Mittens

Perhaps no other local illustrates the rugged American Southwest better than Monument Valley. This must be exactly how the famous Hollywood director John Ford felt when he first discovered this magical landscape in the mid-thirties, and is the reason why he chose to shoot several of his blockbuster westerns here including, Stagecoach in 1939 and How The West Was Won in 1962. Although it still receives relatively few tourists compared to other parks in the region such as Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona or Zion and Bryce canyons in Utah, most people still find it familiar. This is no doubt due to the countless advertising campaigns that have featured the monuments as the backdrop for marketing their rugged image. Toyota trucks and even the United States Marine Corps have used the scenery, but nobody seems to spend more time here than the Marlboro Man. Yes, that fictional cowboy the Marlboro Man is the reason why most people in the world have seen pictures of Monument Valley, whether they realize it or not. In fact, I have noticed billboards in Kathmandu and posters in Tokyo featuring Monument Valley's vistas and always point out to people, "Hey,that's where I'm from". Actually, the only people that can really claim to be "from" Monument Valley are the people of the Navajo Nation as Monument Valley sits entirely inside the borders of the Navajo Indian Reservation, the largest such reservation in the United States. For centuries the Navajo have been ranching and farming this land and consider many of the monuments to be sacred.
Just South of the border with Utah, these are probably the most famous monuments in the valley and together they are known as The Mittens. No matter how many times you go to Monument Valley, they never cease to inspire awe with their shear size and perfectly eroded shapes of a left and right mitten. I chose this composition because I felt the beautifully striated boulders in the foreground not only lead the viewers eyes nicely into the photograph but also added the depth I needed in such a vast landscape shot. Recently, I came across an old photo of the East Mitten taken decades ago by Ansel Adams in which his tripod must have been in the same exact spot as mine. Had I seen that photograph ahead of time, I probably never would have taken this shot because the challenge for any professional photographer in a place as photographed as Monument Valley is to get a unique perspective of a familiar place. However, in this case I felt very proud and honored. Not only did I stand where the legend once stood but, for that one photograph, I also experienced the same creative vision as him.

The Daibutsu and a Sakura Tree

This photograph shows the "Daibutsu" (Giant Buddha) silently meditating in Kamakura, Japan as he has for over 750 years. It was commissioned by Yoritomo Minamoto, Japan's first Shogun, to celebrate his victory over the archrival Taira clan. Cast in bronze and weighing in at 850 tons, it originally sat inside a great hall which was washed away by a tsunami in 1495. Fortunately, being exposed to the elements for over 500 years has only added character and tranquility to the Buddha's likeness.
Sakuras (Cherry Blossom Trees), like the one in the foreground, are revered by the Japanese for their fleeting beauty as their gorgeous blossoms last for only a week or two. Due to this transitory nature of sakura blossoms and the inclement climate of the Eastern coast, it actually took three trips to Kamakura to capture this iconic Japanese image.
Whereas, I usually go to great lengths to avoid putting random groups of people into my landscape photographs, in this particular case I needed them to show scale. I also like how they naturally illustrate the reverence they still have for their "Daibutsu".

Two Toothed Grin

There are two distinct types of images in travel photography; those that you plan for, usually in the form of beautiful landscape photographs, and those which come about serendipitously as you wander the streets with your camera and a keen eye. This is a great example of the latter.
I made this portrait in the charming town of Hoi An which is draped with the influence of all the seafaring cultures of both Asia and Europe that have been trading here for over four centuries. I was actually walking back to the old French part of town to photograph some of the buildings and architecture I had seen the day before when the lighting wasn't ideal. I took a shortcut through the main market, figuring Asian markets are always a good source of those afore mentioned serendipitous moments. Wait a minute, can you plan for serendipitous moments? Ah yes, the middle path, Buddha would be proud! Anyway, as I came out the other side of the market I saw this old woman walking towards the market on the other side of the street. I knew instantly, I had to take her portrait. I approached her with a smile and my best attempt at hello in Vietnamese. I quickly found out that we weren't going to understand a single syllable of what each other was saying. Given her age in Vietnam, it very likely she actually speaks three or more languages as many of the older generations can speak, French, Chinese or even Russian. Unfortunately, I am no more familiar with those languages than I am with Vietnamese. Fortunately however, I also found out that it really didn't matter. She was one of the sweetest people I met during my two months in Vietnam. We must have had a twenty minute conversation on that sidewalk. A conversation of meaningless words, yet an incredible amount of understanding and laughter. I was definitely intrigued by her. After all, she has lived through several wars, been colonized, seen governments come and go and probably walked to this market everyday for the past sixty or seventy years. Certainly a tough life by many standards, yet she was every bit as jovial and full of pride as this photograph would indicate. If only those wrinkles could speak, I'm sure there is an amazing story for each one of them. If only I could understand them if they could!

La Corona de la Iglesia

This is the crown or "corona" that tops the beautiful and historical Cathedral of Our Lady of Guadalupe in the old quarter of Puerto Vallarta. I wanted a silhouetted shot of the crown with the red hued sunset and ocean as a backdrop. This turned out to be far more of a logistical challenge than an artistic one. I walked up the steep cobblestone road to get behind the church and did my best to explain to the locals what I had in mind. After about thirty minutes of entertaining the locals with my attempts at Spanish and futilely looking for a clear view, I was beginning to think there was a good reason why I hadn't seen this image on any postcards. Finally, a local family understood what I was out for and introduced me to their neighbor, whom they said had the best view of the church in town. He ended up inviting me up to his rooftop where I took a few frames, drank a few cervezas and enjoyed some great, if not broken conversation with a local family. Once again, my camera opens doors that no key ever could! It is this symbiotic relationship between travel and photography that stirs my passion for this career.

Beam Me Up

This is an example of an image that I planned for extensively. Having been to this location months prior, I vowed to come back at the perfect time to get this magical shot. That “perfect time” only occurs around noon in the summertime when a crack in the narrow walls above cast this perfect beam of sunshine on the sandy ground. A tripod and a carefully timed exposure helped capture, what I consider the world’s most beautiful and natural sundial.

Queen of Skin Care

I was commissioned to take some product shots for the soon to be released skin care line called Skin Cubed. I love shot not only for it's aesthetic value, but also because it serves as a example to me that it doesn't take a fancy studio or expensive equipment to make great photographs.
To create this shot I used items such as a cookie sheet, tinfoil, pitcher of water and a turkey baster, items more associated with a kitchen than a photography studio!
Perhaps more than any photo I have ever taken, this shot reminds me that it's all about being able to think creatively and posses the technical knowledge to create your vision. I believe that really good photographers are among the rare group of people that can combine these two, sometimes opposing skills, to create memorable images. Some people think pragmatically, others artistically, photography often requires you to do both. As I usually take this "middle path" it's no wonder I found my calling in photography.

Khlong Damnoen Saduak Floating Market

Taken from a bridge that spans the “khlong” (canal) at the heart of the market; this shot offers a glimpse of how transportation and commerce took place in Bangkok when it was still known as the “Venice of the Orient”. These days, most of the khlongs in the capital have been replaced by congested streets. However, it is still possible to find active floating markets all over the kingdom, such as this one in Ratchaburi Province.