This blog has moved to ALYSSABISTONATH.com

When I started this blog it was an attempt to catalogue and make tangible the changes that were happening around me. I always think back to the moment; 23 years old, on a plane to Ethiopia, bursting with enthusiasm and joy, about to photograph my first feature. I really didn’t think life could get any better, but it did and it continues to. What do you do when you achieve everything you had hoped for at 24? You make new plans and goals. You continue to live the dream, I’ve learnt that the answer is to live 25 gratefully and 26 gracefully. Of Life after 24 has evolved. I’ve integrated my blog and portfolio as a new catalogue of everything beautiful and hopeful that has happened in these past few years. A lot of what has happened wouldn't have been possible without your support, so I hope you join me at www.alyssabistonath.com

Bless,

Alyssa

Punk Rock Pathetic

After spending the afternoon at the Riverdale Art Walk, Dar and I dropped by an art event at Knox  called "Rezound".  I contributed the above photos for the Rezound zine.  The words are by Emily from an article that she wrote about the Clash for Geez Magazine last year called Punk Rock Pathetic.  As you can probably tell I am really liking overlaying Helvetica Bold over my photos these days.  

Neglect

My friend Ali tells me that when I neglect my blog she wanders off onto the sites of my linked friends.  This amuses me because I'm often rambling about how I want everyone I know and love to know and love each other.  So if neglect leads to community is it such a bad thing?  

In any case, here you are my friend. I shot this photo as we were coming down a mountain.  This was a particularly sad day for me.  We had just met a family whose profound story moved me to tears.  I had seen a boy riding this horse earlier on our way up the mountain.  I'm not sure where he had gotten off to. There was something calming about the scene in the midst of a hectic and hard day.  

"A" Channel Clip

Here is the clip of Kurt's phone call to his morning show (on the "A" Channel) from last week.  The photos playing throughout are ones that I took during a visit with Kurt and the rest of the team to Nelson's house.

Some love from the "A" Channel

This morning my new friend Kurt Stoodley  called into his Ottawa morning show on the "A" Channel from here in El Salvador.  While he reported on our trip, a selection of photos that I've taken so far aired as the visuals!  I'm pretty excited to see the clip.

Above is a photo of a little boy named Mario that I took while visiting a family with Kurt and the rest of the gang.  Mario and his family (like many families that we have met) are really struggling.  It's been an emotional yet hopeful trip.  It's been truly amazing to see how much the WV staff here care about helping families press forward to create a future for the children and the communities alike.  

Landed and Safe

Well my friends. I landed in El Salvador on Sunday and have settled in quite well.  Yesterday was quite a busy day.  We went to the town of Armenia (I KNOW right?) and met two families that World Vision is helping.  I shot this photo on the way out of the rainy hills yesterday afternoon.

Just do your thing, Baby

Alyssa says:  Ha ha where do I start on this one?  I've had a scan of the photo of me (left) for a while waiting for inspiration to blog about it.  What better inspiration than to find this photo of my friend Dar (right) on facebook?  When I was a baby I LOVED photo albums.  I was obsessed.  I would steal them, hide in the corner and  look at them over and over again.  Also I am wearing aspen barrettes and a crisp white shirt (a typical outfit of 26 year old Alyssa).   Dar for obvious reasons is one of my favourite people to photograph (especially in leisure wear basking in the sun).  Look at the little starlet striking a pose.  It amuses me to no end to see us both in diapers (and at our respective childhood coffee tables) doing what we like best.  All this makes me think that very little has changed in 25 years - and that is oddly comforting.

Dar says: My mother sent me this photo and it kinda broke my heart (in a good way). I seemed appropriately oblivious to my dorkiness, proud of it even (which is how my mother raised me, socks n' sandals, and all), doing what Alyssa refers to as a "flourish". Damn right. I said to Alyssa, only moments ago, how I wished these two babies could have been friends way back then. The baby on the right clearly needs an audience, and the baby on the left wants to fill those damn photo albums with something she made herself. One day, they will both get what they want, and even be so lucky as to do it together. 

Not a whole lot has changed today, as I am relaxing in the sun (in questionable attire) while Alyssa is organizing, organizing, organizing her pictures like a maniac. I do not offer help, only random moments of ridiculous behaviour to try and make her laugh.