Find Light. Do Yoga.

Last week I had the opportunity to do a photo shoot with my lovely friend Rachel Cheam. She recently completed her yoga teacher training and was looking to get some photos done for promotional pieces. We picked the most beautiful day of Fall and headed to the forest to be inspired by nature and our love for yoga.

Me with Rachel

When shooting people I try to give as little direction as possible. Candid photos, in my opinion always turn out better. I also prefer to use natural light rather than a flash. When shooting at the right time of day, the sun can give off the most beautiful lighting. We went to the forest for the sun rise, the light was beautiful and warm casting no harsh shadows or blowing out highlights. I also love photographing rays of light, it can create some beautiful effects if captured correctly.

 

Rachel was very easy to shoot, and when it comes to yoga she knows her stuff. Nothing was pre-meditated, the poses were made from what she felt at that moment. After the first few shots it was clear that Rachel needed no direction. She was there to do yoga in the forest and I was merely there to capture it.

Here’s some other shots from the day…

Thank you Rach for a beautiful morning in the woods. You continue to inspire me each moment we spend together. Keep sharing your beautiful energy with the world!











Save The Elephants

During my stay in Chiang Mai, I had the privilege of visiting the Elephant Nature Park situated about an hour north of the city. Thailand is famous for its elephants, and hundreds of tourists come here every year to see these majestic creatures.

Thai elephants are simply a tool for making money. For years they were used in the logging industry to destroy their own home. However, logging was banned in 1989 and now tourism is the only way elephant owners make money. Tourists flock to Chiang Mai to be hauled through the forest on these giants. But not many know the training process the elephants are forced to endure. The Thai people think this is the only way to train them.

It’s called the Pajaan breaking ceremony. Usually around the age of 4 elephants are separated from their mothers and put into the training crush, a cage not much bigger than their own body. For days they are tortured and tormented. They beat them with sticks, they’re stabbed with nails in their most sensitive areas, sharp hooks are jabbed into their head and body. Whenever they struggle or cry, they are beaten more. They are given no food or water and are kept from falling asleep throughout this process. This horrendous training goes on for anywhere from 3-7 days. This is the beginning of the suffering for a domestic elephant in Thailand.

Thankfully Lek Chailert has created a haven for elephants that have been abused and mistreated. They now roam free at the Elephant Nature Park, never again will they be hurt by humans. Lek has rescued elephants from the tourism and logging industry, orphaned babies as well as other mistreated elephants.

Meeting Lek

At the sanctuary, I got to feed, bath and play with the elephants. It was a very special day being able to interact with them and share some love. I was so amazed at how much compassion the elephants had for humans after all the suffering we had put them through. They were so forgiving and full of love; it makes you re-think how hard we are to forgive others.

Me being small

Elephant Nature Park


I want to tell you about Jokia, a beautiful and graceful old elephant that I met. She was used as a logging elephant but would sometimes refuse to work when chains were put on her. To get her to work, her owners would fire arrows and sling shots in her eyes blinding her in one eye. Another time, Jokia was pregnant and ended up going into labor while logging on the mountain. Her owners wouldn’t allow her to stop working and when she gave birth, her baby rolled down the hill and died. Out of devastation and confusion Jokia again refused to work, her owner then stabbed out her other eye. Now completely blind, Jokia became useless to the loggers and now she lives with Lek at the Elephant Nature Park.

Jokia

I went through so many emotions the day I visited the sanctuary. I was disgusted by humans for what they put the elephants through, it actually enraged me. I was so sad for them. But seeing them now at the sanctuary was blissful and gave me so much hope. It was humbling to be there, and ultimately I think we can learn a lot from elephants. They have a sense of family and loyalty, they look out for and protect each other, they love and form relationships like humans. They are peaceful and forgiving creatures as we should be.

The suffering elephants go through is so little known to the outside world. And in Thailand, a blind eye has been turned to it. Thank God for Lek's love of elephants and motivation to keep going. If you go to Thailand and want to see elephants, go to the Elephant Nature Park and see them happy and free, in their natural environment where they belong. Please don’t support any form of elephants being used in the tourism industry. Its western tourists that keep this cruelty going, and there needs to be an end for these beautiful souls. They deserve to be free forever.

Friends 

   



Ngilgi Cave - Western Australia

The Ngilgi Cave was discovered by Edward Dawson in 1899, but before that was frequented by the Aboriginal Wardandi people. There’s a legend that says Ngilgi was a good spirit, yet there was an evil spirit that who lived inside the cave. Ngilgi wanted his people to have safety and be able to seek refuge. So he gathered the forces of nature to create a massive storm to drive the evil spirit out of the cave. Ngilgi conquered the evil spirit, allowing the Wardandi people to use the cave as their haven. Today the cave is visited by hundreds of tourists every year. It’s located in Yallingup, Western Australia… A must see if you’re visiting that part of the world.



I had never been in a cave before and was excited to shoot everything I saw. I knew it would be challenging with the limited lighting, but the cave was lit up so as long as I could find something to rest my camera on for long exposures I would be alright. It was a bit of an adventure crawling through tunnel and squeezing my way through the limestone formations. But what I saw was breathtaking. Everywhere you look, you’ll see a stunning display of stalactite, helictite and stalagmite, I was very impressed.

