Powerful images by Mt. Airy photographer now on exhibit

by LEN LEAR

Mt. Airy photographer Conrad Louis-Charles, 42, whose work can currently be seen at InFusion Coffee and Tea Shop, 7133 Germantown Ave., through June 27, is definitely in the major leagues. His poignant images have been exhibited in galleries in Paris, Brazil, the Dominican Republic, Japan and Old City Philadelphia, just to name a few. His stark images of poverty, homeless children and others in obvious distress are not for the faint of heart, but their poetic soulfulness lingers in the mind like a rainbow.

"I want to bring an awareness to what is happening to street children in Brazil and eventually to street children in big cities all over the world," explained Louis-Charles, 44, whose magazine assignments have taken him all over the world.

"I've driven around with social workers in Brazil. There is a lot of street crime and a lot of police abuse. Kids are murdered on a daily basis.

"Despite that, I love Brazil. The culture is very rich. There is a great diversity of ethnic groups, and people are friendly. They work to live rather than live to work. I feel at home there. The landscape is also gorgeous. It has everything I want in a country."

Louis-Charles, whose mom is from the Dominican Republic and whose dad is from Haiti, was raised in Mt. Airy and Glenside. He graduated from La Salle High School and studied photojournalism and film at Eastern Michigan and Temple Universities.

As a teenager, Conrad's interest in photography began during long summer vacations in the Dominican Republic and Haiti, where he roamed the streets in search of interesting light. His first camera opened up a new world of visual inspiration and expression and became a way to explore and understand his Caribbean roots.

Early in his career, he was a fashion and product photographer working at various in-house catalog studios before moving on to documentary and travel photography. Louis-Charles also freelances as a videographer and plans to work in film. He has worked for various travel magazines in Brazil and shoots stock images for Photonica Agency. Throughout the years, assignments have

taken him to Asia, South America, the Caribbean, Europe, and Antarctica. His passion now is photographing Brazil.

"Traveling from the United States and crossing the borders of the Dominican Republic and Haiti during those early years have rewarded me with unique cross-cultural experiences," said Conrad. "My Dad's camera, which was gathering dust in the closet, found its way into my backpack. Seeing seemed to be an easier form of expression than words."

Louis-Charles eventually published two books in Brazil. The Dream, a fundraising book sponsored by SAP America for the Emerson Fittipaldi Foundation for street children in Sao Paulo, Brazil, was followed by Terra d'agua, which was sponsored by Rhodia Farma Pharmaceuticals. The book is about a medical research expedition to the Amazon where Conrad accompanied Brazilian doctors and photographed life and conditions among the local populations living along the Tapajos River. Conrad is currently doing research for a documentary film and book on religion and folklore in northeast Brazil.

"Traveling with my camera is a soul-searching journey, to the extent that it is something sacred to me," said the photographer. "There is something very special waiting to be discovered on every journey, whether it is thousands of miles away from home, or right around the corner in my neighborhood. But traveling abroad is my preference of course, and throughout the years, I have come to see my travels as a pilgrimage of sorts, where I hope for experiences that will renew my heart and imagination."

For more information about the exhibit, call 215-248-1718.