Author: Seaghn

I was born in 1962 under the sign of the Lion. What I have done as a photographer is unimportant to me. What is important is what I am going to do. I love my job. Photojournalism is my life. Photography is life.

Plea From A Simple And Humble Photographer Who Fights

This is a letter I shared with pretty much everyone in my address book.  It is from my heart.  I’d like to share it with those who are not yet in my address book.  Those who I hope soon will be.

I will be making archival, museum quality prints from my journey available to those who wish to purchase them and support the project.  

If there is a special photo you love and wish to share with the generations and loved ones please contact me.

Forgive me if I have breached etiquette and protocol in making this plea.  But, I am a firm believer in the power of asking.  

otherproject(at)gmail.com

Love,

~S


Dearest Fellow Traveler,

I am writing to share some recent developments in my life with you.

I have departed America upon an important journey.  During the afternoon of New Years Eve I left Chicago for San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas, Mexico.  I am going to follow the Zapatistas “Other Campaign” throughout Mexico for the next six months.  As a documentarian, photoethnographer and participant.

The Zapatistas, led by Delegate Zero (Sub Commandante Marcos), are spending the next six months sharing their message and “listening to the voices of the simple and humble people who fight”.  Not a lot of “rah rah” political rallys and hellfire speeches.  But rather, a conversation and dialogue.

My own project, which I am calling the “Other Project” not only documents the Zapatistas, but stand as the personal travelogue of a documentary photographer.   I am just an ordinary man with a camera.  Every day I meet interesting people with extraordinary stories to tell.

This is a trip that began without a plan.  It was planned at one point, fell apart, then simply happened.  Sometimes in life, one just has to show up and figure out the rest later.

For anyone who has read me, you know I have a passionate, albeit fanatical, socio-religious world view.  I know this makes some people uncomfortable and I’m not exactly everyone’s cup of tea.  But, I simply cannot make this journey without your prayers and support.  

I invite you to travel along with me in words and photographs.

As you may or may not know, I am a person with a life challenge.  I have CNS sleep apnea and severe epilepsy.  So, the logistics of this trip are a bit more challenging than for a non-disabled person.  I have made the difficult decision to travel without my devoted Service Animal, Mara.  At times, I know it will be difficult.  But, I have an indomitable spirit. With your help and support I promise to persevere to the end, wherever it leads.

This is an important, once in a lifetime opportunity.  I would regret it all my life if I didn’t do it.  A man needs to step up once in a while trusting in God to sort it out.  I have faith in the goodness of humanity.  I have faith in your humanity.

I am reminded of the Hungarian pistol shooter, Karoly Tacaks. He won the Gold Medal at the Olympics in 1936.  He was the best pistol shooter in the world.  Just prior to WWII Karoly lost his right hand in a military training accident.  Karoly disappeared from the face of the earth.  For years, no one heard from him or of him.  In 1952 he showed up at the Olympic Trials.  He had learned to shoot with his left hand.  He went on to win the Gold Medal.

If you’d like to come along, please walk with me from time to time at…

http://www.boomantribune.com/user/Seaghn/diary

http://www.blogger.com/otherproject

http://www.flickr.com/seaghnhiggins/

..where I’ll be sharing fragments of the journey.

The point of any personal journey isn’t necessarily to arrive, the point is simply making the journey.

Let’s not miss the opportunity…

Please remember the intentions of a most unworthy photographer in your prayers and well wishes.

Love,

Seaghn

To keep up with news of the “Other Campaign” on the ground reference this excellent site:  http://www.narconews.com/otroperiodismo/

PS  While I unfortunately cannot respond to every email individually, please email me privately seaghn(at)gmail.com and I will respond as I am able.

PPS  To my beloved members of Spunn, I will return to finish what we started. We still walk the path to Burning Man hand in hand.  

