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Photographer Biography
I returned in January, 2009 from my 5 month Axis of Evil journey. The trip began near Chernobyl in the Ukraine and I passed thru about 25 countries in south Asia including Iran, several Stans, China and, finally, the Koreas. I'll be posting the best of the photos here during 2009. You can read journals and see more pics at www.mytripjournal.com/gungajim
By a fluke of sorts I began traveling to Sydney on business once per year for four years beginning in 1979. Every year I would visit a different place in Asia or the South Pacific when I returned. In 1983 my sister and her family moved to Germany for five years. I began visiting them regularly and traveling to 2 or 3 nearby countries each year. During these periods I took a camera along on each trip mainly just to document the different things I saw. Every couple of years I would upgrade my camera.
In the late 80's I started exploring Africa and found myself with a somewhat upscale Minolta body and lenses that went from 24mm to 500m. I took some classes and did some reading but just couldn't muster the interest to master film photography. For the most part, I let the automated features of the camera do their thing and never used a tripod. As a result, I have only 50 or so "winners" and a few hundred near misses from this early era.
In the 1990's my travels were interupted by a return to my professional career and a five year marriage to a native Malagasy tour guide. Despite these significant obstacles (!), I did manage to travel overseas once a year and marginally improved my photography along the way.
I bought my first digital in 2002 and was soon a digital convert. My mind seems to grasp digital better than film technology. And, as I get deeper into PS, I've come to realize that the more I learn, the more there is that I still have to learn.
I still consider myself more a traveler and writer than a photograper. I still use camera more often as a documentation tool than an artistic tool, rarely staying in one place long enough to wait for ideal photo conditions. I have come to enjoy "people" photography in emerging countries and have become fearless about asking even the shadiest rogues for an opportunity to take their picture.
My sense of things since I began posting on PN is that most people do not appreciate portraiture of third-world, non-caucasians who have their clothes on, particularly if their teeth aren't straight, their skin cracked, their clothes ragged and dirty or if they display other visible signs signs of poverty or disease. Nonetheless, I will continue to post such images in hopes that, in some small way, it will help overcome the lack of awareness of many affluent Westerners about what is going on in the world beyond their borders.
My favorite places for photography are (in no particular order):the Galapagos, Guatemala, Mali, Namibia, Madagascar, Yemen, Tunisia, Slovenia, Croatia, Montenegro, Iran, Cuba, Burma, Java, Sumatra, India, Xinjiang, Antarctica, Tibet, Vietnam and Uzbekistan.
Places that have eluded me that are high on my list include: Bolivia, Brazil, , Gabon, Sri Lanka, New Guinea and lots more of India.
When I'm home (reside near Denver), I love to travel around the States and visit National Parks and Major League Ballparks.
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This member has received 10610 ratings, on 1431 distinct photos,
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