Postcard from Yamanouchi
A quick postcard from Yamanouchi, near Nagano, Japan. We’re three days into a workshop with Martin Bailey, and have spent those three days photographing the Japanese Macaque, or Snow Monkeys. This is the only place in the world where the monkeys have taken to hot springs, and like the wildlife in the Antarctic, these monkeys are just completely indifferent to human presence. That indifference is a good thing because the monkeys are wildly popular and while I had a tremendous time photographing them, my experience was somewhat dampened by the aggressive behaviour of the some of the groups of photographers that show up here. It’s a lovely spot, though, and after a 30-minute walk through snowy forests, it’s a treat to spend time so close to such interesting animals.
We spent the last couple nights in traditional accommodations, eating delicious food, drinking abundant sake, and enjoying the beautiful natural hot springs baths. By the time I post this we’ll be back in Tokyo and readying for an inhumanely early flight to Hokkaido in the morning. For the next 9 days or so we’ll be photographing sea eagles, swans, cranes, and the beautiful landscapes of this northern Japanese island. And shivering our asses off: the mornings have been -30C lately in Hokkaido.
Favourite Travel Accessories
I spend enough time on the road each year to give the stuff I travel with some serious consideration, but travel’s tough enough on us that anyone that spends much time living even a little nomadically can benefit from the best gear. Here’s my favourite travel stuff these days. It fits the way I live [...]
Ongeli Elders
On my last day on the field in Northern Kenya, I returned to the village that adopted me two years ago. I brought a bull camel, bags of rice, and assorted goods, and we had a fantastic feast. While the camel was cooking, the elders gathered around me and, with a lot of hand gestures, [...]
The Created Image: Turkana Fisherman
I was swimming in Lake Turkana, just outside of the town of Loiyangalani, Kenya, when I saw this fisherman on the shore mending nets. Lake Turkana, I am told, has the highest concentration of crocodiles in the world, so while the swimming was lovely, this was as good a reason as any to get out. [...]
PHOTOGRAPH – Issue Two
BUY ISSUE TWO ONE-YEAR SUBSCRIPTION Today we’re launching Issue Two of PHOTOGRAPH, A Digital Quarterly Magazine for Creative Photographers. It’s 122 spreads long, and it’s gorgeous! The featured portfolios come from Martin Bailey, Andy Biggs, and Chris Orwig, and are followed up with short interviews. We have great columns from John Paul Caponigro (Creative Composition), [...]
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A quick postcard from Yamanouchi, near Nagano, Japan. We’re three days into a workshop with Martin Bailey, and have spent those three days photographing the Japanese Macaque, or Snow Monkeys. This is the only place in the world where the monkeys have taken to hot springs, and like the wildlife in the Antarctic, these monkeys are just completely indifferent to human presence. That indifference is a good thing because the monkeys are wildly popular and while I had a tremendous time photographing them, my experience was somewhat dampened by the aggressive behaviour of the some of the groups of photographers that show up here. It’s a lovely spot, though, and after a 30-minute walk through snowy forests, it’s a treat to spend time so close to such interesting animals.
We spent the last couple nights in traditional accommodations, eating delicious food, drinking abundant sake, and enjoying the beautiful natural hot springs baths. By the time I post this we’ll be back in Tokyo and readying for an inhumanely early flight to Hokkaido in the morning. For the next 9 days or so we’ll be photographing sea eagles, swans, cranes, and the beautiful landscapes of this northern Japanese island. And shivering our asses off: the mornings have been -30C lately in Hokkaido.