New Page Added: Kudos
Not trying to blow my own horn, or anything, but I compiled a number of quotes that some of my fellow bloggers and fans have had to say about my work here on the blog and about my photography as well.
You can check out what they have to say over on a new page called “Photo Quotes” in my “About” section. It is, by no means, a complete listing and I’m sure I’ll add to it as we go.
Thank you to everyone who has shared such amazing words of encouragement and support over the years! I truly appreciate it and it keeps me going – especially when I fall into a rut that I don’t think I can get out of.
The Results Are In! February 2010 Photo Contest!
It’s that time again to announce the winner of our Monthly Photo Contest here at Jason D. Moore Photography! There were a lot of excellent photos entered this month and I have definitely seen some growth in the work coming from many of the regular submitters this time around. Nice work!
I have enlisted the help of the January winner, Chris Stern to help in the judging this month – as we will do from here on out with the winner serving as guest judge for the following month. Thank you Chris!
Don’t forget to scroll all the way down to the bottom of the post to see what’s in store for the March Photo Contest!
And so, the winner of the Canvas Gallery Wrap from IGT America is…
Photo Inspiration Thursday: The Lonely Pixel
Last week I shared with you a process for Using Textures with Photos on a shot of the Eiffel Tower I took a couple of years ago. It’s a style that I haven’t used that often but has really drawn me in and provided a great deal of creative energy for me.
When I was going through my comments recently, weeding out the spam, I found a comment that seemed legit but was picked up by the filters. I visited the site that was included and was really taken by the imagery that I was presented with by an art photographer that uses this technique perfectly in her work.
Event Photography Tips
I have recently been asked to consider shooting a class reunion this summer by one of my wife’s colleagues. Always wanting to make sure I’m covering all my bases and that I know what I’d be getting myself into, I reached out to a few wedding photographer friends of mine to see if they had any insights that I might draw from as I make my decision and, potentially, prepare for the job. (more…)
Lorne Resnick Photo Workshops
TRAVEL PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR AWARD WINNER LORNE RESNICK ANNOUNCES 2010 WORKSHOP SCHEDULE
Join Lorne as he guides you in creating compelling and unique travel and fine art images. This limited selection of intimate workshops will provide you with an exceptional learning experience in some of the most beautiful places on earth, including exotic locations such as Kenya, Tanzania, Antarctica and Cuba and also iconic US National Parks such as Yosemite, Arches and Death Valley.
Cool FREE Photo Textures
My friend from work, illustrator Eric Maruscak, turned me on to this site awhile back as an excellent source for free photographic textures.
The Ethics of Digital Photography: Part 3
Today’s edition of our miniseries looking into questions of what is and what is not “ok” when it comes to our work as creative professionals steers us towards the more conceptual side of the discussion. What are the limits of using the creative ideas of others in your own work?
Special Thanks to You All!
For my final post of the year, I’d like to take a moment to express my deepest thanks to some really great people who have made 2009 such an awesome year here at Jason D. Moore Photography.
Best Shots of 2009: A Year in Review
As the old year passes I like to take a few minutes and review my work from the previous 12 months.
I know I took more bad shots than good but, as I’ve been told, a professional is someone who knows which photos to leave out of their portfolio. I also tend to believe that any artist worth anything is never satisfied with their work. It is never finished, simply abandoned.
So as we round out the year, rather than showing you some great shots, here is a collection of my photos that sucked the least. (Just kidding…)
Take a look through my Best Photos of 2009 gallery and let me know which are your favorites!
When I Grow Up I Want to Shoot Like…
It’s Wednesday again, and one of the things I like to do when I’m feeling so uninspired and uncreative is to look at the work of those who are doing something awesome.
Wednesday Inspiration: Jesh de Rox
Need a little help getting through your week? I know I do. Sometimes when work seems to be bearing down on you and the weekend just can’t get here soon enough – and you don’t get snow days when you desperately need one – it helps to just stop and remember to breathe.
I first discovered today’s inspirational site about two years ago and was lucky enough to find it again the other day. I had forgotten what a gem it is. Jesh de Rox Photography takes you in like very few other sites do. From your first moment landing on the page you are invited on a journey through beautiful imagery and music with a sense of timelessness.
