Straight from the heart

American-born photographer Thomas Ives has worked for international news and feature magazines for over 38 years. His photo essays and images have appeared in National Geographic, Time, Geo, Stern, Newsweek, Life, Smithsonian, and many others publications. He currently lives in Vilcabamba with his Ecuadorian partner.

Madonna on Bus

Young Ecuadorian girls take on the responsibilities of motherly care with ease. This young woman sat on a thin mat on the floor of the crowded bus, holding her brother while he slept. It was a bumpy, curvy ride … I know her arm or legs had fallen asleep … she never moved, never flinched … just sat there with the grace-filled gaze of a Renaissance Madonna. Our eyes met once, she was the first to smile.

— Thomas Ives

To read the article about Thomas Ives, click here.

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Copyright © 2015 by Thomas H. Ives