Fidelity

Fidelity. Havana, Cuba. July 2019.

La Guarida, Havana, Cuba.

The stories of Fidel Castro and Camilo Cienfuegos (the man depicted on the wall) are legendary in modern Cuban history. Tales of victory and loyalty, but also of foul play and jealousy.

Cienfuegos was a loyal compatriot of Castro’s, however many speculate that after the revolution, Castro was responsible for Cienfuegos’ untimely disappearance in 1959. Since his death at 27, Cienfuegos has been an everlasting martyr of the Cuban Revolution. So why does the speculation of Castro’s involvement linger on? It is said that Cienfuegos gained more popularity than Castro post-revolution, which threatened Castro’s position in leadership. If true, it proves once again that politics is about a lot more than just pledging fidelity.

When you ask Cubans or read about their relationship, you will get plenty of opinions supporting one theory or the other. Whether they parted as allies or adversaries remains a mystery, however one thing is certain, Cienfuegos, the charismatic, adventure loving, "Hero of Yaguajay” lives on everywhere in the country.

Finding Rivendell

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Plivitce Lakes National Park, Croatia.

If you enjoy The Lord of the Rings as much as I do, then you may see a bit of JRR Tolkien’s Imladris aka “Rivendell,” the refuge for the Elves, in Plivitce.

Plivitce Lakes National Park is a group of 16 lakes situated on different elevations; twelve upper lakes and four lower ones. Upper lakes cascade down into the lower lakes, creating countless spectacular waterfalls. The water that feeds Plivitce is runoff from nearby mountains and moves over the limestone formations surrounding the lakes. As it flows, the water dissolves the rock and becomes saturated with calcium carbonate which creates a travertine coating on the bottom and sides of the lake. Essentially, the water calcifies everything it touches and that is why the lakes are so clear — no mud or algae ever accumulates. This also means that the water has stunning and distinctive shades that range from crystal clear, to aqua, blue, green, and grey. Colors change between lakes and also alter depending on the sunlight and the minerals in the water.

Plivitce is a stunning gem of a UNESCO site and perhaps the only one that would be adequate for Lord Elrond.

Finding Rivendell. September 2018. Plivitce, Croatia.

Alone, Together

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Ganzfeld “Aural” by James Turrell.

In my in opinion, the most fascinating part of experiencing Turrell’s works is that you can be surrounded by people, but still feel completely alone with it. Often, his pieces are about the solo, mental experience. Ganzfeld “Aural” is a prime example. While there may be several individuals in this same shared space, the perceptual experience is completely individual and internal.

In Ganzfeld, a visitor walks into an empty room and is bathed in light. When you first step into the piece and approach the central point, the combination of the light and the decline is completely disorienting; it is intended to be this way. You feel as though you are walking through a thick colorful fog before your eyes can adjust. As the lights slowly change, so does your depth perception; you think you are walking towards the end of a tunnel, when in fact you are walking precariously towards a 2 meter drop.

Ganzfeld is actually a German word that describes the phenomenon of “perceptual deprivation” and this is what this work challenges you with. Once you are immersed, you cannot trust your eyes or your senses, but you are forced to grapple with it alone.

Alone, Together. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

Curves in All the Right Places

Curves in All the Right Places. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Curves in All the Right Places II. Toronto, Ontario, Canada. May 2019.

Frank Gehry designed staircase at the Art Gallery of Ontario.

I visited the Art Gallery of Ontario (AGO) specifically to see this Frank Gehry creation. I went with my friend Matthew (an incredibly talented painter, http://www.matthewcarver.net/home) and he told me that Gehry actually grew up a stones throw away from the gallery. Gehry and Partners renovated the Art Gallery of Ontario in 2008 and one signature piece of the restoration was this beautiful wooden staircase. The spiral bursts up from the first floor, breaks through the glass covered courtyard, and into the other contemporary gallery floors of the museum. This section connecting the second and third floor is my favorite perspective. From this particular point of view, you can see that the railing keeps curving up higher as someone walks up and instead of becoming parallel with the floor. In this way, if you look over the railing as you ascend or descend, your view of the courtyard disappears in some steps and then returns in others. It is meant to mimic your peekaboo line of sight as if you were riding a wave.

From the view below, the staircase, to me, looks like a piece of ribbon being spun off to one side, tilting off kilter, and adding a bit of movement to the wooden structure.

Eye Spy

JR at Maison Europeenne de la Photographie (MEP). Paris, France.

In November, I was fortunate enough to be in Paris when artist JR did a “takeover” of the city, installing his large scale photographs in various metro stations across the city. The campaign was to promote the artist’s first major show in Paris aptly named “MOMENTUM”.

