M'Lady and the Bridge

Click here for some photos of Katie and my recent trip over the Brooklyn Bridge!

We Were Inverted, Man

Immigration Rally - May 1st, 2007

To see photos of the May 1st rally for comprehensive immigration reform, click here.

Argentina 2007

To see pictures of Katie and my recent trip to Argentina, click here.

Father and Son

From the Archives:

Black and White Photos from Thailand.

A Winter Day in Camden

I spent President's Day weekend in Camden, NJ with Katie and her girls from Dominican Academy. We stayed at the Romero Center - a social justice retreat center in East Camden - and I got the chance to reconnect with a lot of old friends from my days as a JV there. I spent Saturday with my friend Larry Pizzi walking and driving around Camden, noting both the signs of hope and despair, and taking photos throughout. Despite the cold weather, folks were in good spirits and even remembered us from our photo adventures years back! Click here and here to see a few of the photos from our trip.

Photo Mosaic

This is one of my first attempts at a Photo Mosaic. The base photo is Katie and I. The source photos are a mixture of 125 different shots; some are photos that I took of Honduras, Camden, Fordham, NYC and at protests, others are downloaded images of Haiti, Ecuador, Spokane (where Katie did JVC), MLK, Dorothy Day, Oscar Romero, and then some light ones like cookies, rocking chairs, and daisies - sort of a collection of things that Katie and I love. The program then recreates the photo by using small versions of the source photos. Crazy huh?

Peace Games Photo Project

We recently initiated a "Kids with Cameras-esque" project with an organization known as Peace Games and PS 191, a local elementary school. With the support of eight great Fordham photography students, we taught a small workshop on photography and its various applications. We then gave the children black and white disposable cameras and let them go crazy. Keeping with the philosophy of Peace Games, we asked that they shoot the important things in their lives that remind them of peace. We then developed their photos and walked them through the editing process. The children then picked their favorite photo and wrote about its significance. We now plan to enlarge the photo and, with the attached writing, exhbit the project at Fordham. The project has been a great success so far, and we're hoping that it grows in the years to come. Check out the following link for some action shots of the project. We hope to get the children's photos up soon too!

Photos from Immokalee

Check out the following link for a small slideshow of photos from my recent Fordham trip to Immokalee, FL.

Waffle House Sunrise

Hey folks, I know that it's been a little while since I've posted any photos. I just got a new digital SLR though and I've been slowly and steadily taking more photos. I just returned from chaperoning a Fordham Global Outreach Trip to Immokalee, FL - where I was able to take a bunch of photos - and Katie and I will be going to Argentina in April after I take the MCAT (hoping to go back to medical school!) - hope to take a bunch there too! Anyhow, I hope everyone's well!

Shamrocks and Shenanigans

As some of you may know, I just got back from a 10 day trip traveling around Ireland. We rented a car in Dublin and drove around the coast - on the left side of the road and the right side of the car! - stopping in Killarney, The Dingle Peninsula, Doolin, Galway and Derry in Northern Ireland, where we saw Van Morrison in concert. The trip was great and the sites spectacular - check out the following link to see a short slideshow of photos from the trip.

When One Bike Breaks

As we approach Easter, a time when we focus on peace, love and a renewal of spirit, I can't help but reflect on my experience in Thailand. I mentioned to the Fordham students with whom I worked many times how I thought this photo embodied so much of my Thai experience - a simple sharing of the little one has, and with a smile! One student's bike breaks on the ride to an afternoon picnic, a piece of rope is found, and the friend with his bike that works pulls the other upward and onward. Community like this is such a treasure. May we all be inspired by such sharing and humbly seek to live it in our daily lives! God bless and Happy Easter!

LA Protest Against Immigration Legislation

"Police said more than 500,000 people marched Saturday to protest a proposed federal crackdown on illegal immigration. Wearing white as a sign of peace, and waving flags from the U.S., Mexico, Guatemala and other countries, they came to show that illegal immigrants already are part of the American fabric, and want the chance to be legal, law-abiding citizens." Associated Press

Could you imagine such public support for their anti-immigration legislation. That certainly doesn't mean it won't get passed though. Please contact your representatives and let them know that you don't support HR 4437. What this country needs is just immigration reform, not legislation that will further marginalize our immigrant population!

