As I write this, I'm on a plane heading to India, where I will be working for the next couple of weeks. Since I will likely be too busy to post to my blog, I've scheduled this post to keep you, and my blog, company while I am away. Enjoy.
India is incredibly photogenic, however, this is not a post where you're going to find scenic postcard shots of the Taj Mahal or
crowded market scenes. Rather, I'm
going to focus on a few ingredients, a few details, and present them together to give you a taste of... the full flavor....of India.
When I enjoy an Indian meal, I take no spice for granted. I taste every one of them. It's like a full-blown
symphony plays in my mouth, and each instrument gets a solo at some
point during the show. I become captivated with guessing..."what is
that hint of something...that flavor which I would not have expected...". I savor it, and appreciate that the dish would be incomplete
without it.
The same may be exemplified with a traditional Indian textile:
Each bit is an abstract part that makes up the whole fabric. Look close and discover various stitches, colors, textures, patterns, and even some mirrors! As with Indian cuisine, many layers of flavors and spices (scraps and threads) come together to form the perfect masala (or bedspread, in this example). And there's always a bit of the unexpected in all of it.
The whole of India is like that, too.
I've scoured the cupboards of my India photo archives to toss together some flavorful ingredients, many of which have never before been published, and present to you a recipe for my visual "Masala of India."
The Chinese New Year is upon us, and 2012 is the Year of the Dragon in Chinese Astrology. The dragon is the only mythical animal in the Chinese zodiac, and is a symbol of good fortune and power.
According to legend, the dragon body is made up of nine other animals. Since I don't have any photos of a living dragon, then I thought that it might make for an interesting photo-post to show all the living animals from which the mythical dragon is formed.
First, a big wag of the tail for this week's team of #frifotos hosts who came up with the (travel-related) theme of DOGS, giving me a great excuse to finally post these dogs shots from all over the world in one place. Question is....where to begin on a Round-the-World photo journey of dogs? Since all journeys start at home, we'll start here, then we'll continue throughout the US and on to Latin America, Europe, Africa, Asia, and back home again.
One man's travel destination is another's backyard - the same may be said for dogs, of course. So I will begin with one of my Surf Dawgs photo series taken at a favorite local beach right here in my (dog's) own "backyard", Del Mar Dog Beach, California:
Moving out geographically, and back in evolution, coyotes and wolves are great examples of canine wildlife. These beautiful "dogs" were photographed in Arizona:
Coyotes of the American Southwest
Mexican Gray Wolves
Still in the southwest, I will always love this moment when these pueblo dogs came to greet me in New Mexico, making for a truly iconic capture of Native American pueblo life:
Dogs of San Ildefonso Pueblo
Now I'm not going to drag you through every state via dog pictures, but there is one more state deserving mention, as it is well known for hosting the annual Iditarod sled-dog race. A few years back I had the pleasure of taking my daughter Dog-Sledding on a Glacier in Alaska, and gave her the video camera (listen to the interview/commentary!):
Getting to visit all the sled-dogs and puppies in training after the ride resulted in plenty of wonderful photos, this one being my favorite:
Blue-eyed girl and blue-eyed husky
And on the subject of girls and puppies, let's travel to Guatemala, where this woman was selling a basket full at the Chichicastenango Market:
Chichicastenango Market: Puppies for sale
Next stop, Peru, where this dog and his buddies enjoy the scenery:
Dog & Donkeys overlooking the Sacred Valley and Andes of Peru
Some of the happiest dogs I've ever seen during my travels are found in Chile:
Pair of dogs and pair of lovers in Puerto Varas
....where they also have jobs that they love, such as this....
Little guard dog with big attitude in Puerto Natales
or this...
Rancher and his dog herding sheep in Patagonia
Ah yes, the sheep herders. What better segway to hop over to Europe? Landing first in Ireland:
Satisfied Border Collie watches his flock
Then on to London, UK, for this canine appearance in the Lord Mayor's Parade:
Dogs on Parade
And to Spain, where these dogs enjoy shopping the avenues of Barcelona:
Dogs and Shoppers in Barcelona
Enough of the domesticated dogs for a bit, let's head down to South Africa, and to my personal favorite wild animal to spot in the wild, the African Wild Dog:
African Painted Wild Dog
African Wild Dog of Madikwe
It is such a thrill to watch them in the wild, and to get them in good light, I even shot a video and blogged about the Wild Dogs here: Madikwe is for the Dogs. A must read for dog/wildlife lovers! Oh what the heck, here's the video too:
Before we leave Africa, Here's a shot from Namibia which illustrates the difference a dog makes - without the dog, this scene would be, well, depressing.
