The Digital Trekker News

This Blog has MOVED!

2008-10-26T09:35:00.013-05:00

This Blog has MOVED. Please redirect your browser to and change any of your links to the new URL and bog: http://www.thedigitaltrekker.com/blog. The RSS feed can be found HERE.

See you at the new Blog!

Lightroom Plug-ins make Life a Breeze.*

2008-10-19T22:59:00.004-05:00

*Ok, maybe that title is a bit of an overstatement.

We all know Lightroom is powerful. Most of my editing is done and post processing these days, and no longer in Photoshop. In fact, I would say with the advent of Lightroom 2 and local adjustments (see my video HERE) 95% or more of my work is done in Lightroom now. But there are fun little secrets that make this application even more powerful useful for more than photo processing. How many of you use Flickr, Photoshelter, SmugMug? Did you know that Lightroom, with the added help of a few free (yes, free) plug-ins can make your life soooo much easier?

Here is how it works. I am going to show you with the Photoshelter plug-in, but it works the same with all the above and more. There are two ways to start. The easiest is to follow this link to Adobe's Lightroom Exchange HERE. This is a warehouse of Lightroom plug-ins. Here you will find plug-ins for exporting to the sites I listed above. But, you will also find all kinds of cool plug-ins for web templates, develop presets and more. Most are free! So poke around and enjoy. I said there was two ways to start. The other way is to open Lightroom and go under the new to Lightroom 2 "Plug-in Manager." This is a handy dialog box that will take you to the Adobe Exchange site by clicking the button on the bottom left of the window. But it is more useful than that, because it now is the simplest way to import your plug-ins. Once you download the plug-in you want to use, in this case the Photoshelter plug-in, then just hit the ad button and ad it to your list of plug-ins. Simple, no more searching for the folder where the plug-ins reside, it does it for you.

The new to lightroom 2 "Plug-in Manager."

So now you have the Photoshelter plugin loaded or the Flickr plug-in or whatever one you want. Now, you need to select the images you want to load. I chose the Arches of Delhi gallery I made last week. Make sure you have captions and key words already embedded in the image. This is the beauty of this method. Now export like you would do normally export a photo and bring up the export dialog box. Here you will see at the top of dialog box a small pane, click on it and choose which plug-in you want to use.

You must choose which plug-in to use.

You will see the list appear. Once you choose the plug-in you will need to log in to your account. Don't forget, you have to have an account with any of these services to use them. That may seem like a no-brainer, but... Anyway, then just work your way down the dialog box panes. Name the file, make your setting choice, your size choice, sharpening, etc... Finally choose an existing gallery or make a new one.

Just work your way down the dialog box panes.

Then upload.

Once uploaded, Lightroom will tale you to the site and you can make any changes to the photos in Photoshelter or whatever site you uploaded to.

Your captions and other IPTC data that was embedded from Lightroom 2 follows your image to Photoshelter.

These plug-ins will save you a ton of time and make uploading to your favorite site a breeze. I hope this helped. You can view this gallery in Photoshelter HERE.

Gavin Gough is turning Travel Photography upside down.

2008-10-18T20:41:00.003-05:00

Photo by Gavin Gough

I wasn't going to post till Monday (Tuesday night US time) but Gavin Gough just got back home and has posted some amazing images. He just spent some quality time with Tewfic El-Sawy and others on the Land of the Druk Yul photo expedition in Bhutan. I haven't seen any of Tewfic's images yet, but Gavin's are outstanding! Due your self a favor and check out his blog here.

Welcome Acratech Tripod Heads!

2008-10-16T21:54:00.005-05:00

I want to say welcome to yet another new sponsor to The Digital Trekker, Acratech tripod ballheads. As I write this it just doesn't sound real sexy. But trust me, these babies are just that, sexy. I went after Acratech because one of our participants on this past Lumen Dei was using their GV2 Ballhead. The tooling of this ball head is sweet, more like a sculpture rather than a tool. I am being completely honest here. Look at the images below. Plus the gimbal action make this a very utilitarian head as well. Want to see this baby in action? Check out the YouTube video below.

