When Iceland’s Eyjafjallajokull volcano blew its top, thousands of travelers were stranded as the ash cloud formed a 3000-mile no-fly zone over western Europe. Photographer Austin Mann found himself without a ride home from Ethiopia, so he did what any enterprising freelancer would: he went to work. TWP caught up with him via email from Addis Ababa.
TWP: What are you up to in Ethiopia?
AM: I came over on March 24th to help a couple of mission groups develop media to raise money and awareness about new projects. One of the organizations is comprised of volunteer veterinarians who offer care for livestock in remote areas that otherwise wouldn’t get it. We’ve been traveling by helicopter because there are no roads and these villages are usually separated by about 7 days’ walk.
TWP: When were you supposed to fly home?
AM: I was originally supposed to head out on April 13th, flying out of Addis Ababa to Istanbul, then to London and finally home to Dallas.
“Photographers are problem solvers by nature; no shoot is the same, variables are always changing and we have to figure out solutions on the fly. This situation is no different— airlines were re-booking flights at no cost, so I capitalized on the opportunity to stay in Africa and find some work.”
TWP: When did you find out that you were stranded?
AM: I was in an internet cafe in Gonder, a city northern Ethiopia, when a photographer friend and I heard that a volcano had erupted in Iceland. We were pretty shocked that a single volcano could block out such a huge expanse of airspace.
TWP: Rather than chill in the airport (like most stranded travelers seem to be doing), you decided to look for work…
AM: I love Africa. The longer I can hang out here, the better! Photographers are problem solvers by nature; no shoot is the same, variables are always changing and we have to figure out solutions on the fly. This situation is no different— airlines were re-booking flights at no cost, so I capitalized on the opportunity to stay in Africa and find some work.
TWP: How’d that work out?
AM: I’ll be working with a mission organization called Samaritan’s Purse on some food and farming projects out in eastern Ethiopia. I also picked up a job with a group called Kairos Project in Israel starting in mid-May. I’ll be shooting a bunch of stuff for their marketing and promotional materials.
TWP: How did you find them?
AM: Friends. I talk to people as much as I can. I find out what they’re doing, what they’re about. I used Twitter to tell the world that I was stranded and available for media work; I had several responses from different African countries. Also, several friends here in Addis Ababa helped me get hooked up with Samaritan’s Purse.
TWP: Are you able to support yourself and travel by stringing jobs together as you go?
AM: In this case, yeah. I’m not getting rich, but I’ve gotten all my additional travel expenses covered.
TWP: You’re digging Ethiopia… are you really considering moving there?
AM: Totally. Ethiopia’s got amazing people, culture and character. And the food— definitely my favorite African cuisine. Addis Ababa has relatively low crime, a low cost of living and perfect weather. Much of the work I do as a mission-based photographer is in this part of the world, so it just makes sense for me to be here, at least for awhile.
TWP: So you’re not terribly upset about Ejfjallajokull…
AM: Not at all! The eruption led to a ton of opportunities now and in the future. I’ve got a tentative flight home in May, but I’ll be back in Ethiopia in early 2011.
Check out Austin’s work at AustinMann.com.
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[...] lugging expensive electronics or camera equipment. TWP asked photographer Austin Mann (who’s no longer trapped in Ethiopia) to tell us how he keeps his computer, high-end camera bodies and assortment of lenses out of the [...]