13-FEB-2015
Bikers, Cave Creek, Arizona, 2015
This pair of bikers motored all the way from Ohio to reach this Cave Creek, Arizona parking lot. They told us they were traveling nurses, and wear contrasting scarves on their heads that tell us what kind of motorcycle they are driving, They express contrasting emotional responses as well. I converted the image from color to black and white to remove distracting colors from the background and simplify the image.
07-FEB-2013
Spectator, Domino Park, Little Havana, Miami, Florida, 2013
As this man paused to wearily massage his face, I made a portrait of him that speaks of a long and perhaps difficult life. He was watching a domino game at a park in the middle of Little Havana, a community of Cuban exiles, as well as immigrants from several Central American countries. I know nothing of this man’s own story. I leave that to the imagination of the viewer. I made this portrait of him from a distance at a 200mm telephoto focal length. I was drawn to the wonderful play of reflected sunlight that illuminated his face and his meticulously combed hair. He stands before a vividly colored canvas awning that brings shade to the players. The red, green and yellow stripes on this awning were so visually striking that they competed with the contemplative nature of the portrait. By converting the image to black and white, I was able to place my emphasis on the man, rather than on the setting. One eye is open, the other shut. The furrows in his forehead conform to the pressure of his fingers upon his face. He has no doubt seen much of life, and has come to watch the competition and socialize with his friends. Yet at this moment, he seems far away from it all.
18-NOV-2011
Shopkeeper, Jerusalem, Israel, 2011
This portrait of a Muslin shopkeeper, which I made while walking through souks of the Jerusalem’s old city, speaks to me of mixed emotions. He seems neither pleased nor displeased by my attentions. He stares impassively at us, holding a lighted cigarette in one hand, while bracing his other hand on his knee. He bends his head slightly to his right, projecting a sense of patience. He wears the Arab keffiyeh, a traditional headscarf designed as protection from sun and sand. The red and white color of his headscarf is not symbolic – Arabs from many countries and backgrounds wear such scarves. He also wears a taqiyah, a white prayer cap giving him his identity as a Muslim. This mark of faith is the brightest spot in the image. The Jerusalem souks are chilly in November, and a warm, well-made sweater completes his ensemble. He sits on a white plastic chair, surrounded by his wares. I only show a trace of them – I emphasize the man himself here.
12-NOV-2011
Bedouin tribesman, Habu Temple, Luxor, Egypt, 2011
I found this man standing before a carved wall of Luxor’s Habu Temple, which is also known as the Mortuary Temple of Ramesses III. Its inscribed reliefs depict the triumphs of his reign as Egypt’s Pharaoh from 1186 to 1155 BC. The carving in this image probably tells a small part of that story, while the Bedouin tribesman standing in front of it speaks to us of both past and present. The Bedouins are a desert dwelling Arab ethnic group, divided into many clans or tribes. Large numbers of Bedouins throughout the Middle East have left the traditional nomadic life to become settled citizens of various nations, rather than stateless nomadic herders. I do not know which tribe this man in this environmental portrait belongs to. He wears a white turban, a purple cloak, and carries a staff. He seems to come from another time, just as the carving behind him. Yet he is also most likely an Egyptian, and as such, the temple he stands in here can be seen as part of his own heritage.
03-SEP-2011
The woman in the golden scarf, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
I photographed this woman over several days as she worked in her clothing stall at the city’s San Francisco market. I liked this portrait because it captures the care – and love – she brings to her work. Much of what she sells is hand made, and she brings years of knowledge to her craft. I frame her in the colors of her wares, but it is the rich color of her gold scarf and the golden chains on her neck that best define the tradition in which she works.
03-SEP-2011
Shoeshine man, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This man face expresses significant character – he seems to have lived a hard life. His hands, blackened with shoe polish, speak of his occupation. I did not need to show him shining someone’s shoes. He looks away, as if he is wishing he could be somewhere else at this moment. Yet his resting hands are poised upon his equipment bag, ready to resume work at a moment’s notice.
07-SEP-2011
Newspaper vendor, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
The wonderful color of the wall and its journalistic display offers a perfect context for my intentions here. It helps amplify the fact that she works in a traditional culture, yet incongruously helps distribute the most up to the minute news. It is an incongruous portrait in many ways – for example, the tabloids that hang on the wall behind her speak of things that we can hardly imagine her even grasping. Yet the image also expresses a bit of her character. She seems experienced and respected, yet must have lived a life that has not always been an easy one. I sense both resignation and patience in her expression and body language.
24-SEP-2011
At rest, Cuenca, Ecuador, 2011
This woman was sweeping the entrance to the shop in which she works. She stopped for a moment to lean on her broom and reflect on some aspect of her life. In looking at her expression, I think she is about as far away as she can get from her broom without putting it down. It is a portrait that does what an expressive portrait should do – not just show what a person looks like, but also rather define something about whom they are.
27-JUL-2011
Bob Boland, fund-raiser, The Colonial Theatre, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, 2011
While visiting the Berkshire Mountain town of Pittsfield, we were able to tour the historic Colonial Theatre. Founded in 1903, it’s ornate hall featured performances by such luminaries as Will Rogers, Al Jolson, Lillian Russell, the Lunts and the Barrymores, until it fell on hard times with the advent of television in the early 1950s and shut down. A construction supply company used its vast spaces while volunteer residents of Pittsfield tried to raise the funds to buy it and restore it to its former glory. It proved to be a half-century long struggle, led by this man, 86-year-old Bob Boland. Today the theatre is back in business, one of the primary venues of the Berkshire Theatre Festival. It offers performances year round. Bob Boland led our tour of the theatre, taking us to all of its nooks and crannies. While we were on stage, I photographed him as he talked to us about his efforts to restore the towering theater that stands illuminated behind him. His body language and expression speaks to the pride of an entire community. He is still raising funds to maintain it, and actively manages its vast theatrical archives.
23-APR-2011
Cashier, Rock City Café, Rock City, Arizona, 2011
I made this portrait as this cashier turned away from her computer for a moment to catch the window light. Her illuminated profile repeats the glowing light on the pillar at right. The image tells us she is on the job, yet her mind is definitely elsewhere at this moment.
23-APR-2011
Patron, Rock City Café, Rock City, Arizona, 2011
A woman waits for someone outside this Arizona roadhouse, famous for its pies. She does not relax – she sits forward in her chair, attentive to what is going on around her. I sense a bit of tension and impatience in the body language and expression. She seems to be asking the question “When are they going to come and get me?”
07-JUN-2010
Restaurant barker, Durango, Colorado, 2010
A stack of menus in hand, a restaurant barker pauses for a moment to look my camera in the eye. I come away with a portrait that reflects the tedium of repetitive work. The barker must convince tourists strolling Durango’s sidewalks to eat here, but at this moment in time there seems to be nobody to convince. We are left with an insight into the frustrating nature of salesmanship.
08-JUN-2010
Engineer, Durango and Silverton Railroad, Durango, Colorado, 2010
An engineer, moments away from launching a journey by steam train from Durango to Silverton, patiently waits for departure. I liked the industrial nature of his traditional costume, the well used grimy glove that rests on the window frame of the locomotive, and the jaunty touch of red at the throat. His vintage white beard seems to fit his role well.
18-MAR-2010
Orangutan, The Phoenix Zoo, Phoenix, Arizona, 2010
Zoos can offer us ample subject matter for expressive images. It is important, however, to make a clear distinction between zoo photography and wildlife photography. When we make pictures of
animals in the wild, we can tell the story of nature itself. When we make pictures of animals in a zoo, we are photographing captive animals that are utterly dependent on man for survival. With this portrait of a female orangutan, I try to make that distinction by including the thick ropes and steel bar that provide the basis for her exercise. In nature, she would be swinging from branches and vines, but in the zoo, man made materials replace them. She looks out at us with an expression that is open to interpretation – I see it, along with her relaxed hand resting on the coiled rope, as symbolic of resignation. She seems to have adapted to her unnatural life, and lives it as best she can.
(Note: Some photographers might have photographed her without any man made materials showing, implying that she could be living in the wild. As far as I am concerned, to publish or display such an image masquerading as wildlife photo would be unethical, unless it was clearly stated in the caption that the animal was photographed under captive circumstances in a zoo or game farm.)
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Follow-up note, March 24, 2010: The Arizona Republic has just published a feature story on this very animal. Her name is Duchess, and on March 27. 2010, she will celebrate her 50th birthday. She is the longest-living Bornean orangutan in North America. Her keepers will give her a cake to mark the event, and will break ground for a new $4 million home for the zoo's orangutans on the same day. One of her keepers told the newspaper that Duchess is "streetwise and intelligent. You can't fool her in any way." Bornean oranguatans in the wild don't live past 48. Duchess has a few more years, according to her keepers. She was born in the wild, and arrived at the Phoenix Zoo at age 2 in 1962, just before the zoo opened to the public. She is one of its oldest residents. According to a keeper, Duchess has an attitude that is kind of like "I've been here a long time, and I'm the queen and that's the way it goes." Duchess is known as the "Founder of the zoo's Bornean orangutan Species Survival Plan." She currently has four living children, six grandchildren, and one great granddaughter.
