It just kept coming into my head. “You can’t always get what you want…” Mick Jagger was along for the ride. For us, this was Peru’s Huayhuash Trek.

We knew we were starting out on the trekking shoulder season, but when our guide and donkey driver, Epi, showed up in knee high rubber boots for the eleven day trek, we feared the worse. The rainy season was far from over. By 2 pm the first day, it was a monsoon. By 8pm our campsite was flooding. To make matters worse, Peruvians eat chicken breakfast, lunch and dinner. I loathe chicken. On the second day I woke in the middle of the night, shaking uncontrollably, and headed out into the rainy darkness. I would spend the night in the mud outside the tent, emptying my stomach, feverish and unable to drink anything for 20 hours. This, at 4000 meters, makes for some unpleasant headaches. Things weren’t going well.

Janine, day 1

Sick and anything but cozy

Day three I spent in the tent, trying to sleep it off. Janine waited me out with little to do in the pouring rain. Above, and all around, the guide assured her were the best views in all of the Huayhuash. Gee, thanks.

For the remainder of the trip we had a simple schedule, our day went as follows. Up at 6, breakfast, packing up, hiking by 7:30. Arrive to next camp by 2pm before the rain starts, sit in tent, eat (avoid chicken), asleep by 8. Repeat. All this without going below 4000 meters for 11 days made for long nights with much time to think…

Around the 6th day I realized that the situation was so grim that it had become perfect. Ever since Nepal, I had been wondering what it would be like to go on a trip like this without a camera. As a photographer, we are continually looking for, thinking about, and making images. It is all consuming. Part of me longs to travel without this way of thinking, and so in Huayhuash I thought to give it a try, to just give in and be a traveler, not a photographer with responsibilty. It worked well until the skies parted and we could see something, then I was right back to work.

With each day so similar, the journey is a blur. The trail was so saturated with rainfall that for long stretches it had become a bog. We literally slopped our way through in places, careful to not get our feet stuck in the deep mud. The big views were rare so we scanned for interesting trailside items which often came in the form of small families living in this inhospitable environment. Their means of survival fascinated us as they have no power, thatched grass roofs, the closest supplies are several days walk away, and the weather anything but friendly. As we’d walk near their homesites with our cameras out, the adults would scatter like prairie dogs to holes when a hawk flies above. Our guide informed us of what we had already figured out in town, Peruvians loathe having their photo made. Thankfully there were children, and they were savvy to the fact that we carried sweets.

Day 11 was different. Our last day required that we get a 4am start to make a bus in our exit village. In the darkness, the night was crystal clear, something we had not yet seen. With headlamps on we marched  through another bog. As Janine and Epi charged along, I stopped to have a look behind at the pre-dawn glow on the peaks and glaciers above. Standing there alone, I took in what was our first clear view of the Andes. Suddenly a dark figure loomed in front of me, a gaucho on horseback very much in Clint Eastwood style. In the twilight I could see him tip his hat to me and just barely make out some eye contact, then he was gone, the sound of the horse hooves disappearing into the morning. All this without making a photo, just the experience that is as vivid now as if I had made one, but even better.

Turns out I just had to let Mick finish, “But if you try sometimes well you just might find, you get what you need….. oh yeah”.

Climbing one of many passes

Waking up to a dry morning after a night of rain & sleet

A Peruvian cowboy trots by camp as we pack up one morning

Janine walking through the only village we would pass through in 11 days

Peruvian women at market. Huaraz, Peru

Street life. Huaraz, Peru

Traditionally dressed Peruvian women

Typically, we are not huge fans of HDR photography, but in the case of this trip a touch of HDR seemed appropriate. The scenes intensify, become darker, moodier, and for the Peruvian women, colors pop and are in your face. To our eye, this is how it all looked and felt. It was a trip full of contrasts and intensity, the images need to reflect that feeling.

What do you think?

Huge thanks to Deuter Packs, Lowepro Camera Gear and Patagonia clothing : As always, perfect gear! Patagonia’s new footwear line is superb, and we can personally confirm that their Gore-Tex boots work quite well.

