A journey back to Guatemala turned into a cultural exploration project for photographer Efren Lopez. It inspired him to connect the Latino community with the art world for his new local photo exhibit.

The Syracuse University student and U.S. Air Force photographer opened the small collection of photographs, ‘The Photographer as a Child: Memories of Guatemala,’ Jan. 27 at the La Casita Cultural Center.

Lopez said it wasn’t until he traveled back to Guatemala that he realized how much he had lost from his past, which gave him the urge to document his homeland from the perspective of a child. He said he started seeing himself in the kids, which brought back his childhood memories.

‘That kid is me when I was his age,’ he said about his photo of a smiling boy looking out a window. ‘I was just happy to enjoy life — poor, but happy.’

The exhibit features a small memoir of his life growing up in Guatemala next to each photo so others can read the artist’s thoughts as he experienced his return home. It begins with a portrait of an elderly woman that Lopez said reminds him of his grandmother.

Lopez immigrated to the United States with his family at age 7. He said he went to school for the first time after moving into the country, though he struggled throughout high school and community college.

‘Art was the only thing I was good at,’ Lopez said.

After helping his mother and family for many years, Lopez said he decided to join the military to continue helping others. He joined the Air Force Reserve in 1998 and became a photographer.

Lopez recalled a time when his family was deported back to Guatemala. Shortly after being back, the earthquake of 1976 struck the nation. He said he remembers standing in line for food as the U.S. military provided aid to him and his neighbors.

‘I wanted to help people in military humanitarian missions, like the military helped us in the earthquake,’ Lopez said.

Lopez said his life came full circle during his military service. He has been on several disaster relief missions around the world with the U.S. military. He also served a combat tour in Afghanistan.

Now, Lopez said, his education has taken center stage. After years of applying to the SU military photojournalism program, which is considered the best advanced photography training for active-duty service members by the military, Lopez became the first reservist accepted.

‘I did not believe it,’ Lopez said. ‘I never thought I would be able to get in.’

In one class, Lopez said, he was assigned to interview a well-known photographer of his choice, but he found it difficult to find one with Latin roots who connected with his culture. Because of this, he said, he decided to continue his documentation of the Latin world so he could help bridge that gap and be a role model for Latinos in the art world.

Simon Perez, a broadcast and digital journalism professor, is a first-generation American with immigrant parents from England and Spain. He said he can identify with Lopez’s cultural experience.

‘It’s interesting the way he has a dual country experience,’ Perez said. ‘His foreign background easily relates to me and others.’

Lopez said he will graduate the SU military photojournalism program in May and return to his reserve unit at March Air Reserve Base in California to continue his service with the military. He said he plans to produce a coffee table book of his work from Guatemala, which will include an in-depth memoir.

Luz Encarnacion, a native of Puerto Rico and community activist, said encouraging children to become culturally aware helps kids make good decisions, become professionals and further themselves.

‘I was very impressed,’ Encarnacion said. ‘The meaning of the pictures is what I want to bring to my community.’

vherna02@syr.edu

Published on February 12, 2012 at 12:00 pm