Although there are lots more cars here in Bali now than when I was first here 30 years ago, the predominant form of personal transport is still the motorbike. Typically, one might see four or five people on a 100cc scooter and there is a very lax application of the laws regarding their use by children. This is one of my favourite photographs, taken in the hills of Penebel. Every figure in this photograph tells a story. The inquisitive young girl clinging to her father, his resignation at
Unicorns on the Adriatic Sea
In search of this feeling, it is wonderful when things do not change. The men are still playing boccia in their tight bathing trunks, while the women chat standing in the warm sea water reaching up to their thighs. Coloured towels and bright umbrellas shine on the sand dunes. Behind the sand lies the endless pine forest – like a rock in the struggle against the heat of climate change and the ubiquitous real estate sharks. On the wide beach, children build castles in the malleable sand. At
Street Portraiture for the Faint of Heart
Quick, close your eyes and picture yourself walking down the street in a strange place. You spot a large rather scary looking man, he turns and makes eye contact with you. He doesn’t look happy. The light is perfect, he’s wearing an unusual hat and his face is interesting. It’s a perfect opportunity. His portrait could be that one iconic image you’ve been wanting to make since you first picked up a camera. “This is it!” you tell yourself. But first, you have to ask. What do you do next?
Dreams
The Daily Street Life of Old Delhi
At first, my perspective absorbed daily routine of people living in old Delhi and various parts of NCR. Those who are involved in waste management, street hawking, roadside food vendors, hustle and bustle and bustle of rush hours. From this I began to see the sheer contrast in the design of Old Delhi and other parts of NCR itself.
Finding Inspiration in Diane Arbus’ Life
“I was 40 pages in and I paused to reflect on what Revelations already felt like for me. It was visual and it was words. I felt like I was present to the most immersive and beautiful eulogy. And not because it was particularly beautiful, but because it was so intensely real, raw and unedited. There were photos (of course), Diane’s collage wall, copies of documents, quotes Diane underlined in books she read, even more personal journal entries describing dreams of mystery, loveliness and
The Ambivert Photographer Pivots
March 2020 was the time of the Big Pause. The year began as planned. A year of travel for photography was lined out: New Orleans, Oaxaca, Lisbon, NYC several times, Phoenix, UC Mardi Gras (riding on a float no less), Oaxaca as part of The Giving Lens (delivering cameras to young girls in a remote village, Lisbon for street photography, Santa Fe, London and India. Whew! All were booked or almost booked. And then March 2020 showed up. Sharing a bit of background, I am a single person living
Overcoming Street Photography Burnout
Street photography has been the driving force in photography since 2005, if not before. It has occupied about 80% of my time behind the camera since that time. But earlier this year I hit a wall. I was in a rut. I didn’t feel the need to go out and find the next shot. It was almost a type of depression. The bottom line, I was burned out on street photography. And didn’t know what to do about it. Under normal circumstances, I would have moved on to something else without a thought. But I
Humanism is in the Streets
All photographs were photographed on film. We must not lose sight that the street photograph requires a humanistic look into an outdoor opening measuring time through a camera-instrument with a mathematical shutter and aperture settings. It is the size of the Moment that equates with a non-judgemental scope, a homeless person living in a world that is their streets, while the busy business owner stands outside of the business to enjoy a breath of outdoor air. The ability of a
There’s No Place Like Home (For Street Photography)
There is a lot of wisdom for photographers to be found in the movie The Wizard of Oz. We hear from Glinda the Good Witch who wisely told Dorothy, "You've always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself." I interpret this to mean that we all have that spark of creativity within us that we must simply recognize and use. And then even more importantly, in her final instructions to Dorothy who sought to leave Oz she admonished her to believe that "There's no place like home." The
I Want to Crawl into My Stories
I am always looking for a story that I can crawl into. I make my living as an actor and a teacher of acting and my professional deformation is to reveal what lies beneath the surface of a character. So I have an insatiable curiosity about other people’s lives. How do you get through your day? What do you do? What do you think about? As a photographer observing behavior and telling myself stories about what I see on the streets keeps me in the zone of discovery. I’ve often wondered if I’ve