PASTO, Colombia, 19 June 2016 — This is the setup I put together for the current assignment in Colombia, on “religion and climate change.” It’s the same iPhone 6+ that I used last year in the Ecuadoran Amazon to shoot, “When the Forest Weeps.” But this time I purchased inexpensive mounts, and a very inexpensive metal ruler, plus some heavy-duty Velcro. Then I cut, drilled and bent it all together. This setup is small, lightweight and cheap. It’s taking the concept of “backpack video journalism” another step further.
I’m on assignment for American University’s Center for Latin American and Latino Studies (CLALS) to assist a student who won one of this year’s AU-Pulitzer Center International Reporting Fellowships. Camila DeChalus is working on a film about how Colombian coffee growers, with the assistance of the Catholic church, is coping with the impact of climate change. I’m here to support that effort, and will do some shooting on my own, as well.
(Photos by Esther Gentile)
