Antony Ledezma Mendin & The Bethlehem Youth Club – A photo shoot for Opportunity Nicaragua When Antony was eight years old his parents divorced, and his family disintegrated around him. Antony’s mother is Costa Rican, but his farther is Nicaraguan. When the family broke down Antony’s father returned to Nicaragua, forcibly taking Antony with him. They moved to the Nicaraguan Capital of Managua and shared a house with Antony’s grandmother. Life at home was tough, and the family relationship was strained. Antony rebelled. He fought with his father and grandmother, who also fought with each other. At a young age he began experimenting with drugs, smoking and drinking, by 12 he decided living on the streets was better than at home. He ran away. Antony lived on the streets with a group of friends. They stuck together and protected each other. To get money they would steel whatever they could, sometimes visiting local farms to rob fruit and then sell it on the street. As he got older, the group of friends developed into a gang; drugs and gang related violence became part of life. Antony looks back on his past drug use with open honesty, recalling “I was crazy, […] Read More
I had an fantastic time photographing and staying at the luxurious Aqua Wellness Resort in Nicaragua. Located near Playa Gigante, the resort is a world of luxury in a secluded bay with gorgeous white sand and perfect sunsets every afternoon. Here are some photos from our sunset shoot. No matter how many monkeys I have seen on my trip around Latin America, I can never get enough of watching them and photographing them. I shot the silhouette image above then turned around to capture his friend in another tree in completely different light. Here are a few early morning shots of the beachside restaurant and the beautiful yoga instructor, Sunshine. Read More