July equipment delivery and microgrant notes

This year's long summer trip to the US allowed for a chance to make pick ups for both the Microgrant and Equipment Delivery programs. Through the two programs, 14 young photographers in Colombia have now received almost $5500 in material support of their careers during the last two-and-a-half years.

A Nikon d5100 camera body for Alba Bran was purchased in anticipation of the completion of Microgrant 10. She received the camera last Sunday after the final funds needed to complete the grant were received (that's her to the left in a photo that fulfills her request not to have to look at the camera).

The last several equipment deliveries have included purchasing and delivering photobooks not available in Colombia. This time two requests from Margarita Valdivieso were fulfilled: Yonkeros by Jaime Permuth and Of People and Houses: Architecture From Styria by Livia Corona.

Finally, fototazo gave as a straight gift both an archival negative binder and PrintFile 35mm negative sleeves to Natalia Lopera who from here on out will no longer have excuses for not properly caring for her negatives (right, Natalia?).

If you will be coming to Colombia and would be interested in carrying a piece of equipment to Colombia to help a photographer here, please email fototazo@gmail.com.

November equipment delivery and microgrant, mentor, and class notes

I got back to Medellín last night from a short, week-long trip to visit my mom. I brought back with me a Lumix LX7 and a Transcend 32GB SD card for Natalia Lopera under the auspices of the equipment delivery program. Under this program, the photographer pays the full price of the equipment, but the equipment is bought for them in the United States in order to give them access to US market prices. This saves the photographer roughly 30%, depending on the equipment. Once a local market price for the Lumix and the card have been established, I will add the money saved to the running total that the equipment delivery program has saved for young Colombia-based photographers on the donations page.

In microgrant photographer news, Mónica Lorenza Taborda - Microgrant Photographer 7 - has a show of her project "Espacios domesticados" at the library of the Facultad de Medicina of the Universidad de Antioquia. The flyer is above. Felicitaciones, Monica!

The mentor program is currently being reorganized and will relaunch later in April and the pull-out class I teach to the microgrant photographers that live in Medellín will be this Sunday, with the goal of establishing a group portfolio to show to local exhibition spaces in hopes of organizing a show for them later in the year.

Lastly, while I'm on it, the current microgrant received a donation of $2 yesterday. This is a fantastic reminder that donations of all sizes are vital for the program to be successful, smaller sizes as well as $100 donations. What's important is to contribute, if you are able and at the level you are able, in order for the program to function.

November equipment delivery

A trip to the United States in October allowed me to pick up a camera and lens for two recent microgrant recipients as well as other equipment for photographers in Medellín as part of the equipment delivery program.

Johana Guerrero Serrano, above, came by last weekend to pick up her recently funded microgrant camera, a Nikon d3100. With her boyfriend filming on his phone and her little sister at her side, Johana's happiness spilled over into tears and hugs, a reminder for me of how much the grants mean to those receiving them and a spur to look for ways to increase the program funding to expand it.

The trip also allowed me to pick up the Nikkor DX 55-200mm lens for microgrant 7 recipient Mónica Lorenza Taborda Gutiérrez and deliver that to her last weekend as well.

In addition to microgrants, fototazo also runs an equipment delivery program, organizing the delivery of equipment from the US for photographers in Colombia to give them access to US market prices as well as to equipment hard to obtain in Colombia. Under this program, photographers pay the full amount, but save on average 25-30% in comparison to Colombian prices. This trip was a small delivery, a replacement eyecup for the Nikon d5100 that was delivered to Aura Lambertinez in June of last year and two books for Edwin Ochoa, a copy of Photography Changes Everything by Marvin Heiferman and The Photograph as Conceptual Art by Charlotte Cotton.

April Equipment Delivery and Microgrant Distributions

Santiago Rúa Henao and Juliana Henao Alcaraz

The moment of handing over the equipment brought through the equipment delivery program and the equipment purchased through the microgrant program is the highlight of running this site. Yesterday I had the chance to do so three times.

