on a lake

Summertime is here and it's lovely. The sun has been spending a lot of time in Amsterdam, the winds are warm, and the markets are stocked full with ripe fruit. In July, I am heading for a week in East Germany to go lake swimming in the forest and restaurant hopping in Berlin. The beginning of September will be the trip of the year to Turkey. For the most part, I plan to spend the days enjoying Amsterdam and eating all the fresh fruit I can. What are your plans for the summer?

photo by Alex Paradis (via spaceships)

Amsterdam: The Essence by David Beckett

In Amsterdam: The Essence, 25 Amsterdammers share their stories of life in the Dutch capital, shaping a tale of the city itself. Written by David Beckett, I spotted this book on a shelf recently, but really starting exploring it through the stories captured on film.

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xTEz30d3hPI&w=560&h=349] Laser 3.14, street artist, "The essence of Amsterdam is its freedom and openness. You don't find that anywhere else."

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=42F6EIA5ziE&w=560&h=349] Henk Schiffmaker, tattoo artist, "When I walk the streets, this city communicates with me."

blend films: a walk through Amsterdam

I enjoyed the unconventional depiction of the city by Blend Films.

[vimeo vimeo.com/20018590 w=500&h=400]

Co-direction: Fran Márquez, Daniela Uribe Actor: Fran Márquez Animation: Daniela Uribe, Fran Márquez Illustrations: Alejandro Alonso, Daniela Uribe Music: Jimmy Flamante from InOut InOut Records Edition & Post-production: Fran Márquez, Daniela Uribe

Weekend Links #28

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed last week: 1. Attending the first Slideluck Potshow in Amsterdam, curated by Edie Peters (image from the Chicago event pictured above by Casey Kelbaugh) 2. Reading The Accidental Bricoleurs, about reshaping identity with fast fashion and social media 3. Reading The Bilingual Advantage, an article about the benefits of speaking two or more languages 4. Watching Never Let Me Go, a beautiful film based on the novel by Kazuo Ishiguro 5. Anticipating an upcoming performance by TV on the Radio in Amsterdam

Weekend Links #27

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed last week: 1. Reading the bits of wisdom gathered in The Good Advice Project by designer Jacob Lysgaard and photographer Hanne Hvattum (pictured above, via The Post Family) 2. Partaking in the combination of a song, lyrics, a photograph, and musings on Icarus & Occident (pictured below Leo Berne's photo paired with Bon Iver's Calgary, via show&tell) 3. Viewing the 0 to 100 project app, a study of life and aging through the portraits of 101 people (via heodeza) 4. Listening to Death Cab for Cutie's new album Code and Keys on NPR's first listen

books from winter and spring

The months since January have been filled with work projects, making the moments I could escape into a book even more of a pleasure. Here, an overview of the books I have read over the past five months, with the addition of two from my recent holiday:

Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. An escaped convict flees Australia for India to start a new life. Adventure ensues as he enters a life of crime and philanthropy in Bombay, while providing insight into the penal system he fled.

How I Live Now by Meg Rosoff. Actually a book for young adults, a quick read about 15-year-old Daisy who departs from New York to visit her cousins in England. War breaks out, the adults disappear and the children must learn to survive on their own.

Travels in Siberia by Ian Frazier. A non-fiction account weaving together the stories of past travelers to Siberia and Frazier’s own experience exploring the vast region and its history.

A Tree Grows in Brooklyn by Betty Smith. A young girl from a poor family and her stories of growing up in Brooklyn. Just beautiful.

The Swan Thieves by Elizabeth Kostova. A psychologist explores the secrets that keep a patient, renowned artist Robert Oliver, in a vow of silence. His search leads him into an exploration of the lives behind French Impressionism. An interesting read, but not as captivating as Kostova's The Historian.

Sarah's Key by Tatiana De Rosnay. Journalist Julie Jarmond's investigation into Vel d'Hivs, a round up of Jews in Paris, unveils unexpected links to her own life. I fail to see how this could be a New York Times bestseller.

Before Green Gables by Budge Wilson. A novel inspired by Lucy M Montgomery's tales of Anne Shirley, which imagines the years of childhood that formed the girl who first appeared in Anne of Green Gables. Lovely, full of imagination, and exactly the Anne I expected.

out of sight

The last month has found me in the midst of a major content production period at work and the heat is on until the moment I board a plane to Seattle tomorrow.

For those who don't know, my job involves creating and publishing online content related to photojournalism. The last weeks have been filled with interviews, editorial work, website updates, multimedia productions, and an abundance of photography and photographers. It's an exciting time, but has required all my focus - the reason why things have been a bit quiet around small sight.