While I was unable to go to the exhibit, the MEP smartly put some of his work on the exterior of their building as well. MOMENTUM included some of JR’s early photographs and showcased several new installations. JR’s work is politically charged and often controversial, but that’s why I enjoy it. He has a point of view and is unafraid to double down on it. The past few years, he has focused his work on immigration and victims of wars and conflicts. The most talked about piece inside the exhibit was his recent mural about guns in America that landed on the cover of TIME’s November 5th cover. For the mural, JR filmed and photographed 245 people from across the gun debate spectrum: hunters, activists, teachers, parents, police officers, and children.

This particular photo here used on the exterior of MEP is from his series: Portrait of a Generation, an illegal pasting exhibition of portraits all captured with a 28 mm lens.

Angles and Curves

Angles and Curves. Berlin, Germany. December 2018.

The distinct Marie Elisabeth Lüders Haus designed by Stephan Braunfels.

Caught On Candid Camera

Caught on Candid Camera. Recife, Brazil. July 2018.

A colorful storefront that comes with a smile in Olinda, Recife, Brazil. July 2018.

Jali

Jali. Delhi, India. June 2018.

Humayun’s Tomb in Delhi, India. June 2018.

Visiting India was a beautifully noisy experience. There are scores of people at every corner feeding the city its bustling energy. Humayun’s Tomb is one of the most visited sites in Delhi so when I saw this woman sitting alone with her son in one of the exterior niches, I had to capture it.

In June, when it is an average of 98-100°F/37-38°C each day, any shade and breeze is key. Lattice work known as jali, as seen in this window, is not only beautiful, but also serves a functional purpose. Jali helps moderate temperature and air flow, by serving as a natural air conditioner. As air flows through the openings it is compressed and released, when this happens, air becomes cooler. Jali also helps with ventilation as it filters sunlight and increases the movement of air, creating a cross breeze. Without direct sunlight you also get a beautiful soft light indoors.

Not to be a complete creeper, but jali also has privacy benefits. Due to the difference in light, you can see from the inside out and it is difficult to see from the outside in. This meant I could take this shot without disturbing the mother and son outside.

Meow

Lucky cats at Gotokuji Temple. Tokyo Japan. 2019.

Legend has it that the famous maneki-neko, lucky cat, was first born in this temple in Tokyo. There are many stories as to why they are originated here, but the most commonly accepted story dates back to the Edo Period (early 1600s - mid 1800s). The temple’s high priest had a favorite cat and one day when the feudal lord Ii Naotaka passed by the Gotokuji with his servants, the cat appeared to wave the lord in with its paw. Out of curiosity, entered the grounds where the priest greeted them with tea, a sermon, while a massive thunderstorm broke out and raged outside.

The Lord was incredibly grateful to the cat and to the priest for the protection from the storm and as a show of thanks, he donated rice crops and land to the aging temple which helped it become more prosperous and noticeable. Gotokuji Temple became a designated cemetery for Lord li’s powerful family members.

Today, the lucky, beckoning cats are a symbol of the neighborhood and visitors buy the figurines to add to the masses accumulating on the shelves in the temple (for good luck of course). They are really beautiful to see all together. I enjoyed this view of them because they remind me of the Yayoi Kusama infinity room “Phalli’s Field”.

Enlightened

Enlightened. Torino, Italy. April 2018.

The Galleria Grande at Reggia di Venaria. Torino, Piemonte, Italy. April 2018.

Architect: Amedeo di Castellamonte, 1675

Climbing Up the Walls

Climbing Up the Walls. Mexico City, Mexico. May 2018.

Building facade in La Condesa, Mexico City, Mexico. May 2018.

The Little Engine That Could

The Little Engine That Could. Lisbon, Portugal. May 2018.

Elevador da Bica, otherwise known as Ascensor da Bica, is one of my favorite locations in Lisbon. The Iberian coast is hillier than people expect and Lisbon exemplifies this; it's a vertically layered city.

This particular train runs up a short steep street in Barrio Alto and the tricky part to capturing the trolley car, is that it only runs once every 15 minutes. You can easily spend an hour waiting for the right frame while avoiding unwanted photobombs. It is a short track train and the ride only lasts a few minutes so timing is everything. Bica is a popular destination for visitors (especially Wes Anderson fans) and I went about three or four times during my last visit to try and get as many variations as possible, rain and shine.

For this shot, I went on a Sunday morning for the first run of the train up/down the incline. I stood in this vantage point for awhile so folks passing by knew I was waiting for this shot. Unfortunately, as a sola traveler, you cannot control who walks down into the frame at the precise moment you want to snap. That happened many times before, but thankfully not this time. Right after I took this shot, a group of fellow photogs chasing the train down the incline, came barreling around the corner. I can't hate, we all want the perfect shot of this engine that could. It's damn cute.