well, i promised to get back to you during my morning coffee…looks pretty relaxed … but, but and but….this picture was taken by my old friend from grad photo school days, medford taylor, who i met down here for a short "buddy trip" after my workshop in San Miguel…this was picture was shot this morning on a beach somewhere near Zihuatenejo….
BUT,at this moment nothing was going right…i am leaving for Thailand in 45 minutes, BUT i almost was not leaving at all…and my girlfriend and nachtwey are waiting for me to show up in Thailand…since i have been traveling in Brazil and Mexico and using my credit card everywhere and trying to buy an expensive ticket to Bangkok, all financial systems shut down…the airlines denied my card…too many countries in too short a period of time…fraud alert or whatever….BUT, i was on a buddy trip and my buddy just saved the trip…medford had not used his cards at all…..he bought my air ticket….thank you medford…
ok, rushing….posting again from Bangkok in however long that will take…i hope nachtwey has some money, because i am sure my card will not work there either….am i counting too much on friendships?? or am i blessed with great friends?? would you ask a friend to do the same and would you be that kind of friend yourself???
trip to southeast asia from mexico…an adventure….having friends who care…priceless….
Never a dull moment, David?
I would do that for a good friend whom I knew was able to repay me, even if it took some time.
I would only ask it of someone I knew very very well, and who could spare the money.
Suggest you contact your card people as soon as you hit Bangkok.
David,
I tend not to ask my friends for help too often (I’m reserved that way) but not for fear of being asked the same… I’d help in a heartbeat… In a situation like yours — having the friends you have — I’d do the same you did. That’s what family and friends are all about.
BTW, speaking of friends, I saw one of your close friends speak last Sunday, at the VII seminar in Pasadena: Eugene Richards. The man is an inspiration, both as a human being and as a photographer.
Cheers and safe travels again.
Giancarlo
PS: Great picture, on the beach!
I do believe in karma or a least what goes around comes around and although I don’t know you David I imagine nice things happen to you all the time.
Most of my friends are skint but I do impose on their time and most of my good pictures are due to friends letting me hang out with them and photograph what they are doing. For the first time in a long time I’ have a little money in the bank and If I had a mate in a jam I’d lend them some money.
What happens when you get home David are all your plants dead and does your cat belong to someone else?
Harry
“would you ask a friend to do the same and would you be that kind of friend yourself???”
I think friendships develope with certain people over time, slowly but surely, through the all the good and bad, and we ultimately come to understand that we are happy to be there for each other…no matter what. Something not to be taken for granted.
So…yes and yes.
“…i hope nachtwey has some money..”
buddy, you’re making me crack up. don’t photographers live ‘in the red’?? my credit card just turned a little deeper red today after buying a printer.. gotta have prints! actually, kelly’s turned a deeper red b/c it went on her card! now there’s a buddy of the sweetest kind.. (and not b/c of her credit card)
DAH, hit all the ATM’s when you hit BKK ASAP.
ATB
MAS
david:
can i be medford’s buddy too?? ;))))
hugs
b
david…I would loose all my hair if I had the stress you are having today…:)
Natchwey seems to be much more organised than you…at least that’s the idea I have about him…the guy sees always to keep his cool, I am sure he thinks about all little details…
arie
.. and by the way, if this thing turns into a book… medford’s picture could be the cover.. it says it all!
david:
“am i counting too much on friendships??”
NO!
“or am i blessed with great friends??”
FUCK YEA BROTHER!
“would you ask a friend to do the same”
no…just kidding: yes!
“and would you be that kind of friend yourself???”
i hope i am and always be (minus the big credit card balance ;))) )…
WE ARE NOTHING, JACK SQUAT, WITHOUT EACH OTHER :)))))…
and our AE.ME.VISAs ;))))….
b
that’s MC, not “ME”…see, my credit card credit is so small, i cant even spell MasterCard right ;)))
i need medford! :)))))))))))))….
dont forget hugs to Vink too (he’s got a good CreditCard balance too, i hear, in case you get stuck before returning ;)) )…
hugs
b
“too many countries in too short a period of time”
You are a too-cool, globe-trotting, photo-dude!
I have and would again definitely help out a friend in a similar situation without hesitation and I know my true, old buddies would do the same for me.
Hi David,
If you ever need my credit card details!!…just email me…I’ll definitely help a brother out.
BTW, would you still be in Bongkok in January??…love to meet up with you!!
safe trip
ozzy al
Hi Everyone,
I received some images today that had no Name on them whatsoever. I need everyone to try and stick to the guidelines.
JPGs Only
With the longest side being a maximum of 2000 Pixels (nothing smaller than 1024 please)
Please include any description of the story or work in the images metadata. Individual image descriptions can be put in each images headline field.
Each file should have the following naming
convention: Lastname_Firstname_001.jpg
Remember if you did not submit anything before September 18th you can only submit 20 images.
The work also has to be created between July 15, 2007 and Nov 15, 2007.
If you did not follow these guidelines please contact me at blogquestions@gmail.com as I have some images without any names and do not want to leave anyone out.
Thanks,
Michael
Uncle Dave,
Is that Medford ” Mad Dog ” Taylor? He of the dog fence ?
Sublime shooter http://www.medfordtaylor.com/
I got hung up once in Dehli with no money to pay my excess baggage bill which came to a whopping $1200 of which I had about $50, So there being no ATM in the terminal I was ushered outside to an ATM sized hole in the wall on the Terminal’s front wall – No Money – No Flight – No Go Home – Then a saviour in the form of an Aussie journo by the name of Mark Baker ( I think he’s in Bankok ) – promptly paid my bill in cash and got me on the plane- I had never met the guy before in my life!
Not only did I get his money paid back as soon as I got back I have been paying back ever since , You just never know when you are going to need a hand!
Hi, David
I thin you are highly solvable, I’d send you the money myself if it had to be of the greatest help. It’ s not about Karma (karma doesn’t work unless deed is 100% selfless), it’s about trust and like Bob says, or rather means: fuck the machine (I don’t mean the ATM).