So, it's time for an update. On Saturday, we launched an iPad app. A colleague and I have spent a few months together working on the photo app with a team of developers and I was thrilled when it went out into the world. Last weekend marked the annual Awards Days where photographers from around the world gather in Amsterdam. This year there was a lot of talk around our new multimedia contest and the announcement of winners. In between moments of watching photographers present their work and screening multimedia productions, I was heading up the production team that interviewed 20 photographers about their work. In between all that, I sat down with Nancy Donaldson, a multimedia producer at The New York Times, to talk about multimedia. Interview coming soon.

The real work has centered around the new website that we hoped would go online about now. A number of development delays have come up, but it does deserve a post of its own. For now, I am off across the ocean in the morning, but I will leave you with a recommendation to enjoy the stories of the photographers and view these impressive multimedia productions.

(photo via).

Weekend Links #26

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed last week: 1. Spotting a literary map of the United States after creating a summer reading list with my sister comprised solely of modern American literature (pictured above) 2. Finding these lovely skirts and trying to decide which color(s) I most prefer 3. Browsing the program of the upcoming Holland Festival and booking tickets for a performance of The Sun Also Rises 4. Watching a unique musical performance in the forests of Japan (video and photo below, via Tom)

[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=C_CDLBTJD4M&w=640&h=390]

make happiness

Sunshine and reading A Tree Grows in Brooklyn, I never want it to end.

"People always think that happiness is a faraway thing," thought Francie, "something complicated and hard to get. Yet, what little things can make it up; a place of shelter when it rains - a cup of strong hot coffee when you're blue; for man, a cigarette for contentment; a book to read when you're alone - just to be with someone you love. Those things make happiness."

(photo via)

Weekend Links #25

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed last week: 1. Listening to the collaborative album by Thao and Mirah over and over again, streaming on NPR until the 26th (pictured above) 2. Reading through the New York Times' take on Amsterdam, a good start for 36 hours 3. Reading Nicholas Kristof's article Three Cups of Tea, Spilled 4. Skyping with my little dog. Isn't she cute all wrapped up in a blanket?

a premature summer

It's strangely similar to summer here in Amsterdam. Sun-filled days, warm evenings on the balcony, and slow walks through the city. We have had just one bout of morning rain this month. I'm hoping that things balance out in the coming weeks, so the weather saves a bit of strength for when it is truly summertime.

Here, a few sights seen on an afternoon stroll through Oud Zuid.

little shops in Portland

In one month, I will breath the air of the Northwest again. After a stop in Seattle for the wedding of a friend, I'm headed south to Oregon and my family. This also means a trip to some of my favorite stores and some yet-to-be visited shops.

Abrahams&Duffy Alder & Co. last photo, by Rebecca Westby, via Frances May Lizard Lounge

Lulu's Vintage pictured above, via Makool Loves You first photo, via Moxie

Narcisse photo above by Erin Flesch, via Parallel Tumbleweed Una Xtabay Vintage

Weekend Links #24

Weekend Links is a collection of the interesting bits and pieces that I’ve come across on the streets and online. The weekly post is my chance to share with you a few things from the week, in a list compiled during the weekend. I hope you enjoy them as well.

A few things I enjoyed last week: 1. Seeing this photo, a prelude to a perfect weekend (image by frl. zucker) 2. Listening to a wonderful Fresh Air interview with Dan Savage and Terry Miller on NPR 3. Reading an article about Photojournalism in the Age of New Media in The Atlantic 4. Discovering the Drawing Nature Journal by Jill Bliss 5. Interview with The New York Times multimedia producer Zach Wise on photojournalism 6. Reading Austin Kleon advice on How to Steal Like an Artist (pictured below, via the post family)

dreaming auf Deutsch

Lately, bits of German have begun to peek through my dreams. After several years of studying the language, to have a phrase, sentence, even a conversation appear in my dreams feels like I have passed a sacred milestone. Looking a bit more into the link between language learning and dreams, I found this New York Times article, which reads:

"...dreamtime fluency is a metaphor for becoming an insider, someone for whom the language isn’t foreign and whose own nativeness is neither feat nor achievement; it just is, as natural as breathing."

I wish I could say German is no longer foreign, but that probably won't be the case for many years. One curious thing, until the last six months I have never thought about language consciously while dreaming - in what I assume was English, my native language. Something about the appearance of German in my dreams causes me to actually register the change. It's an "Aha, this is something different, but I know it" moment. Strange, isn't it? Do you speak any other languages? Have they ever appeared in your dreams? (image via)

fishermen by Stratis Vogiatzis

I first came across the work of Greek photographer Stratis Vogiatzis a few years ago when I heard about the publication of his book Inner World. A long-term photographer, he captures something wondrous and inexplicable in the worlds he explores. Equally, his descriptions of his projects cast poetic shadows alongside his photographs. After three years and more than seven countries into fishermen, I talked with Stratis about the project, where it came from and where it has taken him.