I can't wait to get my hands on the GV2, it's light weight and open design makes it ideal for the type of shooting I do. Many other ballheads, and I am not excluding the big names out there, have their ball and socket design incased in some sort of housing. When dirt and grime get inside the housing the head starts to have friction and the movement no longer stays smooth. Not with the exposed design of the Acratech heads and being oilless and greaseless the ball will not attract and hold dirt and debris. Very smart! I told you they were light weight; they are less than 1 lb (.45kg). A concern with it being so light is, will it support the weight of a 5D (MKII ;) and a 70-200 2.8 lens? Apparently it does, and in fact easily holds over 25 lbs (11.4kg) at any angle. They are made with a quick release clamp that is compatible with most major manufactures QR plates. The one thing I was concerned about was the quick release clamp. It is a screw mechanism rather than a latch. But reading reviews of users, they all seem to get used to it quickly and in fact love it. I have not actually used this head for any extended amount of time. But I am getting my own in November, until then I want to point you to a very in depth review over at The-Digital-Picture.com, so check it out until I can post my own review here.

So a hearty welcome goes out to Scott Dordick and the great team at Acratech.

In other news; Lexar has posted a video I made for them on Lightroom 2. You can find it at their Digital Photography page HERE. While you are there checkout some of the other videos I have done for them. I have one on Toning and one on using the Displace Filter in CS 3 as well as some articles. David DuChemin has a plethora of articles there as well. Even Scott Kelby has posted some tips on the site. Go poke around and say hi to our friends at Lexar.

This is my Friday, so I'll see you back here on Monday, Malaysian time.

How to grow, pain and all.

2008-10-15T23:22:00.003-05:00

Don't be afraid of critique. (Photo by David DuChemin)

I was having Teh Tarek with Grungeman a day back and he said something that opened up a long conversation. He was bemoaning the fact that here in Malaysia there are no photographers that take interns on. I started to think about that and wondered why. But the more I keep thinking about it I realize that there are not a lot of photographers I know that take on interns. I know I don't. Why? Not enough work load. I mean lets be real, if I had the workload that some of these guys I know with interns, I would not be blogging everyday! So the question remains, how do the inexperience get the experience? How did I? I never interned, well, not really. I worked photographic jobs at my University. I shot for the school paper and the Yearbook. Then after college my career path went a different way. Though I did work in retail for a while at a camera shop. Later I got back into photography and found the passion...again.

When I look back, the main way I got the skills I have today (ok, don't argue my skills!) was the advent of the Flat World (see the post: A Response to Selling Out ) and a digital camera. What do I mean? I started shooting, and shooting and, well, you get the picture. As my dear old daddy used to say, "Matthew, (he'd often call me Matthew) You cain't catch a fish with yer bait in the boat!" Yes, my dad was from Kentucky, but he put the accent on thick when he gave out pearls of Kentucky wisdom. But he, as he always did, made a great point. You have to get out and shoot. Practice. One of the best ways to learn is from our mistakes. Make a lot of them and learn a lot. And the beauty of digital imaging is it is all free after you buy the camera.

Here is the other part of the Flat World that made me into a better photographer. The Internet and it's ability to reach out to the world. Use it, and post your images for critique on a forum. The place I found that helped me a lot and a place where I found others who shared my passion was the Travel Photographers Network. TPN is a great place to post and get your images torn apart, in a positive way. The folks that reside there are nice and gentle, in fact maybe too gentle at times. Sometimes they need to just come out and say it, "That image sucks! Didn't I show you where the 'un-suck filter' was?" But honestly, over all, this a great place to gather others with similar vision and share and image and listen and learn. There are other forums out there that do the same thing. If you know a good one then post it here and share it with our readers. But the point is to go out and seek some critique. While in university, I minored in journalism (I know you would never know it by reading this blog!) and you may recall if you have been reading this blog for many years, that I am highly dyslexic and can't spell at all. So what was someone like me doing in Journalism? Bleeding! My papers looked like someone spilled a bottle of red ink on them. But I learned to take the criticism and grow from it. It made me better. Growth is painful at time, but well worth the effort of sticking it out and learning what honest and talented people have to say about your work. By the way, I also met some good friends while at TPN. I met David DuChemin and others that over the years have remained honest critics and encouragers. Join a forum like TPN and seek it out. Ask for them to be rough, brutal. Learn from others and from your mistakes and grow in your craft.

New ThinkTank Product Coming Our Way.

2008-10-15T00:17:00.005-05:00

Photo by Dave Seah

All kinds of fun stuff head this way. ThinkTank Photo, a sponsor of this blog has some neat new gear.