I was in my own little world exploring the cave. Everything I saw was so fascinating; I’d try to see things from every angle, lying on the floor, standing on the railings, climbing the stairs, going on my tippy-toes. I would even look at things upside down. As I was lying on the floor, my friend Julia walked passed me. I took this next shot.

 

Some places you visit are magical, and the Ngilgi Caves are one of those magnificent spots that you won't ever forget!

 



Kangaroo Love!

You can’t visit Australia without photographing kangaroos. It’s like going to Italy without eating pizza… what’s the point?!

 I visited a little kangaroo sanctuary south of Perth in a place called Bunbury. It wasn’t a touristy place, so myself and two friends were the only people there. We found two little joeys nestled under a tree together. It was the perfect photo opportunity. They were the most beautiful shy little creatures, so content cuddling together in the shade. I wanted to to capture the emotion I felt when I first saw the two little guys.

 

Hermit Crabs & Coconuts

For me one of the most exciting things is to go out and explore nature, get my hands dirty and find cool things to shoot with my macro lens. Macro is a whole other world of photography.

While I was in Fiji, I always found myself wandering around the beach looking for any little tiny creature or plant to shoot. There was this one spot on the beach teaming with tiny life. At times like that, I get out my 100mm macro and start shooting.

One thing I always try to do when shooting with a macro lens is to find interesting angles. Angles that people wouldn’t normally view the subject with. The hermit crabs were my favorite to shoot, and I’d always try to shoot them lying down on the beach, most people see them from above and miss all the little details about them.

Also, I find that something may not be interesting when looking at it from your normal view, but when you look at it from a different angle it can be a completely different picture. Like these coconuts, they were all over the beach, and not that interesting. But when I got down on the ground they suddenly became something I wanted to shoot.

This is my favorite macro shot from Fiji. I found this log that was submerged underwater during high tide and exposed the rest of the day. There were all these little creatures attached to it.  I loved the contrast in colours and the sparkle of the water.









HDR - High Dynamic Range

I’ve been in Fiji the past few weeks and have had no access to internet so I’m going to do a few entries at once and show you what I’ve been up to in the beautiful Yasawa Islands.

One of the first shots I did when I got to Waya Island was an HDR (high dynamic range) image. There was this one spot I found of the beach where the water was so blue and the trees were so green I knew it was the perfect spot for an HDR picture.

HDR is a technique used where you combine multiple images ranging from under to over exposed and combine them together when you post-process them. I combined 5 images; the first one I took was at regular exposure, then one at 1 stop over exposed, 2 stops over exposed, 1 stop under exposed, and 2 stops under exposed. It allows you to create a greater dynamic range between the lightest and darkest areas of the image.

image #1 - proper exposure

image #2 - 1 stop over exposed

image #3 - 2 stops over exposed

image #4 - 1 stop under exposed

image #5 - 2 stops under exposed

It is very important to keep the camera very still. Of course a tri pod is your best option, but for this picture, I found a rock with a flat spot to rest my camera. It worked just fine. Here is the final image…

final HDR image

I generated the HDR image with software called Photomatix. I find it much easier to create an HDR image with than Photoshop, but you can use either or. I still use Photoshop after I generate the image in Photomatix to perfect it.

Some of my favorite shots I’ve done are in HDR, it is a great way to add some excitement to your photo. 2 of my favorites are one I did of my dad’s house in the snow and the other is under a pier in Miami. Its fun to play around with and rewarding when you create something you love.

Dad's house

Miami pier



2 Days Before Take Off

I was trying to think of the best time to start my blog. I decided last year, that in the New Year I would do a big trip to work on my travel portfolio. So here we go, in a few days I take off for a few months to take pictures. It’s the perfect opportunity for me to begin my blog. I’ll be taking photographs almost everyday, and I’ll be shooting so many different topics. From nature and landscapes, to portraits and architecture.

I want to share my experiences of what I learn and know. There is much more to photography then clicking the shutter. Already I’m trying to figure out which lenses to bring and which ones to leave home, making sure my camera bag meets all carry on requirements, do I have all the proper cables and chargers, is all my equipment insured. There are lots of things to keep in mind when leaving on a trip like this. The hardest thing to leave behind was my tri-pod. I shoot lots of landscapes, so a tri-pod is a must. But I’ll be living out of a backpack for the next few months and I just don’t have the room.

Not only do I have all my camera equipment to bring, but I’m also a Type 1 Diabetic. I’ve compromised bringing clothes for camera equipment and medical supplies. After an afternoon of sorting through my camera gear, I’ve finally figured out what I’m bringing…

the gear

For my lenses, I have a 70-200mm, 24-70mm, 17-40mm, 50mm, and a 100mm macro. So I have a wide range covered, telephoto, standard zoom, wide angle and macro.

My one rule for the airport is never check your camera gear… If it’s not coming on as carry on, I’m not getting on the plane. I should be fine!

Next stop… Fiji!