The site is for people in love. And if you’re finding it hard to make through this week turn up your sound, get comfortable, and remember who you’re doing this for, and be ready to be inspired.
The Results Are In: October Photo Contest!
It’s that time once again to announce the winner of the latest Monthly Photo Contest!
As it is every month, I am both excited at the number of entries and daunted by the many excellent images submitted. I am also pretty stoked by this month’s prize. The lucky winner is going to be receiving one of their images sublimated on a 16″x20″ piece of metal from our friends over at IGT America. I have one, myself, and it is not only an amazing process, it is also a very unique way of presenting your work.
So, without further ado, the winner of the sublimated photo print is: (more…)
Photographer Highlight: Stephen Zeller
Through the recent Walk4Hearing Silent Auction, I became aware of San Diego based photographer Stephen Zeller. He’s got some great work over there in under the categories of portrait, family, engagement, event and commercial photography.
He has a very definitive style that is clean, classy, and unique, and it’s definitely worth a look.
Stephen is also an avid blogger writing about images, news, reviews, and pretty much everything photography related over at his blog Stephen’s Photography Tips. Check him out!
The Results Are In for the September Photo Contest!
Wow! Every time I open up a new monthly photo contest I am amazed at the quality of shots that are shared. Thank you all for making me work so hard at making my selections every month! You amaze me and, more importantly, inspire me to get out there and shoot!
Now, before you scroll through the whole list of photos from this month’s contest, be sure to check down at the bottom for the link to the October contest group and to find out the AWESOME prize that is in store for the winner.
Without further ado, this month’s winner is:
“pier 3 square” by M Greenbaum Photography
Marvin will be receiving a free item from my official Jason D. Moore Photography Apparel Store. Congratulations!
I was taken by this shot the first time I saw it. There are so many elements at work here that just come together and “make it” for me. First off, I like the square cropping. It makes it stand out and I like how it plays off of the repeating pattern of the supports for the pier. I like the play between contrasts here: cool vs. warm colors, solid vs. fluid, sharp focus vs. blur, angular vs. the organic nature of the clouds and surf. I like how the shot isn’t just of something pretty, it communicates something through the contrasts, through the fact that the structure is aged and weathered. It says something. Nicely done!
As always, there were a number of shots that are certainly worth noting here and are each amazing in their own right:
Thank you all for entering and for sharing your terrific work with all of us.
The October 2009 Photo Contest is now open! As always, you have until the 31st at midnight (Eastern) to submit up to 3 photos for the prize. And boy do we have a good one this month! Troy Breidenbach (the photographer who shot the football player image above) is the president of a company called IGT America that uses a really cool technology to “print” images onto metal to make signs, dry erase boards, etc.
Troy and one of his graphics guys are avid photographers and they thought it would be fun to try transferring their skills at making signs towards their own work, and the results are fantastic! The process is called “sublimation” and here’s what they do:
1.) we get your image electronically and make sure the color space matches our profile (and convert it if not)
2.) the image is printed on 64” ink jet printers with a special ink and paper
the paper allows the ink to be “transferred” to the metal later
3.) the paper is married to the metal and put through a heat and pressure cycle that turns the ink from a solid to a gas without becoming a liquid in between.
4.) because of the pressure the ink can only go into the specially coated metal where it is “locked” below the clear coat
5.) the metal is cooled quickly so the color stays fast
6.) the flat metal is stamped to round the corners and put the holes in
Troy was kind enough to send me a sample using one of my own images and I must say, the final piece is amazing! It has a great finish and a terrific feel! (I just have to figure out the best place to hang it!) I’ve heard of this process before using fabrics because we offer certain products at work using a sublimation process, but before Troy contacted me I’d never heard of it being used on metal for photos. It is a very unique way of displaying your photos.
So, long story short, the winner of the October contest will receive a free 16×20 sublimated piece of metal depicting one of their photos. So, be sure to enter your best work this month for your chance to win the awesome prize!
And another HUGE thanks to Troy and his team for donating this very cool piece for our winner!
