Author Archives: Ana Elisa Fuentes

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About Ana Elisa Fuentes

I am an award winning professional photographer. My photographs appear in publications such as the New York Times, Rolling Stone, Life, Stern, Sublime, Vanity Fair, Neon, and People Magazine, the Los Angeles Times, ABC News Nightline, NBC News, CNN. My images are available for licensing through Associated Press Images. My photographs are maintained in international archives around the world, including the United Nations, the personal archive of His Holiness the Dalai Lama, the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation, the University of California at Santa Barbara, Direct Relief International, the ZYOZY foundation, the Tides Foundation, and many other educational, humanitarian and philanthropic organizations. In addition to photography, I am a writer and a CELTA credentialed teacher of English as a foreign language. I love tea; cycling, running, swimming and an enlightened sense of humor.

Missing women might explain failure of UN climate change talks

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Here! Here!

mike shanahan's avatarUnder The Banyan

photo2red2

This giant spider has reminded me once again of who’s too often missing from the climate conversations we sorely need.

The spider straddles the main concourse of the Qatar National Convention Centre in Doha, host of COP18 — the 2012 round of UN negotiations aimed at tackling climate change.

This is a massive irony. While the spider — called ‘Maman’ — is a monument to motherhood, the negotiators who passed beneath her during the two-week conference were largely men.

In fact, there has never been a conference of parties (COP) to the UN climate change convention at which even one-third of the negotiators were women. In recent years women were the heads of fewer than 15 per cent of the national delegations. This chart from GenderCC shows the disparity.

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This shameful pattern is set to change. One of the few rays of light to shine out of the Doha conference…

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Children’s Rainforest

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WEBimg048TWEETimg012WEBimg055WEBimg049WEBimg053  Children’s Rainforest, Monteverde Cloudforest, Costa Rica

photo copyright Ana Elisa Fuentes

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Photographed using Kodak PPC color negative and Kodak EPP slide film

Wheel of Time

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Kalachakra

Monks from the Namgyal monastery create the sand mandala known as the Wheel of Time or the Kalachakra at the Watts Towers Arts Center in Watts, a community of Los Angeles, California. More about the Kalachakra here http://www.buddhanet.net/kalimage.htm

 

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Melva, a community member contributes to the sand mandala.

photograph copyright, Ana Elisa Fuentes

Photographed using Fuji RDP medium format slide film

Honoring Don Calamar

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Today I honor and remember with love the life of Don Calamar, a combat photographer and Silver Medalist who survived the Invasion of Normandy  also known as D-Day.  Don, was my first photography and photojournalist instructor and sometimes father figure.   I remember  his soft spoken manner. Don taught more by example.  He was unrelenting kind.  I remember this the most about him.

His later years were devoted to family, photography instruction, alternative energy, and peace activism.  Don was a positive influence in my life.

Always the educator, on one occasion after a family meal, Don and his wife Pat, were so excited to share with me how they prepared our dinner.  Guiding me to their backyard for cookies and tea, like eager school children, they unveiled the solar cooker they constructed in their garden backyard.

Don was one of the founding members of Santa Barbara Veterans for Peace and Arlington West.

I am so very grateful to have had a person like Don in my life, especially as a guiding force in my photojournalism career. Thank you for reading this tribute; a testimony to how one life can make an enduring difference in the lives of others.

I miss his goodness.

Remember Haiti

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Remembering the people of Haiti during hurricane Sandy

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A Line in the Sand

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Can you cite three examples of green energy, technology,  and/or resources and do you implement any of them?

Claire R., 34, nanny, of Seattle, Wa.: “bicycling, architectural recycling & buy organic. I implement all three. Organic is a challenge at the end of the month because it is expensive.”

Frieboes Family, 23, 34, & 12, fitness consultant, chef, & student, of Oregon: “recycling, solar and composting. Yes we use all three in our daily lives.”

(l-r) Daniel N. 50, unemployed, Seattle, Wa. & Brian L. 42, window installer, Renton, Wa.: “wind, solar & composting: We were just discussing this. We walk rather than driving or taking the bus. We’re able-bodied. We can drive but choose not to. We take solar showers. Use high-U.V. glass for the home. This makes for lower heating bills and conversely lower cooling bills. All of this makes for less waste and consumption.”

(l-r) Martin D. & Kitti J., 24 & 23, automotive I.T. & hair stylist, of Bratislava, Slovakia: “wind turbines, hydroelectricity, & solar Energy. Unfortunately not, but, we do use solar generated lamps in our garden.”

Emily P., 23, restaurant hostess, Colorado Springs, CO. : “walking, public transportation, & recycling. We walk instead of using my car and additionally use public transportation. We also recycle and compost, limit our water use. We shower one time per day and shower together to save water.”

All replies and photographs are published with the participants permission. Photographs taken using an iPod touch.

