As people around the world are bombarded by the striking aftermath photos from the Haiti earthquake, a group of photographers have quickly collaborated on a fundraising magazine for Haitian relief. Proceeds from the publication are being donated to the Red Cross.
Spearheaded by Bay Area photographer Lane Hartwell, Oné Respe collects images from pre-earthquake Haiti combined with essays. Contributions have been donated by photographers such as Peter Pereira, Mary Ellen Mark and Chet Gordon.
"I kept thinking, how can I do something with photography," said Hartwell. "That's the only thing I have to do anything with."
The morning after Haiti suffered a 7.0 earthquake, Hartwell contacted Pereira who had been working in Haiti two months prior. Intent on a quick turnaround, Hartwell selected photographers instead of soliciting submissions. "We wanted to get it out and on the shelves as quickly as possible, and that was what we did," she said.
Hartwell hopes the photographs selected offset the grim images pouring in from Haiti. "It's a really hopeful issue," she said, "These are really hopeful photos, and they show the beauty of Haiti and the beauty of the people there." Hartwell and Pereira are discussing ways to revisit Haiti when rebuilding begins.
The magazine is being produced by MagCloud, an HP web service that prints on demand. Derek Powazek, an associate of Hartwell and employee of MagCloud, offered to design the magazine. Powazek also arranged the production with HP and MagCloud. Other friends stepped in to write press releases or arrange the magazine's layout. "It was a combined effort of a lot of people," said Hartwell. She estimates the magazine was available within 30 hours of conception.
Word is spreading through Twitter, blogs and other social media. Photographers have begun offering ad space for Oné Respe on their websites. The magazine is featured on MagCloud's front page and the company is donating their printing costs so that proceeds can go directly to the Red Cross.
Cover image of Oné Respe by Peter Pereira
This article has been updated to reflect MagCloud's decision to donate their printing costs.