Photo Site Highlight: Plinkk Photography
I always hate Tuesdays. By Tuesday you can no longer use the excuse that you’re still getting back up to speed from the weekend. You really have to be on your game even though you’re mentally not there yet. I hate Tuesdays.
That’s why, on this Tuesday, I thought it would be fitting to send you over to check out some excellent photography. You may be somewhat familiar with our highlighted photographer from his participation in our monthly photo contests. Tim Collins, of Plinkk Photography, and his wife Helen do some awesome work in the field of engagement/wedding/event photography. In a genre that can so easily fall into a very formulaic portfolio of images, Tim and Helen have an eye for creating something truly unique.
When I see photographers like these I find myself all the more excited about my own work. I know I’m not there yet, in many ways, but I am reminded that it is possible to capture such beautiful moments and create such breathtaking images and I am given renewed passion to grow in my own craft and, in turn, help others achieve their dreams as well.
So, if you’re like me and you are finding yourself uninspired on this Tuesday, head on over to Plinkk Photography and see what’s out there!
7 Years & Counting!
That’s right. I am now into my 8th year of writing online. Last Saturday marked my 7th anniversary of what started out as a simple way of sharing an amazing semester abroad with my family and friends and has since become the Photoshop & Photography Blog Community that we have today!
It’s been a labor of love, especially over the past 3 years or so that I’ve been focusing almost solely on digital imagery, and I’ve been blessed to develop some great friendships along the way. One such friendship, which I mentioned a few weeks back, has been with Rob Jones of Towner Jones Photography. Rob and I share a similar philosophy for our work and I am always inspired and encouraged when I meet other like-minded Photoshop & Photography enthusiasts. In case you missed that post, the guiding principle for me is something along the lines of “pay it forward.” When I learn new things about Photoshop, I love to pass it along. If I see something and wonder how it was done, I am driven to figure it out both for the challenge of it and so I can then show others what I’ve learned.
I’ve been fortunate enough to develop relationships with some notable figures in the larger digital imaging community and have been blessed to receive some notariety myself. It is all a bit surreal for me because I see myself more as a just a guy who loves photography and needs an outlet for it. If my only readers were my mom and a couple of friends – like it was back in the day – I’d be happy, so I keep having to pinch myself that I get to do this everyday and share my thoughts and work with so many of you. (If only I were able to do it full-time!)
Because I never want to let any attention because of the blog go to my head, I do my best to share the spotlight (for lack of a better term) with my readers through projects and contests and other regular series so that others have some opportunities to reach a wider audience just as I’ve had over the last few years. Again, always trying to pay it forward and build community rather than toot my own horn.
There have been a lot of changes since I first began this endeavor, especially in the last year, and there will be more to come. Some of my series have fizzled out – due to lack of traction, time/development constraints, or they were just bad ideas – and others have risen higher than I had ever thought they would. Instead of taking a more nostalgic tack, which would be very tempting and easy to do, I thought that this milestone would serve as an excellent opportunity to look forward so we might do some brainstorming together to see where we might go from here.
First off, I want to lay out a few goals that I’d like to work towards with the blog, in no particular order:
- I’d like to continue to build this site as a place where creative people can share their work, inspire each other, and find unique opportunities to participate in creative projects.
- I’d like this site to be a resource where others can come for help and feedback so they can grow as image makers.
- I’d like this site to be an outlet for my own work with an openness for comments and critiques so I, too, can continue to develop my craft.
- I’d like to have an ongoing dialogue with my readers (through the comments or otherwise) not only so I can have a clearer sense of who they are, what they do, and why they come back, but more so we can all learn from each other and push each other to be better.
- And, if I’m being totally open and honest here, I’d like to see the blog grow in terms of being a source of income so that I can move closer to my dream of doing photography and Photoshop training full-time so that my passion might become my profession.
Next comes the more tricky part: How? Here is where I would like to solicit your input and ideas for how to turn the goals into realities. Maybe there’s something you’d like to see by way of a project/series/contest or other program here on the site. Maybe you have ideas about how to improve on what’s been started already. Here’s a few things to get the ball rolling (again, in no particular order):
- The Points of View Photo Project has been quite successful, in my opinion, and those who participate are constantly telling me how much they enjoy the new challenge each time around. I will certainly be continuing the project as long as I have original source images to share. I’m always open to reader-submitted source images, so if you’d like to see how others might interpret one of your shots please send it in to pov@jasondmoore.com.
