Steve Chinn Photography high in the Rocky Mountains of Colorado near Vail and Beaver Creek resorts, offering photo services in fine art nature prints, sports, portraits, weddings, architecture, events, framing, stock, and workshops. Steve is an active outdoor enthusiast and native to Colorado and has been photographing since 1999. His background is in fields of graphic design, fine art, and advertising.
“Seeing life through camera, teaches one to see life without a camera.” – Unknown
Steve Chinn and Amy Gaylor met at market in Vail Colorado one summer morning in 2009. We exchanged conversation, she said she liked my work and style and asked if I would like to help with CIH. Amy wanted me to go to Ghana and put my camera and eye to the test, little did I know how serious she was about the statement. I mentioned someone that I knew at a one of the local schools, Vail Mountain School, for her to work with and before I knew it the ball was rolling and the connections were strong and powerful. Amy had something very special in the works and I felt honored for her to ask me to join in. I felt as is if a turn of serendipity had fallen into my lap. My father was a long time photographer before he had passed, I have several of his black and white Korean war photos of the local village children above my computer desk that I see every day as I work. These children have big smiles and wide eyes that capture the deep souls that they possess, now it was my turn to see if I could capture what he had done in the early 1950’s.
Amy was hoping to gather a collection of photos that really captured the essence of what CIH meant to the Ghanaian children and what positive energy came from crossing over of the art and education projects from the US and Canadian kids. I must say that the experience was electrifying and has touched my soul like few other experiences I have had in my photography and travel ventures. The initial thought was that it would be difficult to capture what she was after with the difficult environment in which the children learned. It wasn’t long before I knew it was going to be an experience of a lifetime. The children and the environment turned into a photographers dream of capturing happiness, joy, excitement and the deep inner souls of kids who had so little in the material world but had so much to share in the inner world of soul and spirit, it was a breath of fresh air. Now I had a deep understanding of why the project was labeled Children Inspiring Hope. These children were elated by the creation of the projects that came from the children abroad and in turn they were just as excited to create projects in return.
It has been an honor to be a part of this program and experience it first hand with and without the camera. I took around 13,000 photos in four weeks on this venture, Amy and I had a hard time editing it down to 11,000 as each shot portrayed so much of the spirit and soul that each child holds deep within them. Those eyes, that I was so fortunate enough to photograph, gave me a view into some powerful souls….in a sense it was a religious experience. These children of Ghana, taught me a great many things without really knowing it. The people of Ghana are wonderful.
It is truly a wonderful experience and I am happy that Amy stumbled into my photo tent that one Sunday morning. I am glad to be a part of such a wonderful project. I invite others to jump on board with this project or any other project of this type of nature.
“Eyes are the windows of the Soul.” – Unknown
We invite you to look into the Gallery “Faces of Hope”… Coming soon!