Communiqué from the Clandestine Revolutionary Indigenous Campaign – General Command of the Zapatista

Comrades,

Following Commandanta Ramona’s passing, Delegate Zero’s caravan returned to San Cristobal to mourn.  

http://www.narconews.com/Issue40/article1542.html

I took this time to get a days rest and work on logistical issues.  

The communique’ is here:

http://chiapas.indymedia.org/display.php3?article_id=117315

Love,

~S

Photos to come…

The photos accompanying the diary text will be posted a little later this evening…

I hope you will find them filled with passion and love…

Seaghn

Leaving America…

This was supposed to be posted first…

Seaghn
12/31/2005 4:28:01 PM

Depart Midway Chicago to Atlanta…

8:15 PM

Comrades,

I am writing to you aboard a flight to Mexico City.  I am bound for Chiapas.

I am going to document the Zapatista (EZLN) “Other Campaign” for the next six months.

This is a project that came together, fell apart and was forgotten about.  It was still in a state of disarray yesterday when there was a voice mail inviting me to Chiapas.  

This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.  I decided to go.  

The “Other Campaign” is a journey.  Often times the point isn’t necessarily to arrive.  The point is simply making the journey.  

This is what men and women like me do.  The phone rings, we go, to share in the struggle.  

This is my first international assignment since I retired 10 years ago.  I neither depart, nor arrive without some trepidation and mixed feelings.  As, I alone do not carry the burden of failure.  I have loved ones depending upon my success in this project.  

I have risked everything.  I have no funds.  No financial support.  Only a camera, film and some faith in the goodness of humanity.  Faith in the goodness of your humanity.  

My family and I remain in need of spiritual, financial and material support.  I humble ask you to support me in this quest.  

My loved ones, whom I leave behind, need your prayers.  

As I am able, I will send you the pictures and the words of the journey.  
As I embark the plane in Chiapas I will carry within me the hopes and dreams of each and every one of you in my heart.  

Pray for me…

Hasta la Victoria Siempre,

Seaghn

otherproject(at)gmail dot com

http://www.narconews.com/Issue39/article1515.html

Ola! From San Cristobal de Las Casas, Chiapas!

Salud y abrazo from the simple and humble people who are journalists in struggle.

1/2/2006 11:16 PM

Greetings from San Cristobal de Las Casas!

My Dearest Comrades,

Please forgive me that I haven’t updated you until now.  I hit the ground with the cameras firing and haven’t stopped.  


It’s been a few years since I’ve gone over 48 hours without sleep.  It’s been nearly 10 years since I’ve undertaken a major documentary project.  It’s been 9 months since I looked through a lens for the first time since 1996.  

I cannot find the words in the English language to express how alive I feel in this moment.  This is what God put me on this earth to do.  To bring you the pictures and stories that make your heart swim.  It is my humble honor and privilege to do so.  

The “Other Campaign” is not a Zapatista campaign.  It is not a Mexican campaign.  It is the world’s campaign.  It is my campaign.  It is your campaign.  It is our campaign.  

You will find the news of the day from on the ground from many other independent media outlets.  They are set up to deliver the information to you in this fashion.  

I have chosen, rather, to approach the “Other Campaign” from a photo ethnographic point of view.  That is, to document the cultural phenomenon of the “Other Campaign” in the eyes of the people.  Through a persons eyes you can see their heart, their soul.

Photo ethnography is the art and science of representing cultures visually.  It is a subset of visual anthropology.  

On the morning of Friday December 30 I received an invitation to work in solidarity with the Amado Brigade documenting the Other Campaign.  At 6pm that evening, in consultation with my loved ones, the decision was made to leave for Chiapas.  Less than 12 hours later I departed Chicago.


I don’t know what I’m going to find here.  I don’t know what the project will become.  I only know that I’m not leaving.  I must do this.  

As a cynical middle aged journalist I came to Chiapas looking for a reason to believe.  

The “Other Campaign” will never end.  It is only a humble beginning.  It is a flow.  We are touring Mexico until July 2006 listening to the voices of the people.  I will remain with the campaign until its return to Chiapas in July.  