But a little scolding for you, what happened to good old TCs? If only a couple grands in case… It is still my favored means of money abroad. Well, not in Cambodia, greenback rules over there.
I see John Vink name keeps popping back. I hope I can give him a call and meet once in Cambo, next winter. How about you David, stopping over in BKK before you go to India?
Welcome to Bangkok, David. And i think your GF is a very smart woman! :-)
Herve
I was three weeks home in London from my honeymoon when I had to head off again to New York to attend ICP. It was all arranged that I would take over the lease on a friends apartment but at the last minute it went all wrong.
I was on the street and near broke. I borrowed heavily to attend ICP and before I was selected as a candidate I was mugged and lost an entire pro kit that wasn’t adequately insured. All bad. I had an old Nikon F801, a 28mm and a 50mm lens left.
I called an old friend and asked to crash on her sofa for the night. She let me linger for 3 months at her place in Yonkers until I managed to sort out an apartment in Queens.
I’ve not been able to thank her properly since as we have lost contact. I really need to do something about that. I’m good at tracking people down, or at least I was and so I should be able to find her.
That was a tough year. Later my grandmother in law died and so the money I borrowed was written off on her instructions. So, those are two people that saved my ass in no small way.
If I had the money I would indeed do the same for a friend.
I pulled a 19 year old woman out of a freezing cold river in 1991. She had apparently attempted suicide. I resuscitated her, did CPR, got her to safety and suffered bad hypothermia. The Irish government gave me a medal and that was cool. Surely lady luck owes me another dance cause I need a new Mac laptop. I wonder sometimes if that young woman is loaded now. I was once told she was doing rather well for herself.
Hmm!
David,
Sawatdii krap, khon phom!
I second Lance’s suggestion to use Medford’s photo of you for the cover of the ‘Road Trip’ book. Perfect!
Was in a similar situation twice travelling in days long before I had any credit cards (strictly cash and TC’s), oddly enough once in Mexico where someone I had barely met fronted me cash to get home on after my pocket was picked, which I repaid later of course, and once when I was stuck in Singapore, nearly broke, and the airline wouldn’t honor my ‘open’ ticket. A Chinese travel agent I had become acquainted with, even though there was no money in it for him, made a bunch of phone calls, pulled some strings, and I finally got back to Japan with about $5 left the day before I had to go back to work. I sent on some business to him later. And I’ve covered other people too, without hesitation, at the times when I was the one with the money resources.
But the thing that resonates with me most at the moment is that you’re headed for a spell in Bangkok. Just yesterday I was called on to advise and coach a female college student who is applying for a year-long travel/study grant she wants to use in Southeast Asia (where she’s never been). She’s not a photographer but an artist, her main project theme seems to be food, and she feels drawn to the countries along the Mekong River. She’s young and rather inexperienced but I liked her attitude and the things she told me about herself. So I spent several hours with her, trying to bring her project more into focus, trying to help her understand a little what she’d be dealing with on the ground, making some suggestions, but mostly just prodding her to come up with her own ideas- not unlike what goes on in David’s workshops and here on the blog. It’s amazing how many things have been written about here in the last few months that had a direct bearing on her project, even though it’s not photography. And I advised her, even though she wants to focus on the Mekong, to go first to Bangkok, get acclimatized and become familiar with it as the main hub for mainland Southeast Asia, study a little Thai for a month or six weeks, gather information and make contacts, before setting off into the hinterlands. Now, I haven’t been in Bangkok for twenty years, I know it has changed enormously, maybe I wouldn’t recognize the place. But it still makes sense to me as a strategy for beginning a year-long project in Southeast Asia.
Which is one, but only one, of the reasons, David, that I would love to see you pull together a book on Bangkok. Given the time you’ve spent there over the last three decades, you are in a position to understand and communicate how the city has changed in that time, what remains constant, what is completely new. Seriously, think about mining your archive for a ‘Bangkok Through the Decades’ book, which I will be the first to acquire!
Oh, and have lots of fun while you’re there! Can’t remember what it’s called, maybe just simply ‘Thom Plaa Muuk’ but it’s a seafood-broth soup filled with tiny squids that are stuffed with minced pork, garlic, ginger, and bamboo shoots… you get the picture!
Prawt plaeng mahk mahk!
Sidney
man,if that ain’t a picture of life in the 21st century…on a beautiful, remote beach in mexico, wired to the world, and stressing out because some “wizard” has locked up all of your virtual money due to a series of electronic transactions that triggered an alarm…which means, were it not for a friend whose spending pattern appears more predictable-and thus trustworthy–to the wizard, you would not be able to jump on a plane and fly halfway around the world, and be there tomorrow…
I guess the moral of the story is, yes, when it all goes to hell, it helps to have friends with unused credit cards. And maybe a few more changes of clothes:)
Travel safe, David. I’m getting jet lag just reading…
Remember if you did not submit anything before September 18th you can only submit 20 images
———————
Hold on. I thought old time readers had a 40 image limit and we could submit it all at the end near the deadline. I never saw this qualification in anything David wrote but maybe I missed it. Can you clarify? David? What exactly is the limit here, I was working under the assumption that I could submit 40 images. I just want to be sure of what is going on.
Thanks.
Michael, as I always understood, Rafal Pruszynski is right about who is able to submit 40 images….
In any case, is it possible to have a list of the submitions you already have? so if anyone sees that his name is missing, they can try to do it again… I uploaded my work but have no confirmation that it arrived in good conditions as it was my first time using the ftp programm….
Thanks again for all your effort on this. A big smile! :-)
“Would you ask a friend to do the same and would you be that kind of friend yourself???”
Complicated question… i have strong influence of polish mentality… i try not ask for help, i have never borrowed from anybody more than 2 dolars… but sometimes it can be stupid… and i think if i were you i will ask for help… that situation was “extreme”… :-)
Sidney: You might ask your colleague to check out my site on Thai (and SE Asian food), RealThai: http://realthai.blogspot.com/ Tom plaa muek sounds about right!
