Indonesia has been incredible. I started off in Ubub, Bali for a few days by myself before my photography workshop began, and then for nine days I was together with a small and mighty crew of fellow photography lovers, exploring this beautiful area with the extremely talented Jord Hammond leading the excursion. The workshop has officially ended, even though a few of us have still been exploring other areas together. I plan on sharing various different scenes from the different days of the workshop with you, so I figured I'd start with a scene from day 1. The first morning we woke up early to fly our drones over the rice terraces as the sun was coming up. We honestly had amazing conditions for photography almost the entire trip and this was the perfect start to an incredible workshop. So glad I went.
"One advantage of photography is that it's visual and can transcend language." -Lisa Kristine
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This is one of my first photos taken in Bali. I went to bed early the night before, woke up feeling surprisingly refreshed and decided to go for a walk to explore the neighborhood. I ended up next to this little rice field with the clouds from the recent storm that passed still looming in the background. While I have definitely taken more stunning photos since, I love the calm simplicity of this one. It represented my first morning in Bali very well and I look forward to sharing a whole lot more of my trip with you over the coming weeks, and possibly months. Lots in store!
"We travel not to escape life, but for life not to escape us." -Unknown Once again, not my normal style but it's been fun exploring more abstract photography. In other news, depending on when you're reading this, I'll be leaving for Bali later tonight! One of my favorite photographers is hosting a photography workshop there and I decided to sign myself up! I'm not exactly sure what to expect, as I've never done a photography workshop before, but I'm really looking forward to exploring a new place and hopefully taking my photography to the next level.
"The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety." -Josh Waitzkin We ended up visiting Hanoi twice on our trip to Vietnam. Once when we landed, and once again before catching our flight back to Bangkok. On our first visit, my sister-in-law was sick, and couldn't join my brother and I at Train Street. So we made sure to stop by again when we were back in town so that she could see it for herself. And although we had a much longer wait for a train to roll in, it was really neat to see it at night. I will admit that it definitely made the photography more tricky, as snapping photos of moving objects in low light has its downside, but I'm pretty happy with how it turned out in the end. Yet another great memory made while traveling.
"At the end of the day, your feet should be dirty, your hair messy and your eyes sparkling." -Shanti Even though it's not my usual preference, I actually love taking abstract photographs, especially when I travel. Reflecting back, I think a big reason why I gravitate mostly towards wildlife and nature photography is because the shots tend to be more difficult to replicate. A wild animal, for example, will almost certainly never be in that same spot, doing that same thing, with that same lighting, etc. And landscape photography, to a lesser degree, is difficult to replicate mostly because of the conditions of the sky and clouds that are always changing and never the same. And that's really exciting for me when I capture an amazing moment. Although I find abstract a bit more easy to duplicate, I do recognize that the real skill is in spotting the details in the first place. Which I'm learning to do more and more. Most people walk right past without even noticing the details that an excellent photographer can't possibly walk past without stopping for a photo. It's as if they are living in two different realities. And I think that makes it even more fun to experience.
"Often you will end up loving the new things you try and even if you don’t love it, you’ve given yourself a new experience." -Alli Simpson Next time I'm back in Hanoi I'm going to force myself to stay up super late and explore the city in the dead of night. The city was overwhelming for me during the day, with all the noise and traffic, but it definitely calmed down at night and created some really beautiful scenes. I admit that I did not stay up very late, nor explore much at night, but when I was out, the city lights and the natural darkness created some stunning contrasts. I'm certain if I had a few more nights to walk around I'd come home with some pretty incredible images!
"Night is purer than day; it is better for thinking, loving, and dreaming. At night everything is more intense, more true. The echo of words that have been spoken during the day takes on a new and deeper meaning." -Elie Wiesel Hanoi, Vietnam was the busiest city I've ever experienced. At first it was completely overwhelming, with cars, moto's, and their loud horns consuming any sense of peace I had. But honestly, over time, I got a little more accustomed to it, and that's when I started enjoying the city more. I'd still prefer small towns, to be honest, but Hanoi was definitely an adventure. And I feel like if I had even more time there, I could learn to love it someday. From a photography standpoint, the biggest struggle was managing to take photos without any cars or moto's in the way. It was nearly impossible (at least during the day when traffic is busiest), but instead of fighting the tide, I decided to embrace it, as you can see. And I think it actually turned out pretty cool!
"Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning to dance in the rain." -Vivian Greene You may remember that a while back I shared a photo from Train Street in Hanoi, Vietnam. It was honestly such a fun experience! The entire place was really photogenic, but the icing on the cake was when the actual train rolled through. My brother and I were fortunate enough to (inadvertently) stumble upon this spot about 30 minutes before the train came through. We had already settled in with a cold beer at a little bar beside the tracks, and before we knew it, the train rolled in. As you can see, I had enough time to position myself for a pretty cool photo of the action. A memory I will likely remember for the rest of my life.
"A moment lasts for seconds but the memories last forever." -Unknown Wat Pha Lat is a beautiful Buddhist temple hidden in the dense jungle just outside of Chiang Mai in northern Thailand. The temple, which was built in the 1300's, made for a lovely little nature getaway after spending a couple days in the city. The type of place that, upon entering, makes it almost impossible to not breathe a little slower and a little deeper. It's filled with vibrant and peaceful gardens, a gentle creek running down the mountain, and plenty of ancient and artistic statues to admire.
"If you wish to know the divine, feel the wind on your face and the warm sun on your hand." -Buddha After reading my favorite book, Shantaram, multiple times, I'm reminded that, while I wouldn't necessarily choose to live in such a humble home as this, I recognize that I could 100% adapt to anything put in front of me, if necessary. Even living in a shack (especially if that shack was right on the river). It's so easy to try to keep up with the Jones', and feel like a big, modern, expensive home is needed. And I understand that sentiment, I really do. But I would venture to say that the size or price of a home has basically zero effect on long-term levels of happiness. And that the love and relationships found inside that home are what matter the most.
"It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." -Seneca Even though Bangkok was a very pleasant surprise and I can't wait to go back, Chiang Mai was more my vibe. It's just a smaller city and more laid back. While there, we happily walked almost everywhere we went, however our hotel offered us free bike rentals, so we made the most of that. I tend to be an early riser, so one morning I woke early, grabbed a bike and went out on my own to explore. As you can see, I ended up at the river, which was calm and peaceful and lovely, and I ended up taking tons of reflection photos, which always makes me happy. For whatever reason this photo kept standing out to me as I was deciding which photo to share this week. I think it's the soft lighting and murky reflection, but I can't quite put my finger on it. What do you think?
"To awaken quite alone in a strange town is one of the pleasantest sensations in the world." -Freya Stark When we arrived at the elephant sanctuary, all of the elephants were dusty and had actual dirt clumps all over their backs. I just assumed they had been playing in the dirt and some accidentally got stuck to their backs. I rationalized that, even with a trunk, the back is a tricky spot to reach. You can imagine my confusion when, after taking them down to the river to bathe, some of the elephants got out of the water and, using their trunks, would immediately start picking up dust to throw onto their own, freshly cleaned, backs. They did this over and over until they were dusty and dirty again. I later learned that elephants can get very sunburned, and the dust and dirt on their backs acts as sun protection. And apparently also serves as an insect deterrent as an added bonus. The more you know!
"Elephants gather sand and mud with their trunks and throw it onto their bodies, providing sun protection and repelling bugs. Sand helps dry and warm their skin in the cooler months, while mud helps to keep them cool in the hotter months." -Smithsonian Institution While at the elephant sanctuary, we got to take the elephants down to the river to bathe them and watch them play in the water. It was particularly neat observing the incredible use of their trunks. We saw them use their trunks for drinking water, sorting ripe vs underripe bananas, selecting the best bits of sugarcane to enjoy and even picking up small little sunflower seeds to eat. Insanely powerful, yet easily doing all the tasks a human hand could do. Quite impressive!
