What a year.
Since I started pretty much non-stop travel in late 2009, I logged almost 300,000 miles in the air. 22 ferry rides between Singapore and Indonesia or Hong Kong and mainland China.
I blogged about some of those trips.
Well over a hundred taxi rides and then there are the other rides on ricksha, bicycle, motorbike, rowboat, canoe, bi-plane, Cessna, helicopter, steam train, high speed train and bullet train ... all in 18 months and most of the time with camera since my friend Margeaux urged me to keep photographing what's going on around me while away from home.
I have worn-out shoes to prove the many miles I walked ... hiked ... trotted. They brought home dust from other continents.
I've spend over 100 nights in about 15 different hotels and 35 rooms. Plenty of shot material for a book about my "jet-setting" hotel life and splendid scenery.
Not. Jet-setting that is.
The book is an idea I mull over though as I've stayed in some beautiful gory places.
On the long plane rides home or away from home, I've written about some of the stories whose ideas are captured and hidden in this playground blog.
The horizon is getting more and more shape. In my world the horizon is not a gently arched curve fading far away.
Not.
And will never be.
All those days traveling for business also opens up the door for connection with the various cultures I pass through. An opportunity to meet new people. Make new friends. Experience new lovers. Observe what makes people work.
Leave minimal footprint and maximize the impression while expressing my emotional range and need for connection.
Eye to Eye
Neuron to Neuron
Skin to Skin
Soul to Soul
That's the essence in my world. In no particular order.
Being away has a downside.
My house and studio are in an extended remodeling phase.
I don't get to shoot the women I love as often.
I don't get to make new local friends as often.
It is hard to stay in touch with my children who are now traveling on their own and are
themselves spread over the globe.
It is hard to keep a relationship going as I'm ... well ... gone most of the time
Yet ... in spite of all these lapses in continuity, there were so many wonderful things happening around me at "home"
I'm still in a fabulous technology career where I positively impact the lives of people worldwide and that career is the enabler for many things I truly enjoy and share.
In spite of all the travel, I did connect with wonderful friends and experienced new relationships that have confirmed that I'm foremost an innovator, a creator, an artist unwilling to compromise in that passion.
I did get to shoot with old friends and discover new friends with a shared love for photography and all things beautiful
My best friend married and brought another wonderful friend in my life. I got to shoot the wedding.
Emotional.
Priceless.
I did come across old souls from previous lifetimes. Likeminded brains. Parallel experiences in different universe.
Im lucky.
I'm blessed.
I'm happy.
* * *
Why write about this now on July 26, 2011 while I should be in bed ?
I made a new local model friend a couple of months ago.
She brought chocolate to the shoot. Big points for this.
And cookies covered in Belgian chocolate. Even more points for this.
She wrote me recently:
"Rudi ... I'm going through your blog every day, so you better update it soon, or else I'm stuck with nothing "
"So here Frosan, this is for you.
* * *
The image below was shot in Februari 2011 around 6am while en-route to Boston on a red-eye. Altitude 2,000 feet. The sun was just peering through a slit in the clouds and I noticed this shaft of orange light over the water turning my direction as the plane was banking
The seatbelt sign was already on for landing. My camera was in the overhead compartment. I was in an exit row and the stewardess was sitting across from me.
What to do ?
I unbuckled. Stood up, opened the overhead bin and quickly yanked
my camera out of my backpack over the protest of the stewardess. Closed the bin while my fingers are snapping the camera to the ON position.
On my way to my chair I looked her in the eye and she silenced. She turned her head away from me and stared the other direction.
I took two shots before buckling up. Timing was perfect. The beam of light appeared to float just below my window.
We landed without further incident. I apologized on my way out. It didn't register.
The final composite art work print size is 18" H x 43" W.
It's a shame blog posting doesn't do this type of images any good. Color range and detail are exquisite.
The composite image was created out of the two out-of-camera images below taken with a couple of seconds in between.
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