El Museo del Barrio

While in New York, I photographed Julián Zugazagoitia, Director and CEO of El Museo del Barrio. If you have a chance to visit, you will enjoy the thoughtful exhibits. The story by Julio Valdeón with two of my photos was published in El Mundo (here).

I was very moved by a painting that Frida Kahlo made for the mother of Dorothy Hale, for the anniversary of the suicide of her daughter: El Suicidio de Dorothy Hale, 1939. Dorothy jumped off her apartment building in New York after throwing a party for all her friends, in which she announced she was leaving town for a while. Her husband had passed away not long before. Dorothy's mom didn't accept the present, understandably so, and the oil painting (on masonite with frame) is now part of the collection of the Phoenix Art Museum, who loaned it to New York temporarily.

Sylvia Earle and Google's Ed Lu

Thank you Sylvia for who you are and for your work in defense of Planet Water. I took a picture of your likeness, by Viktor, at Google last month. I hope to meet you in person and capture your personality in a photograph.

Sylvia Earle by Viktor. Photo ©Isaac Hernandez

I also photographed Ed Lu, who is working on a smart grid monitoring system at Google, for a story on Google's commitment to renewable energy, published in El Mundo in print, and digitally (here). 

Ed Lu, former astronaut, Director of Advanced Projects at Google. When I asked him what it felt like to be "on the top" of the most powerful company in the world, Ed raised his arms. Photo: ©Isaac Hernandez

If you haven't watched Sylvia, you must see one of these two videos, with Stephen Colbert (search for her on ColbertNation), or speaking at TED (search for her at ted.com).

Reverend Billy for Mayor

It's been already more than two weeks since my trip to New York, and yet I've been so busy with assignments that I've left you hanging with no news. Here's one more portrait from my time there, which was published in El Mundo (here) on the eve of the election for New York City Mayor.

Reverend Billy invited us to watch a rehearsal for the choir of the Church of Life After Shopping the next day (website here). I would have liked to see the performance a few days later, but I was already back in Santa Barbara.

Since the last time I wrote, Yo Dona in Spain published my portrait of Annie Leonard, author of the story of stuff, and Integral (also from Spain, well Catalunya) published the portrait I took of Lester Brown during my visit to Washington, DC.

I will post some of these photos here, shortly, and others in the next version of the online portfolio here.

I Photographed H1N1!

What do you know? The swine flu has gotten to the kids at Open Alternative School (OAS) and I have a picture to prove it... I may even have it. And the doctor recommended for me not to eat any ham! What a swine!

Seriously, this picture is just a teaser for the play I'm writing in collaboration with 6-8th grade children at OAS. I had the tremendous pleasure of working on my first play, The Bridge to Nowhere, when my older son was in second grade. Now I get to "play" with my younger son, who is in sixth grade. More to come.

Photographing Mr. Brown

When I was first invited to photograph Dan Brown, courtesy of Editorial Planeta, the Spanish publisher of The Lost Symbol, I was told that he wouldn't pose for any pictures; photographs were to be taken exclusively during his interview time.

As soon as Mr. Brown arrived at the Philips Exeter Academy library (New Hampshire), where we were to interview and photograph him, he cordially allowed photographs and video taken of him, by the Spanish and Argentinian media there. I went down on my knees to take a photo, and when Dan looked my way, I couldn't help but lower my head in submission.

He must have liked my demeanor, then and during the interview with Carlos Fresneda, of El Mundo, which you can read here (in Spanish), for he agreed to pose for me, if only for an instant, on his way out for the lunch break. We were to meet at the entrance of the library, but when I saw him taking the stairs, I followed (after all, I'm fond of stairs, and I had taken them on the way up to the sixth floor). There I saw the opportunity for THE photo. "Could you please hold it and look up my way?" That was it! The result was published in the printed edition of El Mundo, alongside a profile photo taken during the interview, both of which you can see here.

Dan was so kind that I had to run and buy The Lost Symbol, his latest novel. When I later asked him to sign it for a friend, I was sure to point out that I bought it at a small Exeter bookshop, thus supporting not only him, but his local economy. "Thanks, I can put gas in my car now," was his answer.

Thank you, Dan, you're a true sport.

Anti-billionaire Mayor Candidate

The photos I took in New York are going to be published in the coming weeks. Here's another installment: Frances Villar, Socialist candidate for New York Mayor. You can read the story in Spanish in El Mundo here.

Busy taking pictures in Washington

I must apologize to my five followers... I've been so busy taking pictures and sending them to clients that I haven't had time to share them with you here.

From Washington DC, I went to Washington State, and after a trip to San Francisco's Bay Area for Bioneers, now I'm writing from Washington Square, New York City.

I also had a quick stint in Exeter, New Hampshire, where I photographed author Dan Brown.

I'm taking an average of three EcoPortraits per day. Stay put for more. In the meantime, here's a photo of some of the people braving the rain on the International Day for Climate Action, which was published in El Mundo here.

You can see more of my coverage in New York in El Mundo's new portal for the Americas. I took some photos of El Museo del Barrio. You can see one here.