17-OCT-2009
Musician, Kiev, Ukraine, 2009
His appearance is as expressive as his music. We found him entertaining tourists in the gardens of St. Sophia’s Cathedral. I made this portrait of him during a break in the music using a 350mm focal length to blur the background and stress the detail in his hair and face, shooting him in profile to match the curves of the face to the shape of the instrument. His furrowed brow and sad eyes give me the sense of a man who has lived his life with great passion. (But then, what artist doesn’t?)
Update, April, 2013: While visiting the Phoenix, Arizona, Musical Instrument Museum, I saw a video of this very performer. I learned that his name is Stepan Shcherbek, and that he plays a Bandura, a Ukrainian plucked string folk instrument, combining elements of a box zither and a lute. You can hear and see a You Tube Video of him playing this instrument at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YUOk-3wcNro
24-JUN-2009
Totem carver, Port Angeles, Washington, 2009
While waiting for the ferry to Canada, we spent a few moments talking with a man who was carving a totem pole near the harbor. He was either Canadian or a big fan of Canada – I’ve never seen larger lettering on any other sweatshirt. My fellow photographer and friend Tim May was shooting him as well, and at one point he asked the carver a question. The carver stopped carving, turned to Tim, and answered. While he spoke, I made this portrait of him. I call such portraits “Candid Portraits,” in that they are not posed and the gesture or expression of the moment is true to character, not self-conscious or directed. We can take the measure of the man from this portrait. He seems confident, warm, and intelligent. All of the shots I made of him actually carving went in the trash. This was the man I wanted to remember.
18-JUN-2009
Motel owner, Grant’s Pass, Oregon, 2009
I seldom try to make a portrait from behind my subject. But since this portrait was to be a study in light and shadow anyway, I thought such abstraction appropriate. The owner of our motel had invited me behind the counter to photograph a fancy piece of furniture in his office. Once in the office, I noticed lettering from the window casting its shadow on the huge painting that dominated the scene. His face was also in the shadows, his body rimmed in light. He appears in profile, almost as a sculptured bust carved in dark stone – which is appropriate since he surrounds himself with abundant decorative art in his small office. His motel rooms were laden with decorative art as well, all in a heavily romantic Mediterranean motif. Since we stayed in so many sterile motel rooms on this particular trip, his kind of unique hospitality proved to be a fascinating change of pace for us. This image of him is my favorite memory of the place.
09-NOV-2008
Cat’s cradle, Kairouan, Tunisia, 2008
While visiting Kairouan, our tour group was invited to lunch at the home of a local family. I was talking about photography with the son of our host and he asked me if I would make a picture of him with his cat. I asked him to stand next to a window, which gives the image a sense of dimension and provides a contrast of light and shadow that complements the black and white cat. Since the only significant color in this image is in the skin of the face and hands, some might wonder why I did not convert this portrait to black and white. When I tried it, all the life went out of the image. It became more symbolic and less real, losing its immediacy. The coloration of the skin tones adds warmth and his cradling of the cat is a warmly humane gesture. The medium fits the message here.
16-NOV-2008
Chef, Jerba, Tunisia, 2008
A sliver of light, coming from between the curtains of a nearby window, illuminates the steady hand of a hotel chef, along with the front of his white jacket. When I spot-metered on the white jacket, almost the entire image fell into deep shadow. The light reflecting off his jacket casts a faint reflection on his face, and I build this portrait around the chef’s fragile visibility. This chef is so used to cooking that he can do it in virtual darkness. I wanted this portrait to say that.
06-NOV-2008
Café, Tunis, Tunisia, 2008
This Tunisian man smokes a hookah in a café in the Tunis medina. The portrait accentuates his solitary pleasure, which is underscored by the repeating pattern of the surrounding chairs and the wallpaper behind him. The red hat adds a final touch to define character. I also made a black and white portrait of this man (
http://www.pbase.com/image/106453689 ). It is intimate and reflective, while this color portrait offers a vividly exotic touch of realism.
08-NOV-2008
The group, Sousse, Tunisia, 2008
When we photograph children, there is always a chance that one of them will do something to call attention to themselves. That is what makes this group portrait so amusing. The fellow at right rolls his eyes back into his head just as I shot, while his two friends remain passively relaxed and unaware of his impish behavior. It is this incongruous interplay between the children that makes this image a successful portrait. I used a 24mm wideangle lens and moved in very close to fill the frame with my subjects, yet also managed to include the cobblestone street where they live, as well as a distant figure for scale incongruity.
12-NOV-2008
Stoic, Tozeur, Tunisia, 2008
He stoically pedaled slowly and deliberately towards me, showing no emotional response as I made this environmental portrait. His headscarf, the ornate brickwork of Tozeur’s ancient medina, and even the background wall hangings, add context. Because he shows no emotion, the image is full of questions.
11-NOV-2008
High school boys, Tozeur, Tunisia, 2008
We visited a high school in Tozeur and I spent an hour or so getting to know some of the students. At the conclusion of our visit, I made this group portrait of three of the boys I had been talking to. The late afternoon light was pouring through a window, and I arranged them so that their faces would be illuminated in three different ways. The face of the boy at left is half in light and half in shadow, while the face of the boy in the center is illuminated in the middle, with shadows on both side, and the face of the boy on the right is left almost entirely in shadow. I moved in very close with a 24mm wideangle lens, allowing me to stress the detail in their expressions and clothing, yet still include everyone in the frame. While all three boys look at the camera impassively, the group portrait comes to life as the boy in the center tilts his head, as if he is curious about what I may be up to here.
05-NOV-2008
Souvenir shop, Sidi Bou Said, Tunisia, 2008
We can often make effective portraits of people who are not looking at the camera. In this case, my subject is utterly absorbed by what he is doing at the moment – reading a newspaper. He is completely surrounded by the things he sells, which add important context to the portrait. Meanwhile, the advertisement on the back page of the paper he is reading features a portrait of a person who is smiling at the camera, lending an incongruous touch.
14-NOV-2008
Cave dweller, Matmata, Tunisia, 2008
This young boy lives in an ancient house built into the wall of a cliff. I found him standing in the kitchen, dressed warmly but without shoes. My 24mm wideangle frame embraces the ancient rock walls and floor, as well as the tables laden with jars, pots, and baskets. With adverted eyes and hands in his pockets, the boy seems to reluctantly accept the steady flow of strangers through his home. It is a portrait of resignation.
15-NOV-2008
Friends, Houmt Souk, Tunisia, 2008
This dual portrait, featuring two friends waiting for the bus that will take them to school, expresses its point through incongruity. My vantage point brings them closely together, yet they remain emotionally apart from each other at the moment – each lost in their own thoughts. By shooting these young women in profile, the viewer relates to them indirectly, rather than directly, as an observer, rather than as a participant. It is a portrait of silences, as much as it is a portrait of friends.
11-OCT-2008
Dog fancier, Freedom, Wyoming, 2008
We visited Freedom, a semi-ghost town, in the middle of a snow squall. While our group of photographers was shooting there, a local driving a red pick up truck stopped at its only functioning building to pick up her mail. She had two of her dogs with her, and graciously endured an environmental portrait session in the snow. I made many images of her smiling at the camera as the snowflakes swirled about her. But the portrait that said the most turned out to be this one – the moment she takes her eyes away from the camera and looks instead at the dogs she cherishes. The dogs are not looking at the camera either.
17-MAY-2008
Stagecoach driver, Placerville, California, 2008
Making expressive portraits of people wearing hats with bills or brims, particularly at mid-day, can be very difficult. The high sun invariably creates deep facial shadows that can easily destroy the mood and detail of such portraits. I won’t use fill-flash in such situations, either. Bursts of artificial light can be intrusive, eventually making subjects feel self-conscious. They can also make people look unnatural. Some photographers will even bounce light off a reflector on to their subject’s faces. That might work with a model, but most of the people we photograph on our travels are not models, and it is often more natural not to pose them. I prefer to make portraits as naturally and spontaneously as possible, and when my subject’s face is in deep in the shadows, I will try to move my position to make the most of them by blending them with naturally occurring highlights. That is what I am doing in this portrait of a stagecoach driver. He was waiting on top of his stagecoach for a load of tourists to board. He was high, and I was low. I was underneath him, shooting up to catch the interplay of soft highlights and the shadow on his face. The highlights come from light reflecting off his white shirt onto the bottom of the nose, cheek, and forehead. His thoughts were elsewhere while I made this over the shoulder portrait. He was not posing for me, and I did not ask him to do anything for my sake. The leather hat and full beard, along with the vest and kerchief, take him back in time, and give us a portrait of a man with a hard job, yet softly viewed in gentle, indirect light.