Scene of daily life in Katatura Township
Now, from a land where few children have shoes, to a land where few dogs don't. I'm talking about Japan, where the dog is a fashion accessory and Tokyo department stores have entire floors dedicated to canine fashions. I've blogged about how these little dogs are Big in Japan, but here are a couple of the more blatant four-legged fashion victims:
Proud owner poses her fashionable toy dogs
The men in Japan are not immune to dogs as fashion accessories
Little Dog, Big Attitude. Kyoto, Japan.
Finally, Asia is home to what I consider to be the happiest dogs anywhere in the world, living an even better life than their human counterparts. They reside in the tranquil Himalayan kingdom of Bhutan.
Dog enjoying best view in the world, Tiger's Nest Monastery in Bhutan
Dog Amongst Prayer Flags, Punakha Bhutan
Of course, this is a case where a picture speaks a thousand words. I've seen plenty of happy dogs, and plenty of sleeping dogs, but this blissful dog was truly in an elevated state of consciousness:
The ultimate meditative state - doggie nirvana
When it comes to travel, truly, the most important dogs anywhere are the ones who wait at the door and greet me with enthusiastic wags and slobbery kisses when I return home from my travels. It's not so easy for my older dog, Jambo, to jump up and rush to the door anymore, but bless his heart, he always makes the effort when I come home, always. And there's the younger dog, Java, who jumps like a circus act and whose tail never stops spinning. They bring so much joy and love and laughter, and home would never be home without them.
Jambo
Java
And thus ends my Round the World adventure by dog photos. Hope you have enjoyed, and if you are on twitter, be sure to share your own dog pics and follow the hashtag #frifotos!
Last year, I posted the Top 20 + 10 Viewer's Choice of 2010 from the Mira Terra Images archive. The popularity of some of those has continued throughout this year, while many new images made their way into the rankings, based on views by YOU, the internet public. As I noted last year, what's interesting about this list is that it doesn't reflect the most licensed, sold, or published images; and perhaps it more accurately reflects a list of images which ranked highest in Google search results. Only one of these Viewer's Choices was actually taken in 2011, and it hit and held the #1 spot for most of the year.
Here are the TOP 11 Most Viewed Images in 2011 - 10 of your choice, and 1 of mine:
10 - Young Peruvian Boy, PERU
9 - London Eye Capsule, UNITED KINGDOM
8 - Architecture of Brasilia, BRAZIL
7 - Maasai Beadwork & Crafts, KENYA
6 - Estonian Teens, ESTONIA
5 - Guatemalan Textiles, GUATEMALA
4- Chinese Girl in Traditional Dress, CHINA
3 - Ladies & Llamas, PERU
2 - Moroccan Mosaic Detail, MOROCCO
...and the NUMBER ONE VIEWER'S CHOICE IMAGE OF 2011:
1 - Monk at Wangdu Phodrang Dzong, BHUTAN
Here's where I get to tie it all together with my end-of-year mantra "Out with the Old, in with the New", and share how images speak to me. Look again at the #1 most popular image by viewer's choice - pictured is a monk walking through a gate, wrapping up his robe and heading away from the camera. What I see in this image is the end of a year, the work accomplished, and the wisdom gained. Reflecting upon the challenges met and lessons learned of 2011, it's time to wrap it up and move on. Thus, Out with the old.
Enter, MY #1 PHOTOGRAPHER'S CHOICE (personal favorite) IMAGE OF 2011:
Young Monk of BHUTAN
Pictured is a young monk, skipping innocently through a gate, and heading toward the camera. What I see in this image is the beginning of a year, embracing a new path ahead, and a readiness to engage with circumstances yet unknown. Thus, In with the new.
THANK YOU all for your interest and support of Mira Terra Images - 2011 was a record year of image sales and licenses that began with this AAA Magazine Cover of Machu Picchu, and continued with my debut as Photo Editor for Travcoa's 2012 World Traveler's Dream Book, right through to a recent appearance of this image of a Terra Cotta Warrior Horse which adorned a booth and print literature at WTM Travel Mart in London. Moving in to the new year, 2012 kicks off with this image of Talinn by Sea published in Jan/Feb issue of AFAR magazine. And there's still more coming to print out there so keep reading those tiny photo credits - you may spot them before I do!
THANK YOU also for your engagement with mytravel blog - your TOP 10 FAVORITE BLOG POSTS are listed in the sidebar to the right ->. My personal favorite post of 2011, while we're at it, should come as no surprise. It's the one titled: Travel Photography Nirvana (illustrated with images from Bhutan). Check it out, you'll find there another of my favorite images - a young monk blissfully skipping in a field of prayer flags. I imagine that boy is still skipping his way into the New Year, and that's the vision I choose to carry forward with me for 2012.
"Dear Santa, What I want for Christmas is a
doll from It's A Small World. No, make that ALL the dolls from It's a
Small World. Or just one doll with all the costumes from It's A Small
World. Whatever works, I think you get the picture."
Oh
the big dreams we have as little kids. That was one of mine, and
though I never did get any of the dolls from It's A Small World, I still
enjoy visiting them at Disneyland every year for the holidays.