I’d also like to see more of David’s work from Bangkok. In a few minutes I’m off to the 9 Days.. launch exhibition, which includes some of his pics. Should be interesting.
Austin
Nice save by Medford!
I hope he feels pretty good! Its good to help and expect nothing in return.
A few times in a scrape there has been an “Angel” with the right key to get us out. Somehow with money there is more stress involved and it’d be hard for me to accept money from a stranger. Thats what good friends are for ;-)
I think I sent my work on the 21st. If you get a sec, Michael. can you check? I’ve shot a lot of good stuff since the old deadline. Much appreciate all your hard work.
Austin,
My man! Thanks so much for the lead. I took a brief look at your ‘Real Thai’ blog and I am now swooning with gastronomic desire. You are doing a great thing! I will certainly pass on the link to the young lady I mentioned- who happens to be from Portland (where I also lived in 1969-72). And I will be trying out your recipes and checking out the other sites linked on your blog. Kawp khun mahk krap! (Forgive my non-standard romanization of Thai- like I say, it’s been twenty years).
Sidney
This comes out of the post from sept 18 “Bold Steps” You can go back and read it for yourself as well
i have already been flooded with material….good material….but, i have decided to totally max out the influence of our new found collaboration…for my “original bloggers” (and i know who you are) who have already sent in their 20 picture limit, you will be allowed another 20 and this extra time ….but, the limit on essays or singles from any “newcomers” to our forum will still be 20 photographs presented as an essay ( or combo of essays) or 20 single images…
I will not be publishing a book we have asked that anyone who has submitted to contact me once they have done so at blogquestions@gmail.com
I do know who the people are who submitted early so please keep it to 20 unless you submitted before the 18th.
Thanks,
Michael
David..a boring but practical note – perhaps you already know but didn’t have time to arrange..
You can/should call your creditors in advance of any of out the country travel, and tell them approximately where/when you will be. This way, you avoid what happened to you. Also, they will give you a toll free phone number for calling from out of the country in case you do have any other problems..
but thank goodness for friends and credit both..
On the self-assigment:
If I may, relating to the number of pix (which borders now on the number of essays!)The more concentrated, the better the impact, the idea ultimately is for David to want to see more of a photographer, and feel that person is the one with the potential to do just that (take off as an author) in the coming months.
slimming and trimming, not adding, is paramount, IMO. Stacking up the images can be counter-productive, and induce bloatedness, just as it would in a text, no matter the quality of each sentence.
Herve,
I completely agree as we have all talked about the importance of editing work and only showing what should be see. Putting to many images in that are weak can in turn weaken the stronger ones when viewing a project on a whole.
Michael
If I put that much on my credit cards I would melt under the psychic pressure. I am reasonably certain that the banks and credit card companies know this and therefore raise my credit limit over and over again, which makes them feel good about their generosity. They do this, of course, because they know I will never use any of that money. I ought to go buy a Leica just to spite them.
David,
What little time I’ve been around Medford, I’ve always enjoyed his company. Now you need to feature him in the family/friends section, unless you already have and I missed it.
Another funny thing…Chris Bickford dropped in my studio last week to talk about his workshop experience in NYC… small world!
best wishes as always!
Mike
Hmm, the money question… Well, David, it all revolves around trust, doesn’t it. Nothing like money to turn things sour — unless, of course, Nachtwey (and whoever else you might on occasion feel the need to tap up!!) knows with absolute trust and certainty that the money will be repaid pronto and the courtesy, kindness and so forth RECIPROCATED. That is the key thing, really. Friends will do anything for each other…but let that trust erode or that reciprocity fail to be respected and things turn sour and ugly…
best, alun
My Morning Coffee
http://www.smugmug.com/gallery/3796172#219046582-M-LB
this picture was taken by my old friend and buddy “Bogen”…this picture was also shot this morning in a kitchen somewhere near San Francisco….
Unfortunately my buddy “Bogen” doesn’t have any money and he is kind of a stiff… but he is a steady friend and always there for me when I need him.
Joking aside, its great that David can share his morning coffee with us.
Cheers to Good coffee, good photos, and good buddys.
If you can’t count on friends and family, who can you count on? Besides, what we give will always come back to us in some way. Travel safely, David.
hola David
greetings from cuba. most beatiful place on earth!
i will write when i come back.
much work i have here!
peace
Martin
David, sounds like your bud Medford subscribes to the pay it forward concept, which of course means you’re on the hook now to pay back not only him but the next unfortunate soul you come across as well.
What’s up Milke–next time I come down I’ll bring photos.
As for lending money, if it’s a real friend, and the money is there, I’m happy to lend, at least once. I have a friend from high school who over a period of time borrowed about two hundred bucks from me (which was a lot back then), and I stopped lending him money when I realized it would just add to the debt. Now that I’m more solvent, I’ll just give the money if it’s needed. If they pay me back, fine. Just feels good to help someone get to where they need to be.
As for borrowing, I’ve never asked, but have occasionally taken an offer from a friend to help. Seems to me that if the lender makes the offer first, there’s more implicit trust and a genuine willingness to help.
Let’s not allow Sidney all the fun!
http://www.michaelkircher.com/dahlookalike.htm
Oops! That should read “Let’s not allow JASON all the fun!” Sorry dude.
Hmm…someone is missing…Oh, David, did you get there?
When will you be in NY?
Michael
Herve!! “But a little scolding for you, what happened to good old TCs? If only a couple grands in case.”
I kind of hope where ever you live a grand means something different than here in the US…just the thought of carrying – or having- a couple of ‘extra’ thousands of dollars makes me smile.
Michael,
I Love how the newspaper mimics the laptop!
Great show!
.
It is quite fun making morning coffee photos, which has just now inspired some creative photo essays for my future. Some serious and not so serious I hope.