First there is the Airport AirStream. This is a scaled down version of the other Airport bags ThinkTank makes. I use the Airport International and love it! So, a much smaller roller bag with all the domestic and international regulations met. Nice.

The not long ago ThinkTank released the Urban Disguise 35. Like the other Urban Disguise bags it is made not to look much like a camera bag. Again, this bag is a smaller version of the one I use the Urban Disguise 60, which by the way I love as well! So if you plan to do some travel or street photography and want to look less like a photographer with thousands of dollars worth of gear over your shoulder, you might give this bag a try. It holds up to a 13.3” laptop with a standard-size SLR or up to a 10” laptop with a Pro-size SLR with lens attached. It features a large opening for easy access to equipment and can be attached to a roller. It can be used as a backpack with the Shoulder Harness (sold separately).

And finally ThinkTank will be giving us a new bag scheduled to be released in December. Having not seen this bag nor even heard much about it till yesterday I can't say a lot outside of what my buddy Brian at ThinkTank has passed my way. So I will just quote you directly from the press release:

Shape Shifter™, the first backpack designed to expand and contract to fit DSLR equipment. By contracting down to 3 inches, the backpack keeps photographers from having to carry around a large foam box on their backs once their equipment is removed.

The Shape Shifter was designed for:
Photographers that want a lightweight solution with significantly less foam and padding than traditional photo backpacks;

Photographers that travel a great deal by airplane and public transportation that want to carry the maximum amount of equipment in the smallest package possible;

Photographers that want to reduce the size of the backpack after their gear is removed. (Note: some gear can remain in the front, like two strobes, and it can still be compressed to the smaller size with the zipper);

Photographers that use modular belt systems. After they remove most of their gear and put it on their belt, they then can then collapse the backpack;

Photographers on the run that must travel with up to 17” laptops and have the necessary accessories with them to transmit images.

Product Features

The Shape Shifter can be compressed to 3 inches in width once equipment is removed.

Once the majority of photo gear is removed, the bag can be collapsed and the photographer can still carry up to a 17” laptop and accessories, but in a much smaller package.

Rear compartment for up to 17” laptops has medium padding for protection and comfort.

Photographers can to wear their belt system, with components attached, and still support the weight of the backpack with the belt.

The inside compartment has neoprene pouches for:
2 Pro DSLR bodies
1 70-200 2.8 with hood reversed
1 24-70 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
1 16-35 2.8 or similar with hood reversed
Stretch pockets on the inside can also hold two strobes and other accessories

Includes a strap system to mount either a monopod or tripod on the front the backpack.

Padding on the back has an airflow system for breathability and comfort.

Technical Specifications

Outer Dimensions when COLLAPSED: 20 x 12.5 x 3” ( 51 x 32 x 8 cm)
Outer Dimensions when EXPANDED: 20 x 12.5 x 7” ( 51 x 32 x 18 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the LAPTOP CASE compartment: 19 x 12 x 1.5” (48 x 30.5 x 4 cm)
Inner Dimensions of the DSLR Camera compartment (Note that because there are neoprene pockets to hold the photo gear, the normal internal dimensions stated have less meaning): 19.5 x 12 x 4” (49.5 x 30.5 x 10 cm)
Estimated Base Weight (without any straps or accessories attached: 3 lbs, 13 oz (1729 grams)

This bag looks really exciting and quite frankly screams for a review by Fish over at Flying With Fish. He loves traveling with a backpack to carry his gear. Fish, this might just well replace your North Face Surge. I know I sure want to get my hands on it. A Oh, gear lust!

Arches of Old Delhi.

2008-10-14T04:30:00.003-05:00

Today I am posting a few shots of Arches around Delhi, India. I don't post images in the blog that much and thought you might enjoy them. If I get some feed back maybe I will post some more of other images. If you click any one of the thumbnail images in the post it will link you to a small Lightroom gallery HERE and you can view the larger files. I hope you enjoy them and find them interesting.

