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Travel Stories

Holy Holi

Holi in India is a photographer's playground. What an unbelievable event full of color and joy.

Category: Travel
March 2013 Read more

Colourful India

My trip to India was primarily focused on capturing the colors of Holi. In addition to the spice market, I was able to photograph daily life in India.

Category: Travel
March 2013 Read more

Closing the spice market

My trip to India was primarily focused on capturing the colors of Holi. I did however have a few days in Delhi and was able to discover some interesting parts of the city courtesy of Navin Kumar.

Category: Travel
March 2013 Read more

The kings of Ndutu, Tanzania

My latest trip to Tanzania was special because of the lions we were able to observe in complete peace. We saw them hunting, cuddling, eating, fighting, playing and protecting one another. Every possible posture, from aggressive to kind, were on display, day in and day out. Meet the kings of Ndutu (warning, graphic content)

Category: Africa, travel
February 2013 Read more

Tanzanian tribes

There are a number of different activities to do while in Tanzania that don't involve animals. One of my favorites is visiting local tribes. Not only do you get to see how others live, you have the ability to directly inject money into their, albeit, small economy which in turn allows them to continue living traditionally. It's a win-win for visitors and for tribesmen alike.

Category: Africa, travel
January 2013 Read more

Loviatar

If you've seen my DJ Hero collection, then you probably already know that I enjoy photographing music related events. Two days removed from my latest African photography adventure, my friend JP (drummer) and his band Loviatar were headlining a show in Ottawa. Naturally, I had to attend...

Category: events
December 2012 Read more

Reminiscing

My wife and I recently moved, and during the move, I had to pack and ship my many photo albums. I unpacked them last weekend, and had a great time going through my old albums, including all of the small paper mementos (e.g. airline tickets, admission tickets) intertwined between the pictures. There is something special about touching your photographs, and I encourage everyone to print and hang your pictures in order to live with them. My friend JP once gave me that piece of advice, and I can easily say that I'm happy I listened to him. Click to see some of my first pictures taken in Africa in 2004.

Category: Commentary
September 2012 Read more

VOSH eyecare mission, Cusco - Peru

I was recently in Peru doing some volunteer work in Cusco. The intent of the mission was to help people with serious eye issues/impediments. Through the help of many charities and donations (local and abroad), we were able to bring down thousands of glasses, medical equipment and a lot of basic medicine.

Over the course of 4 long days, we were able to assess and help roughly 2000 people. The vast majority had never had their eyes examined and it was pretty sad seeing kids unable to see anything 10 feet away or older folks with cataracts so bad that their vision was reduced to peripheral at best. I think the person that encapsulated best the 4 day mission was a state worker who could barely hear or speak and was visually impaired due to serious cataracts in both eyes.

Click to read a full account of the mission and to view a collection of photographs that really encapsulates the four days.

Category: Event, travel
August 2012 Read more

Pelea de Gallos - Cusco, Peru

While on my trip to Peru where I volunteered at a VOSH eyecare clicnic, I was invited to many events. Two stood out more than the others.

The first was an unusual bullfighting event where no animals are killed and the highlight of the day is when a condor is attached to the back of a bull (see "Bullfighting with a twist, Cotabambas - Peru" for a detailed report). The second event was a "pelea de gallos", also known as "cockfighting". While the first invitation was a pleasant surprise given the historical meaning and the lack of dead animals, the second was, as expected, nothing short of legalized animal cruelty. I did however decide to go and document what I saw.

Covering the event was a tough decision to make given how I feel about animal cruelty and how I love to photograph animals at their best - alive.

Click to read my thoughts on the event along with a handful of pictures from the event (warning: some images are graphic and may be disturbing for some.)

Category: Event, travel
August 2012 Read more

Bullfighting with a twist

A photo essay on bullfighting in Cotabambas, Peru, held on their Independence Day.

The fascinating aspect of the day is when a condor is strapped to the back of a bull, who proceeds to fight against a torero. The event itself is a metaphor, depicting the fight held many centuries ago between the Incas and the invading Spaniards.

Category: Event, travel
August 2012 Read more

Graffitiville: from Santiago to Valparaiso

I've been to many museums and I've visited many cities over the last 15 years. I can honestly say that there is nothing that compares to Chile from a street art perspective. The graffiti in Chile is simply incredible and stunning, easily shaming many contemporary artists featured in the glitziest galleries from New York to London. What's most impressive is the sheer size of some of these canvas': why aren't these artists featured elsewhere? Imagine if they were given a chance to create their art in ideal conditions?

I was shocked. Not because I've never seen good graffiti before, but because of the amount and quality of graffiti that I saw. It was everywhere, it was embraced and not tagged over and it simply complimented the cityscape impeccably.

Category: Travel
June 2012 Read more

Chile: landscapes and wildlife

Chile is a wonderfully diverse country. From the cosmopolitan Santiago to the incredible seaside cities like San Antonio, Valparaiso and Vina del Mar, there is something for everyone.

I was lucky enough to visit some amazing cities and do some amazing activities, including horseback riding in the sand dunes and along the pacific. Take a look at some of the wildlife I encountered and the beautiful landscapes from all over.

Category: Wildlife
June 2012 Read more

The London Tube Vs. The Fisheye

What happens when you combine a fisheye lens and curvy scenes?

Category: Commentary, travel
April 2012 Read more

Ndutu (Tanzania) game drive

2012 started off on the right foot with a trip to Tanzania. There, my friend Aaron and I witnessed some truly remarkable scenes while out in Ndutu (south Serengeti).

