Food in the Field

November 23, 2008 |  by Jenn Ackerman  |  Africa, documentary, personal, photojournalism  |  No Comments  | 

I often find interesting links on photojournalismlinks.com and this one struck a chord in me as I am sure it does with any photojournalist – photographers talking about food they have had in the field.

I have definitely had my share of interesting foods while photographing but one time in Africa the family asked me to cook for them. I had been photographing this family for a couple of days and they asked me to join them for dinner one night not knowing I would be the cook.

After remembering this, I went back to my photos from that time and found these that one of their children had taken of me cooking their traditional dishes.

I recently posted images from my time in Zambia on my website. Check them out here.

Bloodline

April 14, 2007 |  by Jenn Ackerman  |  Africa, HIV & AIDS, photography  |  No Comments  | 

I recently watched MediaStorm’s Bloodline. There is something about AIDS and HIV that just pulls at my heart strings. I sat there in a ballroom watching this 12 minute piece holding back the tears (well trying unsuccessfully to hold back the tears).

There is something about the disease that creates a concern and compassion I have found that consumes me. I have become so interested in creating a body of work to educate people in America that this disease still exists in our country — you don’t have to cross the borders to find people dying of the horrible disease. While I was captivated by the Bloodline piece, I acknowledge the fact that there is a lot of coverage of HIV and AIDS in Africa and now India and Russia. But there is not enough coverage of HIV and AIDS in the states. I hope to change that. I hope to give a voice to those in America that are living and dying with HIV and AIDS in this country, the country that thinks it now only happens in Africa.