The black and white portraits of English In Action tutors and students are taken by local photographer, Michele Cardamone. The portraits show the heartfelt and unique cross-cultural friendships that develop between the organization’s tutoring pairs in the process of learning English. The joy and pleasure evident in these relationships tells an important story. Often we see only the cultural divides in our community. These can be bridged when people are willing to work together and forge friendships.
In 2012, Michele Cardamone came to English In Action with the idea of taking a series of high-quality portraits of students and tutors against a consistent backdrop. Her vision was to capture the interactions and special relationships that develop within the organization’s tutoring pairs. Cardamone donated her time to complete the project. She was motivated by her desire to show the ways that one-on-one tutoring can transform the lives of both students and tutors. Since 2012, Michele has taken over 50 beautiful portraits of English In Action tutor/student pairs. Photographer and philanthropist George Stranahan donated the printing, and Bill Poague donated his time to mount and frame the photos, many of which are displayed in our El Jebel location.
The color photographs on this website of English In Action’s snowshoeing expedition were also taken by Michele Cardamone, as were the Staff and Board of Directors portraits. Michele continues to be a staunch supporter of our work at English In Action, and we are grateful for her invaluable and heartfelt contributions.
Klaus Kocher is an award-winning photojournalist and Adjunct Professor in the Isaacson School at Colorado Mountain College. He holds an MFA in Photography from Ohio University along with a Bachelor’s in Business and Bachelors in Food Technology from Iowa State. Originally from Switzerland, Klaus resides in Glenwood Springs, Colorado, where he continues his work as a freelance photographer. He has traveled extensively overseas and has lived abroad in Chile, Costa Rica, Honduras, Mexico, Germany, and Spain. Of his adventures, Klaus says, “Travel is the basis of my life story. As I travel to different places, poor places, perhaps exotic places, I have found people who have common yet unique stories to share.” Klaus is now an active tutor with English In Action. He and his student, Hector, share their stories when they meet each week to study English. Klaus thinks the most important aspect of being a photographer is having a point of view. He makes art from the experiences he’s lived. We are grateful that Klaus continues to share the view from his lens and life experience with our English In Action community.