18-MAY-2008
Nature photographer, Placerville, California, 2008
I was traveling through California’s Gold Rush country with my friend and fellow pbase photographer Tim May (
http://www.pbase.com/mityam ) and photographed him while he was pondering his choices on the rocky banks of the Cosumnes River. He stands in the shadows, yet the light from above illuminates his head as he weighs the photographic options in his mind. He is only a small part of the scene – most of the image is made up of rocks. There is so much to photograph in nature, and Tim’s task here is to isolate and define the essence of the scene before him. My task as a portraitist is to express the essence of my subject, Tim. He happens to be wearing a maroon shirt, which called attention to itself at the expense of the idea I was trying to get across in this portrait. When I converted the image to black and white, the problem vanished, and the image became stronger.
06-APR-2008
Family in transit, Mumbai, India, 2008
The old steps of Victoria Terminus provide a resting place for this family waiting for a train. This is a group environmental portrait, contrasting the needs of modern family life with the dark and worn history of what was once known as Bombay. The mother seems to be doing most of the work here – tending the needs of her children while balancing a lap full of packages. Everyone but her gets refreshment. The only member of the group that seems to notice my camera is the father. He stares into it with great intensity. I could sense his impatience, and made this my last shot.
04-APR-2008
No time for words, Cochin, India, 2008
There seems to be something to read on every inch of wall space in Cochin. Even the posts are covered in words. A municipal sign is almost lost in the welter of language. Yet this man seems to have to no time for any of it. This incongruous verbal clutter is part of his world, and his thoughts are elsewhere at this moment. This is an environmental portrait where the environment itself tells the story.
02-APR-2008
Tailor, Moncombu, Kerala, India, 2008
This tailor is well known in the village of Moncumbu. I later showed this picture to a crewmember on our houseboat, and he told me that it was a very good “likeness.” The entire front of his shop was open to the street, and I stood there for a few minutes watching him work. My guide was with me, and as he was talking to him, I kept shooting. At one point, the tailor looked up from his work, as if he was thinking about something my guide had said. In that instant, I found his character – thoughtful, confident, and secure in his skills.
04-APR-2008
Greeting, Cochin, India, 2008
This man was working on the awning of a Hindu temple. As I photographed him at work, he turned on his ladder and greeted me by placing his palms together, and bowing slightly. I responded in kind and made this portrait. There is an overwhelming sense of place in this portrait – the colors that fill the image are the essence of India itself. And so, too, is his gentle manner and gracious conduct.
01-APR-2008
Gandhi’s double, Kanjipadam, Kerala, India, 2008
I found this man selling newspapers in a small village shop. He reminded me of the man on the poster behind him – Mahatma Gandhi, the father of modern India. Unlike the man in my previous portrait, I confronted him directly. I stopped in front of his shop and pointed to my camera and then to him, signaling my intention to take a picture, and giving him a chance to refuse if he wished. Very few Indians refused me or asked for payment. This man just stared at me, giving the portrait a straightforward, honest quality. If someone smiles for the camera, I make the picture, but rarely keep such photos. I don’t want pictures of people participating in a photographic ritual. I want pictures that tell a story or express ideas, as this one does. This image expresses the nature of a man, his work, and his place. By sheer accident, he also resembles a man he obviously idolizes.
02-APR-2008
Portrait in the rain, Kerala Backwaters, India, 2008
As our houseboat cruised the rivers of the Kerala backwaters, just off the tropical Malabar Coast in Southwestern India, I was able to make a number of environmental portraits. This was my favorite – a man patiently enduring a rainsquall. We were fairly close to the shore – a 300mm telephoto focal length worked well for me. He stands behind a dugout canoe on the riverbank, sheltered by both an umbrella and a palm. His body language is both patient and confident. He has obviously seen such moments before. They are part of his life.
30-MAR-2008
Alley dweller, Varanasi, India, 2008
I am often asked how I make such intimate street portraits as this one without even speaking the language of my subjects. This image is a good example of my approach. I want to seem like a snapshooting tourist. I use a very small camera for such shots as this, one that looks very much like a harmless point and shoot model. (It is not – the Leica D-Lux-3 is a full-featured wideangle pocketable camera.) I never hold a camera up to my eye, either – I hold it away from me and look at the large LCD viewfinder from a distance. In that way, he can see my face, and see my enthusiastic response towards everything around me but him. I saw this man hanging out over the narrow street and angled my camera towards the opposite wall and distant figures walking ahead of me. I kept my eyes on them. Because of my 28mm wideangle lens, he is in my picture as well, although he does not know it. I never confronted him – I kept my head turned elsewhere as I made this image.
30-MAR-2008
Entrepreneur, Varanasi, India, 2008
I found this man in a back alley, sitting next to a pile of small branches. They are called Neem and are used for brushing teeth. When chewed they form bristles. The medicinal qualities of Nee prevent gingivitis. He seems utterly relaxed at this moment, no doubt because he knows that I am not a potential customer. He leans against the old building behind him as if it is a part of him.
30-MAR-2008
Saddhu, Varanasi, India, 2008
Saddhus are Hindu holy men – renouncers who have left behind all material and sexual attachments and live in caves, forests and temples all over India. This one was standing on a ghat along the Ganges. The softly focused Indians in the background go about their lives in this holy city without giving him a second look. He seems oblivious to everything. His long beard, golden costume, and face paint seem theatrical, yet in this case all must have religious significance.
29-MAR-2008
Life in the shadows, Varanasi, India, 2008
Street portraits often emerge from odd places. I found this woman surrounded by bars. It is as if she is caged. She seems to accept her fate – this is where she lives and how she lives. My portrait allows viewers to come to their own conclusion.
28-MAR-2008
No smlles, Khajuraho, India, 2008
This child never smiled. She stares into my camera as if she has never seen one before. Most of the time, I found Indian children enthusiastically forcing themselves into my pictures. This child was a welcome exception. Crudely painted advertisements on worn walls bound the world she lives in. Yet she wears a white dress, which matches the white washed concrete beneath her.
26-MAR-2008
Holy men, Fatehpur Sikri, India, 2008
These turbaned holy men were meditating in an arcade surrounding the mysterious ghost city founded by Akbar the Great in the 16th century. They look like his contemporaries. This a dual portrait – the men are similar yet different. They both are bearded and wear green turbans. Yet one remains in the background, and looks at us in a more relaxed manner than the man in the foreground.
25-MAR-2008
Village bus driver, Rajasthan, India, 2008
This man clings to the steering wheel of his makeshift bus as if it was a security blanket. He is at one with his work.
24-MAR-2008
Woman and water buffalo, Abhangri, India, 2008
We had a very brief visit with this woman who farms in a small village in
Southeaster Rajasthan. She lives very much as her ancestors did. Little changes in this part of India. She comforts the buffalo, yet her thoughts seem far away. The folk art on the wall behind her adds environmental context.
22-MAR-2008
Ashram elder, Rajasthan, India, 2008
This man had powerful eyes. He holds us in his gaze and does not let go. Most of him is in shadow, which abstracts him, showing less and hopefully saying more.
22-MAR-2008
Ashram, Rajasthan, India, 2008
A travel portrait not only expresses the nature of character. It can also give us a sense of place as well. While visiting an ashram in rural Rajasthan, one of the residents came to the door and silently watched our group of tourists as our guide was briefing us. I not only photographed him – I also included half of a mural that covered the wall just outside the door. He watches us with patient curiosity. I devote most of this image to the sacred cow in the mural. It wears garlands of honor, and tells us that we are in India.
26-DEC-2007
Sweeper, Suoida, Vietnam, 2007
We stopped for a half hour or so to visit the remnants of the Cham people, who live deep in Vietnam’s rugged Central Highlands. They seldom see tourists there, and the whole village turned out to watch us walk up their main street. This woman has been sweeping her porch and she stopped to stare at me as I can by. I returned her attention with my own. I made portrait after portrait of her, and she never changed her curious expression. This environmental portrait adds important context, such as the costume, the unusual broom, and the simple, rustic porch. It tells more about her than a head and shoulders portrait would.
23-DEC-2007
Craftsman, Hoi An, Vietnam, 2007
Much of Hoi An is a well preserved 400 year old city. People such as this man have helped do this with their own hands and knowledge. He is a craftsman, now in his 80s and takes great pride in his ability to keep the spirit of Hoi An's old buildings alive. When I made this portrait, he had been refinishing the old building just behind him. He was a perfect subject, incongruously active and fit for a man his age, able to be himself in front of the camera instead of posing with a self-conscious grin, and in a perfect environmental setting. The curve of the window echoes the curve of his head, creating a relationship that links the man and his mission. I include just enough of his worktable to echo the diagonal thrust of his arm. While we were making our pictures, our group was peppering him with questions and his response expresses the cool, thoughtful nature of his character.
