It looks like rainy season has decided to make an entrance. Cue thunderstorms, unexpected downpours, and slight inconveniences in travel - read ridiculous traffic. While most lament the rain, photographically I’m digging it. The light right after a storm, drama in the skies, reflections… its a new season and it’s nice to have something different to photograph. While I don’t have the seasonal changes like I did in my upbringing, I love having the demarkation of time through different weather. I’ll take what I can get. No waxing on poetically this week, just the images of the week. Complete with the obligatory reflection shots, and they ain’t stopping any time soon…so get used to it until the rains cease in around 6 months. There are some randoms from the day to day sprinkled in as well for good measure.
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The Week in Photos: Vol. 2
in street
Busy with commercial work this week, I’ve not had too much time to come up for air. That said, in the downtimes, I’ve made an effort to find some time for myself at least once a day to disengage and walk around so I can keep a clear headspace. Even if I’m not managing to make it far, I’m trying to see things I’ve seen a countless times with new eyes. Shoot places multiple times in different light, different parts of the day, different angles… dig a little deeper and slow down a little more to really look at things rather than merely strolling by. Finding beauty in the mundane.
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The Week in Photos: Vol. 1
in street
Now that I’ve got a camera on me all the time, I’m faced with the fact that I have all these images I’ve taken mostly just for the sheer enjoyment of walking around and shooting. I mentioned before how the final image is probably secondary at this point to the process and being present when I’m shooting. I guess it’s a sort of mindfulness… just mine is with a camera instead of a mantra or a pair of yoga pants. That being said, I want to be able to archive these too, but they’re not from some epic trip or incredible assignment. It’s just my life. I suppose I could put these on a hard drive and just come back to them, but I’ve got this platform, so why not share? So here’s the birth of “The Week in Photos.” This is Volume 1.
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New Work: Cameron Foggo Design
in Product
The folks over at Cameron Foggo Designs contacted us a while back to create some images of their new line. Immediately after seeing their pieces, I got excited. Modern, yet still retaining a sense of comfort and all I could do is imagine my house filled with these pieces. We wanted to create some directional light to show the shapes and let shadows play to give a sense of morning light peaking through the window. Really happy with how these came out and what a fantastic team to work with. It’s always so good to work with a team when there’s a sense of collaboration and a complete lack of ego. The best work always comes out of these situations. Trusting the process and knowing that bright minds are in the room just makes the best shoots.
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Travel Diary: Amed, Indonesia
in travel
Right off the heels of my Hanoi trip for work and what has seemed like a whirlwind since the Tet break, I headed back to Amed on the northern coast of Bali for a bit of a disconnect and some diving. If you’re in the area, check out Dream Divers Bali, they’re tops. I haven’t yet taken up underwater photography - diving, for me at least, is about completely not thinking about anything but whats in front of me. I’m afraid if take a camera underwater, it’s going to start turning into work. With the thousands of dollars that I’d likely spend on strobes, housings, ports, etc etc, I think there would be a nagging feeling in the back of my head that I need to recoup those costs. And I really don’t want diving to turn into work. It’s my zen place…. but maybe I should just let go of the idea that I need to get a return on investment….I’m not there quite yet, so no underwater photography shenanigans.
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Travel Diary: Hanoi with the Fuji x100v
in travel
popped up to Hanoi recently for a short couple of days and while in between obligations, I tested out my new toy - the Fuji x100v. If you’ve read any of my other blog posts, you’d have read that I’d been using the x100s on a few trips to see if I could mentally cope with the FOMO of not taking my Sony kit. It’s been fun, but wow, I realise now that I was merely dipping my toes into the world of shooting with Fuji system. The x100v is the x100s turned up to 11. Completely different in such a good way. Don’t get me wrong, I love my Sony kit, and will use it whenever its work related, but when I’m traveling for leisure, the x100v is going to be, without a doubt, my camera of choice.
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Staying Inspired by Playing tourist in my Own City
Photographers get bored. Something new and shiny grabs our attention, foreign destinations dangle in front of us like carrots. Our cameras sit on shelves when we’re home and not on the road or in the studio. It happens when you live in places people love to shoot, too.….…Or, maybe its me and not photographers in general. But I’d guess this happens to a lot of people. You’ve seen something a million times, the shine isn’t as bright isn’t as bright as it used to be despite still being endlessly photogenic to so many others, it becomes the mundane. And, then you have a friend come in town and you get to see your city as a tourist all over again and all of a sudden its shiny again. This time, my good friend, Nev and his partner Jacky, dropped me a line that they were going to be in Saigon for a few days and they’d love to go out shooting like we did 8 years ago the last time he was in Saigon. So of course, I said yes and got excited to play tour guide and act like a tourist in my own town. Every time I step outside of my routine and go shoot in Saigon just for the pleasure of shooting, it’s always a good time. Seeing places with new eyes and all that, right?
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Travel Diary : Maldives
in travel
Over the Lunar New Year holiday, know as Tet ‘round here, it’s always a time to get off the grid, recharge the batteries and get ready for the upcoming months. Having planned this months ago, my calendar had plenty of x’s counting down the days to some island life and some underwater adventures. No underwater photos here, but plenty of that island vibe to go around. Though it rained a few days, I still love capturing those moments, too. It’s not all postcards and travel brochures.
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