.
Special thanks goes to my other reliable buddy Mr. Coffee who wakes up at 6am each morning to do his job for me. I would lend him money if needed, he’s that special.
sfjason
Thanks Jason…
I wanted to keep close to the original theme, but truth is I usually have the paper not the computer.
Right now I’m ‘Mr Coffee,’ for my wife and myself. Though, I need to look into hiring the original!
Well, yes, Erica, 2000 ain’t much, but it’s better than nothing (and a lot in thai life!) and can help someone get to plan B or C without too much panic or having to go home.
Think if Melford had been in the same quandary. Hopefully, the one way ticket to BKK was less than 2000$, though my comment was general, not specific to David’s situation.
The morning cafe shots; Here is rhyming I can understand! :-)
David,
I read an interview with photojournalist Tom Stoddart recently. He recalled that he was told at the beginning of his career that he would have “A champagne lifestyle on beer wages” and it has proved to be the case. Good fortune in Bangkok.
Mike.
David, Austin, anybody else in Bangkok…
The ‘Nine Days in the Kingdom’ website claims the exhibiton opening at the ZEN Gallery “features 700 images displayed over 2,500 sq meters…” True? Must be an amazing spread! How about a description and critique from you of this photo-orgy spectacle??
Sidney
Hum David, stuck on a beach is not that bad right ? And it is actually cool to have friends who can lend you some money, that’s cool and not very common these days… Waiting for further adventures…
GLENN….
do you know medford from dog fence days??? hmmm, this is getting scary!!!
HERVE….
i have not used travelers checks for many years…prefer hard cash…most places where i go just do not take travelers checks..too many cases of forgery i think….as a matter of fact i think most companies who used to issue them, are not in the tc biz anymore…
BOB….
yes, you can be medford’s friend …i am sure we will all be hanging out somewhere together soon…
ERICA…
you are absolutely right …and i know this…but i forgot when i went on this trip..i always forget something…once down in brazil/mexico i only had a u.s. 800 number to call for my bank…out of luck…why is everything so complicated???
ALL..
by the way, thai airways (or somebody) lost my favorite rolling duffel with all my clothes…perhaps by odd premonition, i pulled out my brimmed hat of 15 years right at the checkin counter in mexico and stuffed it in my camera bag…strange…
no problem…i learned how to wash my clothes in the hotel shower long ago…and being in bkk, clothes are easy to buy…
i did lose some nice prints i had in that bag, and i was sentimentally somewhat attached to the bag itself, but most valuable stuff always goes with me on the plane..
does anybody still want to travel after reading my last four posts??? actually now things seem ok… the weather here in bkk is beautiful and my credit card is working and i paid medford back….
oh, yes…i forget to mention, i have no place to stay tonight….bumped out of the dusit thani hotel…hey, if koudelka can sleep on the floor, so can i…
updates soonest…
cheers, david
Hi David!
How can I contact you privately? I’m currently enrolled under the Asian Center for Journalism and World Press Photo program’s Photojournalism course. I’m doing a research on photographers who have worked or are based in Asia.
I will be in Bangkok by the 17th.
I hope to hear from you soon!
thanks and all the best,
veejay
david, i’m with you on the “valuable stuff always goes with me on the plane..”
this year alone i’ve had bags delayed 3 times, and that’s just in europe. when i went to sicily, my bag got delayed both going there and going back home!
David,
Welcome to Bangkok if you are already arrived. It sounds like a real adventure to get here although it’s frustrating. It’s absolutely great that your friend do that for you.
I’m also here in Thailand for a week now, catching up with friends and family and some weeks to go for personal and photographic stuff. The exhibition is a must for me to have a look.
There have been many changes in Bangkok since I left six years ago. As I am staying at my brother’s in the out skirt and there’s no Wi-Fi hot spot around so I have to get an Apple external modem for the laptop. A couple of days of carrying gears around to get connected is frustrating.
Now I am facing dial-up problem because it takes me ages to upload slide show to the Net. It seems a minor problem but would be better if prepared. We are taking broadband for granted.
PS: Is Nym also here, I wonder.
David,
Welcome to Bangkok if you are already arrived. It sounds like a real adventure to get here although it’s frustrating. It’s absolutely great that your friend do that for you.
I’m also here in Thailand for a week now, catching up with friends and family and some weeks to go for personal and photographic stuff. The exhibition is a must for me to have a look.
There have been many changes in Bangkok since I left six years ago. As I am staying at my brother’s in the out skirt and there’s no Wi-Fi hot spot around so I have to get an Apple external modem for the laptop. A couple of days of carrying gears around to get connected is frustrating.
Now I am facing dial-up problem because it takes me ages to upload slide show to the Net. It seems a minor problem but would be better if prepared. We are taking broadband for granted.
PS: Is Nym also here, I wonder.
David,
Welcome to Bangkok if you are already arrived. It sounds like a real adventure to get here although it’s frustrating. It’s absolutely great that your friend do that for you.
I’m also here in Thailand for a week now, catching up with friends and family and some weeks to go for personal and photographic stuff. The exhibition is a must for me to have a look.
There have been many changes in Bangkok since I left six years ago. As I am staying at my brother’s in the out skirt and there’s no Wi-Fi hot spot around so I have to get an Apple external modem for the laptop. A couple of days of carrying gears around to get connected is frustrating.
Now I am facing dial-up problem because it takes me ages to upload slide show to the Net. It seems a minor problem but would be better if prepared. We are taking broadband for granted.
PS: Is Nym also here, I wonder.
David,
Welcome to Bangkok if you are already arrived. It sounds like a real adventure to get here although it’s frustrating. It’s absolutely great that your friend do that for you.
I’m also here in Thailand for a week now, catching up with friends and family and some weeks to go for personal and photographic stuff. The exhibition is a must for me to have a look.
