A plan emerges

I met with Sunil yesterday.  We went over some of the registration procedures, filled out forms, and later my bill for room & board was presented.  We also had a chance to discuss my work at the hospital.  He wishes to prepare documents outlining the hospital’s community outreach program.  I've already prepared a one page summary and now he wants something more detailed as follow-up. 

He asked again what I hoped to do here.  This is frustrating as I have communicated on more than one occasion, directly and through Unite for Sight, my desire to do photographic work.  I showed him the three page layout I did of surgery a couple of days ago and he told me he wants a set of photographs that can be compiled in a book to demonstrate the hospital’s workflow, including photos of all types of tests and surgeries here at Kalinga. 

In the 5 days I have remaining this will be difficult as at present surgeries are being performed on only two days – the next one is Sunday, my next to last day.  I asked him if he could provide a list of all the types of photographs he wants and he has produced a list of 32.  The complication is that he would prefer to follow one patient through the process, which in the time I have available may not be possible.  We’ll see.  There remains the question of layout and the production of a book, which I am sure I won’t accomplish on site.  Should I get enough photos, I might be able to produce one off site. 

It would have been far much more productive if I had been given such a list before I arrived.  I feel I could have accomplished everything that needed doing if I had adequate prep time. 

Let’s see what happens.

The list of images Sunil wants arrived, oddly enough, while I was photographing more surgeries, this time under a different doctor.  Got some nice shots of the anesthesia procedure and focused more this time on the people in the room than the process. Also experimented a bit with different angles, shooting from patient level, or from on the floor.   

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