A Line in the Sand column copyright, Ana Elisa Fuentes.

My sincere thanks to the participants.

Can you cite three examples of green energy, technology,  and/or resources and do you implement any of them?

A Line in the Sand: Are Environmental Issues Influencing Your Election Decisions?

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Keenan G., 20, Cellular Biology student, Santa Barbara, California: “I feel like in the beginning, it didn’t. But now, it is a bigger deal. Issues like global warming, ice caps melting and our diminishing resources; these must be difficult decisions for our next president. I feel like the candidates need to listen to the people more and be less concerned with the popularity that comes with being President. Maybe I ought to look into and invest more time in the green party. These are issues that the entire planet is facing, not just the United States.”

Trudy B., 63, Vocalist, Santa Barbara, California: “Yes. I’ve always been interested in environmental issues. I don’t like some of the things we are doing to mother earth. I feel very strongly about our precious mother Earth. In many ways we have been unconscious about how we treat her and her resources. We need to wake up.”

Julie C. 69, Retired Nurse, Shreveport, Louisiana: “To a certain extent. I don’t want us to be foolhardy. I’m from a red state, Louisiana. I want us to be energy independent whether, it’s oil, gas, or solar. I’m a conservative. I study both sides of the issues. There are a lot of resources that should be taken use of. This will provide jobs. We need to be smart about what we do. Take every opportunity, be careful and watchful about how we protect our environment.”

Gerald D. 80, Retired Electrical Engineer, Portland, Oregon: “Environmental issues are not going to convince me one way or another. Period. They are not going to end up doing anything about it anyway.”

Oscar M., 60, Musician, Santa Barbara, California: “The environment is important to me. If I was voting, it would be somebody who is not representing corporate interests. I think we are due for big changes, on all levels, including our environment and our voting system.”

Todd G., 34, Electrician, Sheridan, Oregon: “No, not really. But, I think nuclear is the cleanest energy. I think it has the smallest environmental impact per square foot.”

Kyle D., 22, Unemployed, New Mexico: “I will not base my decisions on political discussion. They are roundabouts and the issues in question are constantly changing. I will decide in my own way. I will do my research then. I will vote based on who they are as a person. Specifics don’t matter.”

All replies and photographs are published with the participants permission. Photographs taken using an iPod touch.

A Line in the Sand column copyright, Ana Elisa Fuentes.

This blog post powered by foot and public transportation.

My sincere thanks to the participants.

Are Environmental issues influencing your election 2012 decisions?

A Line in the Sand

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Welcome to A Line in the Sand – my new weekly column that will address pertinent questions about our environment in open public spaces.

Question: What does climate change mean to you?

Johnathan G. and Bridget M. both 19, students, of Rancho Cucamonga, California
” We were just talking about this. Climate change is caused by human activity. People need to pay attention. People need to be aware, about everything we consume and how we consume, and how we obtain what we consume, and our disposal. We need to be aware of our ecological footprint. All of this affects our biodiversity, especially when it starts killing things around us. It is so easy to ignore.”

Paolo M., 29, scientist, Lugano, Switzerland: ” I think it’s a measure of concern. It is underestimated. Our life is short, but the effects are long-term. We don’t do enough to prevent it. It’s important to try to make people aware of it, especially in the U.S.A. where people drive their car for an errand five minutes away. And plastic. I have been here two weeks and have a hundred bags. In Europe, the glaciers are disappearing.”

Oscar G., 32, window washer, Chula Vista, California: A variation of hot and cold weather. Stormy weather. Hot winds, cold fronts, dramatic and not normal weather patterns.”

Shao-Ya Hsu, 37, student, Scripps Ranch, California: Awareness of the environment. Before I was not so aware. Personally, I try to do more – recycling, not wasting our resources. Just to be here and observe the ocean. I just appreciate it. We have only one earth and we need to protect it.”

Ramona B. 49, housewife, Louisiana: I’ve heard about it on T.V. It’s all I can think of.”

All replies and photographs are published with the participants permission.

A Line in the Sand column copyright, Ana Elisa Fuentes.

My sincere thanks to the participants.

What does climate change mean to you?

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33 – Artic photo at the fair

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Imperio's avatarMy Happy Hats

A couple of kids having fun and their picture taken at one of those put your face in the hole backdrops at the fair.  This illustration has many elements that are dear to me.  The face of the kid having his picture taken is my son’s face.  I drew it from one of his school pictures of when he was three.  He has a whimsical expression on his face.   The kid on the back, looking serious and making the bunny rabbit ears with his hand has the teasing spirit of my husband.  I can clearly see him do that. The texture of the wood for the backdrop comes from the bench where we currently sit to have our dinner after my son’s swimming class.  The background is from the Fun illustration where I let my child mind enjoy herself.  I can say this is an illustration made out of…

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