted October 5, 2007 A very impressing series, touching by both your words full of empathy and your very respectful pictures of one of the millions of unknown people who did not give up the hope though they live a nearly hopeless life.. This is real art! Thank you and congratulation for your very well-done work! Dirk realizing once again how damn glad I am (and have to be) to live my life so comfortable like I do... Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
tim power Posted October 5, 2007 Share #6 Posted October 5, 2007 the face as window to the soul. wonderful pics, brimming with humanity. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rob_x2004 Posted October 5, 2007 Share #7 Posted October 5, 2007 Advertisement (gone after registration) As the comments above. The colours are nice but the black and white more evocative. Thanks. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
PhotoArchival Posted October 6, 2007 Share #8 Posted October 6, 2007 Agree with all the comments above. I also think the b&w are the winners for me. Great story in writing and in photos! He does seem like a very interesting man! Amado Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
macos Posted October 6, 2007 Share #9 Posted October 6, 2007 #5 !!!! I especially love the trace of the moving hand. The idea and realisation is imho exceptional. Congratulations and thanks for sharing! Marcus Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
andybarton Posted October 6, 2007 Share #10 Posted October 6, 2007 Just to be different, my favourite is the one where he is washing the wheel of the car. Very interesting series - what does he think of them himself? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
jotam Posted October 6, 2007 Share #11 Posted October 6, 2007 Borja, If I had to choose one, that one would be #2. But, fortunately, I have not to choose... Congratulations for this very rich essay. José Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
borjapax Posted October 6, 2007 Author Share #12 Posted October 6, 2007 Thanks for all your comments.I really appreciate them. These weekend I am in a small town in north colombia facilitating a conflict trasformation workshop, and do not have time to answear all your questions / comments. Please allow me to travel back to Bogotá, and I will reply you and will post some other pictures of Fabio. Thanks again. Borja Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
stunsworth Posted October 6, 2007 Share #13 Posted October 6, 2007 Borja, I can only echo what the others have said. This is an excellent series and I find myself unable to choose a favourite. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
semrich Posted October 6, 2007 Share #14 Posted October 6, 2007 Borja - As has already been said, and excellent series honoring a person who is probably given little recognition yet has his own story. I'm with the B&W group and feel that this series would have benefited from being posted in two threads, one for the color shots and one for B&W to keep the eyes from the need to adjust midway through the series. Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
borjapax Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share #15 Posted October 7, 2007 Thanks again to all of you for your comments. I arrived to Bogotá three years ago, and I have been always living in the same street, just where Fabio has been working the last ten years. I only started to take pictures of him after one year and a half, when confidence and trust between us was strong. Fabio has serious physiological problems. As explained before, he has been trough a very difficult life. It is not easy to get contact and communicate with him. He is a bit aggressive at a first sight and its difficult to understand him when he speaks and narrates about him, his work and his life. However, he is a good and nice person. You realize that, if your are able to cross prejudice boundaries and understands him in all complexity and life history. Now, I have a good photo series of him. He has been looking some of the pictures and he has asked me to give him a copy "for her mamma". I have, of course, given some printed copies to him. Borja I have tried to explain Fabio that my idea is to prepare a chronic with all the pictures and the information compiled. He likes the idea and smiles me, but I guess that he is not really aware about what I mean. I have to think about how to prepare and focus the chronic: I have identified three groups of pictures: those in color where he is washing cars, B&W portraits in the street and portraits in my dinning room. In addition I have a lot of information provided by Fabio about his life (even when I have some doubts about chronologic of the facts due to the inarticulateness of Fabio´s narration). Any suggestions from professionals are welcome. I add some other pictures of the series: Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34995-fabio-wachiman-bogot%C3%A1-colombia/?do=findComment&comment=371245'>More sharing options...
borjapax Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share #16 Posted October 7, 2007 Welcome, dear visitor! As registered member you'd see an image here… Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Borja Quote Link to post Share on other sites Simply register for free here – We are always happy to welcome new members! Borja ' data-webShareUrl='https://www.l-camera-forum.com/topic/34995-fabio-wachiman-bogot%C3%A1-colombia/?do=findComment&comment=371246'>More sharing options...
Guest Motivfindender Posted October 7, 2007 Share #17 Posted October 7, 2007 Thank you for the further photos. I am no pro, but as a reader of some journals, I could imagine that your work is worth being published in National geographic or GEO or something like that. (Perhaps Fabio could profit from it too? ) I am really very impressed by your outstanding series and full of respect for your photographic work - the which seems for me to be more pro-like than amateur. The perfect ad would perhaps be some information and photos of his appartment, his very own private life? Dirk BTW: You did mean "psychological" problems and not "physiological" problems, didn´t you? Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
borjapax Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share #18 Posted October 7, 2007 BTW: You did mean "psychological" problems and not "physiological" problems, didn´t you? Yes, sorry by the mistake. My english has also some problems!. Borja Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
borjapax Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share #19 Posted October 7, 2007 I am no pro, but as a reader of some journals, I could imagine that your work is worth being published in National geographic or GEO or something like that. (Perhaps Fabio could profit from it too? ) The perfect ad would perhaps be some information and photos of his appartment, his very own private life? Dirk, I had the idea of trying to publish the pictures in a more modest magazine; maybe Gatopardo; a well establish latinoamerican monthly magazine. They use to combine good histories with good photography. But... if you think that NG o GEO may be interested in such a history, why not to try?. If any, any income will be for Fabio. I have already thought about traveling to Fabio's place in Bogotá and ad some pictures from there. In fact, Fabio's place are several places. He use to stay in very cheap hostals, paying them the daily earnings. Also, he has invited me to the town where he is coming from, but that it is a more difficult place to reach due to the strong presence in the area of one of the colombian illegal arm actors. Unfortunately, as a UN functionary, I have many restrictions to travel to such places. In any case, why not to think about that. The last three years I have visited other dangerous areas here and I am here writing to all of you. Thanks again for your suggestions. Borja Quote Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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