- Workflow Fridays has fallen off somewhat, mainly due to how tough it’s been this summer to coordinate it. I’d like to see it continue because I think it’s a great way to get a glimpse into the process of someone else so we can pick up tips and tricks we might be able to incorporate into our own work. If you’d like to contribute, please send me an email and I’d be glad to review it for posting.
- Photo Reviews have been a fun way for me to flex my creative muscles and share my thoughts and opinions so others might improve in their work. I’d like to see this continue as well but I just need people to send me their shots. If you’d like your photo reviewed, email me at reviews@jasondmoore.com.
- Ask Jason is along the same lines and is off to a good start with yesterday’s post. If you have questions, send ‘em along to askjason@jasondmoore.com.
- Photoshop Tutorial Videos have been really fun for me to do in the past and it’s been such a crazy year that I haven’t been able to get back to it. There’s a new contest over at NAPP that I’m going to talk about more down the line that will hopefully get me back into it.
- Contests have been going quite well lately, especially with the BIG Photo Contest last month, and they are a great way to highlight some excellent photography. I’ve been approached by a few people with some really unique prizes that you will hopefully be seeing in the coming months.
- Sponsors have been a great support for both the contests and this blog as a whole. I’ve been blessed to receive donations of prizes for the contests as well as monetary donations to help keep this blog going in one form or another. And I am so thankful for those of you who have done that! I’d like to invite all of you to consider either donating via the PayPal button in the sidebar or sponsoring the site or one of the ongoing projects. Find out more by visiting the Become a Sponsor page or by emailing me at sponsors@jasondmoore.com.
- Jason D. Moore Prints are available for purchase through my Zenfolio Store – powered by Mpix. I am adding new shots as often as I can so you can have a fine art print and support the site at the same time. Check out the store for Jason D. Moore Prints.
- The Jason D. Moore Photography Apparel Store has recently opened as well. You can pick up your very own shirts, mugs, stickers, tote bags and more to show your support of the blog as well as the larger community it represents. And I’m adding new items all the time. If you do buy something from the store, be sure to send me a picture of you wearing it so I can post it here.
- Photowalks have been a tremendous source of inspiration for me as well as a great way to meet my fellow photographers. I’m planning on holding more in the future, for sure.
- Photoshop & Photography Workshops have been something I’ve done in the past on a smaller scale and something I’ve been toying with doing again.
- Supporting Causes is a good way to increase your visibility, yes, but more importantly it’s just the right thing to do. There are a couple of things in progress that will be announced in the coming weeks that I think you would all be able to join me in supporting.
- Others? What are your thoughts on all of this? What else can you think of? No matter how far-fetched, off-the-wall, outlandish, mundane, basic, ambitious, or just plain good your ideas might be, I want to hear them! So please leave a comment below and let me know what you think.
I really want to make this site more than just another photoblog and I want to make sure that everyone from the hobbyist to the professional feels welcome and able to be a part of it. So please, give me your input and help this community grow!
Digital Photographer Highlight: Karl Bratby
A few weeks ago I was introduced to the work of Nottingham wedding photographer Karl Bratby. There are a number of excellent wedding photographers out there and I love seeing their work because it brings me back to my own wedding and the joys that I felt. It’s the same with Karl’s.
Karl runs the blog iLifephotoblog which, in his own words is where he:
specializes in capturing relaxed portraits, amazing details and real moments in time, oh and don’t forget the romance…. we do all this for some of the coolest brides and grooms on the planet.
[It] is an archive of my personal and professional life, it features images from the weddings i shoot, the portraits i photograph and the friends and family that mean so much to me.
It is easy to get bored with a certain photographic subject because it is so easy to feel like you’re seeing the same things over and over again. One of the things I noticed right off with iLife and Karl’s style is that he is able to really bring out the personality of the couple through the shots but he is able to combine all the elements of composition, lighting, texture, contrast, moment, and pose to tell a story that is unique to each couple with whom he works.