Steve McCurry Sharp

2008-10-12T08:24:00.006-05:00

One of the fun and quite frankly, thrilling things that digital imaging has been able to deliver that film never did, is the ability to give you truly razor sharp images. Yeah, we had sharp images in the film days, but not like what we can get now. With the digital cameras ability to grab detail and photoshop's many techniques in sharpening, we have surpassed film by miles. Over the past two Lumen Dei workshops we developed an expression that might be taken disrespectful toward the Guru of travel and world photographers, Steve McCurry. The expression is, "Steve McCurry sharp". It is not meant to be disrespectful. Let me explain and give Mr McCurry his truly just dues. First, Steve McCurry is outstanding and has set the bar for all of us to reach for in our photography. But once you visit an exhibit of his you will notice something odd. Many of his images are slightly soft. Some of the focus is soft, others there is slight movement. You can't say this is bad, when the man defines "excellence". Prior to digital images, one would never had noticed these things. When we shot film we were never we able to get the sharpness we are used to now. But something else is happening. Let me illustrate it here.

This is full frame. Click to enlarge.

Here is a shot that all my readers will know. It is of a little Gujjar girl in Kashmir. One of the fun things about this image is it is so very, very sharp. Here is the EXIF data from the image:

Camera: Canon 5D
Exposure Time: 1/500 sec
F-Number: f/3.5
Exposure Program: Aperture Priority
ISO Speed Rating: 400
Exposure Bias: -1 EV
Metering Mode: Pattern
Focal Length: 85.00 mm

I was, if I recall correctly, a good 6 to 10 feet from her. Below you will see that this image is so sharp, that you can see the scene behind me, when I photographed her, reflected in her eyes.

Click to enlarge.

So what is all this about? Why blog on how sharp digital images are? We all know they are sharp. Is it because this makes me better than Steve McCurry? Ha! If only that were true! No, it is because I bet you have started doing something that I have found myself doing. That is tossing away images that are not razor sharp. Any slight softness, slight movement and out it goes. I found I get so obsessed with sharpness that I loose sight of the beauty of an image. I don't see the moment in the image for the slight blur. For an image to work it doesn't have to be this sharp. Maybe even sometime it shouldn't be. Let me show you some images that I almost tossed, but I have now changed my mine and feel they are worth keeping even though they are not all that sharp. I will compare a nice sharp image with a soft or even blurred image taken at the same time, but a different "moment".

Click to enlarge.

Here is a shot of a man clutching his Qu'ran. It is a nice image. Sharp. Yes, there is glare in his glasses. But, even with out the glare there is emotion missing here. It is not a bad image and technically it is perfect.

Click to enlarge.

Here is the same man a few seconds earlier. His head is bowed and he is not looking at the camera. But the look give much more emotion, a since of thoughtfulness, or contemplation. You don't get that in the previous image. The soft focus or movement as it is here, work to make this a stronger image. Let's look at an even more stark example.

Click to enlarge.

Here is a similar shot. A Ladakhi woman sitting looking off to the left of the frame. A nice shot, right? But look at what the much softer shot below communicates.

Click to enlarge.

Here she is holding the beads to her head and there is real emotion here. Yet, this image is soft by all account. Not with movement, just soft focus. Now I admit, I should have been better at nailing the focus, and I think this might have been a better image had it been in focus. But does this make this image unusable? Not in the least! In fact this image is fast becoming one of my favorites.

I want to make sure you understand me. I am not talking about accepting sloppy camera work. But none of us get it right 100% of the time. I have known I am capable at getting razor sharp images like above, so I have not even looked at some of my more emotional images if they are soft. Of if I did, I cursed under my breath at my bad luck and tossed the image out.

All I am saying is we need to not forget what is good art. I cannot continue to throwout soft images just because I know I can get razor sharpness and didn't get it. You cannot say that McCurry's images are any less impressive or beautiful because of the softness of film or camera movement. So, if it is good enough for a Master like McCurry, I think I need to stop and realize technology has, dare I say, blurred my vision. I am missing the art for the mechanics and in danger of trashing some real jewels.

Who says there is no "Un-Suck" button?

2008-10-10T03:55:00.003-05:00

David DuChemin is fond of telling me and others there is no "un-suck" button in Photoshop. Hmm, I thought I was sure I saw one. Then yesterday I found it. You just have to look in the right place. Come on David, you know it's there!

What Blogs do you read?

