PixelatedImage Blog

This has been a really fun couple of weeks. The response to the most recent blog posts about living fully and without regret has re-kindled a fire in me, and I’m grateful to you for being as open as you’ve been. I’m excited to be looking forward at a year of adventure and new stories. And really, it’s already started.

I took Jessie into the shop to get some regular maintenance things done (she is a 17-year old truck, after all), as well as better headlights and spare tire, tow hooks, and some other things that make mechanics geek-out. She’ll be in and out of a couple shops between now and when I leave on February 28th, and by the time she’s done she’ll be a different looking truck, complete with a rooftop tent.

In the meantime I’m planning and dreaming and making long lists of the people who’ve so graciously offered hospitality. And I’m trying hard to get ready for New Zealand, for which those that know me well will be shocked to know I’ve only just started packing now. I leave on Sunday which allows more time than most sane people take, but for me this constitutes a rushed, last-minute packing. (I wrote this on Friday, Nov.26 to publish on Monday, so by the time you read this, I’ll be there. Or I’ll still be losing my mind on a long-haul flight.)

I’ll be in New Zealand for three weeks, come home roughly on the 20 December, and have a couple days at home before flying to Jamaica to learn some underwater photography and join my parents for Christmas. I intend to post the odd postcard from the New Zealand, but as with any journey involving The Legendary H, you just never know how things are going to go and where we’ll end up! Stay tuned. I’ll post images and updates as I can.

PS – Not likely that the desktop wallpaper is going to happen on time, but I’m hoping I can post one within a few days of my being in New Zealand. Fingers crossed. I haven’t forgotten, just a little pressed on time with all that’s happening.
PPS – I’m here now, about to have my first cup of morning coffee after a night in the RV and prepping for our first real day on the road. Cheers!

Bosnia, November 04 – 14, 2010. Click the map to see it larger.

After a whopping 14 days home I’m heading to Sarajevo today to shoot for World Vision Canada in Bosnia. Very excited. ‘Round about this time every year they send me to Africa and as much as I adore Africa, last time it was Senegal and it was so stinking hot I’m thrilled to be heading to someplace I can pack my Icebreaker sweater and my wool socks. Might even throw in a toque, just because my Canadian passport says I can.

Be good while I’m gone. See you when I get back. I’ll do what I can to send a postcard from the field but as always that depends on how much time I have and whether or not I get convenient internet access. Don’t go clamouring for photographs, the client gets the see them first; they’ll show up in the new galleries when I can post them. Ciao!

Today (July 28th) my friend Dave Delnea and I are jumping a plane for Iceland. When we hit Reykjavik we load our tent, sleeping bags, and way too much fleece and goretex into the SUV, along with a few too many peli-cases full of gear, and hit the open road. This is easily the most ad hoc trip I’ve ever done; our planning is limited to: A. Having plane tickets and B. Having a rental car reservation. Other that we’ve not a clue which direction we’re heading, where we’re setting up camp each night, or what we’re pointing our lenses towards. I couldn’t be more excited! Also, they have puffins and fjords, so who wouldn’t be pumped about that?

Tomorrow (July 29th) we launch a new eBook on the Craft & Vision site, so details, along with the usual discounts because we’re suckers and we love you, will be posted here. There’s an August desktop wallpaper coming, but it’ll be a day late, and there’s a post scheduled for the middle of the first week of August too. So don’t disappear on me. If I can get a postcard off to you, I will, but don’t be holding your breath. I’ve got glaciers and volcanoes and puffins and stuff to explore.

The map above shows you my travels for the coming months as well as this trip. Click it to embiggen it. See you soon!

This morning I begin travelling to Italy. On Thursday morning, after a couple stops on the way, I’ll arrive in Genoa to meet up with Jeffrey Chapman. A couple days later we begin the first of two Italy Within The Frame workshops. 2 solid weeks in Liguria followed by an extension to Venice and then almost a week on my own to shoot, to write, to do some thinking. I’m very excited about this one and while I know many of you will be tempted to express your sympathy for me, try to hold back I’ve been in beautiful places with great photographers and amazing food and wine before, I think I’ll survive. See you when I am back, but don’t abandon the blog, I’m going to make an effort to keep popping in with an image here and a story there.