"It's
a Small World" is to credit for being an early inspiration for me,
fueling my desire to travel the world and discover the many different
peoples and cultures represented with the colorful costumes and brightly
painted scenes of far away places. As an adult having traveled to many
of these places, I now appreciate it all the more.
So, in honor of Disney's power to inspire, and the "Festive" theme of today's #Frifotos on twitter, I present, in photos,
The far away places....
The costumes of culture...
And....the magic of SNOW and Sleeping Beauty's Castle....
For more festive photos of Disney Holiday Magic, check out:
So it's "BIG CAT" week at National Geographic. As much as I'd love to say "big deal', I do hold a certain fascination for these creatures, and I respect those photographers and filmmakers who spend weeks and months with the big cats to fill a good hour episode. I watch with awe and envy. I know what goes into every frame, and what it takes to get the shot that tells the story.
My own experience with cats and cameras, however, is not so glamorous. I've spent some time on safari and have learned a great deal about these cats, and I can tell you this much -
Cats couldn't care less about cameras. They couldn't care less about people with cameras, too. It doesn't matter if it's a cat person with the camera, or a filmmaker, or an idiot. The cat couldn't care less.
I have many friends who are cat people. They post silly pictures on facebook of their cat asleep in the sun or looking pissed off about something. When I go to their homes, I am overwhelmed with smell of cats. The cats, however, are nowhere to be seen, they couldn't care less that I've arrived after a long absence. They couldn't care less about a lot of things, and well, cats are just like that.
I'm not really a cat person in my every day life. When I come home from my travels, I actually like to know I've been missed. The pets I own physically rush to the door, wag their tails like helicopters, and smother me with affection. They're called dogs. There is no doubt in my mind how they feel about me. They care.
I can appreciate cats, however, especially if they are really big and live in the wild. When I observe cats in the wild through the lens of my camera, even the smell doesn't bother me. I watch long enough, and soon find myself reading their every thought (click). I get into their minds (click), and really connect in ways that I never experience with other people's kitty cats (click, click, click). And you know what I've learned? Cats couldn't care less. (delete, delete, delete).
Cats love to torment (click). Cats love to play games (click, click). Exactly what they gain from these games is nothing more than the satisfaction of having proven that they care not about anyone or anything other than themselves (delete). They certainly don't care if I've got the right lens on (delete), or need to change the battery (delete), or only have 3 frames left on the memory card (delete all? press OK to confirm).
Hang on, cats. I'm not going to let you off that easy. I can still get in your mind through my lens, remember? My camera is able to freeze a split second of your life, and even though in every frame your "I couldn't care less" subtext remains clear and consistent, there can be more to the story, and more to reading your thoughts, too. Well, at least this much more: "it's all about me."
Case and point: During a recent safari in the Maasai Mara, we happened upon a pair of lions laying in the grass. While the male was lost in his "all about me" thoughts, the female quite clearly "couldn't care less" about the male; she had something else on her mind.
With absolutely no concern for the fact that I still had a telephoto lens stuck to my camera, the lioness came right to the tree which stood literally within arm's reach of our vehicle. She could care less about the vehicle being there, and she could care even less that I was fumbling for a different lens in anticipation of what she might do next. Nope, she showed no consideration whatsoever, it was "all about her", and up the tree she leapt.
Turns out this was more than just a display to express how much she didn't care about my getting the shot with the right lens. At least, up in the tree, she was again distant enough that I could fit the cat entirely in the frame.
She made quite a show of finding just the right spot to settle.
"now what...."
Remember what I mentioned earlier? That bit about cats loving to torment and play games? Turns out that is exactly what she was up to. I mean, why else would she bother fighting gravity to get herself up in that tree?
"oh good, this'll show him...."
"I don't care that it's extremely uncomfortable...I look good"
Well yes, lioness, of course you look good...you're in a tree and surrounded by wildlife paparazzi! But I have news for you, dear cat. As far as my camera is concerned....it's not "all about you".
Cue the male.
"WTF???!!!"
"That B*#@%!!!!"
The photos tell the story. Cats couldn't care less. Cats love to torment. Cats live in an "all about me" world. But maybe, just maybe, they might actually care that there's a camera around.
Mira Terra Travels is the travel blog of a published travel photographer, travel writer, and travel director all in one. Not to mention appearances in front of the camera!
Transparency: I freelance. And I love my jobs. I work for various companies and clients in various capacities. My blog is my own voice, and any links I extend promoting any companies or properties are done so of my own volition - no links have been paid or "sponsored", and if such were the case, I would make it clear upon posting. Sure, I get paid to travel, not to blog. If I love something during my travels, I'm going to share it....and mean it. And blog about it. Communication without integrity is meaningless. I'd rather my words be meaningful and sincere than earn 4 cents a click.
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