04-JAN-2008
Florist and family, Sadec, Vietnam, 2008
Entire streets of Sadec are filled with the wares of entrepreneurial merchants such as this woman. Her children will soon become part of her business. I use a 28mm wideangle lens for this environmental portrait, which allows me to make my portrait of her at very close range, yet also include her children on the periphery. As always, I make many pictures of the same subject, changing my vantage point and framing, and allowing the subject to change their position and expression at will. It also allows time for self-consciousness to wear off – she was a bit stiff at first, and it took awhile for her awkward, embarrassed smile to be replaced by a business like expression. Expressive portraiture takes time and work, and in this case, a lot of both were necessary.
28-DEC-2007
Lat child, near Dalat, Vietnam, 2007
The Lat people are a Central Highlands hill tribe. They are practicing Christians. I made this photograph just outside of the village church. He never took notice of me, or my camera. Many people often do not think I am taking their pictures because I always shoot from waist level, using a flip up viewfinder. They see me looking down into the viewfinder, but because I am not looking “through” the camera at them, and not masking my face with the camera (which can be threatening to some), I am able to get some very natural responses. He was probably waiting to see what I was going to do, and had no idea that I had already done it, again and still again. I was able to get a perfect response here, a mixture of boredom and sadness, and I link it to the primitive clapboard church and the fragile palm sapling he touches repeatedly.
08-JAN-2008
Monk, Tan Chau, Vietnam, 2008
We came to the locked gates of his monastery and looked through the bars. This monk saw us, and invited us in. The sun was just setting, and as we talked, I noticed it brushed his tunic in fragment of golden light, particularly over his heart. We asked many questions and he painstakingly answered them in English, and as he was talking to us, I kept photographing him. I organized the image using diagonal flow, starting with the softly focused gate in the upper left hand corner, and then using the garden hose to carry the eye past the flowery hedge to my subject. When he naturally crossed his arms and looked skyward for a moment while he searched for an answer, I made this portrait. It is a rewarding image because rather than telling us what he looks like, it tells us who he is. And that is the ultimate purpose of portraiture.
01-JAN-2008
Aged man, Ben Tre, Vietnam, 2008
We found him having breakfast in his house -- which opened on to the street. His family was very proud of our presence -- they felt that by making pictures of him, we were honoring him. The elderly are revered in Vietnam, and this man has seen much of its history and perhaps even participated in some of it. I am not sure he fully understood what was happening -- there was no response from him when I showed him this picture. But his family appeared to be deeply moved. There is a wealth of detail in this image, adding context that enriches this tapestry of a life well lived. The simple foods, the warmth of a space heater, the flowers placed next his table, even a government certificate within the cluttered cabinet. The three shades of blue – in the tablecloth, chair and on the wall, unify the image.
17-DEC-2007
Ticket taker, The Temple of Literature, Hanoi, Vietnam, 2007
The Temple of Literature is the oldest architectural complex in Hanoi, established in honor of Confucius more than a thousand years ago. After passing through the gate, I decided to make her portrait and began photographing her from a distance. She is aware of my presence but shows no self-consciousness and does not smile (the kiss of death for a substantive expressive portrait is a big grin). Her body language speaks as clearly as her businesslike expression. She is relaxed yet alert, and confident of her responsibility. She drives a motorbike to work – we learn this from the helmet on her chair. And her shirt matches the color of the wastebasket – she seems to blend into her work and her work blends into her. The light was soft and even, and she is sitting inside of an ancient gate, making the colors of her skin and clothing emerge from the darkly shadowed wall behind her. On the way out of the complex, I stopped and showed her this image. It was the only time I saw her smile.
01-JAN-2008
Seamstress, Mo Cay Town, Vietnam, 2008
We were invited into a Mekong Delta home that also produced garments for sale. This young seamstress was in training, and gives us a close-up portrait of one of Vietnam's cottage industries. I use my 28mm wideangle lens and move in very close to her – she looks up with patience and humility, and while very shy, she shows no signs of self-consciousness. The lens stretches the frame to include both the sewing machine and the colorful fabric on the table behind her. My vantage point is high, looking down on this youthful apprentice seamstress. This causes her to look up at us, almost as if she is seeking approval for her work. This environmental portrait illuminates a huge segment of Vietnam’s economy – we saw dozens of homes and shops where young women worked over vintage sewing machines, manufacturing clothing seam-by-seam, and piece-by-piece. This young woman can represent all of Vietnam’s young women who earn a living working with their own hands.
13-SEP-2007
Face of time, Pingyao, China, 2007
I made this portrait in the warm evening light to bring out the texture in both skin and rock. There is great age expressed here -- both the person and the place speak of time.
14-SEP-2007
Comrade, Pingyao, China, 2007
This gentleman has lived through the Japanese occupation of China in World War II, the coming of the Communist regime, the Cultural Revolution, and the opening of China to the west, launching an era of great changes. Here in Pingyao -- deep in rural Shanxi Province, things move more slowly than elsewhere. This man rarely leaves this spot before his front door. The world must come to him. And in the form of tourists, it does.
13-SEP-2007
Sunset portrait, Pingyao, China, 2007
I use the golden light of a setting sun to warmly illuminate the face of a venerable subject who sits impassively for my camera. He allowed us to photograph him at great length, yet never changed his expression. The numbers painted on the wall behind him must have local meaning – we did not discover what the meant, or how long they had been there.
15-SEP-2007
Shy child, Beijing, China, 2007
I found her at play in one of Beijing's many alleyways. She enjoyed playing cat and mouse, alternately showing off and then playing coy. She uses the doorknob here as a symbolic privacy screen -- giving us only one eye at a time.
07-SEP-2007
Tea Time, Feng Jing, China, 2007
This gracious lady showed great patience -- we trained our cameras on her for over ten minutes, without any complaint or distress. Her house is hundreds of years old. It’s colors, textures, and environmental detail adds meaning to this portrait.
02-SEP-2007
Intensity, Malacca. Malaysia
This woman was engaged in a long and intense discussion just inside the entrance to Malacca's historic Cheng Hoon Teng Temple. She knew that four photographers were shooting her simultaneously yet showed no signs of either self-consciousness or annoyance. The light streaming through the open door to our left illuminated her face. By putting half the face in light and half in shadow, I create abstraction that
suggests her character without fully describing it. I use my spot-metering mode to expose for the lighted side only, allowing the rest of the face to vanish into the shadows.
07-SEP-2007
On the bench, Feng Jing, China, 2007
I particularly liked the narrow, high bench he sits upon. In spite of the fact that his heels are lifted off the ground and he has limited seating space, he seems perfectly at home here. The furnishings are spare and well used. His cigarette grows shorter by the moment. He looks at us without emotion or curiosity. He does not pose for us – he is simply being himself. This is an example of a portrait where the environment and subject merge in harmony to express character.
06-JUL-2007
Portrait of an artist, Cherry Creek Arts Festival, Denver, Colorado, 2007
I found this artist taking a break behind her booth on the opening morning of the festival. She is not posing for a portrait, yet this is a portrait none-the-less. She seems relaxed, and self-confident. She may have good reason to be relaxed – the three paintings hung on the back of her booth are most likely already sold. They add vivid context to the portrait – they reflect her style and interests, particularly the use of symbolic roosters. The rooster is the national symbol of France and Portugal, brings good luck in China, and is held sacred in Japan and in esteem elsewhere in Asia. The rooster as symbol dominates the work of this artist as well. My environmental portrait of her also offers an incongruous contrast – the artist herself dresses entirely in neutral clothing, while the paintings are vividly colored. She seems to have poured herself entirely into her work –and is probably grateful for that cup of coffee.
06-JUL-2007
Bearded Collie, Denver, Colorado, 2007
The key to expressive animal portraiture is eye contact. In the case of Olympia, a Bearded Collie, the eyes are critical because the rest of the face is essentially a mask of flowing hair, a living abstraction. I spent fifteen minutes photographing Olympia at close range with a wideangle lens, trying to stress her eyes above all. My own abstracted hand appears in the upper left hand corner – a gesture of love for this affectionate dog who belongs to my son and his wife. By petting Olympia while photographing her, I was able to distract her from smelling or licking the camera. The image is a study in incongruity – the single eye with its catch-light reflecting a nearby window contrasts strikingly to the heavy coat, which distinguishes this breed. Since Olympia is a monochromatic subject, some might wonder why I chose to use this image in color. The answer rests in my flesh colored hand. In black and white, the hand would appear as a mysteriously abstracted distraction, while in color, it becomes an essential part of the portrait.
26-DEC-2006
Berber cook, Ouirgane, Morocco, 2006
We had lunch with a rural family in Ouirgane. Our hostess graciously allowed me to make this portrait of her in her country kitchen. I do not give directions to my subject. I let them do whatever comes naturally. After a few minutes of awkward self-conscious posing, she became used to my camera and relaxed. She walked over the fireplace to get warm, folded her hands and patiently waited for me to finish. I pulled my zoom back to its widest focal length, 35mm, to get as much of the environment in as I could. I was working with the light from a single light bulb high overhead. The dim light forced me to shoot this picture hand-held, at 1/5th of a second. However, my camera’s excellent image stabilization system allowed me to obtain the equivalent of a 1/20th of a second exposure. I like the way she spontaneously made a triangle out of her arms. She echoes the triangular shape of the fireplace hood behind her. This image goes beyond description. It tells us what kind of a person she is – competent, patient, and good-natured.
