Denver-based freelance multimedia team James and Jessica Chance spent five weeks documenting a cemetery in the Philippines.

In the past few months James’ photos from Living with the Dead: Manila’s North Cemetery, have received numerous human rights and photojournalism recognitions, and been selected for seven total exhibitions throughout Europe and the United States (a full list of his awards and recognitions is below).

Of course, we are elated that the work and the people featured in it are being recognized and acknowledged by so many astute institutions.  It is a wonderful, and humbling, experience, which allows for some reflection on where we have come from since the story was shot.  When James and I first stepped foot in the North Cemetery in April 2008 we were taking a leap into a world of independent reporting, working together, and producing a body of work that would possibly never be published by a recognized media institution (it wasn’t).  When we left the cemetery five weeks later, we took this footage in our backpacks, and left behind new friends, photos, and bags of rice.  We didn’t know how or where the work would be received.

Flash forward two years: This unique story is receiving some incredible attention, due in no small part to James’ persistence and talent. We are still working together, and making a living producing multimedia and photo work for organizations here and around the world.  That was our mission, then and now.  We hope that someday, the attention James is receiving will help us return to the North Cemetery to continue working with the people who live in this unique community.

Continue reading and see a never-before-seen “tour” of the cemetery on the Chance Multimedia Blog.