February Photo Contest – Final Week!
That’s right! We’re already into the final week of February 2010, which means the February Photo Contest is closing fast!
The Results Are In! January 2010 Photo Contest
Welcome back to another edition of our Monthly Photo Contest!
What a tremendous selection of photos for last month’s contest! I couldn’t believe how many excellent shots I had to choose from. You guys are making me really work for it! Thank you!
I have selected a winner, but I don’t think I’ve ever had so many honorable mentions (11) in one month. There are just so many terrific shots, you are all great!
Also, remember to scroll down to the bottom of the post to find out more about the next contest!
And now, without further ado, the winner of the January Photo Contest and a copy of Scott Kelby and Terry White’s The iPhone Book is…
Review: Second Shootr iPhone App
For those of you looking for the latest edition of the Points of View Photo Project, it will be posted on Monday. If you haven’t sent in your photo yet, there’s still time! Send it to me by Sunday afternoon for inclusion.
It has been a pleasure to have had the opportunity to work with fellow photographer, Tim Collins of Plinkk Photography, as a beta tester for his new iPhone App for Wedding Photographers called Second Shootr. It has been approved by Apple and should be available either today or in the very near future.
Second Shootr is a very cool app developed by wedding photographers, for wedding photographers to help you with all aspects of your planning and execution of your next event. Here’s how it works: (more…)
We See It As We Are
As we all know photographs tell stories, convey information, and express emotion in ways that other modes of communication can’t. And, probably just as obvious, the story, information, and emotions that a given image shares will be different depending on your own background, state of mind, and outlook on life.
As Anais Nin famously said, “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.”
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to see just how true that statement is. I mean, look at the illustration of this point made popular in one of the opening scenes from The DaVinci Code where we see how the symbols or imagery of one culture can mean vastly different things to members of another.
One of my coworkers sent an email to our marketing group today with a link to an article about why language may shape our thoughts. In the article the example is given how when talking about a bridge in the south of France the Germans described it in more “light” and romantic terms while the French spoke about it with words of strength and power. The argument is that these perceptions are built around the language itself. Because the word for bridge in French is a masculine noun “masculine” traits could more easily come to mind, while in German the word for bridge is a feminine noun, likely evoking more “feminine” traits.
An image of someone like the president can bring out thoughts of admiration, anger, respect, hate, success, despair, joy, etc. all based on who the observer is and where they are coming from – both physically and psychologically. A Democrat will have a very different reaction than a Republican. A US citizen will see it differently than someone from North Korea. But even beyond the ideological or nationalistic differences, it’s obvious that a person who has a family history tied in one way or another to slavery, segregation, and racial discrimination will view the same photo carrying a different set of baggage than someone who doesn’t have that personal connection.
The same can be said for a picture of an old bike leaning on a wall. For some it may be a nostagia trip. For others a hard memory of growing up with less, never having what many took for granted. And it can go on and on.
As image makers we look through our viewfinders and capture frames of our world. Usually we’re trying to share what we see, or say something about who we are. But we all see the world through our own lenses that are variously both smudged and clean from our own personal experiences, moods, and beliefs.
I’ve said it a number of times how a piece of art – be it a photograph, a painting, a sculpture, a piece of music, a film, etc. – is never finished until it is experienced by the viewer/listener because it is in the consumption of a work of art that it is finally complete. And, even then, it is forever unfolding new meanings and depths depending on who and where you are when you consume it.
Don’t get me wrong, I definitely feel that a photograph (or any creative work for that matter) should first be done for the photographer. But I ask that you also consider how your creation might be seen through other lenses and understood with other words than our own.
It’s the 4th!
Hope those of you in the US have a great Independence Day!
But wherever you may be snap a photo for the On the 4th photo project and send it to me for inclusion!
June 23, 2005
A couple of weeks ago I was watching Primetime Live on ABC and Diane Sawyer was interviewing Brad Pitt. Though there were certainly some questions about his relationships over the past year, there was something he did that was very refreshing. He said that the only way he’d give an interview would be if the majority of the time was spent talking about an issue that was very dear to him: poverty. During the course of the interview and segments from his trip to Ethiopia, I was constantly reminded of the poverty that I saw in the flesh during my world travels. I was also reminded of something I saw in passing one evening while my mom was watching one of the entertainment news shows on TV: ONE.
