Lespwa is Creole for “hope,” which is what two Colorado photographers aim to offer small aid groups working in Haiti by using stunning visual images to help tell their stories and build support.
Lespwa Haiti () features the eye-grabbing work of Colby Brown of Denver, whose work is shown above, and Ray Tollison of Fort Collins. The world-class photographers share a desire to document humanitarian projects, even if they have to pay for that privilege out of their own pockets. Earlier this month, they were in Port-au-Prince to photograph earthquake relief efforts.
The website is a work in progress: A planned re-launch in mid-July will showcase more complete accounts.
“It’s more like a mix of storytelling and fine arts photography than photojournalism,” explained Brown, who freelances for organizations like National Geographic and The Red Cross. Lespwa Haiti’s reporting will follow chosen rebuilding projects over the next five years, something mainstream news outlets can’t offer, he said.
“The media attention span only lasts for so long,” Brown said. “People start moving on, it fades,” but Lespwa Haiti aims to show progression. It’s also about offering high quality photography to worthy groups that don’t have the resources to hire experienced photographers and Web designers. Marketing studies show quality visuals can increase fundraising results for non-profits by as much as five times.
Tollison is a staff photographer for World Relief and has covered its programs in places like Kenya and Rwanda. But he and Brown are committed to championing smaller, non-governmental organizations in Haiti with the help of their former Peace Corps pal Melissa Basta, who speaks Creole and lived in Haiti for years.
Together, these talented young turks will use their skills, connections and social networking to make an alternative and altruistic approach to getting information out to audiences who might otherwise lose sight of the ongoing struggles in Haiti.
Kristen Kidd (kiddstories@gmail.com) is raising two sons in Highlands Ranch and writing a screenplay about Kathryn and George “Machine Gun” Kelly.