When did you start the project? Stratis Vogiatzis: I started this project three years ago and it is still in progress. I started taking pictures of my small island in Greece, Chios, and then I continued to document the life of the fishermen in the whole region of the Mediterranean Sea and in more than seven countries. I don't know when I will finish. I think deep inside me I don't want this project to end because I don't want to lose all the magic that is present when I am inside a fishing boat in the middle of the sea. And I don't want to stop eating fresh fish.

Why were you drawn to the subject of fishermen? Stratis Vogiatzis: I was born and raised on an island and I spent all my childhood close to the sea. The sea is very important for my balance. When I am away from the sea for a long time I don't feel okay. When I was doing a project about this island, I photographed fishermen as well. Someone asked me why I was travelling with them and I answered that I was doing a project about the island. He answered, why don't you make a project about fishermen as well. I thought that it was a great idea. Doing a project that has to do with the sea? Fantastic!!

How has the project changed over the years? What was the original focus of the project, what is it now? Stratis Vogiatzis: At the beginning, it was more of a reportage. I wanted to document the various forms of fishing and document the life of the fishermen in a more journalistic way. Over time, this changed because I changed as a photographer. At the beginning, photography for me was about the image. Now it is about the experience. It is not about a good or a bad image. It is about taking a true or a false image. Although it sounds heavy to say that photographs - in order to have value for me - must be the document of a religious experience. The fishermen project evolved into a very personal project and all the images that have descriptive value have no importance for me now. In a way, through the world of the fishermen I speak about my longings, my fears, my need to communicate with others.

How much time do you usually spend with the fishermen on their boats? Stratis Vogiatzis: It depends. The longest I stayed in a boat was one week. But it’s not only in the boats. I also spent a lot of time with them in the ports. The thing is that I wanted to spend more time with them. I have worked on this project for three years, but not with the intensity that I desired.

In your description of the project, you talk about the energy of the sea. How do you think if affects your photography? Stratis Vogiatzis: Many times I felt a drama was taking place in front of my eyes, a drama that shows the desperate, primeval need of the people to tame nature, to overcome their weakness against the power of the sea and demand that she obeys their will. It is my strong belief that 'the people of the sea', as Proust called them, are the gatekeepers of a world totally unfamiliar to us. Being with them is a unique experience, to see how they deal with the wind and waves, the methods and the sea paths they follow when they hunt the fish and the incredible stories they share. It always comes as a great pleasure to observe the very special relation they share with the sea and its secrets. The connection that these people have with the sea is something that we cannot understand. They know the sea like we know a certain neighborhood in the city we live and, at the same time, the sea remains the biggest mystery for them. Although they know her mood, the winds, the currents, nevertheless they will always be foreigners invading an alien space.

What is it like to photograph in such a small space with lots of people and without much privacy? Stratis Vogiatzis: What strikes me is the simplicity of their life inside the boat. The word personal space doesn't exist in their vocabulary; they share a small space inside the cabin that is transformed into a small world in which they laugh, fight, communicate, spend time together. They eat upon a newspaper and when they finish eating, they gather the newspaper and put another one where they drink tea or coffee. When they are exhausted, they simply lean on each other or they find a small corner where they can rest. They are is no complexity in the life of the fishermen, neither I think the hypocrisy of pretending to be something different than they really are. What overwhelmed me the most was the authenticity of their lives and the fact that they are keeping the same simple, 'insignificant' way of life. The limitation of the space they share is exchanged by the infinity of the ocean and the harsh conditions of their work are exchanged by the freedom the share being in the middle of the ocean. Every fisherman is a traveller and every fishing day is a journey for them.

Has your experience photographing the fisherman made you reflect on your profession as a photographer? Are there any parallels? Stratis Vogiatzis: I’ve never seen photography as a profession. I still don’t know how to act as a professional. I wished I knew, but I don’t. On the other hand, I consider myself very lucky that I can do what I love in photography and still pay the bills. I don’t think that the fishermen project made me a good professional, rather the opposite. At the same time though, I found a space inside me, a connection with the photography that I want to preserve intact.

All photos used with permission from the photographer. To read more about the project, click here.

before I die

This project by artist Candy Chang has generated a lot of talk, but I had to write about it for those who don't know it yet. Chang converted the side of an abandoned house in her New Orleans neighborhood into a giant chalkboard, with a prompt to inspire passersby to write their aspirations for life. She explains the objective of the project:

Before I Die transforms neglected spaces into constructive ones where we can learn the hopes and aspirations of the people around us.

After seeing this project for the first time, I found myself thinking about what I want to do before I die. Marcus and I recently made a goal to travel to a new country every year, I hope to write a book in the near future, and I want to be fluent in Germany someday. There are so many things, but in the end I just want to be content and feel like I was a part of this world. What do you want to do/feel/be before you die?