Mike's Bogota Blog: The Philly-Anolaima Photo Project

Father Angel and some of the children's photos.

The students use both old and modern
equipment for their photos.

Thousands of miles and huge cultural differences separate the big, rough city of Philadelphia, USA from the tropical town of Anolaima, in Cundinamarca northwest of Bogotá. But a Colombian-American and a Spanish priest have bridged that distance, with the help of children from both nations.

Philadelphian Tony Rocco, whose father was born in Cali, and Padre Angel, a Spaniard who has worked in Colombia for 11years. Children from both countries have done photography work, sharing their images over the Internet. But this week the Americans are visiting, allowing the two groups to share experiences, culture and photography work in person.

'Dad Working.' By John Stiven Lopez Torres,
in La Florida, Cundinamarca.

The Anolaima region has declined economically in recent years, in part because of abandonment of the railroad line thru the region, Padre Angel said. Still, the region is famed for its fruit harvests.

"By rediscovering our culture, we rediscover our identity," says Father Angel, who wants to revitalize the countryside. "If we recover the countryside, we recover peace in Colombia."

The group did a bike tour with Bogota Bike Tours. See their work at: Grupo Flor Morado

Rashawn, of Philadelphia, describes how he took the photo on the right with a pinhole camera. By accident, he created a double exposure, overlapping his own profile and a church's cross.