Monday, November 30, 2009

Kwanon for Canon!


I came across the history the Canon camera logo and found back in 1933, the original optical company which created the camera (some say copied from Leica) established themselves as Kwanon, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy. According to their website, "The logo included the word with an image of 'Kwanon with 1,000 Arms' and flames."

Not to be ones who would isolate potential buyers with their eastern beliefs, the company changed the name to Canon and logo to the current logo.



Imagine having that Buddhist logo all over your cameras. Now that would be eye catching!




You'd blend it!

Monday, November 16, 2009

Pollution, people, and the humidity.

So after scanning loads of film, I've gotten a few thoughts together on my visual trip through Bangkok (with a side trip to Ayutthaya.) And oddly, I find myself remembering my first trip to Bangkok in 1997. It wasn't so much that we didn't have a great time and make new memories as this was my second trip to Bangkok with Yukako. We had a great time on both trips. But something made me hark back to times past.

I had already traveled to Central America in the mid 90s (Nicaragua, El Salvador, Honduras, and Guatemala) before so I was comfortable being on the road, backpacking, and sleeping in places that were...well...lets just say hot water wasn't included, ever. Central America is like Mexico, only poorer. However, Bangkok was different. Its an ancient tropical, exotic city. Century old temples surrounded by modern glass sky rises. Beautiful women, spicy food, and white sand beaches. BKK seems to be the hub to all of Asia as when I got off the flight, I saw multi-hued turbans, saris, sandals, dashikis, burquas, I mean it was like being James Bond, international traveler. I couldn't get over it. It just blew my mind. Don't forget, San Antonio is a long way from Bangkok.

So after escaping the airport late at night and getting suckered by a taxi driver, I got dropped off near Khao San Rd, the back packing mecca of South East Asia. And with U2's Pop album being the background of this trip, inside this bustling Asian capital, I found banana pancakes, white kids with dreadlocks, Jimmy Hendricks posters, unshaven legs, old European men with very young (and many times, older and more "worn") Thai ladies, European football games on the television, and cheap booze. I heard Dutch, Hebrew, Ozzie, Japanese, German and Brit all being spoke at once in one place. Funny at the time, I remember being really the only American in many of the guest houses or places I stayed. I was alone in a very non-American spot.

After a few hours, I realized I wasn't in Thailand or Asian at all for that matter if I stayed around the backpacking district. Disco music, fake designer clothes, cheap souvenirs, and cheap dates. I actually don't recall ever seeing that many Thai except those shadowy types like unscrupulous tuk-tuk drivers selling rides, girls, and drugs, and those others who who were willing to sell whatever to get your dough.

Backpackers, like I've mentioned in past posts, tend to associate themselves with some odd subculture or those just full of absolute wanderlust...as if they are running away from themselves or something else where ever they came from. I mean, its not a new for people to leave where they are from. Its just sometimes in the backpacking crews, you find people who live out of their "backpack" sustaining themselves on nothing more than a few dollars a day and trying to integrate themselves into whatever culture their passport stamp says. These types grow the dreadlocks and hang out trying to pretend they are gaining some great knowledge by going to some temple in some faraway place thinking they are bridging some unique world by being more open than those who don't travel. Sure we gain something but vacations and travel all have to have an end date. Perpetual travel is tough and it makes you odd.

Some are very friendly when in the backpacking districts yet there are others who, once outside the safety area, would rather pretend they are not Euro/White/Amer whatever and would rather ignore you than face having to speak their native tongue to one who looks lost.

I found that nasty wanderlust to be harmful at times as it can be infectious...dashing to new places every other day is fun...yet the routes are well traveled and to find something new that someone hasn't already written or photographed is sadly eroding due to the mass publication of travel. But those on the road too long tend to be strange as if their time away has made it harder to return to normalcy. Being in a place like Tokyo or Bangkok can make you into a "rock star." You, the foreigner, become the exotic one and people tend to offer you flattering amounts of attention (yet much of it is due to the fact that your wallet is bigger than most locals in a poor nation.) Often I would and still see young males who couldn't date a beauty back home (read--total nerd/dork whatever) to save their lives yet you'd find an Asian beauty queen at arm clinging to every word. Are they paid, who knows? But its much easier to date your English teacher than to actually have to study.

But once I walked away from the tourist district, I found what I traveled across the world to see. I found the Asia I sort of figured I would find. Golden Buddhas, god-like statues and shrines, orange robed monks, incense, odd bits of food, smiles, confused looks, more smiles, different smells, sounds, touts, colors, and heat.

I found ducks and pig parts hanging in windows, smelt old buring oil cooking odd bits in an old dirty woks, got surrounded by thousands of people on a busy street in what seemed like a unbelievably hot summer afternoon. I remember my clothes being stuck to my body. It was so hot. That beer or Coke washed down so well cause it was so hot.

