travling photography

It's thrilling -and sometimes disconcerting- to be in a country that is totally both new and so different in its complexities. That said, the politeness and kindness of the Japanese are heartwarming and dispel the presumption of stiffness and formality. The young lady in her rented kimono at the Sensoji Temple in Asakusa is emblematic of the youth of this fascinating society.  I will try to post as the days go by....however at a lower frequency than usual.

It certainly seems like my photo book H?u �?ng: The Spirit Mediums of Vietnam and the subsequent inclusion of �?o M?u (the Mother Goddess religion) in UNESCO's List of Intangible Heritage has ushered an increased awareness and interest in this indigenous faith-based tradition in Vietnam and elsewhere (excluding New York-based Asia Society's shameful and incomprehensible cold shoulder).  Many local and foreign artists are embracing this wonderful ancient tradition, and some are emerging from the "wilderness" they had been in because of the past disapproval of the Vietnamese government towards it. It took time for this attitude to soften, and �?o M?u is currently no longer under a cloud. I thought I'd feature two distinct art forms celebrating �?o M?u and H?u �?ng. The first is an eclectic project by two Vietnamese artists; Le Thanh Tung and Ngoc Nau as per the above short movie of a wireframe of Ngoc dancing in a 3D environment. The purists and traditionalists mig...

Photo �  Christian Rodriguez - All Rights Reserved I've always thought that circus performers had sad lives. Perhaps it was becasue of the clowns with their tragic-comical faces and makeups. So I'm not all all surprised that Hanoi�s prestigious state-run circus, a relic of Vietnam�s Marxist past, lost a third of its budget and will have no government funding at all by the end of the decade. It is reported that a majority of circus artists suffer occupation-related illnesses.Common conditions include broken limbs, fractured bones, spine curvature, and stomach ailments, while bruises and bleeding occur on a daily basis. And circus artists in Vietnam are paid poorly, face numerous health risks, and even suffer life-threatening, debilitating conditions from their lifelong dedication to their profession. Christian Rodriguez brings us close to the backstage lives of these Vietnamese circus performers in his compelling Xi?c photo essay. He spent eight months in Vietnam over the ye...

Photo � Leonid Plotkin | All Rights Reserved I've lost count as to how many times I have featured Leonid Plotkin's work on The Travel Photographer blog.  His latest work is Men of Hear t , and is on the Bauls who are a group of mystic minstrels from Bengal (Indian State and Bangladesh). The Bauls are members of a syncretic religious sect, and a follow a distinct musical tradition. A very heterogeneous group, with many sects, but their membership mainly consists of Vaishnava Hindus and Sufi Muslims. They are often identified by their distinctive clothes and musical instruments.  Baul music celebrates heavenly love, but does this in very earthy terms, as in declarations of love by the Baul for his female partner. Baul devotional music also transcends religion and some of its famed composers criticized the superficiality of religious divisions. The music of the Bauls and its lyrics carry influences of the Hindu bhakti movements and a form of Sufi song exemplified ...

Photo �  Corentin Fohlen | All Rights Reserved Every year in the small port of Jacmel, in the south of Haiti, the most important festival is held with residents wearing incredibly colorful and fantastical costumes. The festival is called Karnaval  and for more than 100 years, it has been held in various cities around the island to showcase the island's unique creole culture. Corentin Fohlen began to photograph Haitians by creating a makeshift studio on a city sidewalk near the Karnaval celebrations, where he could create portraits of each unique costume.  The Karnaval festivities were traditionally considered sinful to Protestant Haitians, and participation was discouraged by their churches.  The festivities were criticized for condoning sexually-suggestive dancing, profanity-filled plays, music lyrics mocking authority, and vodou music rhythms. As with other Mardis Gras carnivals, the festivities in Haiti enabled its people to enjoy the pleasures of life befor...