For my 30th birthday I decided to travel to Rio De Janeiro, Brazil, partially for a vacation/celebration, but mainly to shoot. Rio is an amazing city with beautiful mountains, beaches, history and people. Most of my trip I was fortunate enough to have a tour guide, but the day I decided to go to Cuidade De Deus (City of God), I was alone. I first learned about Cuidade De Deus from the 2002 movie City of God, which tells the story of a teenage photographer who grew up in one of the worst favela’s in Rio.
I had to travel via bus about 2.5hrs to get to the city. When I first arrived I had no idea where to start or if it was even safe for me be there, let alone take pictures. Initially I walked around just observing everything, then I headed into the heart of the Favela. Unfortunately I do not speak any Portuguese (their native language), and to find someone who could speak english was almost impossible. After about 15mins I started taking my first couple of pictures and within minutes I was being yelled at in Portuguese, so I stood there smiling trying to figure out what was going on. Finally an english speaking woman came up to me asking me where I was from and why I was taking pictures. I showed her my work, and explained to her what I was doing, then she told me to be very careful and not to head any deeper into the favela. Of course I listened, and I ended up meeting some really great kids, played a little soccer and almost got a haircut.
The thing I appreciated the most about this experience was the way the adults and children were extremely open and accepting of me. They did not know me at all, and we didn’t even speak the same language but I was invited into their homes, introduced to families and friends and they all smiled and gave thumbs ups in most of the pictures. The living conditions were not the best and the community was not the safest, but you would never know that by the smiles on the faces of everyone in the community. They truly appreciated everything they own but more importantly they appreciated one another. The best part for me was seeing how they reacted to seeing themselves on my camera.
I gave out a several of my cards while I was there and I truly hope the people in these pictures will see them.
One of my goals as a photographer has always been to shoot athletes. Growing up I was always into sports and my passion for sports has never changed. I think it has to a lot to do with the drive, work ethic and talent you must have to posses to compete at such a high level.
While I was in Atlanta last week I had the opportunity to shoot Maury Swift. Swift competed through his collegiate career at an extremely high level on the track and now is part of the coaching staff at Clark Atlanta University. Even though he’s no longer competing, it did not appear that he had lost a step or I guess a second at all.
Vision
April 10, 2012 My Thoughts, Personal
Having a vision is essential for success. The more I learn and grow as a photographer the more I see how much vision plays such a huge part in everything you do. Without a vision you can be lost in so many aspects and never truly grow and reach your potential.
When I break down “vision”, I think about a few things:
- Knowing the end game is, then staying focused and driven
- Seeing past the imperfections to appreciate the bigger picture
- Seeing the opportunities
Knowing the end game is, then staying focused and driven
In this past year I’ve seen first hand how many different directions you can be pulled and how people can influence you, in both positive and negative ways, if you allow them. Without a clear vision of what you truly want to create or become you end up doing whatever comes your way. For me it has been a battle, because I want to try different things to figure out what genre of photography I truly want to pursue. This has become a double edged sword, because you can easily fall into a lane that isn’t necessarily where you want or planned on being, and fear or comfort prevent you from obtaining the vision you originally had for yourself.
Seeing past the imperfections to appreciate the bigger picture
This is one of my biggest struggles. I see one thing wrong and I’ll get hung-up on it and will not see anything else but that one thing. I will literally throw out all that is right with something because of a detail or part that does not fit with my taste. Up until tonight I did not realize how much this has affected my growth. The ability to accept the fact that nothing will ever be perfect, and that an imperfections to me could be perfection to someone else. I’m not suggesting you settle for bad quality, but do not allow imperfections to limit your ability to see the opportunity to create something amazing.
Seeing the opportunities
In my mind this is huge for anyone in any industry. On a daily basis we are presented with opportunities and being able to discern which opportunities are worthwhile is key.
For me as a photographer this can takes on so many meanings:
- Do I shoot at this location or do a chose another?
- When I’m at the location do I see everything that would turn a average image into something amazing?
- Do I push myself to try something new?
- Do I start a conversation with this complete stranger?
- Do I share my work?
I could keep going, because there is no shortage in opportunities. The difference is in deciding which opportunities align with what you ultimately see for yourself.
After almost a year of dedicating myself 100% to photography, I’m am learning more and more about how much your vision will define your career/success. Webster defines vision as, “a mode of seeing or conceiving; unusual discernment or foresight.”
I’m going to make it my priority to improve my mode of seeing and conceiving.
Golden Hour
April 6, 2012 Personal
I finally got my new toy/tool, Canon 5D MarkIII and couldn’t wait to use it. Right before I headed to the airport I made a quick stop at my boy’s studio where he spends his evenings working tirelessly on his clothing line, Knice. I got to his studio right around the time the sun was setting, and Justin along with a few friends were taking a break outside.
For me it was perfect, the golden hour with friends and my new camera.
Buenos Aires
April 5, 2012 Travel
Last week was the beginning of what I’m planning to be a travel filled year. I headed down to Buenos Aires for 6 days to experience the culture. The amazing thing about traveling for me has always been meeting new people and hearing their stories. This trip was no different and the people of Argentina are so welcoming. Even if they do not know how to speak english they always made an effort to make me feel comfortable.
The city has so much to offer, you probably would have to spend a few months there to truly experience all they have to offer.
One Comment
Bro love the content you should put a video together on it and share it with everyone.