Travel Diary : Alor Archipelago, Indonesia
It’s hard to really convey into words about how special some places in the world are. That said, if there was a list, Alor is currently sitting at the top. These images have been waiting to get published for around a month. During that time, I’ve been staring at the screen trying to figure out how to say how incredible this place is and I don’t think it’s possible to really convey with words, my photos, or even the mix of the two. These images are from the small time I spent above water in between diving and seeing all the incredible creatures of the ocean. Time seems to stand still. I know I’ve spoken about how time seems to slow down in some places, but somehow in Alor it feels like the world just stops and you’re in that place you’re supposed to be. At least it is for me. I can’t get enough of it.
It’s hard to really convey into words about how special some places in the world are. That said, if there was a list, Alor is currently sitting at the top. These images have been waiting to get published for around a month. During that time, I’ve been staring at the screen trying to figure out how to say how incredible this place is and I don’t think it’s possible to really convey with words, my photos, or even the mix of the two. These images are from the small time I spent above water in between diving and seeing all the incredible creatures of the ocean. Time seems to stand still. I know I’ve spoken about how time seems to slow down in some places, but somehow in Alor it feels like the world just stops and you’re in that place you’re supposed to be. At least it is for me. I can’t get enough of it.
Every morning before heading out on the dive boat, I tried to catch sunrise and meander around the small town near the dive shop. Only after one day, I was recognised by half the people I came in contact with. I guess the western dude wandering around aimlessly is a bit noticeable. That being said, the people of Alor are so wonderfully friendly. I was greeted by handshakes, hugs, high fives and smiles. This was my second time to Alor and you can check out the photos from that trip here. I was pretty much convinced it was perfect on my first visit….until I came back and realised it just keeps getting better and has me counting down the days until I go back. I think I’ll make this a yearly trip, and I’d love to spend some real time here and setting in to a routine to really soak it all in. Hopefully some of these images will do this place justice.
As far as diving goes, I can’t say enough about the folks at Air Dive Alor. It feels like going to see old friends rather than just going diving. I feel lucky I’m able to call them friends now, and I can’t wait to get back for more epic hangs.
Saigon Punk Chronicles : Aftershock
This past Sunday I headed out to a show and to see some old friends I hadn’t caught up with in a while. The bill consisted of HSA, Song Am, Katto Katto, District 105, Cut Lon, and Luan Quan Collective. A mixed bag of genres and I wasn’t familiar with all the bands, but I knew there’d be some thrashy goodness with Cut Lon and of course the homies in D105. I didn’t get images of everyone, but I decided to shoot this a bit differently than what I’ve been shooting this project and brought my studio lights in much like I did back in the day in the States. It’s going to take some tweaking, but here we are and it’s nice to get a different look. I’m not going to divide the images up into bands this time around but rather an overall vibe of the show.
This past Sunday I headed out to a show and to see some old friends I hadn’t caught up with in a while. The bill consisted of HSA, Song Am, Katto Katto, District 105, Cut Lon, and Luan Quan Collective. A mixed bag of genres and I wasn’t familiar with all the bands, but I knew there’d be some thrashy goodness with Cut Lon and of course the homies in D105. I didn’t get images of everyone, but I decided to shoot this a bit differently than what I’ve been shooting this project and brought my studio lights in much like I did back in the day in the States. It’s going to take some tweaking, but here we are and it’s nice to get a different look. I’m not going to divide the images up into bands this time around but rather an overall vibe of the show.
On a side note, I tried to mosh last night and father time quickly put me in my place and now I’m limping around like geriatric. Lesson learned. Stay in my lane. Press the shutter. Stay out of the way of the kids. This is a game for the youngins’. Until next time, here are the images from last night.
The Week in Photos: Volume 5
We’ve wrapped up a few commercial projects and had a few days before preproduction started on a couple of others, so I wanted to go out and shoot some images for myself a few days this week. Technically some of these are from the week before, so this is the week(ish) in photos. I’ll get better about the scheduling of this whole thing, but it’s been hectic lately so this will have to do until I get it together on the schedule.
Looking at what I’ve shot recently, I’ve noticed how I’ve gradually been shooting more and more at night. I think this probably has to do with a smaller camera that I can take with me on social outings and snap some images along the way, but also I think I’ve just become more and more intrigued with how pools of light and their contrasting shadow makes for such dramatic moody images. If you’ve been to Saigon, you’ll know how frenetic it is and how there’s never any shortage of energy when you’re walking around the city. Similarly, its easy to have very busy compositions and I’m a minimalist at heart. Using shadows to hide distractions and isolate my subjects is always going to be my first approach. So here’s the last week and a half in photos.
We’ve wrapped up a few commercial projects and had a few days before preproduction started on a couple of others, so I wanted to go out and shoot some images for myself a few days this week. Technically some of these are from the week before, so this is the week(ish) in photos. I’ll get better about the scheduling of this whole thing, but it’s been hectic lately so this will have to do until I get it together on the schedule.
