Ethan Williams: Individual Mandate /  by Zachary Krahmer

In light of the hearings by the Supreme Court on Monday/Tuesday this week to revoke the individual mandate and thus the affordable healthcare act.. Here is an image of Ethan Williams, between his mother Felicia and Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi. Ethan underwent eight lifesaving operations before he was 20 lbs.

Tibetan Protests /  by Zachary Krahmer

Tibetan Protestors travelled from as far away as their home to protest the arrival of current Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping this afternoon.  Earlier today, 3 men were arrested for rappelling off the Memorial Bridge and hanging a “Free Tibet” sign from the side. Over the past 2 years, 24 Tibetan protestors have self immolated in protests in Tibet. Protestors yelled and cheered to bring freedom to Tibet with the new 5th generation Chinese political leaders.

Political demonstration based around current and past chinese leaders.

Protestors stand together outside the Whitehouse.

Sanam Wangdu Kinga, NY, leads protestors.

Holma Kyaizon of New York yells with the protestors.

Nicholas Lopez (right), 16 and Andres Smith (left), 17 are from Miami, Florida.

Lobsang Dorjee travelled from Tibet to participate in the protests.

Material shot for the GW Hatchet.

®ZachKrahmer

Mini Photo Essay: One Night in Wellington/Krumping /  by Zachary Krahmer

So I returned from my trip through New Zealand a few weeks ago and just developed my film.

The 8 days of caffeine induced bus travel and hostel lifestyle were filled with many experiences. One of which happened during my nights stay in the city of Wellington.

It was late. I had just arrived off the ferry from Picton (Wellington is on the South part of the North island, Picton vice versa), and I was hungry.

Not wanting to break the bank by buying the overpriced ramen behind the hostel counter, I ventured off into Wellington. Carrying my film camera for the first time in months, I was ready to put a roll through and buy my groceries on the other side of town. 

It was 10:30pm, I walked by a parking garage and heard shouting and loud music. There weren’t any cars parked inside and there was a guy that looked and dressed like Fat Joe smoking a cigarette outside the entrance. This looked dodgy, so I decided to go in with my camera (not thinking, or was I?).

Long story short, I met a group of guys, many Maori (one of the indigenous cultures of NZ), who meet biweekly to Krump in this garage. It just so happened that my stopover in Wellington coincided with their meeting. 

What I found was a close and intentional community that met on a biweekly basis to practice their dancing. They danced specifically as Krumpers, and would send hits or videos of themselves to other dance crews across New Zealand. I found myself in a strange world, and felt I’d really fallen down the rabbit hole.

Unfortunately only had a few exposures left, but had a great time talking to these guys and getting to hear their stories. Another great memory left behind in NZ/Australia.

This guy had dislocated his knee before I arrived and was still waiting for Paramedics.

Feeding off the energy of each other.

The crew

Mcdonald's Generation: Portland, OR /  by Zachary Krahmer

I interviewed two fantastic people this evening at the W Burnside / 18th St Mcdonalds.

Mayela, 20, Portland

What are the 3 most important things in your life: family, child (pregnancy), having work and a support system

What are your 3 most important material possessions: rosary, promise ring, telephone

What do you spend the majority of your money on: family- kid, rent, food, everything

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: go to college, move on from fast food work.

 

Steven, 19, Portland

What are the 3 most important things in your life: family, creating a business, going to college

What are your 3 most important material possessions: iphone, camera, car engine [steven is also a mechanic in his free time]

What do you spend the majority of your money on: car, rent

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: find a real job with vacation and sick pay, start a photography business, own a house

Christchurch, 10 Months After the Quake /  by Zachary Krahmer

In November of 2010, Christchuch (Southern Island New Zealand) was struck by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake with no casualties. Before the city could repair itself, a 6.3 M aftershock hit on February 22 of 2011, shaking loose already weakened foundations and killing 181 and wounding between 500-1000. Despite the daily aftershocks (http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/), progress is slowly taking form and the people of Christchurch at regaining a grasp on their lives. The city is healing. 

As the 10 month anniversary of this event passes tomorrow, one must think about another event that happened nearly 22 months previously in Haiti.. Where has the country progressed to since Jan 12 2010?  Why has one nation far surpassed the recovery of the other, and why have many citizens of the world turned their shoulder to both events? 