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For the last few weeks, we have been lucky to have had use of Lowepro’s latest pack for adventure sport and travel photographers. It is a joy to get to use new product before it hits the market, test it, and release little teasers via social media. A couple of things I have learned: LowePro is really listening to design input from photographers, like us, that they support and work with. And, photographers love camera bags. After I drop hints about new bags I see the effects in the form of countless social media comments and private messages sent my way pleading for more info.

Now a new one is out in the form of a rear panel entry, super compact, minimalist design active camera pack. What sets the Flipside 15L apart is its small size yet capability to carry a full size pro body, like the Canon 1d Mark IV.
At this very moment we are traveling in Peru and trekking in the Andes. The Flipside has gone on day trips around villages and been packed inside larger bags to be used as a summit pack and for camera gear storage. For overall travel, it is the perfect carry on office pack.
As discussed in the previous post, we carry very little camera gear on these sorts of trips so the fully functional, 100% usable space of the Flipside’s 15L is appreciated.

For use in the field, inside my pack is a pro body with 17-40 attached, 70-200 f4, 15mm 2.8, film cards, spare battery, and room for a little clothing. In the side pocket I keep a water bottle and instead of a tripod in the built in sleeve, I have been carrying a jacket for the conditions we’re in. The built in rain cover has come in handy in what is proving a very rainy April in the Andes.
One thing I have learned is that if I throw all this in, zip the panel closed and head out, I am going to soon have some settling in the pack and something will soon be poking me in the back. This is easily remedied by simply laying the extra piece of clothing over the top of all the camera gear to keep things in place.

For most of my needs the Flipside 15L is the perfect pack as I usually need to carry a full size pro body. The Flipside is my choice over the Photosport series unless I am on a trip where I can carry a smaller body like the 5d, or I need the slightly larger capacity of the Photosport pack. Also, it is a joy to work out of with the easy access and absolute simplicity. It carries well, is low profile, and has no unnecessary features.

LowePro is meeting the needs of outdoor and travel photographers perfectly with the Flipside 15L and Photosport packs. Finally, active users have choices that are both real camera bags and real packs.
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The necessary technology for us to shoot new images and manage a stock business for three weeks.

“What gear do you use?”

In all likelihood, we are the world’s worst photographer to ask about gear, it’s just not our thing. Nevertheless, the question always pops up. Our experience is that Canon’s high end camera bodies work very well, so we buy them as needed. Ditto for lenses. We never use filters, rarely a tripod, and went years without even owning a flash. We do love Lightroom, Apple products, and sharing images, and the experiences making them, via social media. It is our belief that keeping your thinking and systems at their most basic in terms of what is necessary to get your work done is fundamental to doing your best work, and enjoying the process. We put technology to work so we are free to do what is most important – to be out making new images, and living life.

All that said, we have made an investment in time looking at what technology and products work best and feel really good about what we use. Today, we’re getting ready to travel to Peru for three weeks shooting trekking in the Andes. While there, we need to make both new images and manage our Stock Photo Site with daily orders. So, what might be a better question of us is, “What gear do you take on these trips?”. As you can see from my camera and office pack, it’s not much, and that is the beauty.

Canon 1d Mark IV & spare battery

Canon L Series Lenses : 17-40 f4  |  70-200 f4  |  15mm f2.8

96GB of film cards

Canon S95 camera

iPad & iPhone

Sealine waterproof cases for both devices

Additional backup battery for iPhone & iPad, iPad USB camera connector, Petzl eLight headlamp

Charging devices

2x 160GB Hyperdrive Image Tanks for film card backup

All but the charging devices are in my Lowepro… Whoa, wait just a second, this is a top secret new Lowepro pack we’re testing (and loving). More later on this.

Remember, we’re two photographers, Janine carries an identical set up but with a Canon 5d and only one lens, a Canon 24-105 f4, and we split the Hyperdrive Image Tanks. Depending on the destination and work involved, the only additions would be Tilt Shift lenses or a 100mm Macro. For commercial shoots we add in a 300mm f2.8 and 70-200 f2.8. But for traveling and making the bulk of our images, the ones we enjoy most – it all stays simple and lightweight.

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As professional photographers who shoot a lot of stock, there isn’t a whole lot we can do with an iPhone photo. We’ll feel like we blew it if we get a great image on the iPhone but not the real camera. But, the phone is always along for the ride (literally in my case with so much time on a bike) and we love making photos with them, using the apps to play with effects and sharing via social media. Who doesn’t these days?

