Colombo 2 am

Kanchana Weerakoon is the driving force behind Eco-Volunteers Sri Lanka and Journeys for Climate Change, Australia.  So when she wants something to happen, it does!  Eco-Volunteers are young Sri Lankans who want to raise awareness of climate change and get people thinking green.  Trudy, another dynamo, suggested to Kanchana that the MY STORY photo project might help by teaching some of the volunteers how to make clear, readable images to promote protecting the planet.

Colombo 2 am

View from our window

Looking down to the living room

Kanchana and Tusharef's home

By the front door

Traditional kitchen

Modern kitchen

So we found ourselves hurtling through the warm January Colombo night in a mini-van at 2 am, going from the airport to Kanchana's house in Boralesgamua, a village 13 km outside the city.  Most international flights to Colombo arrive at this early morning hour due to the unbelievable traffic into town, something which we were soon to experience.  At 2 am all we wanted was a bed, and we got a very comfortable one along with a warm welcome from our host at her large, airy house surrounded by trees and plants at the end of a narrow dirt lane.

 Tuktuk.  Close your eyes and hang on!

 They are like bumper cars for grown ups.  And a great way to get around.

The Green Team

Entrance to Sarvoyada Women's Centre

The workshop was held at the Sarvodaya Women's Centre in Moratuwa,  a quiet suburb of Colombo. The Sarvoyada Movement is a Buddhist organization providing many social and educational services all over the country  The Women's Centre is an old colonial building that has retained some of the delicate architectural details of its Portuguese past.                                                                                  

 

The students came from all over the city; for some of them the commute was a couple of hours.  But come they did!

Here are their artist portraits:

RISHA  photo: Sooriyan

SOORIYAN  photo:  Risha

PRASAD  photo:  Nadeesha

NADEESHA  photo:  Prasad

ASHMI  photo:  Imala

IMALA  photo:  Ayesh

GAYANI  photo:  Dhanushka

DHANUSHKA  photo:  Gayani

AYESH  photo: Januka

JANUKA  photo: Ashmi

In their early twenties, 6 of them had travelled with Kanchana down one of Sri Lanka's principal rivers documenting increasing levels of pollution as the water course neared cities.  Risha and Sooriyan are Tamils, Nadeesha is a film maker, and Prasad is studying journalism.

Kanchana, our fearless leader, with her sons Busara and Nipu. 6:30 am, heading off to school

You have 10 minutes......

Class time was devoted to shooting assignments, downloads, looking, and critiquing by the students.  We tried to limit shooting time, but with 5 teams of independent photographers, we often lost that battle!  The results, however, were worth the wait.
 Assignment:  Photograph something moving:

Ayesh

Ayesh

Ayesh

 Imala flies through the air with the greatest of ease.....

Ayesh

Ayesh

Nadeesha

Imala

Risha

Portrait assignment:

Ashni

Risha

Dhnushka

Dhanushka

Ashmi

Sooryian

  The assignment:  Photograph someone at work

Ashmi

Risha

Nadeesha

Prasad

Januka

Of lunches in paper and SLRs

 Lunch arrived each day wrapped in paper (good) and plastic (bad); it was delicious and huge. Rice, dal, greens, beans, a small bit of fish or chicken.

 And did I mention the papadams?











Some scenes from the classroom (inside and out)...
This is in a lovely meditation garden, operated by the Sarvoyada Foundation.

 Kanchana and Susan watch students present their photos

 On assignment...

 Gayani presents...

 Ashmi and Imala at work

 Not one of the students had ever held a SLR digital camera before! 

 Ayesh gets a lesson from Nat

 Open your eyes, Risha!

Gayani hasn't cut her hair in 2 years.

And here are some photos we couldn't resist:

Dhanushka's composition photo

Gayani's photo of a lumber yard, part of a group photo essay