 | Name: | John Brown |
| Country: | United States | |
| Intro: | I would consider myself a genre photographer, that is, just taking photos of everyday things for their own sake. I like photojournalistic and documentary photography. I have been published, but I feel it is more important to love what you shoot rather than cave in to the marketplace and it's demands. That's why I have a healthy respect for Natchwey et al. I was offered a job at the Vientiane Times as their photojournalist (no I am not that good) but the suckers didn't want to pay me. I guess they figured they would pay me what they thought I was worth ha ha. They had a bookcase full of broken cameras including a Canon EOS 300D so maybe that was it. Don't do me any favors guys. Moreover, all the photos were subject to being "approved by" the communist government before publication. Something about the photos had to show Laos only in a "positive light".....whatever they think that is. I am concerned with social issues, including the plight of refugees, child labor, etc. and enjoy seeing people at protests no matter what their opinion of things may be. Further, I enjoy getting as far away from tourists as I can....I know....I am one too.....but you probably know what I mean. I have know a couple of well known photographers. One is Lou Deserio,(you can google him) the renowned landscape photographer out of Arizona. He was lucky enough to study with Ansel Adams as a young man, and he has shot landscapes that have fetched $20,000 US at auction. The other was Doc Kaminsky, who was fortunate enough to capture Marilyn Monroe on the set of her last movie, "The Misfits", in Nevada. I'm sure I'll meet more here on Trekearth as it always seems to amaze me that some of the best photography is produced by so called "amateurs", while a plethora of work produced by "professionals" seem mundane and uninspired. WARNING: If you are comming to Thailand, I would avoid Hat Yai for now as 5 people were killed and 62 wounded, including 11 foreigners. Among the dead were tourists from Canada and China. (9/17/2006). Significantly, the bombs took place on the 21st anniversary of the founding of the Gerakan Mujahideen Islami Pattani (GMIP) one of the groups most responsible for the attacks, though as with the entire insurgency, no group has claimed any responsibility. Explosions went off near the Robinsons department store, the middle of the action as far as tourism is concerned. Also, be very careful anywhere you are in southern Thailand now. Formerly safe Betong (on the Malaysian/Thai border) was targeted by the bank bombings recently. If you hadn't heard, explosions went off at 22 different banks throughout the 3 southern regions on the same day about 2 1/2 weeks ago, killing one and injuring several. I have talked to folks who were planning to go that way and had no idea what was going on there on a daily basis. Over 1700 people have been killed in the three southern provinces in the past 2 1/2 years. I have been to Hat Yai....so if you are going and want a safety tip or two, please let me know. Be careful out there. Aloha, JB | |
| Member Since: | 2006-09-15 | |
| Camera: | Canon EOS 20D, Sony Cyber-Shot DSC-S85 | |
| Note: | Silver Star Critiquer/Silver Note Writer
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