LOS BATAYES

"Using documentary photography, I took portraits of Haitians in one of the poorest areas of Dominican Republic, the bateyes. Despite the advent of digital media in 2004, I decided to use B& W 400 ASA film to add an aesthetic gritty quality that I thought would mirror the harshness of life in the sugar-cane plantations. Using available light allowed me to capture the environment in a natural way that created a composition in harmony with the people and the landscape. Though I used a 35-mm manual camera, which was unobtrusive, allowing me to navigate with my subjects with discretion and ease – my presence was noted immediately, especially by the children who seemed unable to stop laughing, running and asking me questions. I met some remarkable people and one of them was Madame Giselle (not her real name)."

DIASPORA DIARIES: Visual Resistance in the Bateyes of Dominican Republic By: Régine M. Romain

Grant Recipient: Hostos Community College Teacher Training in Dominican Republic