"An elephant trunk has up to 40,000 muscles. A human has more than 600 muscles in the entire body. Elephants use their trunks to help them suck up water for drinking, pick up or touch objects, trumpet warnings, and greet one another." -WWF While in Chiang Mai, Thailand, we made the decision to visit an elephant sanctuary. At first, our group was a little hesitant on the idea because there are a lot of ethical questions involved and we didn't want to unknowingly contribute to the mistreatment of these incredible animals. However, after doing our own research, as well as gathering recommendations from friends who had done their own research, we decided to include it in our plans. We ended up visiting a project, Elephant Freedom Village, run by a family from the Karen hill-tribe. The warmth of the people and their connection to the elephants was obvious. And it ended up being a really beautiful experience. Being able to interact with, touch and feed these enormous and ancient animals was something special and unique. I will obviously be posting more photos from this experience, but I did feel it important to share the ethics of this decision before sharing any more photos. Humans have an unbelievable ability to mistreat animals in really sinister ways, however we did not encounter any of this in our experience and in our research with regards to this particular project.
"We admire elephants in part because they demonstrate what we consider the finest human traits: empathy, self-awareness, and social intelligence. But the way we treat them puts on display the very worst of human behavior." -Graydon Carter It is incredibly easy to get stuck in our own rut, or own routine and start to believe that how we do things is the best way, or the only way. And maybe it is. But when we travel we get exposed to new ways of being, doing and seeing. It is often not until we step out of our own culture that these other ways of life engulf us, sometimes for the better, sometimes for the worse. Either way, that culture tends to become a part of us, even in a small way. Perhaps it's simply a memory, perhaps it's a confirmation of how great your own culture actually is in comparison, but often I find that it's an awakening to ways in which you and your culture can be better as a whole. For this reason, I believe travel to be an incredibly enriching and educational experience. One of great importance for personal and societal growth. And it happens to be unbelievably fun as well.
"Leave home, leave the country, leave the familiar. Only then can routine experience—buying bread, eating vegetables, even saying hello—become new all over again." -Anthony Doerr I'm going to take a short break from nature and landscapes this week and share with you a really neat part of Hanoi, Vietnam: Train Street. My brother and I were wandering around the city, slightly turned around but heading generally in the direction of our hotel. And although we knew it existed, we didn't know where Train Street was until we just happened to pass it on our way back to the room. We arrived completely on accident, and I'm really glad we did. Admittedly, it's touristy, but still really fun. As you can see from the photo, it's a neighborhood in which a train track runs right through the middle, and throughout the day, trains actually use the tracks. To make this experience even more enjoyable, entrepreneurial-minded residents have converted parts of their property into little bars and restaurants so visitors can eat delicious food, drink cold beer and relax while waiting for the next train to roll through. Definitely a fun stop in Hanoi.
"Our happiest moments as tourists always seem to come when we stumble upon one thing while in pursuit of something else." -Lawrence Block While I always make sure to keep up with my Photo of the Week, it can be extremely daunting editing the rest of the photos after an extended trip like I just had. All-in-all I took probably three thousand photos and have selected probably 700 that I consider worth editing and sharing. The sorting of the photos is a big enough project by itself, but from there I go through and edit every single one that I deem worthy. It's a chore! But, the good news is that I've made big progress... the bad news is that I still have probably 600 photos to go. But I will succeed!
"Take the first step, and your mind will mobilize all its forces to your aid. But the first essential is that you begin. Once the battle is started, all that is within and without you will come to your assistance." -Robert Collier I'm officially home safe after nearly a month in Asia. It was such a wonderful trip that it has honestly felt a little weird coming home. In all my travels I have never been to a country where the people were as warm, welcoming and respectful as I experienced in both Thailand and Vietnam. I'm still mentally processing everything, and I imagine I will be doing so for a while, but what I know for sure is that after spending even a short amount of time in such gentle, patient cultures, I immediately recognized that I can be much better on a personal level, and I believe we all can be much better on a societal level. I'll share more in the future, but for now, I challenge you to be extra kind today. To others and to yourself. I have a feeling it will feel amazing. And if it does feel amazing, I challenge you to continue the kindness. There's really nothing to lose.