In 20 minutes I leave for the Vancouver airport, fly to San Francisco where I meet up with my producer and friend, Gary. From there we overnight to Washington DC, have a 12 hour layover, then head to Dakar, Senegal. I’ll be shooting about 10 hours out of Dakar in what is technically beyond the middle of nowhere. I return late-ish on Feb 13. I strongly suspect there will be no opportunity for me to check in here while gone, and that’s probably a good thing. Long days and lots to do. While I’m gone please make yourselves at home, browse the archives, head over to Craft & Vision and get the eBooks you don’t yet have, or better yet, just shut the computer and go shoot something you love.

See you soon.

Tomorrow (Jan 06th) I fly from Vancouver to Heathrow, overnight in Heathrow and fly to Nairobi the next morning. On the 10th Ryan Snider and I welcome our guests to Nairobi and spend the next 10 days with them in the Maasai Mara. Can’t wait. I’ll be back to Vancouver on the 20th, with enough time to do laundry, repack, and grab a flight to Senegal for 2 weeks of assignment work for World Vision Canada. Excited to get the wind in my sails again!

Don’t miss the coming post about Tibet – should be posting it within the next 12 hours. There will be room for 8-9 folks to join me and the team in Tibet in July and I’d love to have you with us.

Blog posts will be thin while I’m gone. I’m hoping to get a guest post up in the day or two, other than that, if I can squeeze a postcard through the narrow bandwidth in Nairobi either before or after the safari I will. See you when I get back!

Today I fly from Vancouver to Calgary to Frankfurt to Delhi. I’ve got a handful of days in Delhi with Matt Brandon, Gavin Gough, and Ami Vitale before the Lumen Dei team arrives. We then do two packed days in Old Delhi before getting a crazy-early flight to Ladakh, where we land in Leh at 12,000ft and begin a spectacular week-and-a-half in one of my favourite places on earth. Can’t wait. I then come home on the 27th, have two days to spend with my wife and clean up before heading to Las Vegas for Photoshop World. Talk about a bizarre cultural shift – from Ladakh to Las Vegas.

Ok, behave while I’m gone, make yourselves at home, but stay out of the liquor cabinet, and don’t forget to feed the cats. See you when I’m home, and if lucky I’ll send a couple postcards when I can.

Tomorrow I’m off to Thailand via Hong Kong for two weeks. I’ll be primarily in the north in Chiang Mai and Chiang Rai, with a couple days in Kho Samet at the end, all to gather a handlful of images for the third book, and to shake the dust out a little. As usual on these self-driven assignments I’m joined by Henri, my faithful travelling sidekick and partner-in-crime. The man is the stuff of legends, I tell ya. I’m excited about going to a beach at the end, he’s excited about eating bugs. Back on the 14th of August. If I can post a postcard or two along the way, I will, so check back, otherwise I’ll check in with y’all and give a report with some images once I’m back and the dust settles. Be good. As always, feel free to enjoy the blog while I’m gone, just don’t burn the place to the ground.

Check back tomorrow morning for the August wallpaper. Ciao!

Click the map to em-biggen it if ya need to.

Click the map to em-biggen.

Back out on assignment. I leave Vancouver at 9am this morning, to Frankfurt through Toronto, and on to Addis. This one’s short, 5 days on location in Ethiopia, a couple hours outside of Addis Ababa. Looking forward to being there. Feel like I need a break and as odd as it seems for such long days shooting, it’s always nice to get away from email, blogs, social media and all the stuff that sucks us in and eats up our days. It’ll be nice to be shooting again, and back in Africa, which I love more with every visit.

I’ll be back on July 11, and will post something ’round about then-ish. Be good while I am gone. Try not to trash the place or burn the house down.

I fly back to Asia today (starting with a mind-numbing 19-hour flight to Singapore) and will be in Bangladesh – or in transit – from February 12th to the 23rd, shooting for World Vision Canada. See you when I’m back.

Click the map to embiggen it.

Don’t forget to enter the Lensbaby Composer Giveaway. I’ll do the draw when I get home, sometime after the 24th.

I’ve got a post written and scheduled for the 16th of February, so check back then. If I can post while I’m on the field I will but, as always, don’t be holding your breath.