The Camden 28 Film Screening - Fordham Lincoln Center

I wanted to let you all know about an event that we'll be having here at Fordham Lincoln Center this Monday March 27th at 7pm.

We are going to be screening a movie called the Camden 28, which recounts the 1971 raid of a Camden draft board by activists protesting the war in Vietnam. In the group were one Lutheran minister and four Catholic priests, including Rev. Ned Murphy, Fordham University Jesuit, founder of the P.O.T.S Soup Kitchen in the Bronx, and one of the area’s leading proponents of social justice. All but one of the remaining 23 were Catholic lay people. All were part of a nonviolent anti-war movement the government and the media referred to as the “Catholic Left,” which had claimed responsibility for over 30 draft board raids and the destruction of close to a million Selective Service documents and had become one of the most inventive forces of the anti-war movement. The group hoped to call attention to war’s damaging effect on urban America.

The documentary tells of covert preparations, government intrigue, the raid itself and the ensuing legal battle, which Supreme Court Justice William Brennan called “one of the great trials of the twentieth century.” A quarter-century later, key participants openly discuss their motives, their fears and the tremendous personal costs of their actions. It is a story of friendship and betrayal played out against the backdrop of one of the most turbulent periods in recent American history.

Anthony Giacchino, the film's producer and director is going to be in attendance as is Fr. Ned and we hope to have a question and answer session following the film. It should be a really neat evening and I'd love for all of you to be there.

The event will be taking place in the New Student Lounge. If you're interested, RSVP at x7464 or giftos@fordham.edu.

Much Peace,

Jon

Monks Enjoying Some Soup

Monks Enjoying Some Soup
Originally uploaded by giftos.

I've finally scanned in some of my black and whites from Thailand. To see them in slide show format, click here.

Land of Thai

Thai House Father
Originally uploaded by giftos.

I've posted a handful of my color photos from Thailand - feel free to check them out. I hope to have some of my black and white photos scanned in soon. This was the house father with whom I stayed while in Ban Nong Hoi, a small village in the Isan Province on the border with Laos.

Back from Hiatus - sort of

Hollis Shadow
Originally uploaded by giftos.

For whatever reason I went almost the entire fall in New York without taking any photos, and I must say that I really missed it. Thankfully, I had a great trip to Thailand over break (I chaperoned a Fordham Global Outreach trip) and I hope to post some photos from my time there very soon. In the meantime though, this photo was taken in Hollis, NH in December during an outing with my buddy Larry (see link). I really liked the composition, especially the shadow in the bottom left, and the partial reflection of the house and the tree in the pond.

Fair Trade Coffee

My Mug
Originally uploaded by giftos.

I recently wrote an article on Fair Trade coffe for my hometown paper, The Nasha Telegraph. If you have time, click this link to check out. Hope everyone's well.

Onward and Upward

So, my year as a Jesuit Volunteer has come to a close. My housemates and I said goodbye to Camden on the 6th and embarked on a little adventure down the Appalachian Trail to fundraise for JVC East. The hike was both a fundraising success and a great way to spend time with the other communities that we didn't get to see as often. And, despite the rain, we had a blast. There is a link below to photos from both the hike and our time at Blue Ridge.

As some of you may know, I'll be starting work on Monday as the Assistant Director of Service Learning at Fordham University. Grad school was put on hold for the time being as I reevaluate exactly what I'd like to study. I'm super excited about the job though and equally as excited about moving to NYC. I'll be living in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn with three others FJV's; Will, Matt and Ryan. Our house, though it may not be clean, is always open to visitors so come on by.

Lastly, I'd like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your support throughout the year; it was tough at times (getting my car stolen, having my office in Atlantic City collapse, being perpetually broke) and your support was always greatly appreciated. Peace out amigos.

See this link for a small slideshow of photos from the hike.

This is a link to the rest of my photos in slideshow format. Hope you enjoy.

The Hidden Homeless of Camden

Some of Camden's forgotten . . .







Here's a link to a slideshow of my more recent photos.