I am always impressed with photographers, of any type, who are able to make each shot more than just a photo, each expression and pose really say something, and weave into each image a sense of timelessness. And Karl does that very well.
Nicely done!
May 11, 2005
It’s been a while since I’ve written here, I know, but it’s not like there’s been nothing to write about. It’s a busy time of year with work and I’ve been spending a lot of time with projects and events that leave me too tired to write a lot of the time. Also, I don’t want to repeat a lot of the same things I’ve said over and over again..
Lately, the feelings I had about a year and a half ago are creeping back in. I look at my life and the things I’m involved in and the routines I have and I get the feeling that I may be single indefinitely. It’s a hard thought to have and, let me tell you, it doesn’t tickle. As much as I hate it, it could very well be true and I have to come to terms with that. Even if it’s only for a few more years I need to accept it and move on with my life. I need to live to the fullest regardless of the box I check on forms. I was talking to someone about a year or so ago about how I felt as though I would like to have my own house in a few years (I said something like 3 years, then, but I’m thinking now that it would be more like 5). She was taken aback by the thought of it. “How could you do that if you haven’t even met anyone yet?” was her general response. I’ve also talked to people who thought it odd that I would go to the movies alone or how depressing it was that I would travel by myself. The response I give is the same: I need to do things that make me happy and give my life some meaning and fulfillment and I think it’s even more important to do those things as a single person so that my life is more than just… bearable.
As I was writing in my personal journal the other day – also becoming more of the exception rather than the rule – I was noting how it feels as though I am starting a new chapter in my life; I am getting a fresh start. I have been struggling with some personal religious issues over the past months and have recently elected to step down from coordinating the young adult ministry group, which also removes me from the Conference Council. So, I’m relieved from some stress and demands of my time. It’s so easy for someone of my age to be tempted to fill up every possible free day with something to do. I mean, I’m young and single so I have the time and energy to commit to groups and programs and extra work. But that’s how you get burned out, isn’t it? So, I cut out some of the things that drew me closer to burn out. And, though I hate to say it, the struggles I’ve been having with my religious life have made it all the more easy to step away from some of those things. Work is another story. I really enjoy what I do. The combination of being allowed to be creative and the challenge of getting it ‘right’ have given me a sense of accomplishment that I don’t feel elsewhere.
Another thing I wrote about was how I really wish I had someone/thing to come home to at the end of the day. Because I live alone the quietness and solitude of the apartment – while appreciated and certainly needed at times – can get to me sometimes. Some of the only excitement I get from going home is to relax and watch TV. It’s more of an escape from everything than anything else. It’s more like I place connected with running away from rather than running towards. I will be moving this summer to get a change in scenery and also to get a dog. I’ve always loved dogs and I could really use the regular companionship in my life. Hopefully it will be enough to make me feel happier in my daily life rather than what I feel now. It’s not so much depression as it is uninspiration. As a little-known poet once wrote,
“Oh, to be inspired again
And live my life entire
Without regret or want or need
And others I’d inspire.”
June 8, 2004
t’s another one of those times… Work and life have been keeping me quite busy these past months and I haven’t found rest. Sure I’ve gotten enough sleep, most of the time, but I can’t seem to get enough rest.
I was thinking about this a few weeks ago and came to an interesting observation. Many people have friends and loved ones that they go home to at the end of the day and on weekends to help take their minds off of the stresses and exhaustion of work. They have people to vent with, people to distract them from the busy-ness, people to live life with. It is when one has these kinds of people that they can find true rest. As for me, even though I have a wonderful family, it’s hard to separate our working relationship out from it sometimes. So it’s difficult to find much rest with them. But it does happen from time to time, like just yesterday I was helping to build a new front porch on my parents’ house or when I have the chance to just sit and chat with my mom.
But most days, as I’ve said before, I end up heading home at the end of the day to my spot on the couch where I certainly will be able to rest from my day’s labors but where I will rarely find myself rejuvenated and renewed.
I’m not sure what the answer is, but sometimes it’s a good enough start to simply pose the question of “what do I do?”