2008-10-09T04:25:00.005-05:00

Ok time for you to give back? I have a certain few blogs I check everyday. Here is my list:

PixelatedImage Blog - David is one of the best writers I know and is always inpserational.
Joe McNally - Joe is one of the best photographers out there and is always willing to share. And by the way, Joe's blog was a stitch today!
Chase Jarvis - Chase is awsome. Talk about some who shares knowledge. This guy rocks and he produces some pretty mean videos as well.
The Travel Photographer - Tewfic El-Sawy always has some great links to some very cool slideshows.
Photoshop Insider - Scott Kelby is, well Scott Kelby a must read.
TED Blog - This is always a way to stay up on what the "world" fines important.
Gavin Gough - Gavin has great insight and I just love looking at his images.
A Photogrpahy Blog- Rachel Hulin digs up some great images and is always good for a hoot.

OK - Now it is your turn. Who do you read? I know you are out there, I see the states. So please don't embarrass me and not respond. Or I am going to have to have my mom email for 50 different computers to cover my Arse!

PS One more I almost forgot to list. What the Duck. A must read. Not only is it funny, but it speaks volumes!

Welcome to Keen Footwear.

2008-10-07T04:28:00.006-05:00

This image was taken by the highly regarded photographer, David DuChemin!

I would like to take this opportunity to welcome a new sponsor to The Digital Trekker, Keen Footwear. Keens are just about the best...ok, they are the best sandal I have put on my feet. They are comfortable, stylish and very durable. I have several pair and even my daughter has the kid's version of the Newport H2 as well. But, the cool thing about the Keen company s not just their shoes, and they have a lot of them, and not just sandals either. The cool thing is their commitment to the environment and to the world community. Here it is in their own words from their site:

We believe that people want to do the right thing.

Inspired by the effects of the tsunami disaster in 2004, we have dedicated both time and financial resources to social and environmental organizations actively working towards the greater good. We honor our employees' commitment to volunteerism, support our local community and embrace corporate responsibility. We call it Hybrid.Care.

Since 2004, KEEN has distributed more than $1.5 million to non-profit organizations important to us. With limited resources and widely different goals, our Hybrid.Care partners have paved the way for change through community, education and understanding. What these organizations share is a philosophy of caring, conscience and sustainability. What they've already given back is invaluable.

The Venice H2

These guys fit so well with my focus on NGOs (Non-Government Organizations) and humanitarian work. For more information on Keen Footwear visit their site HERE. I am thrilled that Keens are now available in Malaysia. Now I don't have to travel so far for a great pair of shoes! So I am excited to call Keen a new sponsor. Welcome Keen Footwear.

Sometimes a picture is worth the extra effort.

2008-10-05T22:59:00.003-05:00

Final image

Original #1

Original #2

Yesterday, my wife and daughter and I went with some Malay friends to the Kampon or village. We played in rice paddies and ate a lot of good food and drank a lot of fresh coconut juice. I took a few images of our host's children. One was particularly nice, but... not quite. It looked as if I had started taking pictures of war amputees. Poor girl. Poor me, what a lot of potential! So, I decided to work a little extra on this image. I thought you might like to see how I did it. It wasn't really that hard. I don't normally work on an image like but, this there was something about this little girl and the setting that I wanted.

First I took the images that had the "good" face, and simply copied the face.

Then I pasted the good face onto the not-so-good face but good body of the next image. I then made a layers mask and softened the edges so it would blend well. I also transformed the size of the face to match the size of the host image. To do that select the layer of the image that needs to be sized. Then do a Command T (Control on a PC). This gives you a selection that you can now size. To size uniformly hold the shift key and then pull the corners till the image looks right. It is all subjective.

I also cloned out some of the "old" face to make the blending easier.

Here you can see all the layers and masks. Click to view larger for more detail.

Then I added some more room below the coconuts and did the same thing. Made a layer mask and softened the edges.

Trust me, this is pretty simple. Anyone can do it, but you have to start using layer masks. I am always amazed at how many people use Photoshop and do not use layer masks. It is very simple and non-destructive. I am sure there are other ways I could have blended these images but this was quick and easy.

Any questions, just email me or skype me. Here isone more shot from yesterday. These kids are just too cute.

Oh! and Salamat Hari Raya Aidilfitiri!

PhotoFlex A Super LiteDisc!

2008-10-03T02:15:00.006-05:00

(Click image to make larger)
Photoflex 5'n1 MultiDiscs at work in the field.

An image from the shoot above.