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My code word for my inner experience of the movement will be called the “Other Project”.  As is the “Other Campaign” the Other Project is original and indigenous.  It is independent.  It is a dialogue.  It is inclusive.  It is non-capitalistic.  
I stopped in the church last evening and prayed for guidance and support.  I had my cameras blessed.  There is no patron saint of photographers.  My own patron is Camilo Torres, a man who left the priesthood to join the guerillas.  Camilo was killed in action.  I ask you most humbly to please pray for his intercession.   Pray for Camilo to guide and protect me along this photographic journey.  





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As I left the church the Zapatistas entered the city led by Sub Commandante Marcos.  I jumped into them consumed in the moment, was nearly trampled and busted up one of my cameras.  Soon, hundreds upon hundreds of Zapatistas and indigenous peoples filled the city square.  With the voices of the people shouting Viva!


I cannot yet speak Spanish.  I came here knowing only a few words.  I could not understand Marcos’ words, though some were translated for me.  I could see it in the eyes of the people.  I could see their tears, tears of hope, salvation and redemption.  I must admit I shed a few of my own.


The tone was one of invitation and conversation.  

When you hear the news of the day, of war, of torture, it must seem sometimes as if the world is coming apart.  When you feel this way, visit with me here for a while and learn of something good.  

Here you will learn of one photographers struggle.  I will do my best to bare my soul through images and words, to make the best pictures I can.  Though many times I falter and stumble as a man.  


While I try to not repeat the mistakes of the past, like any human on the path of life, I am sure to make all brand new ones.  I’ll try to learn from those, too.  

At the end of our journey I will be assembling a book and an exhibition to share with you all.  The Other Project will be the only complete and comprehensive visual document of the Other Campaign.  


I will not allow this project to become infected by the cancer of the marketplace.  No corporate media.  No corporate sponsorship.  It is a self-governing autonomous collective.  

As I have shared with you before, often times the point of the journey isn’t necessarily to arrive.  The point is simply making the journey.  

I invite you to make this journey along with me.  In my heart I will carry your most noble hopes and dreams.  


Share this journey with your loved ones.  Share it with the world.  

<img src="http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/nicodk/r001-016-47.jpg"width="400"
I am an ordinary man with a camera.  Every day I meet interesting people with extraordinary stories to tell.

<img src="http://i24.photobucket.com/albums/c3/nicodk/r001-003-44.jpg"width="400"
I cannot do this without your prayers and support.  While being anti-capitalistic, it does not mean that we aren't people of goodwill exchanging goods, services and ideas with one another.  We do this equitably and without exploitation.  

If you would like to become an angel along our journey, write us at otherproject(at)gmail dot com to find out how.  

If you’re unable to help in the physical world, then perhaps you will help in the metaphysical one.  Spend a few moments with the Supreme Liberator.   Hear the Good News of Liberation from sin, personal guilt and oppression.  And, share the Good News with your neighbor.  

This isn’t a revolution of guns.  It is a revolution of the heart.  

Let the world change you and you can change the world.

Join with us…  

Viva la Revolucion!

Hasta la Victoria Siempre,

Seaghn

The Invitation

Comrades,

I want to thank you all, especially Nico, for inviting me to your discussion.  

I am not much of a writer.  I write, as I photograph, from my heart and not my head.  So, it is with some trepidation that what began as a letter to a few friends was shared with so many.  I am humbled if you are moved by anything I have to share.  

I’ve received a number of requests for my photographs.  In 1997, in a fit of madness, I burned my prints and negatives.  

The photographs that remain are in my possession.  And, will no longer be shared with the world.  I do this out of respect for the Humans Being in my images.

My current work may be seen here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/seaghnhiggins/

I have more essays I will post soon.  My Thanksgiving essays were much less considered and far more emotional.  

I hope what my diary lacks in quantity and frequency, will redeemed by virtue of its content.  

I am a private man.  By nature, I am shy.  

Thank you for you kind regards…