At Dusk

I just loved New Zealand. I took this at dusk the first night a couple friends and I drove from Christchurch headed west. We pulled over at least every 15 minutes to take pictures. The sky was remarkably beautiful. I remember thinking, "Damn, this is beautiful." But, seriously. I just wasn't expecting the sights to be so breath-taking. Shot June 7th, 2009.

"Nemo" Fish

This was shot with I believe a Nikon--it was a point-and-shoot whatever it was, an underwater camera that they had on board the boat we were on the first time I went SCUBA diving. The first time I remember being really excited about it, then really scared once I had to breathe underwater, and then really excited, and then completely freaked out. So my first dive was just bad, and I made up my mind I wasn't going to try the dive in the arvo. But then, one of the other instructors, Simon, told me I definitely had to do the second dive. And I'm not typically one to let men convince me to hold their hand in order to feel safe, but I was that day apparently. And I did the dive, and it was amazing, and eventually I let go. And then, 5 months later, after having earlier plans interrupted due to a car accident, I did four more dives in Fiji, and got my PADI open water license. Shot on the outer Great Barrier Reef near Cairns, Australia in February, 2009.

The Carnival

This was shot at the Barnstable County Fair, the annual fair that is so popular when you are a kid, and then when you are a teenager, on Cape Cod. The ferris wheel was something I never rode on, because it was a rip off, like basically all the other rides were. We just went to goof off anyway. Oh, to be young again... Shot in July of 2005.

Footy at Night

I took this while my friend Bradly and I were walking from Bondi to Coogee Beach in Sydney, Australia. It was about 6:30pm and these boys were playing footy. The two sitting at the left had just gotten a penalty, and were sitting out of the game. We thought that was a bit harsh. Shot May 4, 2009.

Boy From Waya Lai Lai

I don't know the young boy's name, but the man's name is Soro. That isn't his son, but they both live in the village of Waya Lai Lai, an island in the Yasawas of Fiji. I like this photo, because it reminds me of that day. I walked into the village by myself, and instantly these boys came running up, "BULA! Bula!!," they yelled, all smiles. I don't think they understood enough English to understand me, but one of the boys started reaching at my wrist, which had this sparkly headband wrapped around it. I took it off and told him to take it, and they both seemed so excited. I like to imagine they ran off to find some way to entertain themselves with some object so simple and meaningless to me, like children often do. Maybe sling-shotting each other with it or something. Soro took me inside a woman's home and she made me a wonderful bracelet and he sliced up sweet papaya and we all sat and talked for a while. Despite the poor conditions they all lived in compared to my standards, they were so happy. They were so proud of their homes and their village and so happy to have me there. Shot July 1, 2009.