A side of a church with graffiti from the local community

Markings remain from rescue services. Signage remains from offices.

The majority of shops surrounding the CBD are sealed due to council orders that they remain unsafe to occupy. Insurance companies will not pay out for the contents of the stores owners are not allowed to enter, seemingly because their product is all there.

For those who are allowed to enter, selling their home is a possibility. For too many, there is no choice, only the option to continue waiting until the council allows them to enter their past homes.

2 vases, sealed in a home since the aftershock 10 months ago.

Banks have offered new home loan rates to help the city get back on its feet again.

"It’s been bad for me, my friends, business, just everyone. Healing is beginning, but it’s a slow process that will take time."

2 men walk around a site where an unsafe building was demolished.

Construction workers have affixed an angel to this crane.

The entrance to Christchurch’s central business district. “Road Closed”. Some peripheral businesses have managed to open since the February aftershock. 

All images taken December 12, 2011

© Zach Krahmer

Perfectly All Right /  by Zachary Krahmer

This is a small visual excerpt of a recently completed project of mine. Participants included housemaids who wanted to be vets, chefs who wanted to be kiteboarding instructors and hostel managers who wanted to be drummers.

From artist statement:

“Perfectly all right is an exploratory documentary featuring eight residents of the city of Townsville. The project focuses around something that everyone has, some have pursued and none have consciously forgotten; the work is about dreams and the perceptions that surround our constructed identities. This project is about the individual, not the situation or career. 

Dreams are interesting things. I see them as the undiluted product of our upbringing and experiences.

They are the purest semblance of what we may have grown into had everything in our life gone differently (not necessarily for the better). But this is real life, and situations can arise putting our pursuit of these goals on hold for more practical reasons. Bills accumulate, family members move to fight overseas, children are born, and rent needs to be paid. The need for a stable income and method of achieving financial normalcy takes priority over illusory goals. Dreams are submitted to the harsh expectancies of reality and yet, life continues onward. We do something to pay the bills. Our pay is received and we return home to the personal kingdom we have created, living life as best we can.

Despite this disconnect, we find that in the end we are oftentimes perfectly all right”

All work © Zach Krahmer

Mcdonald's Generation: Sydney /  by Zachary Krahmer

And so it begins.. I’ve been playing around with the idea of photographing employees of a major corporation across the globe as I travel. I’m currently living in Sydney and will be returning back to Portland, OR and shortly Washington, DC where I plan on continuing this project. These results may not do much on their own, but this is the beginning of a project that may last years.

All images shot on location today at the Park St/Pitt St Mcdonald’s located in Central Sydney.

 

Nazmul, 18, Bangladesh

What are the 3 most important things in your life: parents, home country, studies

What do you spend the majority of your money on: rent, food and clothes

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: to find a full time job and begin studies in marine engineering

Dora, 14, Sydney

What are the 3 most important things in your life: family, money, school

What do you spend the majority of your money on: going out with friends

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: go somewhere interesting and to be at the top of class, particularly art

Nickie, 18, Hong Kong

What are the 3 most important things in your life: family, friends, traveling

What do you spend the majority of your money on: holidays, food and clothing

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: finish study, and begin uni for hospitality

Joe, Mudgee, NSW , 24

What are the 3 most important things in your life: friends, family and money (which I have none of)

What do you spend the majority of your money on: paying off my debt and alcohol

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: put down a deposit on a house, destroy my credit cards, find a girlfriend, find work outside of a restaurant and begin studying psychology

Shaelee, Coonabaraban, NSW, 17

What are the 3 most important things in your life: horse riding, hanging with mates and working

What do you spend the majority of your money on: clothes, shoes and food

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: haven’t thought that far ahead, perhaps finish high school

Ann, Sydney, 14

What are the 3 most important things in your life: money, friends, phone

What do you spend the majority of your money on: food and clothing

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: to travel and get in to a good uni

Katie, Wagga Wagga, NSW, 30

What are the 3 most important things in your life: family, friends and a good job

What do you spend the majority of your money on: season tickets (Sydney FC, Cabrolla Sharks, Sydney Kings, Sydney Suns AFL)

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: stay stable and healthy

John, Sydney, 19

What are the 3 most important things in your life: martial arts, my baby brother Michael, and friends

What do you spend the majority of your money on: hanging out and computer gaming

What would you like to have happen in the next 3 years: travel the world and meet my family in America and Korea