Click to read see pictures from my most recent African adventure and also stop by my blog post entitled Behind the scenes of an African safari to view some useful information about safaris in Africa and what to expect.

Category: Africa, travels
March 2012 Read more

24 hours in Paris: Rediscovering a Favourite City

This past weekend, my wife and I embarked on (yet another) impulsive trip: 24 hours in Paris! For me, Paris is to Europe what New York is to the United States: a city that I know fairly well and feel comfortable in and one that is extremely photogenic. There are key differences between the two cities of course, but generally speaking, both are cosmopolitan, both are architecturally inspiring, full of heritage sites, and both have an endemic charm that is difficult to describe but easy to experience. Click to read about our short adventure and to view the collection.

Category: Travel
February 2012 Read more

Egypt - One year after the revolution

One year ago today, Egyptians - men and women from every religion - took to the streets to voice their discontent with the status quo. A few short weeks later, their oppressor was out of power. The situation is not yet perfect or ideal, and we can only hope that Egyptians remain courageous and fight until they have real democracy. Click to see a handful of images from my 2005 trip to Egypt, a trip that will forever remain etched in my mind.

Category: Travel, commentary
January 2012 Read more

Tanzanian Game Drive

I have been very fortunate this year as I have been able to visit both Kenya and Tanzania and spend a considerable amount of time in game reserves photographing all sorts wildlife.

My latest safari adventure brought me to three major Tanzanian national parks: Tarangire, Ngorongoro and finally, the Serengeti. The adventure didn't end there however... Visit my photography collection to get a glimpse of Tanzanian wildlife and for more details on my experience while there.

Category: Africa, travel
September 2011 Read more

Tanzanian Portraits

Whenever I travel, I typically have primary and secondary goals in mind. For my trip to Tanzania, my primary goal was photographing wildlife. My secondary goal however was more social in nature, and it involved photographing the people of Tanzania. While I didn't have a lot of time in the cities, I was able to capture some very memorable moments while in Arusha and in transit between national parks.

Category: Africa, travel
September 2011 Read more

Tsavo East Game Drive

If you have viewed my Kenyan hotels collection, you probably already know that my journey to Tsavo was almost as much fun as the game drive itself. Mostly because the everyday scenes unfolding before me on the way there were different than what I am used to seeing and experiencing.

That said, Tsavo East was also fun and was my first game drive during this trip. It offered splendid vistas and an incredible amount of animals.

Category: Africa, travels
July 2011 Read more

Masai Mara Game Drive

Getting to the Mara and back was quite the adventure, some of which was good, some of which was bad. After flipping through and rating close to 2,500 pictures taken in the Mara, I must say that the adventure was worth it.

This collection contains 1% of the pictures taken in the Mara. Funny enough, culling and choosing the best pictures was not difficult. To this day, I can still vividly remember the moments that stood out for me, and I can remember at least a single photo-op with each of the big 5.

Category: Africa, travels
July 2011 Read more

Street Photography, Mombasa edition

Unfortunately for me, my outbound flight to Amsterdam was canceled. Consequently, I lost a day in Mombasa. I still managed to make it into the city in between meetings and what not, and here are a handful of pictures that really epitomize what I saw, namely: poverty, griminess and dilapidated infrastructure.

Luckily, these city traits did not extend to the residents, who were charming and inviting.

Category: Africa, travel
July 2011 Read more

Kenyan Hotels

On the road to Tsavo East, I noticed the incredible amount of hotels lining the road. I can only assume that the hotel demand comes from the sheer volume of trucks that criss-cross the country every day. I don't think I've ever seen so many trucks to be honest* and at times they were lined up for kilometres waiting for inspection.

As you'll see, the accommodations are basic, but when compared to the alternative - a rolled over truck - I think stopping for a few hours is best. Enjoy!

Category: Africa, travel
July 2011 Read more

The East Village

I'm a creature of habit, that's for sure. Having been to NYC on more occasions than I can remember, I can honestly say I never ventured beyond my usual stomping grounds.

On my most recent trip, myself and another talented photographer went out of our usual way and ventured to the East Village. What a terrific neighborhood, full of photographic opportunities!

Category: Travel
May 2011 Read more

Exit Through the Gift Shop - German edition

I recently spent a few days in Germany, shortly after seeing the excellent movie "Exit through the Gift Shop". Inspired by the movie, I set out to create my own pictorial version of the movie. Hope you enjoy!

Category: Travel
April 2011 Read more

Rio Street Art

Rio de Janeiro, one of the central tourist destinations in South America, known for Carnival, the Samba, it's fantastic beaches and of course the wonderful food. But if you take a closer look, you'll also notice some incredible street art. Take a look at what many miss when visiting this beautiful city!

Category: Travel
February 2011 Read more

Buenos Aires Tango

"Without the streets or dusks of Buenos Aires, a tango cannot be written." Jorge Luis Borges

Buenos Aires, the city synonymous with the tango. Visit this collection which documents my brief but memorable visit to "La Reina Del Plata".

Category: Travel
December 2010 Read more

New York

"This is the town that never sleeps. That's why we don't live in Duluth. That plus I don't know where Duluth is." Woody Allen

My personal home away from home is New York. It has a certain indescribable charm and flair that I personally cannot get enough of. Visit this brief collection that documents the city that never sleeps.

Category: Travel
2010 Read more