During our last trip to Nepal, we purposely cruised around with just a phone and some ideas. It was great fun and super liberating. More and more, whether we like it or not, how one makes images with their phone says a lot about their life, how they see it and their creativity. Before we head off on our next trip, we decided to post a gallery of our twelve favorite images from the phone and processed with iPhone Apps. We hope you’ll have a look and enjoy.

iPhone Fun Photo Gallery

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Shooting the Thaipussam Festival, India

After our last post, Nepal Photography, we had a number of people comment and message us asking how we feel about getting so close to people to make travel photos.

The photo that caused this post

In that post, the lead image is a Buddhist child, he is filthy, his arms are tucked away inside his robe and he is sitting asking for alms. Clearly, the photo was made at close range and is proven in an image of me making the exact photo (right).

Typically when you look at other’s travel photos, all the images of people are in groups, clearly made from a distance or simply made in passing. But when you see images by a professional travel documentary shooter things change. Suddenly there is a closeness, an emotional connection, and even a relationship with the photographer. Great, iconic images typically have one thing in common – emotion. Additionally, they are often tragic, ironic, revealing a cultural difference or something sublime.

How to get these images is as much about human skills as it is about being a photographer who knows how to frame an image.

Kindness offered for a gentle approach

For me, this is what I truly love and am most passionate about. Seeking these situations, finding the people, connecting with them and getting the image is the single greatest thing about being a photographer. Our mountain sport work is often conceptualized, set up, recreated, produced and a thousand frames made. But these found moments with very real subjects are vastly more rewarding, and… you might get a frame off, or you might not.

While recently walking the village streets of Lukla, Nepal, I turned a corner and ran right into a little girl, maybe 6. She was rushing out from her home carrying a large bowl of water with a massive, proud smile on her face. In the bowl of sudsy water was a soaking wet dog, its sad eyes peering up. The little dog was actually so sudsed up that it took me a second to figure out that it was a stuffed animal. The little girl was giving her pride and joy a bath. My camera was around my neck, it would be so easy. But first I needed that connection, I needed for her to see what I wanted to do. I smiled, gestured to my camera and made it clear I was asking to photograph her.

In this case, it was immediately apparent that it was not okay. She put the bowl down next to the water fountain and ran back across to the safety of her doorway from which she shyly peered out, monitoring my next move. “Can I take a picture of you and your dog?” Shake shake. “Please… I’ll show you the picture.” Shake shake.

I accepted my fate, no dice. Smiling, I waved and turned away. As I walked off I still had the vision in my head, it would have made a great photo. Not having that image does not make me a lesser photographer, it makes me a better human being.

Surrounded in a massive crowd of praying, walking Buddhists, I stood completely still with my eye to the viewfinder for about 20 minutes to get just the right people framing the sleeping dog

A few nights later we were back in Kathmandu where I witnessed the all too common opposite tactic for image making. There, at the Boudhanath Stupa, Janine and I went looking for photos, which sometimes involves seeing the potential for an image, then waiting. While doing this, and having my scenario begin to play out, I had numerous encounters with the uglier photographers. You know the ones, the bulging camera vest, draped in lenses, filters, and monopod. As I stood watching and waiting, they moved in for the kill. Seemingly on 13 cups of coffee, their spastic behavior and clumsy movements shattered any peaceful connections with what they were trying to photograph. One after the other, they ruined my experiences. I say experience because I am after something more than the image.

Always check in with the locals before shooting a crucifixion. Luckily these two were all too proud to show off their friend.

When I came upon the young Buddhist boy asking for Alms I stood nearby for some time before asking to make an image. I smiled, nodded and got a feel for his acceptance of me. He knew what I was up to. I asked with my body language if I could make a photo, the answer was yes. With pre-adjusted focus and exposure, I made the image very quickly, I didn’t want to leave a bad impression, and yes, I dropped some money in his lap.

There is more to making this type of image than using your camera. The ugly photographers, jostling for position, elbowing others out of the way and rudely shoving a lens in someones face have it all wrong, as much for themselves as anyone. Seeing an image but missing it is okay. I’d love to have that shot of the little girl, and hundreds others like it, but they weren’t to be. The memory is even more valuable, so much so that sometimes I put the camera away just to witness something.