Looking at what I’ve shot recently, I’ve noticed how I’ve gradually been shooting more and more at night. I think this probably has to do with a smaller camera that I can take with me on social outings and snap some images along the way, but also I think I’ve just become more and more intrigued with how pools of light and their contrasting shadow makes for such dramatic moody images. If you’ve been to Saigon, you’ll know how frenetic it is and how there’s never any shortage of energy when you’re walking around the city. Similarly, its easy to have very busy compositions and I’m a minimalist at heart. Using shadows to hide distractions and isolate my subjects is always going to be my first approach. So here’s the last week and a half in photos.
Saigon Punk Chronicles : Rock Fest
Although this wasn’t your classic DIY punk or hardcore show, it was certainly interesting to see hardcore bands play on a big stage with over the top production and I had to go out to support the homies in District 105 and check out a few other bands. A mixed bag of genres, Rockfest showcased both local and some international bands and its really good to see these types of events coming to Saigon more. Tons of bands played, and I took a boatload of images, but I’m going to limit it here to the bands that fall into the punk scene or at least close enough to the DIY scene to fit within this personal project. So, that being said, the images below are from Saigon’s District 105, and 18.18, The Flob and Thailand’s Annalynn and Defying Decay. I tried to shoot this a bit differently as the over the top production provided with about a bajillion different coloured lights which I find a bit visually noisy and takes away from the raw emotion of punk. Maybe I’m just an old head and love the way old black and white photos of live music look like…whatever. Anyways, to the images!
Although this wasn’t your classic DIY punk or hardcore show, it was certainly interesting to see hardcore bands play on a big stage with over the top production and I had to go out to support the homies in District 105 and check out a few other bands. A mixed bag of genres, Rockfest showcased both local and some international bands and its really good to see these types of events coming to Saigon more. Tons of bands played, and I took a boatload of images, but I’m going to limit it here to the bands that fall into the punk scene or at least close enough to the DIY scene to fit within this personal project. So, that being said, the images below are from Saigon’s District 105, and 18.18, The Flob and Thailand’s Annalynn and Defying Decay. I tried to shoot this a bit differently as the over the top production provided with about a bajillion different coloured lights which I find a bit visually noisy and takes away from the raw emotion of punk. Maybe I’m just an old head and love the way old black and white photos of live music look like…whatever. Anyways, to the images!
DISTRICT 105
ANNALYNN
THE FLOB
DEFYING DECAY
18.18
Travel Diary: Osaka Part 3
As I went through the rest of the images from Osaka, there were more than what I’m going to put in this blog post, but after sitting on these images for around a month, clearer eyes and that bit of removal from the romance of being in Japan allowed me to be a bit more selective in my final picks. With work being so busy, I’ve had this push to get work out the door and leaned on the idea that finished is better than perfect. Doubly so with personal work and, honestly, it really doesn’t matter that much anyways seeing as there are no client expectations or really anything else that matters other than what I feel should be representative of my work. That being said, giving it some time and “letting it cook” allowed me to have a bit more clarity and honesty when looking at the images. The emotional ties to the image are lessened and the moment is now further in my memory. Thankfully, I take pictures for a living so I at least have photographic evidence of the things I’ve done that I most surely will forget. Anyways, here is the last chapter in the Osaka series and those images of Mario World I mentioned in Part 1, well here they are. Scroll down to the end for those. And if you didn’t see Part 2, you can click here and have a gander at those, too.
As I went through the rest of the images from Osaka, there were more than what I’m going to put in this blog post, but after sitting on these images for around a month, clearer eyes and that bit of removal from the romance of being in Japan allowed me to be a bit more selective in my final picks. With work being so busy, I’ve had this push to get work out the door and leaned on the idea that finished is better than perfect. Doubly so with personal work and, honestly, it really doesn’t matter that much anyways seeing as there are no client expectations or really anything else that matters other than what I feel should be representative of my work. That being said, giving it some time and “letting it cook” allowed me to have a bit more clarity and honesty when looking at the images. The emotional ties to the images are lessened and the moment is now further in my memory. Thankfully, I take pictures for a living so I at least have photographic evidence of the things I’ve done that I most surely will forget. Such is life with getting older. Brain fog is a thing I suppose. Anyways, here is the last chapter in the Osaka series and those images of Super Mario World and Universal Studios I mentioned in Part 1, well here they are. Scroll down to the end for those. And if you didn’t see Part 2, you can click here and have a gander at those, too.
With flights being so affordable to Japan lately, I may take another sneaky trip later this year for a trip solely focused on taking photos. Stay tuned for that.
The Week in Photos: Volume 4..... a bit delayed
I started this whole series of The Week in Photos to keep the creative juices flowing and partially because I have this little camera that I can take everywhere with me and it’s just so fun to shoot with. I debated on whether or not to mix in travel images and maybe some of my actual work, but that seems a little messy and my sense of order wouldn’t let me go down that road. So maybe I should rename this “The week in photos when I’m not working or on the road or have a million other obligations”……probably not. But in any event, I had these photos from right before I headed out on the road and forgot that they were even on the hard drive until I started importing some random images from this past week. These are from around a month ago. So here’s The Week in Photos. From last month.