26-DEC-2006
Donkey handler, Ouirgane, Morocco, 2006
Ouirgane is a few hours out of Marrakesh, high in the foothills of the Atlas Mountains. Visitors can take an hour-long ride on a donkey there to visit old graveyards, and men such as this fellow take care of them. I saw peer around a wall as he waited for a customer and thought the gesture gave us a sense of the man – curious, and perhaps a bit impatient. The donkey, meanwhile adds environmental context.
19-DEC-2006
Blue Man, Sahara Desert, Morocco, 2006
The Blue Men of the Sahara originated in Timbuktu. Berber Taureg's, they wear distinctive blue scarves on their heads. This man lives a nomadic life in the Sahara. We visited with him in his desert tent, which allowed me to take advantage of the soft light from the doorway, which was illuminating his head and shoulders. His black robes vanished into the shadows. I normally avoid making head and shoulder portraits unless there is something very special about the head and shoulder area. In this case, there was. The vivid blue –a primary color – sets off the skin tones nicely and gives identity to him as a member of the Blue Man tribe.
27-DEC-2006
Assertion, Marrakesh, Morocco, 2006
One of the advantages of traveling with a company such as Overseas Adventure Travel in Morocco is the continuing opportunity to interact with a cross section of Moroccan society. We had tea with desert nomads, lunched with farmers, and were served meals in the homes of middle and upper class Moroccan professionals. This woman, our luncheon hostess in Marrakesh, was urbane and articulate. A mother of two, she spoke several languages. Here, she explains Moroccan cooking to us. (Her "tangine" was the best I tasted in Morocco.) This image expresses her assertiveness, poise, beauty, and intelligence. I photographed her from a low angle because I wanted the viewer to sense the sense of authority she brings to her presentation.
16-DEC-2006
Produce man, Fez, Morocco, 2006
The produce man tests his product in the souks of Fez. Except for the key hanging from his neck, this portrait could have been 100 years ago. I cherish the rich coloration of this image – it is warm, rich, and timeless. He grips his greens in one hand, and tastes them with the other. I assume he is checking their freshness. This portrait expresses a sense of duty – he seems intense, experienced, and efficient. I like the way the curve of greens in his lap and hand echo the curve of rusted metal next to him. It is very typical of the souks of Fez – ancient, chaotic, jumbled, and often, to western eyes at least, surprising.
09-DEC-2006
Baker, El Jadida, Morocco, 2006
We passed through El Jadida on the way down the Atlantic Coast from Casablanca to Essaouira. I photographed this woman making bread at a roadside restaurant. She was so excited as I photographed her at work. I could feel her energy just looking at this portrait. This image is all about spontaneity – I photographed her for about five minutes, making dozens of images, and this one best expresses her spontaneous enthusiasm. We had lunch here, and I had some of this freshly baked Moroccan bread. It was superb.
20-DEC-2006
A ray of light, Sahara Desert, Morocco, 2006
I photographed this little girl on the floor of her adobe hut, grazed by a shaft of light from its sole window. She watched with fascination as her mother served tea to us. Photographing in backlight such as this is very difficult. We must accept the burned out window – there is no way to hold detail in it and still get detail in the dark room. I underexposed the scene in order to hold the form of the shaft of light, and managed to get enough reflection from it to softly light the face of the child. I wanted to express both the vulnerability and the curiosity of the child. I used burst shooting, making about 20 pictures of her. This was the moment I wanted to preserve.
21-DEC-2006
Youth, Tineghir, Morocco, 2006
This is of the gracious secondary school students who greeted us at Tineghir's boarding institution for girls. I cropped her as closely in my frame to echo the way her scarf crops her face. I moved her to the right of the frame to add a touch of tension to the image. The portrait is softly shadowed, while her response to the camera is one of gentle curiosity. It is a portrait of a young Moroccan woman -- direct, straightforward, and memorable.
17-DEC-2006
Semi-nomads, Middle Atlas Mountains, Morocco, 2006
On our way from Fez to the Sahara, we paid a brief visit to the modest log home of a family of semi-nomadic people. They had no electric power or windows -- I made this dual portrait with the light from the single door to the dwelling. Neither woman looks at us, which makes the viewer an observer. The women express a sense of quiet patience – they tolerate our visit with kindness and good grace. The primary subject wears primary red – it warms both the image and the character of the woman who is wearing it. The woman who wears an almost monochromatic sweater recedes into the background, providing context for the primary subject.
20-DEC-2006
Portrait in black, Alnif, Morocco, 2006.
The dusty town of Alnif is on the road from the Sahara to the High Atlas Mountains. This woman in black, probably in town to do her marketing, is my memory of this place. She was staring at me, but we cannot see her eyes. She expresses the traditional Islamic modesty, her face largely swathed in black fabric. Her body language and hands, however, speak to us. In spite of the heat and her enshrouding, she is relaxed, confident, and above all, mysterious.
26-SEP-2006
Bison, Hot Lake, Yellowstone National Park, 2006
This bison was almost close enough to use a portrait lens. I made this image shooting at 150mm with only our van between those horns and myself. The image is an environmental portrait – it is more than a picture of a bison, but rather a glimpse of where it lives as well. Surrounded by colorful trees of all sorts, the bison stands almost chest deep in grass that is changing to autumn gold.
25-SEP-2006
Rodeo rider, Fall Creek horse camp, Bridger National Forest, Wyoming, 2006
I made this environmental portrait of Rodeo rider Randall Perry as he stood with a horse and a glass of beer in his hand in a sun splashed forest glade. I wanted the colors and texture of this image to define Perry as much as his patient, genial pose. The plaid shirt, rough bark and translucent leaves speak of a man who leads an outdoor life and enjoys every moment of it. I sense possessiveness in the way he clasps both glass and bridle to his chest that speaks of a self-confidence. A few moments after I made this image, the horse expressed itself as well, by reaching up to nuzzle Perry. You can see that image in my Human Values gallery by clicking on the thumbnail below:
13-JUN-2006
Drenched in the Rose Garden, Portland, Oregon, 2006
While photographing roses in Portland's Rose Garden, I heard the shrill wail of a young voice a good distance away. This child had fallen into a fountain. After a few moments, the shrieks stopped and the tears dried. On my way out of the garden I met her and her mother. She was still soaked. I asked her if she would let me make a picture, and she cautiously agreed. It’s the incongruity of the hair, the anxious expression, and the close up, high vantage point that makes it work. Childhood means living by trial and error. She made an error and this portrait is evidence of her experience.
12-JUN-2006
Roxalee Barbee, caretaker, Remote, Oregon, 2006
The core of the village of Remote is the Jennings Estate. Some of its buildings have not been used for many years. Its gracious but very shy caretaker, Roxalee Barbee, opened its buildings to us and encouraged us to photograph them at will. The hardest subject to photograph in Remote was its caretaker. After considerable pleading, Ms. Barbee finally agreed to sit for a portrait in front of the estate's ancient barn. I rarely, if ever, have made an eyes-closed portrait. Yet, it works here. Her expression and body language speak volumes.
11-JUN-2006
Mark Holman, gallery owner and sculptor, Gardner, Oregon, 2006
Gardner is a relatively quiet town on the estuary of the Umpqua River. We visited Mark Holman, a Gardner gallery owner and sculptor. He was willing to pose with two of his life sized bronze figures. I abstract them with my frame in order to stress the personality of the man himself. He has a whimsical sense of humor, and it comes through in this environmental portrait.
02-APR-2006
Naxi Woman, Baisha, China, 2006
Many photographers prefer to make portraits as a head and shoulders. I generally prefer portraits to go beyond description to interpret the subject instead of describing it. In this case, the weathered features of the subject are a timeless symbol of rural China and the ethnic minorities who work its land. So I stressed the head – since that’s where the “story” is here. However I did two things that many head and shoulders shots do not include: I added the hand on the staff, and used a horizontal frame instead of the traditional vertical portrait framing approach. The horizontal framing allows the diagonals formed by the scarf and the shoulder to work more dynamically. I also include two of the three primary colors in this portrait – the blue shawl and the pair of softly focused red signs over the shoulders.
19-MAR-2006
Family portrait, Shanghai, China, 2006
I could have never made this engaging portrait if not for the help of my friend, pbase photographer Jen Zhou (
http://www.pbase.com/angeleyes_zyl , who graciously took me into the streets of Old Shanghai and photographed with me. Jen speaks the same language as our subjects, and could establish a rapport with them that I couldn’t. She was able to photograph and chat with these people simultaneously, and shared her images with them on her viewing screen. I stood off to one side and photographed them as they reacted to Jen’s pictures and comments. In this group portrait there are three levels of response – pleasure, friendliness, and incomprehension. There is strong variety in not only response, but also in age and gender. The worn door adds additional context.