Walking away from shooting a monastery. Opting to go for a walk, hand in hand, with our four year old Tibetan Guide. I'll never forget that day.

One of my photography heroes is the great journalist, James Nachtwey. In the movie about him, War Photographer, he says some things I have made my mantra:

If you aren’t happy with your image, move closer. Move slowly. Move with respect to the surroundings. Make a connection with people.

And I have my own rule; If I feel guilty about making an image, I’m probably doing something wrong.

These are basic human skills. You’re making images of people, not landscapes. Show some respect and be willing to walk away with a memory, not a photo.

Janine exemplifying what it's all about while traveling

A word on gear: If your camera isn't accessible, it's likely you won't get any shot off. Have it ready. While on the go, we use LowePro's frontloaders for quick access to the camera and film cards.

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While traveling and shooting in intense locations, a pre-dawn wake up alarm typically brings about a combined feeling of dread and excitement. Dread to dive into the crazy mix but anxious enthusiasm for what might be found. While neighboring India is almost overwhelmingly intense, Nepal is India-Lite, yet India like as well. The culture is visually rich for image making and the people some of the kindest, gentlest we have met anywhere. Where India assaults your senses, Nepal simply welcomes you.

Dan making the very photo, above

At the beginning of the winter, Janine and I realized we had little interest in ski touring 100+ days as we normally do. We decided to skip winter and tick off some life list destinations. On the top of our list for the last twelve years was Nepal. But, for so many reasons we had never gone. Seemingly the ideal destination, it combines what we love to shoot for work, mountain sports and lifestyle, with what we are most passionate to shoot for ourselves, a foreign culture.

Nepal proved true for all the things we hoped for. While tromping around the Himalaya we were able to put our mountain sport images alongside the culture we so love. And within Buddhism and Hinduism, we could disappear into another world to explore and study everything in the hopes of finding that magical image. For us, nothing is so stimulating as wandering countless hours only to come across what we are so visually intrigued by, then successfully getting it into our camera. We were each lucky to have several amazing finds in Nepal, we’re pretty thrilled with the results. Below is a sampling of our favorite images, a mix just as we experienced it, our life walking through the mountains and a few interesting things we saw along the way.

Swayambhu Stupa prayer wheel

 Janine hiking along a mani stone wall

Man praying, dog sleeping. Boudhanath Stupa

 Lung burning acclimatization run, Namche Bazar

A Hindu family watches a family member’s cremation at Pashupati Nath

 Gokyo Valley

Things are starting to backup, early stages of the Donkey Jam

I could actually feel the warm puff of air on my face from the donkey’s ass. There was no mistaking what had just happened. I’d paid the price for getting too close in this absurd traffic jam. Amongst the swirling dust clouds, reeking donkey piss & shit, garbage lined trail and cigarette smoke – I had also been farted on.

“What the hell is this?”, I whined to myself, “This is not the mountain environment or experience I want.” My mind saw only the negative. The night before I’d lain awake fully annoyed at the fact that some distant, soothing Buddhist chants had been drowned out by thumping Nepalese techno from the billiard hall next door. Yes, Himalayan billiard hall. I’d come for the Buddhist chants, not the modern intrusions into my idea of how Nepal should be.

I have spent a lot of time in this part of the world and know from experience that the key to staying sane is to forget about expectations, and to keep a good sense of humor. It was just day one of our sixteen day trek in the Everest region and we were still in the more populated lowlands while on the way to Namche Bazar, but already I was feeling some inner disturbance. I charged ahead through the flatulent donkeys, past the cigarette smoking, trash tossing Nepalese load carriers and broke away up the trail. Once off the front, I was able to walk alone to let my head settle down. My irritation stemmed from my perception of how I wanted it be vs. reality. I reminded myself that what it really is is what I came for, and will provide the experience that I will take away, depending on how I accept it. …Deep breath. Suddenly, I came around a corner into a clearing and there they were, my first glimpse of the giants. The view literally stopped me in my tracks.

My entire adult life, 25 years, have been spent playing, working and simply loving being in the mountains. The Himalaya are the mountain lover’s Mecca and I had just found myself at the threshold. Spread out before me were Lhotse, Nuptse and Sagarmatha – Everest.