I remember seeing a drunk, or maybe he was a drug addict passed out in some strange corridor of Chinatown, head down, a pool of blood at his feet. The blood was so deep red. It was dripping out of his mouth and puddled at his feet.


Chinatown, Bangkok Oct 2009

I looked for that negative of the drug addict as I did remember snapping that photo, alas, so many years have passed...and maybe my memory is more of an imagination and that negative is truly a negative. Writer Audrey once said to me she didn't like taking photographs of places she traveled too as she felt those images would replace the real memories of what she experienced. Maybe my memory of that early morning walk in Bangkok's Chinatown are worth more as a memory than that negative I've been searching for.



These women, at the Erawan Shrine off Sukhumvit Rd are part of a dance troupe that will perform for a fee in order for your prayers to get answered. For some odd reason I found this place holds some odd significance for me. I don't remember why I went there other than I remembering I rode on the back of a motorcycle to get here. The bike zipped in and out of traffic scaring me to death but the ride from the Peachy Guest House on Prah Athit Rd was probably only .20 cents or so. I remember taking this photograph and thinking I was the only person in the world at that moment reflecting on this performance. I didn't know why they were there nor do I recall much more than the bike ride. I do remember it was July of 1997. I walked back a bit towards the guest house area and remember stopping at some dump of a place to eat some cheap meal of noodles or curry. The locals didn't know what to think of me. I think they were surprised I ate there food and didn't ask for banana pancakes.

I guess this shrine just struck me. I found men dressed in business suits, well heeled women, and the likes on their needs, incense in hand, placing garlands of flowers around a statue that looked like the Indian god Brahma, a multifaced god.



This picture is of the same Erawan Shrine but taken in October 2009. I don't know which one I like. I don't know if I like any of them. I don't notice the difference of what I saw or how I captured it. Its what I saw.



The other memorable spot in Bangkok I always seem to visit is Wat Traimit. It brings back memories of my father who, during his service time in the Korean War, spend R&R in Bangkok. He recalls his visit to a shrine with a five ton Buddha status made completely of solid gold. His recollection of this palace gave him a faraway look, the look of a Spainard dreaming of gold in distant lands. I guess its that Latin blood in his veins...and in mine. I think it was more of his dreams of his youth...innocence...yet innocence lost to the Army and the Korean War.

The picture above is modern, Oct 2009. The temple is being remodeled and expanded making way for more worshipers and visitors. The actual heavy weight Buddha wasn't on displace when I was there this past month sad to say so I might have to go back and show my respects from myself and my father.



Taken in July 1997, a golden face at the temple. The statue is actually covered in gold leaf as worshipers placed this upon his face. Who he is was is a mystery to me.

Thursday, November 05, 2009

New tearsheets



In September I shot an amazing story on drinking and drinks in Hawaii for Imbibe Magazine, a drink magazine the reports on "liquid culture" across the globe.

Now this culture is just down my alley. As you can imagine, I was assigned to shoot cocktails and bars around Honolulu and on the Big Island. What fun as I not only shot, but tasted just about all that jumped in front of my lens.
I went from really high end resorts with pricey drinks on Waikiki to dive bars near the airport and even to a coffee farm on Kona. And you know what, Kona coffee is good. Really good.

The most fun was hanging out with Joey at the Mai Tai Bar inside the Royal Hawaiian hotel. Joey, in my opinion, reinvented the gourmet Mai Tai. His special touches of spices and whatnot lead to some really magical sips. They surely are not the mai tais served up spring break style to sunburned tourists. These cocktails have flavor that special touch. Joey is truly a mixologist.



Fresh lime, ginger and other bits and pieces made this drink stand out above any others I had while shooting. The above ingredients are the stuff of magic in one of Joey's magical mai tai.



I was disappointed that the above shot was not featured in the magazine as I was very surprised how well this image came out. I shot it with a standard 50mm lens at like f1.4 or 1.8. Now there is some major bokeh in this shot and it amazed me how a fairly inexpensive lens could produce such a wonderful shot. Maybe I shouldn't admire my own work so much...maybe its that my mouth is watering as I look at this shot. I just got thirsty.



The atmosphere at the Mai Tai bar is nice. Not the best as I have my favorites and to hang out at the Royal Hawaiian is a treat as drinks are not cheap. However, whenever I have a hankering for a bit of a gourmet drink, Joey is the man I will always stumble home from.

Below are the tears from the rest of the story.




Tuesday, November 03, 2009

A though or two...

I'm finally over the jet lag and I have my life sorted back in some type of order. I've gone through all the receipts, bills, mail, and whatnot and feel a bit empty, bank and all. I miss being on the road but it sure is nice to be back home.