A moment after I made this image, I shared it with everyone. Jen photographed the pleasure it brought to them, and to me.
I use Jen's shot in Gallery 37, entitled "How others see me" Click on the thumbnail below to see it.
15-MAR-2006
Student, Hutong primary school, Beijing, China, 2006
This child attends school in one of Beijing's old Hutongs -- a labyrinth of alleyways lined with four sided courtyard homes. All of his classmates had just ended a play session and had been moved to another part of the school. He is just emerging from the bathroom, wondering why all his friends have vanished. He stood there in the door for a few moments, bewildered and confused. One of his teachers came back for him, and was just about to take him back to his classmates when I made this environmental portrait. His tiny figure contrasts to the large door and flight of steps below. His body language expresses caution and uncertainty. This portrait expresses the feelings of a child who is, for the moment anyway, confused and perhaps a bit afraid.
04-APR-2006
Doorway gathering, Guilin, China, 2006
I found this trio gathered at the front of the building in which they probably live or work. I was far away from them and used a 200mm telephoto focal length. They have spotted me and are posing, but seem a bit uncertain about my purpose. The growling lion statue adds an incongruous counterpoint. (Perhaps some of my Chinese friends will translate the signage over the door, and the large words dimly seen in the room behind the door – it may tell us a bit more about why they are here. A steel security shutter stands open in the doorway, which leads me to believe that this may be a workplace rather than a residence.) I call this impromptu gathering a spontaneous environmental group portrait, where the setting is just as important as the character of the subjects. Ultimately, this image offers them a sense of place, and asks us to ponder what each of these men might be thinking.
19-MAR-2006
Doorway music, Shanghai, China, 2006
The body language and well-worn surroundings are timeless, but the music this woman brings to her ear is just for the moment. The wire in the ear at first seemed incongruous, yet such things have become universal appendages, regardless of age, gender or location. I made this spontaneous portrait using a 300mm telephoto focal length on a street of antique stalls in Old Shanghai. The portrait speaks simultaneously of both past and present.
20-MAR-2006
Ticket seller, Pearl Tower, Shanghai, China, 2006
Shanghai's landmark Oriental Pearl TV Tower is the tallest tower (1,535 feet) in Asia and the third highest in the world. One of its ticket clerks had little to do the afternoon I made this image—it was late in the day, and low visibility had probably reduced the number of visitors. Instead of photographing the tower on this murky afternoon, I found a more expressive subject by turning my camera on its ticket booth. Ornate iron fences, designed for crowd control, surround the booth. Ironically, its rhythmic row of spindles symbolizes the non-existent lines of tourists that would usually line up for tickets here. The young ticket seller seems to be wondering where everyone went.
12-FEB-2006
The Bottle Man, Oro Grande, California, 2006
I spent an hour visiting with Elmer Long and viewing his unique art -- a forest of trees with old bottles for branches. (For an image of that art, click on the thumbnail below.) I made this portrait of Elmer in his home, as he talked of his life and his art. The battered hat and long beard give Elmer much of his character. I have tried to imply even more character by including his folded hands. They may be at rest, but they are well worn and well used. I use soft window light so that Elmer can come to us from out of mysterious shadows. His work comes from the imagination, and the source of imagination is often shrouded in mystery.
02-NOV-2005
Double Portrait, Mercado de San Juan de Dios, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, 2005
The early morning sun sharply defines the characters of this man and child resting near the entrance to this busy market on the western fringe of San Miguel. I made this picture from a long distance at a 420mm focal length. Both subjects were aware that I was making a picture, but since I was so far out of their space, they had no idea how much else I might have had in my frame, so did not seem either hostile or self conscious. The man displays a natural curiosity. The child unemotionally accepts my presence. In this black and white image, the interplay of light and shadow abstracts the portrait and takes it out of the realm of a specific travel photograph, becoming more of a universal statement about the relationships between adults and children. I posted the original color image in a travel article at
http://www.worldisround.com/articles/237925/photo55.html The color version makes it look more like a travel shot, and less like a portrait.
24-OCT-2005
At the Fountain, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2005
I saw this young man waiting for a bus on a busy Guanajuato Street corner. He was standing in front of an old fountain featuring the figures of three huge fish. He was listening to music through a pair of earphones. He stands in front of the middle fish, leaving a fish to emerge on either side of his body, just as the earphones emerge from either side of his head. Using my zoom lens at its full 420mm telephoto equivalent, I was able to fill my frame with him and the fish from all the way across the intersection. He was so involved in listening to his music that he never noticed me shooting from across the street.
26-OCT-2005
Flower Vendor, Plazuela del Baratillo, Guanajuato, Mexico, 2005
I photographed this woman as she ceased her late afternoon cleanup work to take a brief rest. She was listening to the guitar music coming from just across the square. The portrait is based on the dual diagonals formed by her arms and the handle of the broom. She seemed so relaxed, with her head thrown back and her arms at rest on her broom. I used the full length of my 420mm zoom lens to shoot from a distance, allowing me to produce an image that works as both a candid and environmental portrait.
Dreamer, Central Market, Pakse, Laos, 2005
One of my favorite portraits, this image portrays a child who seems to be in another world at this moment. The sleek lines of the motorbike he uses as a resting place contrast to the timeless market baskets stacked behind him. There is a relaxed dreaminess to his expression in the way he holds his arms, and rests his head on the huge seat of the motorbike. The image is rich in human values because it speaks of children and adults at the same time. It also speaks of past and present. The baskets represent tradition; the bike is very much a symbol of the present. He will, no doubt, inherit both worlds.
02-FEB-2005
A Burmese Tradition, Yangon, Myanmar, 2005
The most striking feature of Burmese girls, women and children is the yellow Thanaka powder smeared on their cheeks, noses, foreheads, and even throats. It is said to tighten the pores, control oiliness, cool the skin, and act as a sun block. It is made by grinding tree bark into a paste. Pre-mixed Thanaka is also available. This woman seems to have to just rubbed it on, while other women and children use it as carefully planned decorative accents. What fascinated me the most were the incongruities present in this portrait. To non-Burmese, the makeup itself appears incongruous. She uses it to not only paint her face but also her throat, a rarity. She makes no acknowledgement whatsoever that I am making her picture. She never made eye contact with me. Her stoic expression never changed. I photographed her standing in front of a grim steel gate, no doubt used to secure a store in the city’s busy market. Yet her painted face and neck speak more loudly to us than anything else. She is Burmese!
Seeing the Man in the Boy, Hsinbyume Pagoda, Mingun, Myanmar, 2005
A young boy, the son of a local shopkeeper, poses for his portrait in one of the niches of the Hsinbyume Pagoda. I could not disengage him. He followed me for almost a half hour, watching every move I made. He never asked for money or gifts, and never asked me to take his picture. He was just curious. He got to know me and I got to know him. At one point, while I was making another image, he casually stood within one of Hsinbyume’s old arches, just watching me work. I knew he was there, turned around and made this environmental portrait of him. His relaxed body language is the key – the way he places his feet, leans on the doorsill, and the look on his face, all speak to us of his emerging character. He is still very young, but he is already old before his years.
Coffee Grower, Champasak Province, Laos, 2005
This gracious woman, who runs a coffee plantation in the south of Laos, knows I am making a picture of her, and seems very comfortable with it. This is a three quarters view portrait. The subject does not look at the camera, nor does she face fully away. She stands comfortably, smiling and relaxed. While her eyes look away, she still shows her full face to me. I organized this portrait with as much, if not more, emphasis on environmental details as on the woman. Plastic bags and a towel hang on a rack at left, creating a series of rhythmic vertical lines. Vertical gray columns, one of them supporting a broom, offer additional vertical lines that carry us to the subject herself. The colors are warm, soft and muted. I made this image in the full shadow of a covered portico, allowing sunlight to be reflected into it from three sides. It made an excellent photographic “studio.” When we study this image, we come to know this woman, her surroundings, her personality and attitude. And that, in my view, is what an expressive travel portrait should accomplish.
19-JAN-2005
On the Fence, near Pak Beng, Laos, 2005
Hmong children were fascinated by western visitors, and watched every move we made with great interest as we visited their village along the Mekong River. This foursome was already sitting on the makeshift fence as I passed by. I stopped to talk them, making digital images of each of them, and sharing the pictures with them. This process has added a new dimension to travel photography. It allows us to break the ice and share a bit of ourselves with a bit of them. These kids enjoyed the pictures, but never left the safety of their fence, which bordered their family living compound. As I said goodbye, I turned to make this one last shot. I like the way they instinctively space themselves on the fence. A brother and sister sit to the left. They were the most outgoing pair of the group. The other two children are a bit older, and part of the same extended family. They choose to stand apart as a separate unit and were very quiet. I devote much of this image to the rugged, root-bound soil upon which they live and will someday use to earn their livelihoods. In the background, I include some of the houses in the compound for context. A new house is in the process of being built. This environmental portrait is, in its own way, a slice of Mekong village life. These children are posing, yet not smiling or mugging. They are simply curious about their western visitor with all the cameras, and graciously cooperative.