With a huge grin and more than a few goosebumps, I put my head down, laughed at myself and with a clear head, continued walking. It is what it is.

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“Can we go in?”

A heavy, well worn curtain hung between us and what we so badly wanted to see. From inside the monastery came the distinct, exotic sounds of Buddhist prayer, chanting and the occasional gong. Suddenly, a young monk swept the curtain aside and ran across the courtyard only to disappear, then reappear a moment later. Back he ran to the curtain where he stopped, looked toward us, smiled and gestured that it was okay to enter. Without hesitation, we followed.

Inside it was ice cold with only a couple of out of place fluorescent lights illuminating the scene before us. Six early twentysomething monks, all wrapped in various robes and blankets, sat facing each other reading from prayer books that a seventh monk rotated through the line. Upon entering, they all looked to us and smiled. Clearly, they were as amused by our presence as we were mystified by their practice. After a few minutes inside it became obvious that, while monks, they were also boys without adult supervision.

Prayer book library

Finally one spoke up, “Dog”, he barked, pointing to his neighbor. “Goat”, he pointed at another. “Cat”, “Bird”, and so it went for each monk, they all laughed. I felt obligated to identify myself, and thanks to my long, filthy, disheveled hair the choice was obvious, “Yak” I announced. A roar of laughter confirmed I’d done well. We were in with the monks.

We continued to sit and spectate while they carried on as if we weren’t there. As a monk finished a prayer book, he would push it forward for the runner monk to gather up and either put away or pass to another. In the pause between prayer books, the monk would do as any other twenty year old on the planet would do, he’d pull out his phone and find something to stare at.

And so it all went; pray, chant, gong, phone. The longer we watched, the more it became obvious that for Dog, Goat, Cat and friends, this was business as usual. Finally, we stood, nodded thanks and waved farewell. Time to step back through the curtain. Once outside we were back where we had started, but now we had a memory where before we had so much curiosity.

The contestants minus myself and one clever monk

The Monk’s eyes went wild as I lunged across the table and tackled him. This peaceful man’s hands, unaccustomed to combat, fought my own in a desperate attempt to keep me away. Moments before he’d been sitting alone quietly on the other side of the room, no one took him seriously when he asked to sit in for a game. Turns out this monk was like Cool Hand Luke, he played a good hand and was quick on the draw. When the cards fell we reached for the silver. I’d won the last game and was maybe feeling a little cocky. Suddenly I was facing down a monk and he was in better position, he beat me on the table top. I had to do what was necessary.

“To hell with compassion”, I thought to myself, “Give me that damned spoon”! I tore at his robes as we went mano a mano.

The Australians, who’d taught us this game, roared with delight at the site of a white guy taking out the Buddhist monk. But we had all been warned ahead of time that a game of spoons can get rough, and so it did. No one was laughing harder than the monk himself as his attachment to the spoon proved mightier than my own. I was eliminated while the guy in the orange robe advanced to the next round.

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Yet another 3rd world toxic taxi ride while looking not at all like our passport photos

While we edit and prepare all our images from the last month in Nepal, we’ll post short stories written during our travels – quick, fun, journal entries for a few days until we have some images to show.

The 3rd world likes to compensate for any real infrastructure by flexing its bureaucratic muscle. Endless red tape, useless rules & regs, this & that in triplicate, countless permits, and checkpoints enforced by gunmen toting arms from the US Civil War era. Best to keep quiet, let them do their thing and hope it really does end up just providing entertainment value with only minor delays.

Our five hour return to Kathmandu via taxi from the Langtang trek included no less than six military checkpoints. Our car would be surrounded by armed servicemen demanding ID which would then be followed by a lengthy visual inspection. Each time, the officer leaned through the window and compared each of us to our passport photo. Then, with a nod of approval, he’d wave us through. On we’d drive, having never once removed our full dust protection face masks, sunglasses or hats.
Meanwhile, the security flying to and from Lukla was equally as rigorous. There we were subject to, not a X-ray, but a pat down resembling an awkward embrace from a disliked uncle on Thanksgiving. Next up the inquiry, “Do you have any lighters?”, and finally our carryons were inspected with a quick heft and groping of the exterior. Done, pass, enjoy your flight.

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