Occasionally a weekend will come and go which leaves you with a warm glow inside. This has been such a weekend.
I’ve known David duChemin and Matt Brandon for a while now but until Friday night it had been an entirely virtual relationship, carried out across continents via the wonders of the Internet. David is based in Vancouver but is currently on a mammoth around-the-world trip, shooting material for a book which I just know is going to make him rich and famous. Matt is based in Malaysia but, fortunately, was free to fly to Bangkok to complete a trio of like-minded photographers.
To say I’d been looking forward to meeting up with these two inspiring photographers is an understatement. My anticipation was born of a sense that Matt and David are, and I hope I’m not overstating the case, kindred spirits.
Ask a photographer to define what motivates him or her and you’ll probably either get a vague, mumbled response or a carefully-rehearsed soundbite. That’s because, for most of us, it’s intangible, indefinable. So when other photographers appear on the horizon who share a similar philosophy and who possess a similar sense of ethics and responsibility, it’s really no surprise that they quickly become firm friends. And this weekend confirmed my hopes, these two just “get it”.
And when I find out exactly what “it” is, I’m going to bottle it and sell it.
The three of us ambled around the Pak Klong Talat market and the Grand Palace, alternating between shooting photos and shooting the breeze. Coffee stops quickly turned into philosophical musings on our art and, yes, we probably did boast to each other about how slow we can hand-hold an exposure. Dinner on Saturday evening found us sharing tales as tall as our Cuban cigars and Sunday brunch saw us, as David puts it, conspiring to take over the world. We have high hopes. David jetted off to Hanoi this afternoon to continue his global adventure whilst Matt and I retired to a street-side food stall for Pad Thai and pipe-smoking lessons.
Here’s a few of my favourite images from the weekend. To avoid any possible confusion in the final frame, Matt is the rugged-looking gentleman on the left, looking for all the world like a candidate for “Pipe Smoker of the Year” whilst I’m on the right, having adopted the expression of a man trying to suck a melon through a straw.
If you think that the weekend sounds like one that you might have enjoyed too then fear not, the three of us are getting together again in May and you’re invited. We’ll be leading a two-week photo expedition in Thailand, kicking off in Bangkok and then heading north where we’ll be photographing the hill-tribe villages around Chiang Rai. Seriously, you won’t get an opportunity like this very often and I’m sending out a press release this week to publicise the remaining places so act now or repent at your leisure.
Dang, Gavin, your horizontal shot of the thai woman wins it. I’ve been looking through mine and wondering why I forgot to do a landscape frame and now I see why it’s been nagging at me – the context in the bkgd is perfect. Well done. Love the pipe shot too – in fact it looks like a blue screen composite. Love it.
Arrived in Hanoi, slept through Tet fireworks trying to get a grip on this cold (getting worse, not better) and now we’re up and heading out into the cool and drizzle (but cloudy, thankfully) to see a now-sleeping and on-vacation Hanoi. Should have the place to ourselves, or so we’re told. To Sapa tonight.
Cheers!
Wow!! David’s right, that shot is a stunner! I mean, they’re all great and I can even get a bit geeky and sit here thinking the Black Rapid looks like a much better way of working but, that shot’s got everything for me… the background, the smile, the facial expression, the lot. What I particularly like though are the colours. It has a really rich antique feel going on and the way the colour and texture of the parasol blends with her skin is perfect. Reminds me of an ancient manuscript.
Great work guys, looking forward to seeing the results in times to come..
Regards
There’s not much I can add, except to say that the parasol shot is about as perfect as can be. Bung in some exif data for the nerds amongst us, willya?
And congrats on finally meeting your photographic soul-mates
Cheers boys! EXIF data to follow Masher, I’m still searching for a way to import it automatically into WordPress. Any ideas? Also Masher, were your ears burning at the weekend? Your name came up in conversation. All good! Truly!
Nice pictures! Nice to also see some pictures of you guys in action. I’ve been reading about this meet-up on all you guys blogs and you have all shot some really nice pictures but I was missing pictures of yourselfs from the meet-up. Thanks for showing!
Another “I wish I had shot that pic” shot. Well done. I totally missed the background on that shot. But it is fun to see the different take of the same moment. That is if David will anti up and let us see what he shot. Really enjoyed the smoke. I’ll bring the pipes along this May or sooner if the dates of the tattoo festival work out.
Hi Gavin. It does look like have bottled it up, and you are selling your Thailand trip. Wish I was able to join you.
I have been wondering about the exif thing for awhile, so I looked into it a bit. Looks like since 2.5, wordpress has saved some of this data and Lameda can get to it. Also, Exzo will display much more data from any image that has it. I don’t really like either of these solutions yet, but take a look. I have more to say at http://www.cyberward.net/blog/2009/01/lameda-plugin/ and http://www.cyberward.net/blog/2009/01/exzo-wordpress-plugin/
No idea of how to automatically import EXIF data into WP, I’m afraid. Not clever enough. But it’s nice to know I’m talked of in strange and far-away lands!
Gavin…. I had a quick scout around and came up with this http://www.bloggingtips.com/2008/07/20/wordpress-gallery-and-exif/ I don’t use WordPress myself so I don’t know how reliable it is…hope it helps
ps .. I don’t think I smoked too much when we met, probably because I rarely do when nobody else does but, I don’t seem to recall you being a smoker back then or is it only special occasions? I live & learn
Thanks for the links Chris, I’ll check those out.
Matt/David, thanks, I was pleased with this shot but I think we said something like “if you keep swinging then you’re going to hit a couple now and again” and if we didn’t then we should have said it. David, anti-up!
Masher, I sense you wanted to add “…by strange and far-away people”.
At this rate yer going to have to wait for the book.
Hello from completely fogged-in (and cold!) Sapa! Cigars and wifi at a great little pub, this place is a little more touristy than I anticipated – nothing off the beaten track, this place is the definition of “I bet it was really cool once” – makes me very conflicted about being a tourist – part of the problem I bemoan.
Sigh.
I was amused to see all of the Black Rapid straps in use. I use one also. Ron Dean, the inventor, lives here in Seattle. I have my strap attached to a RRS L- bracket via a split ring. It seems a little more secure than the nylon string. Just a thought.
I like the work that you guys are doing!
BTW- How about Photoshopping out that tummy of mine!
I did already!
Gotta get me a pipe – you two look so sophisticated!