Saleswoman, The Strand Gift Shop, Yangon, Myamar, 2005
Perhaps the most elegant in Yangon, the gift shop at the old Strand Hotel offers an amazing array of Burmese arts, crafts, and antiques. The Strand is Yangon's most expensive hotel. Its 52 tasteful rooms were originally built in 1903 and reflect the heyday of British Rangoon, circa 1920s and 30s. I liked the similarity of the poses of both this saleswoman and the life sized carving gracing her shop. Each stands ramrod straight, with grace and quiet dignity, as does the big black container that stands between them. Hands are present in neither instance. One tucks them behind her back, the other has lost his somewhere along the way. Neither the saleswoman nor the carving is smiling at me, either. (Smiling for a photo is a custom that has yet to fully reach Burma and Laos.) I deliberately placed the woman off to the left hand side of the image to let her stand apart from the large black container and the carving. She is in a better position to show off all of her wares that flow across the image. Her white blouse makes her the focal point of the picture, because it contrasts to everything else in it. She was also one of the few Burmese women I met who does not paint her face in the ubiquitous Thanaka yellow makeup. If she wore it, it would most certainly clash with the Strand’s elegant European style. She is reserved, professional and represents the traditions of the Strand. For example, she may help you buy something here, but you would have to respectfully ask her for that help. Her portrait offers us a good look into the nature of the Strand itself, even though its hotel facilities are nowhere to be seen here.
Siblings, Salavan Province, Laos, 2005
It was always fascinating to see how children in remote Laotian villages respond to a camera. They are not used to being photographed, and seemed quite curious. You can hardly get as strong a contrast in attitude toward the camera as from this pair of young boys. Yet also look at the similarity in hand positions. Each holds his right hand in his left at this moment. This image tells us that siblings, while quite different in personalities, will often unconsciously mimic each other’s mannerisms. I cropped this image into a square to complement this comparison. A square provides an equal balance, and since we are comparing the responses of two siblings here, why not give them equal emphasis in the surrounding frame? I bring the eye into this frame with a leading line at the edge of the carpet in the lower right hand corner. The leg of the older brother parallels that line. The pair of brothers and the big pot carries the eye to the left and then up the green bamboo support pole. A matrix of woven right angles echoes this geometry in the wall behind them. Nothing is left to chance. Every inch of this picture has a job to do.
19-JAN-2005
Hmong Rice Farmer, near Pak Beng, Laos, 2005
Clearly tired, this farmer leans on his doorframe to watch the brief invasion of his village by nine American tourists. While one of these tourists, using two cameras simultaneously, made a number of photographs of him, he never moved or looked. He simply was not interested in having his image made but he had no reservations, either. Open doors are wonderful places to make portraits. They give you a black background, making the subject boldly stand out. They offer the subject a place to lean, or something to grab. Doors are symbolic, often making the subject into a guardian of his or her territory. This relaxed body language, however, makes him anything but a guardian. He is a farmer, purely and simply. This portrait tells us that.
Boy in Knit Hat, Champasak Province, Laos, 2005
Wearing a knit hat in the heat of the day, this boy seems to be preoccupied with his own thoughts, or else he has somehow become magically skilled at posing for portraits. I rarely ever make head or head and shoulder shots as portraits. The face itself must be very special and the pose equally special for me to do so. Face shots usually prevent you from using the environment as an expressive force in your image. This is image is an exception. I can move in for an intimate, close-up vantage point, using just the face, yet still tell a story. The bark of a tree and the knit cap express important symbols. This lad lives in rough country, just like that bark. The days may be hot, but the nights get cold. He wears that hat constantly, and makes it part of his identity. Another important aspect of this portrait is the play of light and shadow on his face. He seems to be very thoughtful, and the soft light reflecting on his face complements that mood. It may be a face shot, but it’s also a lot more than just a face.
Father and Son, Banlathan, Laos, 2005
Windows act in much the same ways as doorways do in portraits. They can frame the subject within the frame, creating a simple black background to make the subject seem to pop out at us. They also can carry symbolic meaning as well. All are present in this portrait of a very enthusiastic father and his young son who live in a small village along the Mekong River. This window has a miniature door as a shutter. It is thrown wide open, allowing this man to show off his son to us. His grasp is relaxed, his attitude positive. Incongruously, he seems to wear nothing, while his son is clothed. The colors are warm and inviting. The interlocking bamboo poles holding a garment below the window are symbols of his lifestyle. The young child, meanwhile, incongruously clutches a very large jar in his little hands. Already, he seems to be learning that good things to eat often can be found inside of them.
30-AUG-2004
Fast Food, St. Malo, France, 2004
Brittany is famed for its crepes, and this fellow makes and sells them from an open shop in the middle of town. And if you don't want crepes, he will be glad to make you a pizza or sell you an ice cream cone. I shot him as he worked for about fifteen minutes or so. My pictures were describing what he was doing, and whom he was serving, but they did not say very much about him as a person. Finally he looked up from his work at me, just long enough for me to make this environmental portrait. He is posing for my camera, but in his own way, and for his own reasons. In one hand, he holds a knife above the crepes he is making. His other hand grasps the plastic shield that defines his work area. He never said a word to me. But his expression did. He seemed pleased, almost proud, that someone would even want to make a photograph of him. I think self-confidence, enthusiasm, and patience mark his presence as well. But what really makes this travel portrait tell its story is the context brought to it by his surroundings. The menu behind him is critical. It defines the scope of his business, as well as telling us where this picture was made. The compact nature of his work area tells us more about what he does and how he does it. His little counter is a one-man operation, and every inch of working space is put to use. The utensils in his jars rhythmically repeat the diagonal thrust of his arm, linking the work to the man. I feel that this portrait tells us not only what he does, and what he looks like, but who he is. And that is the primary purpose of any portrait. How do you feel about this image? I hope you will be willing to leave your own comments, questions, and criticisms below, and I’ll be glad to respond. Many thanks.
30-JUN-2004
Dislocated farmer, Shi Bao Zhai, China, 2004
Everyone in our tour group had a chance to talk at length with this woman who has lost her Yangtze River farm because of flooding caused by the world’s largest dam. She is very upset about her dislocation, but is facing the challenge with quiet courage and resolve. I photographed her at the entrance to her current residence, which stands on high ground within the town of Shi Bao Zhai. Thanks to the help of an excellent tour guide who accompanied us throughout China, I asked her if she would help me make this photograph. While leaving her home following our long discussion, I noticed a pair of baskets used by farmers to carry loads of produce on their shoulders. They were sitting on some old planks in the large sheltered entryway to the apartment building where she now made her home. I asked our guide to ask her if she would just walk over and stand in front of those baskets, symbols of her life as a farmer. She graciously cooperated, and just stood there looking at me, wondering what to do. I asked nothing else of her – I only wanted her to stand there in the glow of the indirect light illuminating her from the doorway to the building. The light, the baskets, and the honesty of her straightforward pose create a portrait that expresses aspects of both her past and future. The baskets are empty now, but the glow that envelops her suggests that she will come up with the answers to meet the challenges she faces.
16-JUN-2004
Tiananmen Square guard, Beijing, China, 2004
I stood directly in front of this Tiananmen Square guard for a while and captured variously dutiful expressions as he stared back at me. I soon realized that what was going on in the background was important as the subject, because it implied multiple authorities. This portrait works as expression because of the juxtaposition of this subject with important background information. The short-sleeved guard before us is obviously the lowest ranking person in the picture. Behind him, standing on a podium, is another guard – softly focused but impressively dressed with weapons, jacket, and much gold braid. He’s the guy in charge here. But the person giving this portrait its ultimate context is in the softly focused mug shot on the wall of the Forbidden City in the background. Although Mao’s day may be long past, the presence of his image on the wall between these two guards still symbolizes ultimate authority. Both the god-like presence of Mao and proximity of the officer in charge, bring considerable context – and pressure -- to this young guard’s job.
13-JUN-2004
Making Zongzi, Zhujiajiao, China, 2004
Zhujiajiao, a river town 25 miles west of Shanghai, dates back to the Ming Dynasty, and still retains much of its original atmosphere. I saw this cook sitting in front of a shop along its main street, painstakingly preparing Zongzi, a dish that will be stuffed with grains of rice. She so absorbed in her task that she never seemed to notice me making her picture. Normally I make sure that the eyes of my subjects are visible, because the eyes, along with the hands, are often the most expressive parts of a portrait. But in this case, the downcast eyes worked. She seems to be using her teeth and two hands to tie the food up in a little package. The image is all about concentration, detail, dexterity and determination, and we don’t need to actually see her eyes to know this. The coordination between head and hands is intense and extremely skillful – this woman has been doing this for a long, long time, seems very good at what she does, and that is the point of this portrait.