There have been many changes in Bangkok since I left six years ago. As I am staying at my brother’s in the out skirt and there’s no Wi-Fi hot spot around so I have to get an Apple external modem for the laptop. A couple of days of carrying gears around to get connected is frustrating.
Now I am facing dial-up problem because it takes me ages to upload slide show to the Net. It seems a minor problem but would be better if prepared. We are taking broadband for granted.
PS: Is Nym also here, I wonder.
Hey David,
and I always imagined that once you get to magnum its Hilton all the way:) and here not only are you sleepin on the floor, you are penniless and have to borrown from Nachtway:) Hope it all works out for you though. Just find a roof to sleep under…
P.S. can you tell me the limit of the upload? 20 photos or 40? I havent submitted anything before the old due date. Thanks!
Far out! The unfortunate events never stop, eh? My last comment hasn’t gone out until I read another one your misfortune. The best thing is you seem to be optimistic about it. Good on ya!
Anyway, I’ve just seen the exhibition. It’s marvellous!
Should I offer you a place for you tonight? :)
Far out! The unfortunate events never stop, eh? My last comment hasn’t gone out until I read another one your misfortune. The best thing is you seem to be optimistic about it. Good on ya!
Anyway, I’ve just seen the exhibition. It’s marvellous!
Should I offer you a place for you tonight? :)
Far out! The unfortunate events never stop, eh? My last comment hasn’t gone out until I read another one your misfortune. The best thing is you seem to be optimistic about it. Good on ya!
Anyway, I’ve just seen the exhibition. It’s marvellous!
Should I offer you a place for you tonight? :)
Far out! The unfortunate events never stop, eh? My last comment hasn’t gone out until I read another one your misfortune. The best thing is you seem to be optimistic about it. Good on ya!
Anyway, I’ve just seen the exhibition. It’s marvellous!
Should I offer you a place for you tonight? :)
Some down-to-earth comments about credit cards… Something like this happened to me when I was in Iceland. It started in the morning when my credit card was rejected by the youth hostel’s terminal. They accepted to try a few days later and to let me go. Then I wanted to bath in the so-called blue lagoon before taking my afternoon flight and again it didn’t work. I was getting nervous since I also had to pay for my rental car at the airport and I had very little time. The girl of the Blue Lagoon took pity of me and let me in without paying and the car rental also accepted to try and charge my credit card a few days later.
Since that day I always carry 2, if not 3 cards with me. The assistance number I called from Iceland had not the power to make my card work again. Only my bank, which of course was closed, could have done that but, had the rental insisted on getting paid immediately, they could have sent me cash within 2 hours with Western Union or sent a fax to the rental to guarantee they would be paid. In any case it would have taken some time and I might have missed my flight. However, I’m not sure but I think with an Amex, they have the ability to make it work again (at least if they are willing to) if you call them, since then you don’t depend on your bank but solely on Amex. Probably the same with Diner’s. Anyway I think the best way to avoid this kind of inconvenience is to have several mid- to high-end cards with 24h assistance service. Having friends is the nicest thing in the world but they are not always with you to help.
Uncle,
I worked on the dog fence in annother lifetime, one of those jobs that make you glad that you can take photos for a living instead!
Did’nt met Medford there though , but saw his pix in NG and had several Oh Shit! I’ve been there! moments , and the folk at Anna Springs Station still talk about him!
I think he made a bit of an impression.
Good Luck in Bangers , hey!
Hi David,
You are in Bangkok now? Wow! Don’t forget visit Poland someday.
this is my first trip on Cuba. I must come here more times in close future.
We are in turistic zona Varadero now, after a few days in havana. my wife stay here and laying on beach and i’m going for a few days to Trinidad and some countryside. Tomorrow i think. i have not enoght money for Santiago de Cuba, agrrr!
Havana is amaizing place. My God! i even have no idea how to decribe it. Light, people, architecture. everything here is so warm, so peaceful and full of life simultanously.
I come from post-comunizm country, so for me it is trip in time… to past…
not too many and empty shops, and full shops where everybody paying in peso convertible, in dolars. but i see here free people, no stres, no rush.
of course old cars, but many new one.
people know here how to care about self, how to get new dresses. many buildings are rebuild now.
i can imagin how cuba will change in future.
i’m glad that i saw old cuba. i hope it is old cuba.
ok. that all now.
enjoy your time in Bangkok.
Martin
Washing clothes in the shower of a Dusit Thani hotel room? :-)
Laundry is horribly expensive in Bangkok, I do the same as you (but Dusit is above my means).
On the subject of friendship, my favorite quote from a french actor who was asked about it:
“Friends are people who are there with you… EVEN when you need them”
David,
I hope you found a soft place to land. Floors are not so nice..
Herve, I meant the exact opposite! That a grand is A LOT of money here, and I can’t imagine having a couple extra to spare in my pocket, even for emergencies. I recently traveled to Poland will all of $250…But the thought of extra money is a nice one..
David,
Your comments don’t turn me off from travel at all. Nothing like a few months of craziness out in the world to make one feel “alive.” Then again, there’s nothing like coming home to one’s own bed.
After all of this you are next going to India for the first time??? You have been well prepared for the type of “adventure” (or should I say chaos) that is common there. Then again, you may find that in comparison India runs like a clock. Hope things continue smoothly. I really wish I could be there for the Harvey/Nachtwey workshop. Please keep us posted.
Erica, sorry, my mistake, I kept thinking 100$ for a grand…. Hence 20 bills only.
TCs are easily obtained at AAA for us americans, but David may not have need for car services in NYC.
I am a bit old-fashioned when it comes with money and CCs. Like david says, cold hard cash (added to warm soft TCs) is my favord means.
Ohhh, that ol’ too-many-countries-in-one-day chestnut – I know the banks mean well when they stop all access to your own money because you’ve done the impossible and been in more than one continent in one day but, really, welcome to the age of the aeroplane Mr Bank Manager.