"Just imagine how different the world could be if we all spoke to everyone with respect and kindness." -Holly Branson I am blessed to say that I have seen, and photographed, some beautiful places in my life, however Tam Cốc, in northern Vietnam, is among the best of them, in my opinion. The entire region is covered with jagged limestone cliffs, under which are flooded rice paddies, offering a majestic mirror image everywhere you look - a photographer's playground. I took literally hundreds of photos during my time in Tam Cốc, and I cannot wait to share more of them.
"I would rather own a little and see the world than own the world and see a little of it." -Alexander Sattler About 2 hours from Chiang Mai is a beautiful National Park, Doi Inthanon, which also happens to be the tallest mountain in Thailand. We were enjoying the city but were craving some time in nature, so we rented a driver for the day and were chauffeured from beautiful place to beautiful place within the park. We started with this amazing sunrise hike, the Kew Mae Pan trail, which gave us an elevated view of the other mountains in the region. From there we explored some incredible waterfalls the 2nd part of the day. Prepare yourself for many more photos.
"It is not so much for its beauty that the forest makes a claim upon men's hearts, as for that subtle something, that quality of air that emanation from old trees, that so wonderfully changes and renews a weary spirit." -Robert Louis Stevenson My trip to Thailand has been wonderful so far, and there's so much to share, but I figured I'd start with a photo from the earliest part of my trip - Bangkok. While I am typically not a big fan of massive cities, with all the noise, cars and chaos, I found Bangkok to be a lovely exception; unbelievably friendly people, exceptionally clean, tons of restaurants and bars, and as you can see, a gorgeous skyline. While I imagine I will always prefer nature, this city has been a very pleasant surprise.
"Travel is very subjective. What one person loves, another loathes. I would say a private paradise in the Caribbean. If you want culture and class, I would say Tuscany. If you want exotic, I would say Bangkok, Thailand." -Robin Leach By the time you see this I am either on my way to, or already in, Thailand. I am insanely excited to explore a new country, culture and cuisine and, of course, will be snapping as many photos as possible. While this will obviously be a completely new experience for me, as I've never been to Thailand, nor anywhere in Asia, I am completely open to experiencing and learning whatever I can during my time there. I am honestly most excited by the prospect of being exposed to new perspectives on the world and hope to learn more about myself and life in general; the types of perspectives one can only learn by spending time away from their own comforts and culture.
“Culture makes people understand each other better. And if they understand each other better in their soul, it is easier to overcome the economic and political barriers. But first they have to understand that their neighbor is, in the end, just like them, with the same problems, the same questions.” -Paulo Coelho Although these past couple years have been, and continue to be, challenging in many ways, I'm finding extra comfort in the little things. Going for walks, reading books, going on a fun local adventure, or watching a great movie with some delicious comfort food. It's always fascinated me that when I stop checking the news and turn off notifications on my phone, life seems to instantly become more simple and more rich. My goal is to continue living life this way; to turn down the noise, avoid the things that do not enhance my life, and focus more on the things that bring me happiness.
"There is only one way to happiness and that is to cease worrying about things which are beyond the power of our will." -Epictetus In a couple weeks I will be catching a plane to visit my brother and sister-in-law at their new home in Thailand. If I'm not mistaken, I haven't seen them since 2019 when we explored parts of Europe together. I am beyond excited to spend some time with them again and adventure through new places; Thailand and Vietnam, specifically. Looking forward to new scenery, new perspectives, new memories and lots of new photos.
"Broad, wholesome, charitable views of men and things cannot be acquired by vegetating in one little corner of the earth all of one’s lifetime." -Mark Twain Since it's the season for expressing gratitude, something I'm particularly grateful for is that here in Northern California, for the first summer in a long time, we did not experience a major fire. And to be honest, we didn't even have any significant smoke blow in from any other major fires either. I was beginning to think an annual fire was inevitable, but this year was such a welcome break from that trend. We were able to experience beautiful blue skies and sunshine far more than we have in years. And for that I'm massively grateful. What are you grateful for?
"Reflect upon your present blessings—of which every man has many—not on your past misfortunes, of which all men have some." -Charles Dickens |
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