Yesterday images from my project, The Europeans, were featured on the New York Times Lens Blog. Needless to say I’m pretty excited that my work is reaching a larger audience. I’ve been working on this project for the past seven years and there have been many times where I [...]]]> What  nice image to wake up to!

Yesterday images from my project, The Europeans, were featured on the New York Times Lens Blog. Needless to say I’m pretty excited that my work is reaching a larger audience. I’ve been working on this project for the past seven years and there have been many times where I felt I was toiling in obscurity to say the least. Getting a little recognition every now and then feels good.

And then you go back to work. Photographing in small churches, walking down lonely lanes and living the same life you did before. I’ve always felt I was incredibly lucky to be able to do this work on my own terms. I’m going to continue being lucky as long as I can…

“Damaso Reyes will investigate the growth of European Pentecostalism led by immigrants from former European colonies. Reporting from Spain, England and Ukraine, Reyes will examine how Charismatic faiths are growing while traditional European Christian [...]]]> There’s some good news this week: I’ve been awarded a Knight-Luce Fellowship in Global Reporting from USC Annenberg!

“Damaso Reyes will investigate the growth of European Pentecostalism led by immigrants from former European colonies. Reporting from Spain, England and Ukraine, Reyes will examine how Charismatic faiths are growing while traditional European Christian religious observance continues to decline. Reyes is a photographer and writer whose work has appeared in The Wall Street Journal, Der Spiegel, and The Christian Science Monitor.”

As you can imagine, I’m pretty excited! I’m looking forward to doing some traveling this spring and exploring this topic in more depth.

For me what’s interesting is how this all started. I was here in Barcelona last spring and I heard some music from my bedroom window. I went down to investigate and found a small group of Pentecostals singing and evangelizing on my street corner. I started taking photos and they invited me to come and photograph at their church later in the day. I did so and kept coming back week after week. What started as a personal project grew into something more. The more I learned the more I began to form connections and the more I wanted to explore this topic in other countries. Less than a year later I get this fellowship.

For me the take away is how one never knows what a personal project will lead to. If you want to grow as a photographer working on your own personal projects isn’t just nice, it’s the most important thing you can do.

HOW TO LAND COVETED INTERNATIONAL REPORTING ASSIGNMENTS

Location: 119A This panel will inform reporters on how they can land opportunities to go overseas, gain experience, and report international news [...]]]> If you are down in Philadelphia for the convention of the National Association of Black Journalists stop by the panel I will be moderating on Thursday, August 4th at 11:30.

HOW TO LAND COVETED INTERNATIONAL REPORTING ASSIGNMENTS

Location: 119A
This panel will inform reporters on how they can land opportunities to go overseas, gain experience, and report
international news stories at a time when news organizations are shutting down international bureaus.

Damaso Reyes, International Reporter and Photographer
Calvin Sims, Program Officer, Ford Foundation
Nikole Killion, Correspondent, Hearst Television Washington bureau
Mara Schiavocampo, Digital Correspondent, NBC Nightly News

The panelists are top notch and the information we will be discussing is crucial if you want to break into international reporting. See you there!

]]> While I was in Rochester earlier this year I sat down with Kodak TV for an interview about my work. Here is the result!

Engineer, Geneva, Switzerland 2007

I moved around a bit this year though things got off to a slow start. Before heading back to Europe I got to visit Senegal for the first time!

Hostess Yaune Ndiaye

I spent a few months in Tallinn, Estonia at the [...]]]> It’s 2011, what better time to take a look back at the year that was?

I moved around a bit this year though things got off to a slow start. Before heading back to Europe I got to visit Senegal for the first time!

Hostess Yaune Ndiaye

I spent a few months in Tallinn, Estonia at the Polymer Culture Factory getting into all kinds of trouble!

Artist Rebecca Strain

After Estonia I made my way back to the States and actually visited California for the first time ever!

Of course then I spent three months in Vienna, courtesy of the Ford Foundation. It’s hard to believe everything I did while I was there. I published an article about Austria’s asylum policies in World Policy Journal; I had an exhibition at the Amerika Haus and and managed to take a few images to boot!

Not too long after getting back from Vienna I found myself in Germany for a short trip!

And how did I end my year? Why in Cuba of course!

I can only hope that 2011 is as visually interesting as 2010 was!

Thanks to everyone who came out last night for the opening of my exhibition and for everyone who couldn’t come but sent good wishes. It was a great turn out and lots of fancy people showed up inlcuded two of the subjects of my photographs, which was pretty awesome.

As I mentioned that evening this work [...]]]>

Thanks to everyone who came out last night for the opening of my exhibition and for everyone who couldn’t come but sent good wishes. It was a great turn out and lots of fancy people showed up inlcuded two of the subjects of my photographs, which was pretty awesome.

As I mentioned that evening this work has been made possible only through the support of a number of people including the good folks at the Fulbright Commission and the American Embassy, not to mention all my friends here in Vienna who have let me stay with them or helped me find my subjects. And of course the people of Vienna who have let me photograph them. My deep thanks to all of you who have played a role in this project!