This March I got cancelled and re-routed and then stranded in New York, where I really know no-one, in the middle of the night. I thought that since I had an unprecedented $2000 sitting in my bank account I could, for once, get a decent hotel in Manhattan and get up early and see the city (I’d never been beyond JFK before) while I waited for my flight to London the next day. But oh no, think again!
I ended up on the corner of East 51st st at 2 am with a very inadequate coat, a bag full of camera equipment, $10 in my pocket and a non-functioning cashcard. I was also wearing a Bolivian pollera at the time, if that means anything to you. If not, it’s a very very large skirt that wouldn’t fit in my bag so I wore it and, by this point, was wishing that I hadn’t because New York City may be a wild and crazy kind of town but from the looks I was getting I don’t think it was ready for my pollera.
Anyway, by Grand Central Station, or quite near, I sat down and wept. And a good fairy in the unlikely shape of an investment banker came by and said “Don’t cry! You can sleep on my couch! I live just across the street.” I thought, hell, even if he murders me with an axe, AT LEAST I’LL BE WARM WHILE HE DOES IT.
And he didn’t chop me up. And he didn’t even try and sleep with me beyond a fairly perfunctory check that I wasn’t going to, and he gave me food and beer and £20 he had left over from a trip to London, so it was all ok in the end. And I’m sure there’s a moral to be drawn from all this but damned if I know what it is.
David,
When will you be in NY?
How did you end up with no place to stay; I thought your girlfriend was there waiting for you?
What bags (other than duffel) do you usually take on trips/on board. I still never get this right.
Michael
Good deal about the hat! Not as dramatic as Indiana Jones perhaps but intuition cannot be overrated. I wasn’t planning to check a bag but that seals it … looking forward to buying clothes in bkk.
Amy, perhaps the moral of the story is, if you are open to it, the road will provide.
‘PONG…
where are you?? give me a contact phone please and we will meet….
VJ…
i will have a local thai mobile soonest./..by tomorrow lates..will let you know..
MIchael….
my girlfirend’s grandfather critically ill…she had to leave…hopefully can return….
cheers
Hey David,
I hope all is sorted out in BKK for you. Finally submitted the 20 photos yesterday, hopefully all is good and Michael has them. Michael, can you confirm that you have the photos?
OZZY AL…
too bad, only here bkk until december 1
RAFAAL….
you would have been allowed 40 as you thought…just do whatever is right…since mike and i are 12 hours off, our communication is tougher in real time…but he is coming to bkk also to do the tech stuff here…do not worry, we will make sure that everyone’s work is correctly in and taken care of…we are a small operation, so nobody will be caught in any situation where their work is locked out or goes unseen…
PONG….
my bkk local mobile is 0800676087…i do hope to hear from you….
MARTIN..
i knew you would love love cuba…how can anybody not love cuba?? i cannot wait to see your work from this coolest of islands…please tell your most understanding wife i said hello…enjoy, enjoy…
ALL…
i am now finally settled and working to set up the workshop in bangkok….but, i do have a good computer setup and ready to catch up with posts soonest…will have new material in all four sections by tomorrow….
David,
Next time you are in Mexico, can you drop in at my hotel in Acapulco. I would love to see your shots of Zihuatanejo, I was there 2 weeks ago. Are you still using Leica or have you gone comepletely digital on your travels?
Regards,
Richard
Mr. Harvey, I’m doing a project in my high school photojournalism class. We just finished studying the history of photojournalism and different photographers that have somehow impacted or changed the industry. We had to choose a photographer we admired and make a presentation about their life, their works, and their impact on photojournalism. I chose you. Could you tell me about yourself, what you like about photography, why you started taking pictures so many years ago, and anything else you would care to share with me. Thank you so much.
Brittani
Burleson H.S.
Burleson, Texas
Better yet… David stop into Burleson on your way down to visit us in Austin.
GIANCARLO…
i am the same…i have no debts to my friends..only to everyone else!!!
medford volunteered his card..i would not have asked….and he is an old old friend….i had him paid back even before his card got charged, but it got me on my way….of course, i would do the same for him…
HARRY….
i have no cat…and my plants are just fine…michael or my neighbors take care of my plants….however, there is always some sort of scramble “to maintain”…
AKAKY….
yes, go get yourself a leica….you will wake up in the morning feeling just fine!!!
BRENDON….
yes, of course….i am a major subscriber to “pay back, pay forward”
CATHY….
by the way, how are you overall??? did you not almost lose your home?? i was rushing and traveling etc etc when those comments came in and i never got to say anything about it…anyway, i assume you were one of the lucky ones…
all well here in bangkok…jim and i are running around, building our team, and setting things up for our workshop which is still almost two weeks away….i keep saying i am going to the beach to relax, read a book, but i have been saying that for 25 years !!! it might actually happen here though….when we get everything totally 100% set up perfect perfect, then i will chill a bit in phuket or somewhere with blue water and palm trees…
TOM….
yes, i learned long ago not to check anything on the plane that i would not be willing to lose…all sentimental items and equipment with which i need to work are with me on the plane…
AMY….
pretty amazing story….next time you are stuck in new york, mi casa es tu casa, and i have many neighbors also who would help you out..in a privat email i will give you the telephone number of my neighbor natgeo photog rob clark or marie who both have keys to everyone’s apt including mine…so none of us have to be there for you to have a place…mine sits empty much of the time…there is always always an empty apt…bloggers get first choice!!!
new york is quite a friendly city, but you were taking a bit of a chance i suppose…pleased there were no problems (other than you almost freezing to death!!)…
cheers, david
Akaky,
Let me know what lenses you are thinking about for your leica; I’ve got a few for sale. michael@michaelashapiro.com
You’ll love the camera. They just disappear……….
Michael
ALL I just posted a couple recent photos on my blog-
http://www.michaelashapiro.com/blog
I really am getting into shooting at night – the blur from the slow shutter, those colors as they shimmer out of the dark.
DAVID if it’s not a secret, when do you think you’ll be back? Did I hear something about India???