First Santiago Rúa Henao and Juliana Henao Alcaraz came by to pick up their equipment. Santiago purchased a Nikon d5100 and a Nikkor 55-200 lens through the equipment delivery program and Juliana received a Canon Rebel EOS T3 through the microgrant program. Late in the afternoon, Zhuyi Palacio Gallego, also a microgrant recipient, came by to pick up her Nikkor DX 18-105mm lens.

fototazo launched its equipment delivery program in June 2011 to complement its microgrant program. Santiago saved $502 by being given access to US market prices.

Juliana received a microgrant of $280 and Zhuyi received a microgrant of $300.

In total, these three photographers saved $1080 that they can reinvest in more equipment or that they can use for tuition fees to continue their photographic educations.

Zhuyi Palacio Gallego

November Equipment Delivery

© Natalia Lópera

Equipment prices in the United States are frequently cheaper than in other parts of the world and many international photographers can be helped by being given access to US market prices. In response, fototazo launched its equipment delivery program in June to complement its microgrant program, organizing the purchase and delivery of equipment from the US for young, emerging Colombian photographers. More information about the program can be found in the post on our first delivery here.

fototazo would like to extend a huge thank you to photographer Juan Posada for his help in bringing equipment from Los Angeles to Medellín for Natalia Lópera, Aura Lambertinez and Oscar Ulloa. All three of these young Colombian photographers purchased LCD screen protective films for their Nikon cameras. Natalia and Oscar received cameras through the microgrant program; Aura received her camera through the equipment delivery program. Juan's willingness to bring the equipment to Colombia allowed these three photographers to purchase the items at US market prices, saving them money that they can reinvest in more equipment or that they can use for tuition fees to continue their photographic educations.

Statistics on the money saved by photographers through this program will be tracked on the donate page. If any of our readers will be coming to Colombia and would be interested and able to bring equipment, please email us.

October Equipment Delivery

© Daniela Serna

fototazo launched its equipment delivery program in June to complement its microgrant program. Information about the first delivery can be found here.

Equipment prices in the United States are frequently cheaper than in other parts of the world and many international photographers can be helped by being given access to US market prices.

In response, fototazo has begun to purchase, pick up and hand-deliver equipment from the United States to young, emerging Colombian photographers on trips between the two countries. In this program the full price of the equipment is covered by the photographer.

This month fototazo made its second equipment delivery, purchasing and importing a Nikon d7100 for Rossana Orozco as well as a Nikon d3100 LCD Protection Film for microgrant recipient Daniela Serna and a 52mm Hoya UV Filter for Aura Lambertinez whose Nikon d5100 was delivered to her through this program in June.

Statistics on the money saved by these photographers through this program, money that they can reinvest in more equipment purchases or towards their tuition fees to continue their photographic educations, will be posted when firm local market values for the equipment are established.

If members of our network of readers will be coming to Colombia and would be interested in carrying a piece of equipment to help a photographer here, please email fototazo@gmail.com.

fototazo Equipment Delivery Program

fotoazo has begun a new service to complement its microgrant program.

Equipment prices in the United States are frequently cheaper than in other parts of the world (and average wages generally higher). Many international photographers can be helped by being given access to US market prices.

In response, fototazo has begun to purchase, pick up and hand-deliver equipment from the United States to Colombian photographers on trips between the two countries. In this program, the full price of the equipment is covered by the photographer.

The first delivery was made in June, a Nikon d5100 purchased for Aura Lambertinez. One of her photographs from a project on Medellín's Barrio Triste is above. With a kit lens through B&H Photo in New York, the camera cost $895. The street price in Medellín for a Nikon d5100 with a kit lens is 2.390.000 pesos or $1,328. By being given access to the price of the camera in the US, she saved $433, money she can invest in more equipment or put towards her tuition fees to continue her photographic education at the Universidad de Antioquia.

If members of our network of readers will be coming to Colombia and would be interested in carrying a piece of equipment to help a photographer here, please email fototazo@gmail.com.