The ONE Campaign is working to raise awareness of Americans and those all over the world about the possibility that there is to make a real difference in the fight to end poverty through a series of agreements to forgive third-world debt, reform trade, and increase the level of foreign aid by an additional 1% of the US budget.
All of a sudden, I felt a great deal of compassion and energy to support such an important problem facing our world. And a sense of passion, even a little, is something that my life has lacked over the past year. And it feels good to have some of that back.
…
On a totally separate note, I have come to a decision in my life, one I have not made lightly. For the past 6 years – maybe even twice that, on some level – I have been struggling with who I am as a spiritual and religious person. I have been a part of the United Methodist Church for my entire life, in part, because I was born into the family of a UM pastor. I’m not implying that that was a bad thing, or that I didn’t find a sense of direction and belonging there – because I did – but as I’ve matured as a person and have gained a clearer picture of who I am and what I believe I’ve come to see more and more that the UMC is no longer the place for me. So, as of the end of July, I’m done.
I’ve spent a great deal of time studying the religions of the world and praying about how I see God and have come to realize that my most basic idea of God is so much wider than the box that Christianity creates. I’ve spent years justifying my beliefs and twisting definitions so that I could feel like I still fit. But that has done nothing but leave me feeling exhausted and like I haven’t been true to myself. It hasn’t been healthy. And I don’t want to do that anymore. I need to be me and not the person I have – for lack of a better word – pretended to be for the past quarter, or more, of my life.
I’m not sure where I’m going to go next, maybe UU, maybe not. I just have to look within and without to find where God is leading me and what community is best for me and where I can be as faithful to myself as possible.
Havana, Cuba and Meeting with Fidel
I never got around to writing anything about my time in Havana. It was right at the end of the trip and we were all pretty world-weary from so much non-stop travel. We were able to visit Cuba because we were entered from Brazil and not directly rom the US and were were also an educational – not tourist – organization that was hosted by the University of Havana.
I spent one of my days touring some of the old forts and lighthouses along Havana’s coast. I was a bit surprised at how similar they were to other fortifications I had toured in the US. As I had throughout the trip, I enjoyed the history of it all – particularly the former headquarters of the revolution – but by that point, I was a little tired of seeing so much history. I was ready to be home.
One evening, we were invited to spend the evening – all 600+ of us – with Fidel Castro. For nearly 4 hours el Presidente droned on about nothing at all. When he opened it up for questions, he was asked about the state of healthcare in Cuba, the assassination plans on both sides during the Kennedy years. He went on and on about progress and partnership without really saying much of anything. The high points of the evening came right at the end when one of the more courageous asked Fidel for a hug – which he got – and another asked him to autograph his passport. To which Fidel relpied, ”I’ll do it but I’m not sure if you’ll be allowed back in to your country!” You can’t say the man doesn’t have a sense of humor.
After the audience with Castro, we were invited to an all-night party on him. From what I heard it was quite a good time. I’m not the party type and I was running pretty tired so I took the motor coach back to the ship. I also felt the injustice of such a lavish event being held when the Cuban people went without so much. Just imagine how that money would’ve been better spent to make some real difference.
Atlantic Ocean: Day 8, Salvador Tomorrow!
Hello once again from little ol’ me traveling around this great big world of ours! A lot has been going on in the week since Cape Town. This past Saturday, the 16th, we had our Ambassador’s Ball – the equivalent of a prom. We all got dressed up and showed off our fancy purchases and tailor-made outfits from Vietnam and other countries. As promised since after Hong King, I’ve included a couple of pictures of me from the Ball wearing my blue and silver silk shirt that I bought for around US$16 in Hong Kong. There are pictures of me and the captain, me and our executive dean Lloyd, my friends Samantha, Valerie, and Kim, and my friend Lindsey (the one with short hair and the bright red dress), and my Vicarious Voyage partner Kate. I had a really great time. I love getting dressed up and spending time with such good friends.