I started this whole series of The Week in Photos to keep the creative juices flowing and partially because I have this little camera that I can take everywhere with me and it’s just so fun to shoot with. I debated on whether or not to mix in travel images and maybe some of my actual work, but that seems a little messy and my sense of order wouldn’t let me go down that road. So maybe I should rename this “The week in photos when I’m not working or on the road or have a million other obligations”……probably not. But in any event, I had these photos from right before I headed out on the road and forgot that they were even on the hard drive until I started importing some random images from this past week. These are from around a month ago. So here’s The Week in Photos. From last month.
Saigon Punk Chronicles
It’s been far too long since I’ve been to a show and I feel like I’ve been neglecting my long term personal project, Saigon Punk Chronicles, so when I saw there was a show this past Saturday, I jumped at it. With work and travel, it’s been a whirlwind since… January. Going to shows keeps me in check, keeps me young at heart, and every time I go, the words of 7 Seconds get stuck in my head “I’m gonna stay young until I die!” Even with work and the everyday responsibilities, the legacy of punk and the scene still shapes who I am every day of my life. DIY, the merry band of misfits, forgetting the outside world and escaping into a community made by us, for us. It’s forever weaved into my DNA.
I didn’t catch the whole show, but I did catch Tariot, Bao, Low Fat, and Cut Lon. I’ve seen Tariot and Cut Lon before but didn’t know what to expect from the others. They both killed it and Low Fat, in particular was soooooo fun. They’re a Japanese outfit out of Bangkok and their energy was wild. Raw, loud and fast… just the way it should be.
It’s been far too long since I’ve been to a show and I feel like I’ve been neglecting my long term personal project, Saigon Punk Chronicles, so when I saw there was a show this past Saturday, I jumped at it. With work and travel, it’s been a whirlwind since… January. Going to shows keeps me in check, keeps me young at heart, and every time I go, the words of 7 Seconds get stuck in my head “I’m gonna stay young until I die!” Even with work and the everyday responsibilities, the legacy of punk and the scene still shapes who I am every day of my life. DIY, the merry band of misfits, forgetting the outside world and escaping into a community made by us, for us. It’s forever weaved into my DNA.
I didn’t catch the whole show, but I did catch Tariot, Bao, Low Fat, and Cut Lon. I’ve seen Tariot and Cut Lon before but didn’t know what to expect from the others. They both killed it and Low Fat, in particular was soooooo fun. They’re a Japanese outfit out of Bangkok and their energy was wild. Raw, loud and fast… just the way it should be.
For the photography folks, I decided I’d make life hard for myself, though not consciously. I’ve been having so much fun shooting with the Fuji x100v, I decided to give it a whirl shooting live music. I knew this could provide some challenges, and I wasn’t wrong. At all. Probably not the right tool for this type of job, and shooting with a fixed lens in such a high paced environment made for more misses than I’d even like to admit. That said, I don’t mind how gritty these are. I grabbed a tiny little speedlight I hadn’t used before and brought some extra batteries, but of course they weren’t the right size, so I had to crank the iso, shoot available light and hope for the best. Noisy, maybe not tack sharp, messy… I had to keep reminding myself, moment is more important that technical perfection. To let go… kinda the same idea of going to a show in the first place. To let go. Besides, punk is noisy, maybe not the cleanest, a bit messy. Just the way it should be.
Bao!
Low Fat
Tariot
Cut Lon
Recent Work: Shang Palace
A few weeks ago, Shang Palace reached out wanting to create some new images for their upcoming menu change and to elevate the visuals. With classic Cantonese cuisine, we wanted to be mindful of tradition while giving a modern take on the visuals. Dim Sum especially brought back memories of countless Sunday mornings heading out with friends and having mornings turn into afternoons - often needing my stretchy pants after eating way too much. So we pitched the idea of creating that sense of morning light coming through the window and a communal atmosphere. We opted to shoot from overhead to lean into the graphic nature of all the individual dishes and condiments that make dim sum so much fun. Not to forget the back of house, we had to show some behind the scenes action with the process of creating all these tasty treats. Shooting in kitchens is one of my favourite things ever - fire, steam, the craft of making things… I love it. All the hard work that it takes to create something beautiful on the plate isn’t celebrated enough in visuals and I’m so happy the team at Shang Palace agreed. They’re some of my favourite frames from the project.
A few weeks ago, Shang Palace reached out wanting to create some new images for their upcoming menu change and to elevate the visuals. With classic Cantonese cuisine, we wanted to be mindful of tradition while giving a modern take on the visuals. Dim Sum especially brought back memories of countless Sunday mornings heading out with friends and having mornings turn into afternoons - often needing my stretchy pants after eating way too much. So we pitched the idea of creating that sense of morning light coming through the window and a communal atmosphere. We opted to shoot from overhead to lean into the graphic nature of all the individual dishes and condiments that make dim sum so much fun. Not to forget the back of house, we had to show some behind the scenes action with the process of creating all these tasty treats. Shooting in kitchens is one of my favourite things ever - fire, steam, the craft of making things… I love it. All the hard work that it takes to create something beautiful on the plate isn’t celebrated enough in visuals and I’m so happy the team at Shang Palace agreed. They’re some of my favourite frames from the project.