“Whatever is good and right will come…”
March 16, 2004
Not really sure what to say this time…yet I’m plagued with the desire, no, the need to write. Nothing momentous, nothing outstanding, nothing even all that good is happening in my life at the moment. Now, don’t get me wrong, work has been going continuously well and we keep doing great work for great people and I’m really enjoying myself. Outside of work General Conference, CCYM, and church obligations keep me out of too much trouble, too.
But there seems to be something missing…
I’m not sure what that “something” is, really, but I know there’s something that doesn’t seem quite right or complete in my life. It feels like I’m always busy and whenever I get the chance to slow down all I feel like doing is crashing on the couch, watching a good movie, and sleeping in – if I get the chance to slow down. Now, at this point in my life – out of college, on my own, single, working – I can afford to be always on the go and always doing something. But I do need that time of retreat, that time of disconnectedness, that time to reclaim myself in the midst of it all.
But it’s a strange dichotomy in which I live. On the one hand I need the me time to refresh and renew my spirits. But on the other, there’s that something else that’s missing and the need to be connected with others. Maybe that’s what’s missing: the feeling of being connected outside of my normal work and church relationships that, often, aren’t all that fulfilling – in a more casual/social sense of the word.
I’ve not been writing in my personal journal lately either. I don’t know why, but I haven’t. I was talking to a friend of mine awhile ago and she was noticing how, in her life, the times when writing doesn’t come easily are often the times when writing is the most necessary. That’s certainly the truth! So, during this time when writing hasn’t been coming quite as easily, I’ll try all the more to keep it up. We’ll see how it goes…
Back on the Atlantic
Well, Brazil was an ok port. Yeah, it was just ok. I didn’t go on any of the big trips to the Amazon or Rio so I just stayed in Salvador for the most part. I went to Praia do Forte to check out the sea turtle project where they are trying to increase the population of the turtles. I also went to the Afro-Brazilian Museum in Salvador – everything was in Portugese and no one spoke English, which made for an interesting time. I went on a ship-sponsored trip to see a performance of traditional Brazilian religious dances. It was pretty cool with almost constant drumming for about an hour, good food, and a form of martial arts/dance called capoeira. I only watched the show and they wore me out from all the energy they expended. I went shopping one evening and that was pretty much it. At this point in the trip, like I said before, I’m ready to be done. I wasn’t too impressed with Brazil. The old section of the city was quite beautiful but there wasn’t much that really excited me or made me want to come back. It’s sad to say but it was just another port. Overall, I think most of the rest of the ship had an amazing time but for me it just wasn’t as great as it could’ve been. It wasn’t as bad as it sounds though. I don’t regret being there. I also don’t feel like I missed out on much by staying on the ship for a couple of days. My roommates were gone for 2 nights and I had the room to myself for once. I watched a few movies, got some work done at a casual pace, and I was able to recover somewhat from the past week straight of work. Now the fun begins. We have 10 days until Cuba and in that time we have our last few days of class, Thanksgiving, and finals. It will be a lot of work but it will be done before we know it. And to think, Thanksgiving is in a couple of days. It’s my first Thanksgiving away from home and it’s going to be served buffet style in the dining hall. How wierd is that?!? It will certainly be an experience though. I’ll be with some good friends and dining somewhere in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean or Caribbean. How many people can say that? (Well, other than the 950 or so other people on the ship with me!) It will be fun.
Well, this will be my last Voyage Log until after I get home. With everything that will be happening in the next 2 weeks – finals, Cuba, packing, driving home – I won’t get the chance to write again. But do not fret! I will post all of my pictures and thoughts on Cuba and the trip as a whole before Christmas. I will be home around the 12th of December if anyone wants to email me again or anything. I will be thinking of you all as I make my way northward and I can’t wait to see you all again upon my return. Best of luck to all of you with finals and papers and I wish you all Happy Holidays, safe travels, and I send my love and thanks for all of the support and love you’ve shown me as I’ve been on this amazing journey! Take Care! and God Bless! Until I return…
First Day After India
As we were told, and as I realized, India is a land of contrasts. Alongside some amazing sights of art and architecture and the skillfully crafted silks I witnessed the extreme poverty and chaos as well. I saw the masses of people, I saw the serenity of rural villages, I saw a lot of dirt, I saw the beauty of it all.