We were fortunate to have a new sponsor of Lumen Dei at the last minute. The fine folks at Photoflex were kind enough to give us a whole suitcase full of 5'n1 MultiDiscs and a couple of Black LiteDiscs. (thanks Rosane for hauling these from the US to India!) Photoflex wanted to see how they would work in the field.

What is a 5'n1 you might ask? The MultiDisc 5'n1 offers five reflector surfaces; translucent, white, silver, gold, and soft gold; all zipped up into one small package. We were given the 42" MultiDisc . These are really rather large, but collapsed quite small and once distributed they were very easy to carry or pack. In fact some of us used a carabiner and just clipped them onto our Think Tank belts.

Using the translucent disc to defuse the light and give soft shadows.

Everyone got a chance to shoot.

Using them in the street was not easy. We did use them in one village setting without much trouble. But they did draw a lot of attention, so we were quite content to use them on models. Now, let me say here that people do use reflectors in street photography. But with 9 photographers prowling the streets of a small village, it was just too much. Our job was to capture life in our cameras not make the local news.

Here I used the Black Disc as a backdrop to give the feel of shooting in a doorway and the soft gold on the models face.

We managed to arrange a cultural show for our group. We then paid four of the dancers to stick around and model for us. It was great! Already in local clothing these models, being performers really knew of to work a camera. We divided the team into four groups of two and had each of the four performers make a modeling station. We then gave each group 10 minutes to shoot each model. David DuChemin and I floated between stations and helped show the team members how to use the MultiDisc. Sometimes the gold was just too harsh, yet other times it bathed the subject with just the right amount of light. We showed the group how to flag and defuse light as well as use the black reflector as a backdrop.

Even local our guides found a use for the LiteDiscs. Super Photoflex Man!

The team learned that lighting doesn't have to be complicated nor costly. Over all the MultiDisc 5'n1 and the Black LiteDiscs performed as well as the dancers, flawless.

Vitale Video

2008-10-03T01:27:00.003-05:00

If there is one thing I have learned over the past few years of shooting images and visiting with some world class photographers, it's most of the very talented photographers are nice, really nice people. One of the more pleasant photographers to come down the pike in a long while is Ami Vitale. You've seen me blog about her in the past. Today will be short. Maybe you've already ran across this set of video interviews with her, they have been out since Jan 2003! Ouch, why did I not see them tell recently? Susan B. Markisz a contributor to the digitaljournalist.org did the interview and created this set of short videos. The topics include:

Getting Beyond the Headlines
Kashmir
Gujarat
Do People Care?
The Editor / Photographer Relationship
How Do You Finance Your Stories?
The Changing Technology
Adivce for Young Photojournalists

While you are at it read the story by Markisz that precedes the videos, it is good as well. There is also a small collection of her images they linked to the interview. Enjoy.

James Nachtwey's story

2008-10-02T20:45:00.000-05:00

Gavin beat me to the punch. I had this ready to use but wanted to get my Ladakh gallery up first. None of us know what this is about. Other than it is images from one of the worlds finest Photojournalist and it is suppose to be BIG! I first ran across it on TED. If you are not a avid TED reader, shame on you. This is an amazing blog with some of the worlds most amazing minds. Don't think for a moment I agreee with every view expressed on the TED blog, I don't. But it is a great peek into what is on the heart and minds of the world's most talented.

Not sure what Mr. Nachtwey's story is going to be about, but you can bet the images will be stunning. Stay tuned, only one more day till it breaks.

Ladakh - Mulling Things Over.

2008-10-01T03:25:00.004-05:00

I returned to a house full of company. It has been fun, old friends from the US and my daughter's home school from India. All very welcome friends. It has been hard to post and it has taken time to get the two new galleries up from Lumen Dei. But they are up and running. You can find two new galleries, "Old Delhi" and "Ladakh". Simply follow this LINK to the gallery page of The Digital Trekker.

(Click to make larger)
The Think Tank Steroid Belt and Skins

I learned a lot this trip. I have been mulling it all over in my head. I learned some mundane things like; I really like my Think Tank Steroid Belt, but next time I will shoot with the "Belly Dancer". The Steroid Belt keeps the gear all around your sides and your back. I keep having to ask people to get into the module that was in the small of my back. Next time I will use the Belly Dancer, this belt keeps the gear in the front of you and puts the clip in the small of your back. An easier way to reach all your needed gear.

