I had many jobs from consultant, corporate officer and entrepreneur in my career and in the course of my work I met many wonderful friends who I treasure to this day. Hopefully I also helped a few people along the way.
I have been a technical writer on software and technology in my spare time, as well as a tennis enthusiast, a jazz collector and a seeker of truth.
I've also been father and husband. My wonderful children are all grown and on their own and were before I uprooted myself and moved from west to east on the other side of the world in September 2003.
About My Photos
While I would like to think that I am a good photographer, honesty forces me to
confess that I am a traveler who takes photos and not a photographer who
travels. There are differences:
Many of the places and sites I visit, I only see one time. Good weather or bad,
sun or no sun, shadows or no shadows, beautiful skies, gray overcast or even
rain -- I have to take what there is and make the most of it. Photographers
would find the perfect spot, make sure the light and shadows are just right for
the mood they want to create and make sure they use the right lens and filters.
When shooting, I am normally traveling with my wife and often with a tour
group, so I can't take the time to make sure I find the best angle, set up
a tripod and choose the best aperture - I have to quickly choose what I want to
take and take the picture -- otherwise the group will be far gone and/or my
wife wouldn't be speaking to me anymore.
I use digital cameras for all my shots, not film for prints or slides, so I
take a lot more photos than professional photographers would take -- After all,
I don't have to pay for processing.
That said, I hope that my pictures are not what you normally see in snapshots
or in most travel guides or articles. I try to avoid typical tourist shots -
and concentrate on unusual angles of buildings and landscapes to make them
special, to take pictures that captures everyday life of the places I visit and
which showcase the wonderful beautiful people. A fellow traveler/photographer
from Japan calls his site "Trot 'n Shoot", meaning he takes what
he sees while he walks. My approach is pretty much the same. I do try to do
what I call "extending the tour" by going out before breakfast,
skipping lunches and going out after dinner, to visit the surrounding
neighborhoods, meeting the people and capturing the energy and spirit of the
places I go.