On Day One I went to a Dalit (untouchable) village in Chennai to do a work project. Getting off of the bus we were surrounded by women with flower necklaces for us and a band was playing happily. As we made our way down the main street to our work site we noticed that we were the main attraction in a parade through the village. The band and police escort was leading us on through the crowds of smiling children and curious adults. Let me tell you, I have never seen children smile so wide in my life. We were led to a tent where there was a welcome reception for us where a number of local politicians gave speeches for the press about our upcoming work. Our main tasks included painting a classroom, hallway, and outside wall of the local school as well as transport a few piles of dirt and gravel that the school will use for a water collection system and other purposes that weren’t made too clear. We found out that our visit was somewhat of a publicity stunt but the general consensus of our group was that we didn’t care as long as the work was being done for these people. We didn’t have nearly enough time to do as much as we would’ve hoped but we were grateful for the chance to do what we could. It was a wonderful introduction to India and we saw how such beauty can be found in the lowest of the low and the poorest of the poor.
Day Two was spent at Kancheepuram and Mamallapuram’s temples. On one level, at this point of the voyage, a temple is a temple. I’ve just seen so many. But, these were distinct and special experiences as well. The style of architecture and the intricacies of the stone carvings were unlike much of what I’ve seen before over the past month and a half. These were also “living temples” where munks, nuns and devotees would be seen wandering the grounds and down the corridors in more numbers than the tourists that came through. We, once again, were spotted as being “rich” Americans and were targetted by the locals trying to sell us things and beggers asking for money who wouldn’t step aside even after we said “NO.” The poverty really gets to you sometimes and it’s hard to know what to do.
Day Three was a day of rest, or so I thought. I had no trips planned for the day and thought I’d explore Chennai. The moment I stepped out onto the main street the group I was with and I were mobbed by auto-rikshaw drivers trying to convince us to ride with them. They would follow you down the street and never take no for an answer. When you finally picked one to take you where you wanted to go they would try to take you to places you didn’t want to go that were on the way that they would get commissions from for taking you there. When you finally reached your destination, they would wait for you to take you somewhere else – and try to charge you for them waiting. I think we did pretty well in dealing with them and only paying what we agreed before hand, which was always the higher price for foreigners but fair. It is certainly an adventure and it is very easy to lose your cool at times, like when we got a flat tire. It just takes some patience, practice, and a firm stance on what you want them to do. It’s all part of the experience.
Day Four I went to a rural farm. The man who runs it is slowly starting to turn it into a resort farm so we got to just relax for awhile on hammocks or comfortable chairs on the shady lawn. We then took a bull-drawn cart ride through the village and played with some school children. Upon our return to the farm, an employee of our host shimmied up a coconut tree so we could have a refreshing treat. His parents then prepared a ton of Indian snacks for us, and they were wonderful. It was an amazingly relaxing time that balanced out the stressful day before.
Day Five was like my other free day. Some friends and I went into town to do some last bits of shopping for friends and family, and, of course, for ourselves. I picked up a couple of nice things for relatively cheap prices and my friend Kim bought a really nice sari – a traditional Indian outfit. We were only out for a few hours but we had a good time. After dinner, my friend Samantha and I won our 6th consecutive Skip-Bo game making us undefeated. It’s become a new favorite thing for my friends and I to do while we’re too tired to do much else – like study.
Well, that’s about it from India. I’ve got 2 midterms tomorrow, 1 the next day, a journal entry, paper and an oral midterm on Saturday and only one day in the middle of the week to rest for a little bit. Neptune Day – the day we cross the equator – is on Tuesday and I decided that I will not be shaving my head in celebration. Though, I have heard many of our floating community will be. And those who will are not only of the men in our group. Though it is a celbration day, I will be in the library doing research for my art history paper. But, as of Kenya at the end of this coming week, I’ll be able to take a deep breath and relax for awhile until finals come a-knockin’. Good luck all of you who are in the midterm mode and I hope you are all enjoying the beautiful colors of autumn that I am greatly missing right now.
Until after Kenya…
