mr. lebaron: laramerica's first intern

photojournalist, world traveler and adventurer, and laramerica's first intern, mr . nathan lebaron

the talented mr. nate lebaron has agreed to help me out in between his forthcoming adventures in the highlands of guatemala during his gap year & heading off to (my alma mater!) sarah lawrence college in the fall of '13.  

one of nate's amazing photos

What was your favorite photography experience?

Traveling in India. The entire time I felt the urge to walk around
town with a camera drawn to my face. Many of the strongest visual
memories I have from that trip were seen through the viewfinder on my
camera. The colors were overwhelming at times, I thought I'd go blind.

What is currently the favorite photo you've ever taken, and what do you like about it?

i first saw this at a show nate had in downtown provo a year or two ago

That's a very tough question. I guess that directly ties into what
my favorite photographic experience is. In India I was most alert and
interested in what I was photographing, so it doesn't surprise me that
the sequence of photos I have from India are my favorite. They fit
together so well. Each photo complements the next. They fit together
to make like a story. A brilliant, chaotic, colorful story. But if I
had to choose a favorite, it would probably be the one I took of the
Mehrangarh Fort overlooking the Blue City, Jodhpur. I took it from the
roof of our hotel, so the view is spectacular. I love the way the
shadows of the buildings fall all over each other, giving it just the
right amount of contrast. Many of the buildings there are painted
blue, which complements the even flow of the foreground. And the
framing of the fort with the town down beneath works quite well, I
think. The rest is just sky, blue like the city. I love pictures with
lots of sky.

What attracted you to Sarah Lawrence College?

I like writing and taking pictures. Sarah Lawrence seems to be the
right kind of place for someone with those interests. I think it would
be wise to surround myself with the kind of people who share an
interest in these things, while providing support and an appreciation
for what I do. I'd very much like to be a part of that same community
to provide the same support and appreciation for my peers.

Tell us what you'll be doing in Guatemala?

In five days I'll be boarding a plane to Guatemala, where I'll be
volunteering for a non-profit organization that supports and operates
a street school and dormitory that houses children living on the
streets in the city of Quetzaltenango. To raise the funds for this
project, I'll be taking tourists on 3-4 day treks through the
highlands of Guatemala. Which basically means I'll be roughing it for
eight months. It should be good for me. And I'll finally be learning
Spanish. And I'll bring a camera of course.

What inspires you, and why?

People who go about changing things. Nothing tickles my
imagination more than 'the never been done before,' developments in
visual art, good screenplays and writing, new thoughts and theories,
feminism, and social progress as a whole. People who commit their
lives to these things are my greatest source of inspiration. I'd like
to go about my life contributing to as many of these things as
possible.