14-JUN-2004
Elevator Operator, Peace Hotel, Shanghai, China, 2004
The Bund was the commercial and financial hub of Shanghai in the early years of the 20th Century. And no building on this elegant riverfront promenade was more famous than the Cathay Hotel, built by Sir Victor Sassoon in 1929. The Cathay still stands on the Bund today, but it is now known the Peace Hotel. Its smartly uniformed elevator operator blends seamlessly with the elegant Art Deco lobby. My goal was to say something about both past and present in this portrait. I took about twenty or thirty pictures and never said a word. I just kept smiling and working from a vantage point on a balcony just above the elevator door. Eventually she grew disinterested in what I was doing, stood as far back as she could within the small niche in front of the elevator door, put her hands behind her back, and gazed up and away from me. She seems discrete, polite, yet also shy, boxed-in and far, far away. Surrounded by symbols of a colorful past, she must stand and wait until her elevator can carry someone else into the future. This portrait is one of my favorites because it deals with a bit of history and the nature of work, and simultaneously reveals the character of a very polite and patient young woman.
23-JUN-2004
Rural life on a farm outside of Xian, China, 2004
Most of my travel portraits relate people to what they do, rather than what they happen to look like. We were walking through an old farming village near Xian where such amenities such as running water are non-existent. A teenager was doing the family dishes in the yard, using a bowl of water and lots of soap. She was talking with her mother and father when our group arrived. Our guide asked them if it was OK to make photographs, and they agreed. As members of our group questioned the family, I concentrated on making a portrait of this young woman, primarily because of how the light was falling on her at the moment. I call this “Rembrandt” light because it is soft and indirect, and allows me to expose for the highlights with my spot meter and thus put the rest of the scene into darkness. Most of the time, the subject had her head turned toward her work, away from the light. I waited until she turned away to look at her mother. As the light struck her face and shoulders I made this photograph. Her body language, expression, and task are very characteristic of life in rural China, and that is why I made this portrait in this manner.
27-JUN-2004
Tibetan woman at home, Lhasa, Tibet, 2004
During the three and a half weeks I spent in China, we were given a chance to converse with a cross-section of people in their homes. One of our most memorable home visitations was with this proud Tibetan woman, who spoke at length to us of life in one of the most world’s most distant outposts. What struck me most was the similarity of the vivid, forthright primary colors that envelope her, and the positive, outgoing nature of her personality. Her demeanor seemed to match those strong colors in her clothing and upholstery. In spite of her age, she is strong and alert. She stands with one hand open, the other holding her ever-present prayer beads. I found myself comparing the young woman featured in the Tibet travel poster on the wall to the lady of this house. Both women display strongly positive attitudes, and both are dressed in similarly colorful traditional Tibetan costumes. Yet one is older and very much present, the other younger and ephemeral. Tibet is a region still remote, impoverished, and considerably distressed. Yet this portrait can show us another side of Tibet -- a look into the spirit of its people.
03-JUL-2004
Antique market vendor, Hong Kong, China, 2004
On Cat Street, home to Hong Kong’s liveliest antique stalls, a vendor offers an unlikely variety of used items -- ranging from a golden bust of Mao to Chinese puppets and bronzes. In this incongruous environmental portrait, the subject is overwhelmed by the colorful context of her setting. And that’s the point of the picture. Dressed in black and white stripes, she is no match for the vivid colors of the things she sells. She stands amidst a cross section of Chinese objects representing an odd range of artistic, ethnic and historical statements. Cat Street is a cultural treasure house, and this woman certainly helps make it so. But one would never expect it from her. I photographed her for several minutes as she was standing to one side of her stall, assembling small cardboard boxes. She seldom looked at me. When we finally made eye contact, I made this portrait.
26-JUN-2004
Tibetan Monk, Lhasa, Tibet, 2004
This monk was sitting outside of the Jokhang Temple, the holiest Buddhist temple in Tibet, watching pilgrims at prayer. I wanted to do more than just photograph him – I hoped to express an aspect of his character essential to his calling. He was sitting on a stool, and remained absolutely still. With one hand on his leg and another tucked under the folds of his robe, he never moved a muscle. This takes self-discipline, a characteristic essential to those in religious orders such as this one. I saw a contrast here as well. His robe is a rich, deep red color. He sits under Buddhist prayer flags that decorate the Jokhang area, which are also very colorful. He is dispassionate, still, thoughtful, focused. Black seems to suit his mood and manner, yet he wears color and sits surrounded by color. An empty stool is by his side. Will he soon be joined in contemplation? This is one of those portraits that asks as many questions as it gives answers. A good start for a photograph intended to characterize a monk.
24-JUN-2004
Flower shop worker, Chengdu, China, 2004
This portrait tells us what it must feel like to water flowers all day in a Chengdu flower shop. In the face and body language of this worker I saw exhaustion, resignation, and tedium. I created the frame of my picture out of the shop's doorway and sign, and waited for her to spontaneously arrange herself within it. I call this kind of image an environmental portrait, because the setting is as important to meaning as the subject. In this case, the watering can, the plants arrayed behind, and the sign, which identifies the store as a flower shop in Chinese, provide critical context for meaning. She did not pose for me – she simply went about her work, and after awhile she seemed to forget that I was even there. That was when I was able to make this portrait work as an expressive message.
20-JUN-2004
Woman at rest, Temple of Heaven, Beijing, China, 2004
Thousands of Beijing residents visit the parks and gardens surrounding the Temple of Heaven, including this woman I found relaxing in one of its many pavilions. This portrait expresses a sense of ease and comfort. She appears confident and secure in herself. She knows I am photographing her but does not look at the camera, and instead quietly jokes with her friends sitting nearby. When I want to make portraits of people I encounter on my travels, I point to them, then to my camera, and smile to let them know that I am enjoying photographing them. More often than not, people will smile back in return, indicating that it is OK to continue shooting. I will often share with them the results on the display screen of my digital camera. In most cases a connection is made, even though I can’t speak to the subjects in their language. I chose this woman as a subject because I liked the way the light fell on her face and arms. I also enlisted the help of my Chinese guide, who explained to this woman that I was a serious photographer and would feel honored to make pictures of her. She is seated on a bench on a covered porch, causing late afternoon sun to illuminate her from the side rather than from the top or front. She seems to be basking in all the attention she is getting. I moved my vantage point to juxtapose the angle of her arms to the angle of one of the softly focused tree branches behind her, which makes her seem closer to nature. The field of green grass stretching behind her is fresh and open and there are no distractions upon it. This is very much a portrait of a fully relaxed, self-confident person.
13-JUN-2004
Fast food worker, Shanghai, China, 2004
Huge tubs of steamed breakfast buns are made ready for Shanghai commuters who grab a bite as they dash through People's Park. I call this an action portrait, because it stops life in its tracks, and reveals the character of the subject by preserving a moment in time. I simply stood among the customers gathering outside of this stall and shot picture after picture of this woman at work. This was the moment that said it all for me. She prepares food in large quantities and shows great capability and confidence in her ability to do so. We can see this by the size of that bamboo tub, and by her spontaneously casual attitude captured by the camera. The chaotic steamy environment in which she works underscores her positive attitude. There are more tubs to lift and carry, more buns to make and serve, and little room or time to relax. Yet looking at this portrait, I feel as if she might savor the challenge.
26-JUN-2004
Man at leisure, Lhasa, Tibet, 2004
Tall straw hat, wispy goatee, long shirt, a seat on the doorstep of a neighborhood temple, and a relaxed attitude accumulate meaning in this portrait of a Tibetan gentleman. I made several images of this man, and his expression never changed. He looks as if he is about to ask a question but can’t find the words to do so. (And if he did, I doubt if I would understand them.) I anchored the composition with the large doorstep embellishment in the right foreground, which leads us back into the heart of the picture, where the man and another doorstep embellishment await at center. The image then moves us to the third and final doorstep embellishment in the left background. Each of them gets progressively smaller as they recede into and through the frame. The man becomes part of the architecture through a series of rhythmic vertical repetitions that pull us into and through this picture. Yet he is emphasized by the vivid primary blue color of his shirt, which is much stronger than the more delicate colors in the building that surrounds him.
20-JUN-2004
Tai Chi Master, Xian, China, 2004
In this portrait of a Xian Tai Chi instructor, I've tried to capture a sense of confidence and serenity that comes along with such skills. She had just given a very basic Tai Chi lesson to our tour group on the patio of our hotel, and was quietly standing back in the shadows watching her new students practicing the moves she had just taught them. She was so intent on watching them that I doubt if she ever saw me make this picture. I exposed for her pink costume, making the reflected students and rocks in the bronzed window vanish into darkness. I placed her in the center of frame because it put the picture into balance and harmony, so important to an understanding of the art of Tai Chi. I saw in her expression and body language a cool and somewhat good-natured sense of appraisal -- very much the point I was trying to make with this portrait.