Four Photographers from Two Vastly Different Landscapes
This exhibit of photographs by image-makers from different cultures explores their dissimilar worlds. For this TEOE* photographic exchange,  two individuals from Arizona and two from Guatemala consecutively hosted their counterparts for ten days of road travel to capture iconic imagery of their respective lands.

The Arizona-Guatemala photographic exchange started out in Phoenix, Arizona in March 2019, followed by a visit to Guatemala City, Guatemala in November of the same year.

The portfolio of photographs explores how cultural background informs a person’s unique vision, ranging from  the Guatemalans’ surprised response  to the vast, open, sparsely populated vistas of the arid American Southwest to the Arizonans’ joyful reaction to  the vibrant color and bustling population of tropical Guatemala.

Each photographer conveys his or her vison in relation to the newly-experienced location. Arizona is seen in terms of landscape: scenes where people are background rather than subject. In contrast, Guatemala is shown as people primarily,  portrayed  against the backdrop of  their colorful environment.

*TEOE is Through Each Others Eyes™,  a non-profit organization that coordinates photographic exchanges, educational programs and traveling exhibitions to help people around the world understand and embrace cultures different from their own.

About the Artists

Rony Mejia (Guatemala City, Guatemala) ronymejia@gmail.com
Rony was introduced to photography while pursuing an ecotourism major in college. His work in off-the-beaten-track parts of his native Guatemala and his studies in ecology, geography and anthropology often put him in the right place at the right time. His interests include travel, street, and landscape photography —  with an emphasis on mobile.

Rony’s pictures and editorial work have been published in books, magazines, brochures, campaigns, websites and advertisements for the Guatemalan National Parks Service (CONAP), Tourism Board (INGUAT), Defensores de la Naturaleza Foundation and private clients.

Javier Alvarez-Vassaux (Guatemala City, Guatemala) alvarezjavier633@gmail.com
A psychologist by profession, Javier’s interest in photography began when he was a teenager. He entered into digital photography around 2005, when he bought his first digital camera. In 2012, he joined the Club Fotográfico de Guatemala, where he found a very stimulating environment in which to learn and explore the endless opportunities that photography offers. 

Javier’s work has been published in the Club Fotográfico de Guatemala Annual Book since 2013. He collaborates with several non-profit organizations, especially in fields related to nature conservancy, cultural Guatemalan themes and folklore.

Geoff Reed (Phoenix, Arizona) geoff@geoffeedphoto.com
Geoff is a Phoenix, Arizona-based photographer providing corporate, editorial, travel & adventure photographs of people on location for business and consumer print and web publications. His interest in travel originated in his early years growing up in India, France and Central Africa, and as a commercial photographer he enjoys working with clients throughout the United States.

Geoff teaches commercial and digital photography classes as well as summer international study abroad in Prague, Berlin and Vienna through Maricopa County Community Colleges. His work has been exhibited at Art Intersection All Art Arizona 2019 and 2020. 

Rebecca Wilks (Yarnell, Arizona) info@drwilks.com
Rebecca has been an avid nature and travel photographer since her teens.  She strives to connect others with the natural and cultural. The camera permits her a unique viewpoint and a meditative way to interact with nature, people, color and emotion.

Her work can be seen in Arizona Highways publications as well as in Outdoor Photographer Magazine, Budget Travel Magazine, Vermont Magazine, Cowboys and Indians Magazine, and Popular Woodworking Magazine. Rebecca also enjoys creating images to assist nonprofits and has volunteered in this capacity with Rotary International, the Wheelchair Foundation, Cooperative for Education (Guatemala), and Open Arms Home for Children (South Africa).