(Click to make larger)
The Zink Pogo printer in action.

I learned that I loved the idea of the Pogo Polaroid printers for passing out instant pictures to villagers and monks. But I also learned that the printer needs much better batteries. After just a few uses, the batteries would go dead. One time I had even charged them all night and when it came time to use it the battery was dead. Great idea, just needs better batteries.

Photo by, David DuChemin
(Click to make larger)
My Keens Newport H2.

I learned that there is not a better sandal to wear around India and Ladakh than my Keens. Man, I love these shoes! Comfortable, warm in the cool weather and breathable in the hot weather. And the best part, easy on and easy off for all those trips into Gompas and homes.

(Click to make larger)
David DuChemin and I on top of the world.

In a more humbling point, I learned it is still very difficult to shoot and room with a talented photographer like David DuChemin. If you don't have a real handle on your talent, you can crash and burn around a guy like him. What do I mean? David is just about the best "World Photographer" I know. He is good, we all know this. I am also good. But, David is good and consistent, and folks, that is so much better. Everyday he comes back with not just "nice" images, but "WOW!" images. Now, please do not misunderstand me, he is not egotistical, nor is he not encouraging. But, sometimes, you just want him (in a carnal sort of way) to strike out and let the rest of us feel good about our photographs. So I learned it is hard to shoot with a talented photographer, who is also a really nice guy. You can't hate him and you can't laugh at his work. Gosh, there is just nothing to do but fold up your computer and look at his images from the day and sigh.

Just Landed in KL

2008-09-27T18:19:00.005-05:00

(Click image to view larger.)

I leave in 30 min, for Penang and am really looking forward to seeing Alou and Jess. I will post something on Monday my time. But not today. Today is family time and I need to finish my Teh Tarik. Talk soon.

Winding Down

2008-09-25T05:51:00.002-05:00

Only one more day left. This trip has been more fun than a person should be allowed to have! But, I will be truthful with you, if I don't see another Gompa (a.k.a. Monastery) for a while, I won't complain. But - with that said, I am really looking forward to doing this again next year. Ladakh has definitely feed my mountain craving. Leh is just off the Tibetan plain, yet still in the Himalaya, so we are surrounded by 20,000 foot peaks every where we turn. The people are some of the most photogenic people I have run across in all my travels. Almost all Buddhist they are a beautiful and gentle people and very colorful. I will post more and update my gallery once I return to Malaysia.

Ju-ley!

2008-09-23T04:36:00.006-05:00

Ju-ley is the Ladakhi equivalent of "Aloha". It means hello, goodbye, thank you and many other things. So, Ju-ley from Leh, Ladakh, 11,000 + ft and a very slow internet cafe. This has been a great trip. I have stated it once before, we have a group of very talented photographers and they are "snapping" (as they say here in India), some really exceptional images. Only a few more days left, on the 27th I fly back to the warmth of my family and the beaches of Penang. For some reason this trip has been emotionally harder for me than others. Maybe because I had just settled into Penang and then leave for two weeks.

Enjoy some of the images. These are from all over Ladakh, India.

Off to Leh

2008-09-16T10:55:00.002-05:00

Ok real quick...again. We leave tomorrow for Leh. May not have email so here re the past two post before we leave tomorrow at 3am for the airport. Ugh! I am very impressed by the talent, oh, wait I've said that. But to be sure we have some exceptional shooters in this group. So see you in a few...

Day two: Nizamuddin

2008-09-15T11:30:00.006-05:00

Had a great first full day of Lumen Dei 08. Pretty tiered. So without going into a lot of details, here are a few shots from today's shoot. By the way we have a lot of very talented photographers in this group. I am looking forward to posting some of their images in the future. After tomorrow we shift to Ladakh and we will not have internet so the posting will nill to sparse. So keep checking back.

Old Delhi Take Two

2008-09-14T09:59:00.004-05:00

David taking a break in Chandni Chowk.

Click any image to view larger.

We went into old Delhi once more to today to see if the Metro was running and what obstacles we might in counter after the Delhi bombings. That sounds crazy even writing it!

I really felt off my game, so to speak. I just couldn't seem to grasp what I wanted to shoot today. You might say my vision was blurred. But I have still posted a few shots from the day.

