'I travel for...' Project Week 3: Le Quotidien

The third portrait in my travel series is the lovely Caitlin Kelley, taken in her home in Tanzania. When we talked about what most appealed to her about travel, Caitlin said, 'It's more than daily life, it's living in a place, rooting, inhabiting, creating a home, living a little portion of my life there". The French of course have a word that encompasses all of this: le quotidien. So I photographed her in her doorway and paired it with her laundry drying in the sun, hopefully capturing a little portion of her life.

So why do you travel?

'I travel for...' Project Week 2: The Architecture

2 of 10 in my series 'I travel for...'. When I asked Kevin O'leary what draws him to travel the globe, he told me it's definitely the architecture. Seeing historic, groundbreaking and beautiful architecture pulls him to the different corners of our planet. 

So why do you travel?

New Personal Project: I travel for...

Why do I love to travel? It's when I feel most alive, most in my element. It's the adventure of navigating my way that I love the most. I think that's because I get to test my abilities and challenge myself, whether it's actually navigation, or communicating in a language I don't speak. I also love exploring and discovering something new to me. It's always the unexpected that thrills me the most. The other wonderful part about traveling is connecting with people on a basic human level. Through a wink or a smile, a hand motion or a helping help, there's a connection that doesn't need language, culture or circumstance.

So why take a camera with me? Why combine photography and travel? For me they've always been fused together. The camera is a means to travel or reason to go. But I also take photographs to try to capture a special moment. I do this for myself, but also for the feeling I get when other people appreciate it. Like when a chef sees someone eat their meal with joy. Or maybe I just want to instill the desire to travel in others. :)

As I thought about all of this I wondered why others travel. What is their favorite part or their reason for going? I've since made ten portraits with their answers in a project I call "I travel for...". Here's the first one:

Sahar travels for savoring the food around the world. 

I'll be sharing one portrait each week so stay tuned to see the rest...    

So why do you travel?

New Project : "Analog 128, The handcrafting of a violin"

I'm very excited to share a new personal project! A few months ago Ed Sozinho and I decided to create a film piece about the making of a violin. In this highly digitized world, we were intrigued by the age old craftsmanship, the process and the art of creating an instrument by hand. We decided to document the highly talented Seattle violin maker David Van Zandt from start to finish on his 128th custom violin. 

It was amazing to see the raw wood in the beginning and how precisely he formed it into an instrument. He says that violin makers have the ability to work within 1/10 of an inch. How rare is that these days! My favorite part is when he takes huge gauges out, risking taking too much. 

I hope you enjoy our film "Analog 128, The handcrafting of a violin". Please feel free to share it with your friends and send me your feedback! 

http://www.vanzandtviolins.com

Snow in the City

My first real snow in New York City and it's just beautiful! I headed from Astoria, Queens to Central Park and joined a few others giddy with the falling flakes. Not even delayed trains or huge street puddles could put a damper on my day. And another storm is hitting tomorrow!

Fun with Aerials

Last week a client sent me up in a helicopter to get some aerials of their project. After getting over my initial shock that this tiny toy of a helicopter was for humans and not run by a remote control, I had a blast shooting out of the open door. We took off from Boeing field and headed to Issaquah following I-90. It was a bit foggy, but the fall colors were spectacular from the air. While we hovered between 500 and 2000 feet, my numb fingers shot continuously. I could do this every day!

Seattle in the fog

I-90

Mercer Island

Suburbia 

Love the fall leaves

Hanging out the door

Shout out to Helicopters Northwest for taking me up! http://www.helicoptersnw.com 

Key West

I just got back from a trip to Key West with mom. Neither of us had been before and were excited to see the infamous Keys. It was tropical, warm and beautiful. The quaint architecture with the white painted homes and black shutters made it feel unique. Renting a beach cruiser and leisurely exploring the beaches was a highlight. As was the wreck diving. With 100 feet of clear visibility, 85 degree water and 524 ft of ship to explore, The Vandenberg was one of the best dives I've done.

Key West is an odd place. Huge cruise ships dock every couple days and loom over the little island. Tourists crowd Bourbon St's cousin Duval St and stumble out of it's many bars. Generally an older crowd sports their hawaiian shirts and fruity cocktails. But beyond the tourists there is a local tribe of folks who feel like they live in paradise every day. The type that say if a hurricane takes them out, it's the way they were supposed to go. And the easygoing type that lovingly co-exist with the feral chickens and roosters that roam the streets.

Key West was not my usual destination, and I think one visit was enough, but I'm glad I swam in her warm water, soaked up her sun and experienced her quirks.

Hemmingway House and his 6 toed cats:

 Key lime pie