Signs of Protest: #SaveCatho /  by Zachary Krahmer

Catherine Hill Bay is a heritage village of about 100 mainly small miners’ cottages, whose scale, character and appearance is much as it was in the 1890s and early 1900s.  Catho is facing massive development threats from 2 large developers, Rosecorp and Coal & Allied (a subsidiary of Rio Tinto).  The following changes are being proposed: 

-600 houses and 150 tourist beds at the southern end of Catherine Hill Bay , intruding onto the headland and into the heritage village (the RoseCorp proposal)

-300 houses at the northern end of the Bay, in the vicinity of Middle Camp about 1km north.

These developments would increase the size of the small community ten-fold. There have been community consultation meetings, but the input of the community is largely ignored. These signs are just one of the mediums of protest used by the community in this area.

More information available at: http://www.catherinehillbay.org.au 

Catherine Hill Bay is located in New South Wales, Australia.

All images © Zach Krahmer

Leaving Sydney /  by Zachary Krahmer

So the last couple of days have been truly amazing and I’m sad to be leaving Sydney now. I’ve legitimately become pretty attached to this city although I’ve only been here for 3 days now. Saturday and Sunday were both rather pleasant days. I woke up around 9 and made some Turkish coffee (fine grounds boiled in a pot) at the guy’s place. Discovered a pretty good song by Gotye (link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8UVNT4wvIGY) that morning as well and savoured the view from the upper balcony here at 24 Arthur Pl. N Sydney.

After working on my ethics application for a bit (this is due on Tuesday, eek!) PJ picked me up with Evan and we went off to downtown. Walked through the royal botanic gardens to the Australia hotel at the Rocks and got a bit of grub and a beer. Here we met up with Bryden and Steve. Awesome guys, great conversation and a good food. Later on the way back, realized I’d never been to Manly beach before and went back on the ferry with Bryden. Manly beach has a very relaxed urban surfer town atmosphere that you could feel as you got off the ferry. There was a great long strip of homes and then the beach that you could walk through. It was beautiful. After walking around for a bit we went to a briar (bbq) with something like 20 of his friends. I felt bad that I had to leave, but I’d told Matt we’d watch the Wallabies / All Blacks game that was on. Hustled back to North Sydney, made it to the Union Hotel and had a nice beer with Matt, Paul and Chris. Went to an electronic concert downtown after that (www.astralpeople.com) and had a killer time listening to Jonti and Albatross.

 

Had a great train ride with Elle today (another musician based in Sydney, really talented). Spent the afternoon with Bailey and Laura down at Kings Cross having a great lunch at Fresh Fratelli’s. A bottle of house wine and pasta are definitely a great way to turn strangers into friends. Came back to N Sydney and got ready quick to go to Jock Cameron’s place and had dinner with him and his family in Turramurra. Incredible family and group of people to spend time with.


I’m sad to be going back but know that I’ll be back soon in the future.

Sydney /  by Zachary Krahmer

On thursday I took a noon flight out to sydney to check out the city and meet some friends of friends. Flew in around 3:30 and stumbled over to North Sydney where a few friends of my friend Madison live.

They live on the second and top story of a condo just a walk from the harbor bridge. When I got here I smiled because on the two call buttons one said ‘tenant’, the other was handwritten script saying ‘boys’. It’s been a great time here. James is a musician, (check out this website for his music http://valar.bandcamp.com/), there’s a math teacher, architect, and lawyer among other things. Pretty diverse group of guys but they all mesh really well. Outside the window you can see the harbor bridge and they have an upper patio that overlooks the city. Probably one of the better views I’ve seen since I’ve been here has been in the restroom from the porcelain throne.

Last night we went out to the Opera Bar, which is the lower story of the Opera house here. Pretty classy place, lots of dressed up people and fancy tables.. After that had some shenanigans around town with these guys then came back and crashed on their couch. Today I received a meat pie (which was absolutely delightful) which is basically, well.. a pie with meat in it. 

After that I decided it would be a GREAT idea to bike down to botany bay on an old mountain bike that belongs to Tim. Anyways, 3 hours and 44 km later, I’m back home and pleased to say that I made it there and I’m ready for dinner. 

Every friday these guys have a group of people over to hang out on their roof and have a bit of a party. We’re all cleaning getting ready. Should be a fun night.