Michael
david,
i think i read in an interview that you like to read novels for research about countries or places that you will be visiting. i believe you mentioned 100 years of solitude as an example of your research on latin american countries.
so what book(s) would you recomend for an upcoming trip to southeast asia?
‘brigado!
evan
David,
In the midst of all that you are doing you remembered my home was near the fire and asked about how I’m doing??? Pretty amazing! I have some (supposedly) very good “friends” since childhood who I haven’t even heard from… here’s another good example of who and what a friend is. Thanks!
Yes, the house is fine. We were lucky.
While you’re hanging out with Jim (I’m SO jealous! Would love to be a fly on the wall) perhaps you could get the scoop on how it went for him in Burma, how he feels about what’s going on there, what he saw, etc. I was thinking he might not even make it back to Bangkok for the workshop if he was “on to something” story-wise over there. Can’t wait to hear all about this workshop. It’s going to be amazing!
Hi David,
when you get the chance, please check the email I sent you.
Thanks
If I buy a Leica, I will wake up fine in the morning???!!!! No, I won’t. I buy one of those bad boys and my diet will change dramatically. It’ll go from the unhealthy rubbish I eat now to healthy portions of Tums, Rolaids, and Zantac for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all of them washed down with healthy swigs of a fine vintage Pepto-Bismol with an Alka-Seltzer chaser. My days would be haunted by fevered visions of the price tag and my dreams disturbed by the ghost of Ernst Haas looking at me pitifully and saying, Leica schmeica, you jackass. I dont Leica (boo hiss) the prospects of any of that so I will forego the romance of German optical engineering at this time and probably for a long time to come.
Sigh..just uploaded..what a journey that was David. And didn’t even have to leave NYC for this leg of it! Thank you for creating this opportunity/challenge/situation, for me it has allowed a lot to surface and show its face, I’m in a different space than when I started, so mission accomplished I suppose, though new territory feels uncertain and uneasy. That was not a straightforward edit for me, precisely because the process allowed for that, though I don’t think I’ve ever felt quite so unsure or unsettled.
That’s 4 uns..must add up to something.
to michael courvoisier:
hello,
i know i am a little to close to the deadline but i just realized that the only place where i have internet access (my work) is behind a firewall… so i can’t upload my images. i read at david’s blog that someone else had the same problem (akaky) and you wrote that if it was not possible for akaky to upload the images you could figure out another way for you to get the images. do you think you can help me?
thank you in advance,
hanny
Hanny,
If you like you can email the images to me and I’ll upload them for you. Very easy, no problem.
How many are there?
Evan,
I might be perverse but I think the Malay Archipelago by Alfred Russell Wallace is an amazing book to read if you’re headed off to Indonesia. I’m guessing an interest in flora and fauna would help.
SIDNEY…
well, this is exactly true..an enormous and impressive project…and working on this was quite fun of course….and because this book was totally set up in honor of HM the King’s 80th birthday, you can imagine all of the attention and publicity we got and are still getting..
i have worked on quite a few group projects of this type…i had just finished youth culture in korea for a magnum book project and few months ago…i must say that while group book projects are their own reward and a great way to be reunited with my peer group and friends, they do not compare in satisfaction overall with a single authored book…i suppose this is obvious…
RICHARD….
both…i use the m8 for much of my work….however, i am starting a new project using medium format film…..i cannot get film out of my brain and my heart…
BRITTANI….
i will answer your questions by private email…i am flattered by your request and will help any way i can….please go into the archives of “work in progress” just a bit and you will find some background material helpful to you i think…i will write to you soonest…
cheers, david
KELLY….
i sure had fun with you and lance in mexico….still thinking of the good conversations and good times….and to be with you on your birthday was very special…HAPPY BIRTHDAY again!!!!
posting your work today i think…coordinating now with michael..
all best wishes to you and to lance….
cheers, david
HANNY….
relax…do not worry….we will take your images…i mean, i am not some big company with all of this being handled by a large impersonal staff or something…it is just michael on tech stuff and me writing away when i can….think of it as more of being on the Mexican time frame rather than the American time frame!!!
saludos, david
David, check your email?
Ciao
Michael
David, check your email?
Ciao
Michael
Have you stayed in touch with that investment banker chap Amy?
It always amazes me how a simple act can determine a persons impression of a place and a people, you know? As if that person was representative of an entire population.
Had you had a bad experience you’d likely never want to have anything to do with New York or New Yorkers ever again. However, this guy turned out to be an ambassador for all of us New Yorkers. He did us proud. I’m hugely grateful to him too.
Great story.
David, it is always refreshing to hear about your hectic life….It seems like there is always something happening…I wish I could join you and Jim in Thailand…Seems like this will be a terrific workshop…Things have been taking almost a hectic “Harvey-like” turn at my house over the week-end…I have been renting a house in Cincinnati and been trying to renew my rental contract for the past 2 months without being able to reach the owner….As it turns out, the guy was a thief, arrested because of a fraud of $10MM with the state, serving 48 months in jail….no wonder I could not reach him….and even better, I found out over the week-end that the house I live in is going into foreclosure sale in 2 days…..I think that I may be practicing the Harvey “let’s sleep on a couch” plan with wife and kids or even best, reach out to Medford!!!! Anyway….bringing some excitement….Looks like I will have a busy thanksgiving getting out in a rush and finding some place to go to…. I was reading your previous post about excuses….I have to say that my excuse is always the same one…lack of time….I continue to go out there and shoot whenever I get a chance but never have enough time…just a few hours here and there…My job is taking so much of my time and energy….My company is known to get you busy….Anyway, I am thinking hard about taking a sabbatical or short break when I am meant to return to Europe which maybe in 18 months….Might take 2-3 months to just take it easy and work on my photography with no more excuses. Thinking about a project…I might want to get your thoughts. Anyway….just a little update about the Espinosa family life….Hope to see you sometimes. By the way I did send you a couple of other short stories I did over the summer. Always keen to know what you think. Have fun in Thailand!
