PixelatedImage Blog

I am excited about the possibility that I will be shooting in Ethiopia for two weeks this January. Ethiopia has a strong place in my mind and heart where Africa is concerned. It is the first encounter I ever had with famine and international aid. I was old enough to understand what was going on, young enough to think Band Aid was cool and spend months walking around singing “Feed the WOOOOOooorld” to myself. When I think about poverty and famine, this is where my mind goes. Ethiopia.

But Ethiopia is so much more. A country twice the size of France, it has a diverse geography, an amazing diversity of smaller people groups (small groups, not small people), and an ancient culture. At this point I have made an itinerary that includes a couple days each in Addis Ababa, Harar, Gonder, Lalibela, and Aksum. Addis the the capital, bustling, colourful, noisy. Harar is an old walled muslim city, a highlight includes the feeding of the hyenas. Gonder is replete with castles and churches. Lalibela is like the Petra of Ethiopia. Aksum is a famed ancient city, cited in one guide book as “undoubtedly one of the most important and spectacular ancient sites in sub-Saharan Africa.”

We plan to be in Lalibela for Leddet, the Orthodox Christmas.

I was in Wanderlust (Vancouver’s best travel store! Staffed by awesome folks and always interesting) yesterday morning (and then La Petite France for Caffe au Lait and a pain au chocolate - the best I have ever had.) The owner was in and rang my guide book through for me. When he saw I was going to Ethiopia he told me he’d recently had four travel professionals in, people who lead tours and so on. He asked them what their favourite country in the entire world was, and said they all answered simulatneously, “Ethiopia.” Cool.

I am most looking forward to seeing how this country is recovering. It’s had a tough, tough, history over the last two hundred years. Amazing that anyone is still alive there and that the soil isn’t red for the blood shed on that ground.

If anyone knows anything about Ethiopia, has visited or still lives there, please get in touch. We’d love all the info we can get and it would be so great to connect with an ex-pat who knows some of the ropes.

With more projects coming my way, and the possibility that over the next year I could be shooting in Ethiopia, Cairo, NYC, Romania, and Haiti, I am caving in and buying a photographers vest. I swore I wouldn’t and I can safely say this is one of my first clothing purchases I have made knowing full well it would be have a Cool Factor that registers in the negatives.

For those who arrived here by googling “geeky camera vests and the losers that wear them” - I am getting a Domke vest, in khaki. Ugh. Call me Doctor Livingstone. All I need now is a pith helmet. But the black ones would be brutally hot in places like Haiti. Domke seems to make the best ones for photographers and some of the other options out there are just way too techie and seem to scream “please mug me!” If you’re Canadian, order one from the US - somewhere like B&H in NYC sells them for half what you can get them here for. Clearly the canadian distributor is not adjusting his prices to reflect the falling USD.

I am consoled by this one thought - if it’s good enough for Steve McCurry, it’s good enough for me. (If I keep repeating this I will wake up one day believing it.)

I have had a number of influences, photographically speaking. Like many other photographers I had an Ansel Adams phase, a Karsh phase,and a Henri Cartier-Bresson phase. Add Freeman Patterson to the mix as well. And Steve McCurry. But while I have been heavily influence by Steve McCurry, I had no idea who he was, only later when I learned he was the man behind the National Geographic image of the afghan refugee, the girl with the piercing eyes of dull jade green, could I put a name to my influence. He’s the man behind so many of the photographs that have become iconic to me. If you are not familiar with the bulk of his work, you should spend some time on his WEBSITE looking through the galleries. His images are astonishing and deeply human.

For two weekends in May and June 2006, Steve will be holding workshops in NYC. Cost is $950 but you also have to get yourself there, pay for hotel, meals, etc. But the chance to study with a man that is arguably this generations greatest humanitarian photogrpaher? As they say, PRICELESS. Regretfully I will have to cancel my weekend in Banff with Darwin Wiggett, but I can only afford one of these things and the McCurry workshop is way more money. Here’s hoping it’s not sold out.