Classes are starting to wind down. My first final is on the Tuesday after Brazil and my last will be a week later on the 3rd of December. Wow, finals already! I know many of you must be quite jealous since you still have another month or so before you get to be home with your families for the holidays. Thanksgiving is coming up next week! It’s hard to imagine that it’s already that close! Being out here on the ocean and running around in various ports, gaining an hour here and there, and not really having any time off so to speak it’s really hard to keep track of what day of the week it is any more, let alone what holidays are coming up. The only holidays I know of at this point that are coming up is that tomorrow is something like “Black Awareness Day” in Brazil. But I’m sure there will be a big “to do” onboard for Thanksgiving. From what I understand, we will not go without the traditional turkey with all the fixings. Granted, it will be served buffet style with around 750-800 other people but it will be nice in its own way.
I’m getting ready to be done. Senioritis is certainly kicking in for me. Traveling the world has taken a lot out of me mentally, emotionally, and physically and I’m just ready to be finished with classes and be home where I can just crash for awhile before heading back into the thick of things for my final semester at BU. This has been an amazing trip and I want to see more of the world. My only comment would be that I’m ready to be home. It’s been hard to be so detached from family and friends and because of all of the demands that come with traveling the way that I am with the constant routine of class and port I am ready for some time off. Brazil and Cuba – aside from the possibility of meeting with Castro, still uncertain – were not high on my list of countries I was looking forward to visiting. I pretty much have no expectations for either of them at this point and so, it’s somewhat bad to say but, I’m not that excited about them. Or perhaps it would be better to say that I am looking more forward to being home, meeting Garrett and being back with the familiar again for awhile. Bebo Norman – one of my favorite musicians whom I highly reccomend – wrote a song on his newest CD – that I picked up in Cape Town of all places! – that really spoke to me as to this feeling of wanting to be home. It says: “Yesterday it seems/ I traveled in a younger man’s clothes/ living out this dream/ and wandering through fields of touch and go/ moving on forever/ watching the distance fade away/ but now I just want to land…where the trees stand still.” But Brazil is tomorrow! I have pretty much no expectations of what it will bring. I know it will amaze me just as all the other ports have, each in their own way. I need to let go of the desire to be around the familiar, “where the faces look the same most every day,” and be open to what these next five days have to teach me about Brazil, its people, its culture, its history, and about myself. I will be amazed again!
First Day After Cape Town, Back in the Atlantic Ocean
I know in past ports I’ve done a little better about writing every couple of days about what’s been going on and what I’ve been up to but Cape Town was just so amazing! I pretty much stayed in Cape Town and didn’t take advantage of the trips to the African Townships that have their own distinct culture and heritage. I was told that they were quite meaningful for those who visited but if you went to a Dalit village in India, as I did, you would get much of the same impression of the poverty and social/racial inequalities present. After seeing a lot of the world’s poverty in the past few ports it was certainly a refreshing feeling to be in Cape Town, which is a fairly modernized city. In the waterfront area, where the ship was docked, it was quite touristy and the down town area was like many other cities in the US. Overall the city had somewhat of a Cleveland or Boston feel as you walked the streets. There was a charm that you find in little New England towns too. It was a great comfort to be there.
I was scheduled to hike up Table Mountain – the dominant feature of the Cape Town landscape – on our second day there. Unfortunately, when I got up that morning I was really sore from wandering the city the day before and I was feeling a little under the weather – a result of living in an enclosed environment and breathing the same air as all of the rest who have been sick. So I slept for another few hours and went out to tea with Dean Lloyd and took the cable car up to the top of the mountain later. The views from the top are breathtaking and I can only hope that the pictures can do justice to it. I wandered further into the city on Day 3. I walked the botanical garden, museum, university area for most of the morning to get a feel for the place. It was amazing. That night I called home for the first time since Vancouver. I got to talk to my entire family, including Garrett! I said hello and he made one of those uniquely baby sounds. Even though I’ve seen pictures just hearing him made his existence for me that much more real. I can’t wait to see him in person and, as Chris (my brother) says, Garrett can’t wait to meet me either. What a brother I have! It was great to hear all of their voices again! I haven’t felt homesick at all on this trip; there’s been too much to see and do to feel homesick. I’ve been missing them terribly and can’t wait to be with them again, though. But I don’t want this all to be over either! On Day 4 my friends Valerie and Samantha and I took a tour through the Stellenbosch wine region. It was a lovely afternoon of driving through the countryside and tasting some good wines with some good friends. I would highly reccomend that you give South African wines a shot – those of you over 21, of course. I’ve gotten hooked on sparkling wine myself, it’s good stuff. Some of the white wines were pretty good as well. A good time was had by all and I am so thankful that I got to be there with such good friends.
