Robert Hanson, director of Elgin Symphony Orchestra, was a pleasure to shoot. We shot several backgrounds and outfits. He was very willing to let me try different things and we had a very smooth shoot. Robert Hanson, named 2001 Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, has been Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra since 1985. Hanson came to the ESO in 1974 as assistant to Margaret Hillis and became Co-Music Director in 1983. Under his guidance, the ESO has become one of the finest and most celebrated orchestras in the Midwest.
The lighting for this shoot was kept very simple with only one main light into a large softbox on the right and a head with a grid as a kicker from back right. The shot where he is conducting we dragged the shutter about 1.5 to 2 secs and allowed the modeling lights to expose. We did the last shots by the sliding glass doors in the studio conference room. Hopefully I can work with him again and try a little more unexpected type of shots.
Haba na haba, hujaza kibaba.
Little by little, fills the pot.
As this Swahili proverb says, all things are possible if you just take it little by little, step by step.
And, little by little, we can make a difference, one person at a time.
In 2001, when I visited Tanzania for the first time as a volunteer for Habitat for Humanity, I was captivated by the country’s awesome beauty and warmed by the people’s hospitality. I was also overwhelmed by the devastating impact of AIDS, especially on young people. In 2000, there were one million AIDS orphans in Tanzania. This number is expected to reach 1.8 million by 2010. One in ten children in Tanzania under the age of 15 will be orphans. One-fifth to one-third of the children has lost one or both parents to AIDS.
When I returned home, I began thinking about what I could do to help. With Grace Ndunguru Msindai, a Habitat for Humanity project coordinator I met in Tanzania, we founded Haba Na Haba. We are a small but resolute incubator that nurtures local initiatives and empowers young adults, most of them AIDS orphans. Our goal is to build thriving businesses that provide on-the-job training and jobs with fair wages that enable these young men and women to support themselves and create a hopeful future.
Your Purchases Make a Difference
Businesses supported by Haba Na Haba design and produce unique fabric and textile products such as decorative pillows, table linens, and fashionable clothes. We hope you will find these products a wonderful addition to your home as well as a reminder that we all can make a difference in the lives of people all over the world.
Part of the profits from the sale of each item support job training and educational opportunities for at-risk youth in Tanzania.
- Beth Peterson
This is a shot that I took of Beth a while back. I also did a bunch of photography of the pillows that this organization produces in Tanzania. Take a look at their website at www.habanahaba.com
Robert Hanson, director of Elgin Symphony Orchestra, was a pleasure to shoot. We shot several backgrounds and outfits. He was very willing to let me try different things and we had a very smooth shoot. Robert Hanson, named 2001 Conductor of the Year by the Illinois Council of Orchestras, has been Music Director of the Elgin Symphony Orchestra since 1985. Hanson came to the ESO in 1974 as assistant to Margaret Hillis and became Co-Music Director in 1983. Under his guidance, the ESO has become one of the finest and most celebrated orchestras in the Midwest.
