Travel Diary: Alor Archipelago, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia: Part 2
This is part 2 in the Alor series, so if you haven’t had a chance to look at those images, head here to check out part 1. Not that this is chronological, but go have a look there for more. In any event, Alor just kept delivering in not only photo opportunities, but just as an incredible place for me to be alive. Life seems to slow down for me whenever I’m here. The sounds of the ocean, the handshakes of the people I’ve met, the food… life becomes fairly uncomplicated and being present is the default rather than something I need to consciously tell myself to appreciate. It started to feel like a flow state, and I guess that’s all I can ever ask for…
Travel Diary: Alor Archipelago, Nusa Tenggara Timur, Indonesia: Part 1
If you’ve been reading this blog for any length of time, you’d know how special this place is for me. Alor sits to the far east of Indonesia and while I first started going here for diving (and still do, really) three years ago, I’ve come to appreciate everything above water maybe just as much as the incredible underwater vistas that initially drew me to this awe inspiring place. I only had maybe 30-40 minutes to shoot before hopping on the dive boat each day, but that allowed for morning strolls right when the light was getting good. I ventured out on some afternoons right at golden hour to see what I could find and had a couple of surface intervals on little local islands that provided for some amazing opportunities to meet some incredible craftspeople. That said, shooting wasnt my priority on this trip
Travel Diary: Bangkok - Part 2
After waxing on perhaps excessively in Part 1 on the origins of my photography journey, I’ll keep it a bit more succinct here. Wandering through the streets of Bangkok with a fresh perspective after all those years stirred up feelings of familiarity right next those of utter novelty. That notion of confluence - the brackish waters of old mixing with new, juxtapositions of the traditional colliding with the ultra-modern, familiar scenes intermingling with the altogether novel, the mundane blending with the weird. These places have a gravitational pull, always drawing me in. Transitions and the interplay between two seemingly opposing forces, that dance between the odd couple… It’s where the most interesting things happen. Influences ebb and flow back and forth, reshaping each other into a new voice and aesthetic. A new noise.
Travel Diary: Bangkok - Part 1
In 2007, I boarded a plane to Thailand, about to take my first plunge into living overseas. I was the walking, talking version of a clueless 20-something in search of purpose. After 34 hours in airports and wildly uncomfortable plane seats, I landed in Bangkok around midnight. The city hit me like a ton of bricks— the sounds, the smells, the chaos. Tuk-tuks zipping by, street food at every turn, and the heat. It was sensory overload in the best possible way. It was like a shot of adrenaline, and I felt alive in a way in way I had never experienced. Over the coming months, I went through every emotion — excitement, confusion, loneliness, wanderlust, the lot. Though after a month, I was convinced I’d never leave despite the absolute mine field of emotions I was going through. I felt like I was on the right path even though I had no idea what that path actually was.
Sri Lanka Workshop Recap: Part 1: Central Highlands and the Southern Coast
Travel is a funny thing. Despite due diligence and research, trying to control all the variables is often like carrying water in a sieve - a lesson in futility. This is not to say throw caution completely to the wind, but rather understand going into it that things will inherently be different than any preconceived ideas regardless if you’ve been there before. So, with that being said, this trip to Sri Lanka was a lesson in laughing at the weather when it should have been far less...moody and often grumpy. Maybe it wasn’t grumpy, but it definitely wasn’t blue skies and gorgeous sunsets. So, when these things happen, a bit of a change in perspective is necessary. It allows us to start thinking in a mindset that’s not really so much about “perfect travel conditions” but rather looking at the conditions and making images that play to the strengths of each situation. So that golden light isn’t there….. so what. Are we going to sulk around and whinge about the shitty weather or do we start looking for pools of light, reflections from the rain, indoor markets, texture, beauty in the mundane and decisive moments. Perhaps we need to start thinking more about how to create compelling with what’s in front of us rather than what is traditionally seen as beautiful. This is definitely a do as I say, not necessarily as I did because there were more than a couple of occasions that shook my fist at the sky and groaned at another overcast sky. We’re all human, but it’s not the end of the day if things go differently than we thought. If it was, oh man, I’d have been witness to about a million apocalypses at this point in my life.
Travel Diary : Florence and Tuscany and Over-tourism
From Lucerne, I made my way down through northern Italy and ended up in Florence for a few days with a couple little excursions out into the Tuscan countryside. Upon entering the city, it’s pretty clear why it such a popular destination- the city is a stunner. Renaissance art, incredible architecture, some of the best food on the planet and a damn good coffee game. What’s not to like?
Travel Diary: Lucerne, Switzerland
From Zurich, I met up with my parents and headed down to the picturesque little city of Lucerne. Sitting on a the eponymous lake, Lucerne exudes that Swiss quaintness we all hear of. Old world charm in a nutshell. Medieval roads, towering old churches, you know, the works. Coupled with a trip down to a couple of Alpine towns, needless to say, charm was oozing. Epic mountain landscapes mixed with picture perfect little towns…what’s not to like? Specifically, Grindelwald is crazy beautiful. I bet snowboarding there would be ridiculous. Break out the apple wine and schnitzel, I’m here for it.
Travel Diary: Zurich, Switzerland
I booked a flight to Zurich to meet up with family and did absolutely zero research on really anything. I pretty much outlined the last meet up with the family and this time they had taken care of most of the planning, so I figured I’d let the places just kind reveal themselves to me. My first time to Switzerland, I had only the stereotypes and I was sure there was more to it than visions of cowbells, Alpine chalets and expensive watches. That said, I didn’t expect to find some grittiness in the cities. I should have known there will always be areas where the misfits, the strange, and fringes go. Leave it to me to stumble into these areas without realising it. I booked my hotel based on a decent proximity to the train station and it ended up right on the edge of the red light district. Needless to say it’s a bit of a departure from the quaintness of the old part of the city. Aimlessly wandering, I popped into a Tattoo shop to check it out and ended up hanging out with a few of those guys on the street just watching the endless stream of amusement on Langstrasse. Interestingly, even though it was filled with all kinds of sketchiness, I never felt unsafe. The American in me experienced a bit of cognitive dissonance in that places like this in the States necessitate your head on a swivel for sketchballs and people trying to jack you. This didn’t feel like that. It’s this juxtaposition that I love seeing anywhere I travel to…The swirling mixture of modernity and tradition, clean and grit, new and old. It’s where all the interesting stuff lives.