Cheers, Eric
David,
You are now with Jim Nachtwey, about to teach a workshop while I have just received an email from Julia Dean saying they are cancelling the workshop with Jim I have been waiting for all year…it was scheduled for Summer 2007, then postponed, now cancelled. Guess he’s just not available. Too bad. :(((
This is now the second time I tried to work with Jim and it got cancelled. Years ago I had signed up (tentatively) for a trip with him to Bhutan that Alyssa Nicol’s husband was organizing. Tell the Thailand people how lucky they are to get together with him!
Also too bad that Julia is offering a workshop with Carolyn Cole this weekend.. which I could take using my $ credit…but I will be away. Other possibilities…Bruce Davidson or Alex Webb are also teaching there upcoming. (In fact I suggested Alex contact Julia when I met him at a book signing) Do you have something in the works with her? You mentioned it a while back.
David:
tell us some details about your new film project. Medium Format may demand a different aproach to the subject, and that means taking risks (I believe, just like Robert Frank, that to be a photographer one must take risks).
regards
Jorge
David,
I am sure I am not the only one wishing to see a photo of Jim and you in Bangkok, or at the “9 days” exhibit in your family/friends section. Thanks
David,
Thanks for the reply. How does the m8 compare to the m6, in terms of quality of image, film versus digital? Don’t forget to look me up next time you are in Mexico….Hyatt Regency Acapulco.
Cheers.
David,
Just uploaded my submission. Are you also cheking the gmail account about questions? As I didn’t have any private mail of yours, I wrote some things to you in a mail I send Michael with some questions.
Go the the beach! And take Jim with you…even if he hardly heards the sea :)
Mr. Harvey thank you so much! Most of the kids in my class are researching people that they can’t get in contact with and I’m so happy that you’re helping me! I feel my project will be a million times better now that I can talk to you personally. Thank you again!
Looking forward to your email,
Brittani
hi david!
i am trying to clear some time and send in my photo essay of seattle street kids before the deadline.
if it gets to you by 11/15 before midnight (of 11/16) pacific time, will that be alright?
thank you and hope all is well!
you’re with my hero, nachtwey, so how
bad can things be? haa.. :))
katia
I’m uploaded. Two folders. One needs to be discarded. Something weird happened. The folder I intend for you to look at is simply called “Paul Treacy”. 20 images. Info is embedded. Images are full size and ever so slightly sharpened.
Good evening to you good sir and thank you ever so much for being a top banana.
Michael,
I sent you an email about the submissions. Can you please reply? Thanks.
Michael,
I also sent you an e-mail about the submissions. Would really appreciate a expedient response as the due date for uploads is less than 24 hours away. Also left an inquiry for David under reminder regarding the same issue. Well i hope you guys are enjoying Thailand as it’s a beautiful land with lovely people. Please post some pictures for all of us that are stuck at home; please.
really tried to figure out how to down load but to no avail, is it still on?
can you please give the exact details on how to download the folder or files, what is it, competely in the dark about the exact steps.
I read through all the past couple of months posts and cant seem to find the specific details, its pretty frustrating.
My question is… who’s holding the flash for Medford? That’s not morning sun hitting your face from the Pacific…
First time poster … LONG time reader.
Just had to say:
Your son’s post was laugh out loud FUNNY!
Enjoy coming here – thanks for the site!
ARIE….
you are absolutely right!!! jim is way way organized!!! at least , in a certain way….i suppose anyone who survives in this biz must be organized one way or the other…but, there are different ways….mine looks bad, but somehow i do get it all done….and really interesting things do happen to me because of “my way”…i would not put one “system” above the other…
jim and i are both teaching together this week…i am the one who organized and structured the workshop….but jim has all of his computer cables etc in nice little bags with little velcro straps etc etc….
go figure!!!
EVAN..
you might want to start with “The Kind and I” (historic) and then cruise into “Sightseeing” (present day) a series of short stories…terrific…”Bangkok 8″ is cool as entertainment….
CATHY….
julia and i keep trying to find each other…i think i mentioned she was a student of mine and an assistant…i will try to teach with her next year….jim is still here in bkk…we have been working hard….this is going to be a good one…you should have come!!!!
JORGE….
medium format does not seem like too much of a risk really…i have used medium format all along…shot my australia story for natgeo with medium format and have used it since college days….now, doing my new york building in medium format…
i do take risks however….but, more subject matter risks than camera risks…or style risks…camera size does affect style somewhat, but switching to a new type of subject is a much larger risk…doing hip hop was a much larger change in risk coming from spanish world than the fact that i went from film to digital…
SIDNEY….
good thought…i was kinda mulling over a bangkok book in my head too….hmmmm, well for now i will just keep shooting!!! i mean, i do have a lot of pictures, but do i have a book???? big difference….thinking, thinking….
cheers, david
HI BRYAN…
nice to see you here!!! well, of course, you are right and the only one to catch it….
medford had an assistant/driver who held the light….
by the way, that was one of the days when the waves were so so big!!! sorry you could not make it down…
remembering so so many good times with you in mexico bry…going way back to the beginning of our family adventures…just wishing for more!!!
i will come down to obx as soon as i return from bangkok around december 2…that is, if i can get invited!!!
please give michelle a hug from me….
love, dad
on a more practical level – after having the same happen to me – i started calling ahead to the card company about the countries i’m visiting (a real pain) but then more importantly i also stopped using the card company that gave me the hassle and switched to a Scwhab card and have never had a problem since…
on a more practical level – after having the same happen to me – i started calling ahead to the card company about the countries i’m visiting (a real pain) but then more importantly i also stopped using the card company that gave me the hassle and switched to a Scwhab card and have never had a problem since…
on a more practical level – after having the same happen to me – i started calling ahead to the card company about the countries i’m visiting (a real pain) but then more importantly i also stopped using the card company that gave me the hassle and switched to a Scwhab card and have never had a problem since…