Cape Town is a wonderful city and will certainly be towards the top of the list of places for me to return to. Many of us could see ourselves even living and working there for a little while. The people we encountered were such a joy. We are even going to try to keep in touch with one of our waiters who was so eager to share experiences with us and learn about the US and tell us about Angola, where he’s from, and his impressions of Cape Town and school and all of that. I am so amazed by everything that I’ve seen and done! I still can’t fathom the fact that I’ve been to so many places and experienced the beautiful diversity that is all around me. And I’ve only scratched the surface. I’ve only gotten a taste of each port and I will definitely be returning and branching out to other countries as I travel throughout the rest of my life. I can only hope that you all have the opportunity to catch a glimpse of how the greater world works and find the beauty of everything that is out there. My thoughts are with you and I can’t wait to see you all and share what I’ve seen and hear what’s happened in the past months. But first, Brazil is calling and I must answer!
Shanghai, PRC
For the first time on this trip, I felt culture shock. Japan was quite the modernized country and, though the ancient temples gave a real sense of it’s traditional values, I didn’t feel like I was in a foreign country so much. Shanghai is a different story.
As with every port, I slept out on the deck last night to watch as we arrived. At first glance I saw all of the normal industrial aspects of a port city: cranes, other ships, some factories at their work at all hours. And as I looked out over the city this morning I was expecting it to be like most others I’ve seen – like Kobe. This wasn’t an unreasonable thought since the section of Shanghai I saw from the ship was pretty modern with bright colors, modern and even ultra-modern buildings, and bilboards all over the place for typically Western products. However, as I stepped off of the gangway and headed into the city I saw the real Shanghai. There are people everywhere! Most people are on bikes, scooters, cars, or scurrying about on foot. If you thought any major US city hustled and bustled, you haven’t seen anything yet! I wandered down towards the downtown area but felt the urge to head down a side “street” to see what life was really like. So, I dared to cross the street – Comm. Ave. in Boston during rush hour is easy compared to what I crossed – and after dodging a few cars and a bus or two I made it to the other side. I made my way down what was more of an alley than a street that was filled with little shops and carts selling everything from food to machine parts to clothes to DVD’s for $1 – which I wouldn’t be able to bring into the US anyway. It was a small neighborhood on one block where everyone seemed to take care of everyone’s children and keep an eye out for anything suspicious that might be afoot – like some random American students just passing through. The clothes hanging from lines across the street, railings, and window sills was remeniscent of what you see in pictures of immigrant areas of NYC from the early part of the 20th century. It was then that I truly felt that I was in a foreign country and this trip felt the most real in that moment.
Some sad news, we have senior adult passengers traveling with us who sit in on classes, act as adoptive grandparents, and just enjoy the time with us. Last night at 2200 one of them, Barry, passed away. He and his wife Mae have been on something like 18 SAS trips together over the years and have been a blessing to have aboard. He had said that he was where he wanted to be, doing what he wanted to do, and having a great time. On a happier note, one of the professors and his fiancee will be getting married onboard in Hong Kong. The executive dean will be officiating along with the captain and the professor’s kids will be standing by to celebrate with them. What a joy!
Tomorrow is our last day in Shanghai. About 500 of the 600 students, along with 35 sets of parents and some of the faculty and staff will be traveling to Beijing and will meet up with the rest of us in Hong Kong sometime next week. I will be taking a “Taste of the Everyday Life of a Shanghai Citizen” tomorrow. I, along with a number of other students, will be meeting up with a family, heading to a market, and picking out, preparing, and eating a meal together. We will, I’m sure have a wonderful time and get to have an amazing experience. I will then return to the ship to sail south down the South China Sea into Hong Kong. It will take us about 2 days and, thankfully, there will be no classes because the majority of the community will be somewhere in the middle of China. The break will be welcome, offering time for rest and catch up with any reading that I’ve slacked off on. I am tired, which only can mean that I’m having a great time and I’m enjoying myself.
What a time I’m having! There is still tons more to see and do, and it can only get better along the way!