Oh, one of the attendees from last nights talk, Yogesh Sarkar, put up a review of our presentation. Check it out HERE. Yogesh seems really sharp! Not just because he liked our talk...well, ok, maybe that has something to do with it. He is very articulate and expresses some great points to follow up our disscusion with the group.

The first full day of Lumen Dei is tomorrow. Check back in.

Blasts Rip through Delhi.

2008-09-13T13:43:00.002-05:00

"I am sorry but we might have to delay the talk a few minute. Seems there were some bomb blasts in the city and traffic is a mess."

These matter of fact word came from Maninder Kohli our host at the Indian Himalayan Club talk tonight. David and I did go on to speak and it went very well. No one got up and walk out, so I guess it went well. But the city is a mess. Five different blast went off in the city. 18 people are dead and 90 injured. One of the blasts was just a kilometer from out hotel here in Karol Bagh. After the evening's talk we went back to the hotel and our route took us past two the of the blast sites in Connaught Place. Not a pretty site. To think, we choose not to go to Kashmir because it was to risky. India had been hit by a rash of bombings. More than 400 people have died since October 2005 in bomb attacks. When will this maddness ever end?

Coverage Links:
BBC
Hindustan Times
Time of India

First Day Back in India.

2008-09-12T10:42:00.003-05:00

It has been good to be back in many ways. Just feels good to be back in India. It is great to hang with my good buddy David DuChemin and shoot with him again. Well, I say it is good. He is so sticking talented that it make shooting the same subject really difficult. He always seems to walks away with a winner. But it is good to be challenged. We went out this morning for about three hours and shot at Chandni Chowk, Old Delhi. Click HERE for the map. Here is a sampling of my images from the days shoot.

(Click on the image to view larger.)

Off to India.

2008-09-10T19:56:00.002-05:00

I leave today in just a few hours for India. I will be gone around two weeks. Posting will be sparse at best. My guess is I will be able to post over the next few days, but once we leave for Leh the bandwidth will be such that it will make posting images difficult. So keep checking in, but don't forget me!

David Duchemin and I will be speaking on Saturday night the 13th at the Indian Habitat Centre. If you are reading this and live in Delhi, please drop by, we would love to meet you. Here is your official invitation. (Don't be confused by the "noted photographer", that's me;)

The Himalayan Club

Delhi Section

Dear Friend,

In continuation of its 80th anniversary celebrations, the Himalayan Club invites you to an illustrated talk by renowned photographer Matt Brandon.

Matt Brandon is a noted photographer whose passion for photography has taken him around the world. For the last 13 years, Matt, an American citizen, has been based in Srinagar managing his trekking company, Frontier Treks & Tours. This has provided a perfect outlet for Matt to experience and photograph the beauty of Kashmir, especially of the Kashmir Valley where he has been based. Matt is also the co-author of a coffee table book titled Kashmir: The Mystery. Matt's images have been featured in a travelling exhibition sponsored by the Indian Government for Indian embassies around the world.

In his illustrated talk on 'Treks and Travels in Kashmir', Matt will talk about and show stunning images of some well-known treks and high-altitude lakes in the Kashmir Valley. His images include some of the best-known areas of Kashmir, such as Gangabal, Kolahai, Kishansar, the Sonamarg valley and the peaks around it, Tajwas Glacier, Tajwas Peak, the hills of Nichani, the Sindh valley, and Yusmarg, among others. He will also cover some spectacular side valleys, which are usually known to only shepherds and trekkers. Through his treks, Matt has captured the Valley in all its different moods in various seasons and his images are some of the most captivating images of Kashmir seen so far. Having lived in Srinagar for the last 13 years, Matt has first-hand knowledge of the ground position in the state in terms of feasible travel and trekking routes, which he will also share with the audience.

As a special bonus, Matt will be accompanied by David duChemin, who is a highly regarded photographer from Canada. David will conclude the evening by offering practical tips on improving your photographs in a mountain setting. David will highlight his views through some of his best pictures that he has captured when out in the mountains, including the Kashmir Valley.

Date: Saturday 13 September 2008
Time: 7.00 p.m.
Venue: Gulmohar Hall, India Habitat Centre, New Delhi

Best Regards,

Maninder Kohli

Hony. Local Secretary,

The Himalayan Club, Delhi Section

# 9810009564