I shot loads of film and hundreds of files of digital and I didn't feel like I shot enough. I've learned I have to really just go out and be alone, I can't play tourist and shoot and I just have to shoot and do nothing else. I had a few days in Bangkok and Tokyo to do so but it wasn't enough. I have some images I am happy with but I coulda shoulda woulda...

I did find out something very interesting about shooting digital (Canon) and film (Leica)...In many ways digital is like shooting video. Its like a never ending flow of images, a complete stream of consciousness, images just coming. I really feel like that is me, my thoughts, thinking, moving, flowing. The film, is well, for lack of a better word, or words, is photography. Its that decisive moment. That snap click rewind. That 1/500 of a sec click. Its photography at its best. Doing both is like thinking in two different worlds.

I carried a film camera around most of Bangkok and the only digital I shot was from my point and shoot. But I just couldn't lug around a heavy slr in that damn heat and humidity! Its so damn hot and the pollution...oh...fuggitaboutit. My lungs were gonna burst. It amazes me how Tokyo's population is double that of Bangkok yet Bangkok's pollution is 10x worse than Tokyo. My friend Cheksant blamed it on Honda's double stroke motorbikes as everyone rode around on scooters. I didn't understand why but I took his belief in stride.



Cheksant, who was once Sant in high school, was the exchange student at my high school, our Long Duck Dong but way cooler and was much more fun. He was the best guy to hang out with. He was older than me but never though much of our age and we were pals for a good long time til he left back to Bangkok for mysterious reasons I now know. I found him on facebook recently and I made plans to meet him for dinner and drinks. Ended up being drinks dinner and drinks. I fell apart as the jet lag killed me and I could barely keep my eyes open. I felt bad and tried to keep it together but it was tough. I think he had a good time hanging out with us but again, it was sad to see him go.

I did though snap off lots of images and video of our fun-ness together. I should get a newer digi-cam but screw it. They are too expensive for what they really are...

I did shoot loads in Japan with Diego's Canon G10. I must say...as a point and shoot, it wasn't bad. As the pro alternative the marketers try to make out of this tool, well...I am glad I shot the Leica and did not become dependent on that camera. Nice and way too easy to use but it lacked something.

So back to Bangkok. Hot, polluted, great tourism, too many ways for males to get into trouble, etc...

Our taxi ride to the hotel had us pass down a street with long legged beauties in skimpy skits for a cost. I though I was on Kukui St minus the mahoos...wait well, I couldn't tell...too dark...to fast, and too hot with Yukako sitting next to me. See, Bangkok is bad. Well, so is Tokyo...

Anyway, I've edited some film from Bangkok and wanted to post an image or two...



I shot image of this girl but don't know what the story was...was she hot? Was she upset? Was she laughing? The thoughts in my mind didn't matter as I snapped away. I just found this images to be a bit interesting. Does anyone know what the signs say?



Above is Wat Arun, the Temple of the Dawn. It was full of farang, including us. Europeans, Americans, Chinese, etc...and amazingly enough, we Westerners are upset with each other as we won't acknowledge each other in a very Asian place like Bangkok or Tokyo. I know what these other foreign travelers are thinking (not the Chinese mind you...) as they feel..."Hell, I traveled all the way from Idaho to talk to another American? Screw that! This is my foreign holiday! I am going to speak bad Thai, eat hot food, and pretend I am multicultural although I went to Starbucks this morning and had McDonald's for lunch. I am the first farang to Thailand and this temple today! Thanks Travel Channel and Samantha Brown for making the world just a bit smaller.

I must admit the food in Thailand was good. Really good. I mean super good and cheap. Sadly, the food at Bangkok Chef down the street is just as good, better, and cleaner...variety wise, well, not so good. I had some fried shrimp from a street vendor for about .60 US cents that rivaled most US restaurants. I mean they ROCKED. Maybe it was the batter or the dirty oil but damn they were good.

Sadly, globalization has made most foods from most cultures available around the world. You can eat Mexican in Tokyo...its a bit Japanized but its Mexican. The Asian food in Hawaii is pretty good...not LA or NYC good but better than Idaho. Way better than Boise.

That brings me back to our angry farang tourist who wouldn't look me/us in the eyes. We'd brush each other's shoulders as we'd pass. I'd look desperately in their direction, hoping for a connection, a brief hello, aloha, howdy, something but all I got was nothings. Not even a simple Guten Tag. Nothing. Maybe it was the shame many of those foreigners experienced as they walked on the subway with their paid whores or their weekly escorts...alas, who am I to judge. The Thais though Yukako was my paid Asian angel for the week. Who knows. Either way, foreign tourist, be nice. You are not the first to leave your silly state or country for that exotic location. Nothing is unknown now. Everyone has been everywhere. Put down your Starbucks and wave next time you see me.

you bastards....