It’s not just what you see but how you see it.
A small group of NMSU photojournalism students took their cameras to small towns in southern New Mexico as part of a project in photojournalism professor Bruce Berman’s classes in the Department of Journalism and Media Studies.
“I’m always thinking ‘what would I do if I were still a student?’ And I would want something real, not just academic,” Berman said. “So, I proposed the Small Villages Project, and they liked it.”
Berman spearheaded the “Small Village New Mexico” photo-documentary project more than a decade ago when he urged his students to begin documenting life in small villages along the Rio Grande Valley between Hatch and Anthony.
“I was able to get some really good shots and explore the villages,” said Hannah Hunter, a senior graduating in May with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies.
“I'm not from New Mexico. I moved here only two years ago, so it was a great opportunity for me to immerse myself in the culture as well.”
Although the exhibition of the students’ photos began last month, the photojournalism students will be on hand for a discussion of their work at a reception from 5 to 6:30 p.m. Friday, May 5, at the Branigan Cultural Center, 501 N. Main St. The exhibition and reception are free and open to the public. The show will run through June 24. The cultural center is open 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday.
“I do my absolute darndest to capture moments, capture environments and capture the real culture of the place,” said Nathaniel Bitting, a senior graduating in December with a bachelor’s degree in journalism and media studies. “I think one of my favorite shots was in Old Mesilla, I went down a street and found a firefighter squad just washing their truck.”
“It was a challenge for me because I've been trained as a commercial photographer and this is a documentary project,” said Leslie Gonzales, who will be earning a bachelor’s degree in 2025 with a double major in journalism and media studies as well as filmmaking. “It wasn't just a project for me, but a really big learning experience. It was about balancing the style that I've developed as a photographer and finding pictures that were significant to this project.”
Other photojournalism students participating in the exhibit include Jewel Dominguez, Kaitlin Espiritu, Daniel Espinoza, Talulah Aguilar, Willie Cummings, Juan Echeagaray, Colton Montoya, Elijah Reyes, Evelyn Sandoval and Ivan Perea.
“I feel more ‘New Mexican’ now,” said Gonzales, who was born in Las Cruces, but grew up in Texas in a suburb north of Dallas. “Viewing this project through the lens of a camera, you sort of start to feel that sense of community coming through.”
Berman sees the project as a way not only to stretch his students’ creativity with hands-on experiences, but also to document and preserve the changing landscape of these small towns as urbanization continues to erase them over time.
“Ten years ago, La Mesa had lots of tractors up and down, and now it's becoming more of a bedroom community,” Berman said. “So, what we photographed has become a lot more relevant than I ever had expected. It's about what we see here in our small villages of southern New Mexico. But 10 years from now, let's say, these villages will not look anything like they look now.”
Berman has a small publishing company and is working with the students to publish a book of their photos. Bitting is co-editing the book, which will have 11 chapters, one for each student in the exhibition.