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A Portrait From Nicaragua
Nicaragua is a fantastic place for photographic portraiture. The characters are real, their lives are extreme and the people are so friendly and open. Not since being in Japan have I found a culture of people so willing to be in front of the camera.
As soon as I saw this little lady in her blue top and red hat, I knew I had to photograph her. She was visiting her friend in a tiny, dim, outdoor kitchen where smoke from the fire mixed with the steam pouring out of each large pot on top. She looked like a doll to me, with wrinkles attesting wisdom and experience. Her hands injured from working.
I followed the señora outside where I tried to chat with her, but she had no idea what I was trying to say. I could very well be the first foreigner she’s ever met. We communicated through actions and I managed to get the exact shots I had visualized – a portrait and a close up of her injured hands. She thanked me and said goodbye.
Me with three lovely Nicaraguan ladies in a village outside of Granada
A Costa Rican Wedding
Costa Rica Wedding Photographer
I had the pleasure of shooting the wedding photos for the lovely Anne and Eugene from New York. The celebrations took place at at Verdenergia, a beautiful eco retreat in Costa Rica which holds special memories for the couple.
When the sunny morning turned to a rainy afternoon just before the ceremony was scheduled to begin, Anne and Eugene kept their cool and after chatting to their Sharman, Raven, decided to reschedule the ceremony to the next morning (however, this didn’t stop the reception party from continuing on time, as scheduled).
Here are some shots of Anne and Eugene getting ready for the first time.
Eugene and Anne enjoying the party
Walking to the ceremony site the next morning
Photos of Ecuador
I have been taking photos every day of April, in this beautiful village, nestled amongst the Andes of Ecuador. Tomorrow is the last day of my photography project 30 Days in Chugchilan. Chugchilan is on the Quilotoa loop, near the famous crater lake. It is (relatively) near to Latacunga.
Thanks to everyone for all your lovely photo comments through emails and Facebook. It’s great to see the effect photos can have on people across the globe. Here is one of the photos that proved to warm the hearts of many people. Please check out the photo project page and let me know what you think.
I was sitting on a block, taking photos outside a store this afternoon. As I took the viewfinder away from my eye, I literally screamed with shock, then recovered with an embarrassed giggle, at the man standing over me, watching me. He was tiny - no more than 4.5feet, and had the friendliest smile that I have seen in a long time. He had come to town to get 2 bread rolls, he told me he paid 1 cent. I knew that it was my duty to take a photo of this magnificent character, and as I walked with him I asked why he wears no shoes. 'I'm poor' he said, shoes are too expensive. I thanked him for letting me take his photo and as I carry no money with me, I agreed to meet him at 8am. As I tried to ask him where, he softly shook my hand and wandered off. I wander if I'll see him in the morning.
P.S. Selected prints will be available to buy from my Gallery & Shop for the month of May 2010.
Tokyo Photography Workshops
My photography workshops will be running throughout the Summer, in Tokyo. They will be hands on workshops with a specific focus on your own equipment. More information can be found on the “Tokyo Workshops” tab (see above).
Please contact me by phone or email with any inquiries, for additional workshop information, or personalised workshops.
The diversities of travel
Last Sunday I was sipping on a $25 cup of herbal tea at one of Tokyo’s finest hotels, as I waited for my models and stylist to arrive for a swimwear shoot. Within less than 24 hours, I had headed down the coast to a farming town and found myself up to my shins in mud in a rice field, as I began my first WWOOFing experience on an organic/natural farm.
Traveling provides me with opportunities to be completely diverse, random and extreme, and I can follow a path to wherever my life takes me. Of course I could be living like this at home as well, but for some reason I feel freer when I’m on the road. And that is one of the reasons why I plan to spend the next 2-3 years exploring the world.
Pic: This is Nao, one of my farming friends.
Technical: I shot this with a Canon 50mm f/1.8 lens, at f/2.8 @ 1/100sec. I chose the wide aperture to blur the edge of her hat, and the background. In post production in Adobe Bridge, I used a split toning effect to give the image a slightly old fashioned, yellow tone. I used vignetting to darken the edges.
Tokyo through my eyes…
Some recent shots from the capital.
