Day 1 - Italian Adventures!

Ahhhhh Italy... oh how I miss you! It was April this year that my good friend Jeremy Beasley (an incredible wedding photographer from Australia) asked me if I wanted to be a second shooter for him at a wedding in Tuscany. I actually had to think about it for a second. On one hand I had only just arrived in Vancouver and all I wanted to do was get settled in, find a job and live the simple life for a few months. But on the other hand I had Italy, Tuscany, and the thought of 2 best mates photographing a wedding together in a food and wine paradise. A new adventure was clearly calling. This one I knew I couldn't pass up. It has been my dream to travel the world taking photographs, and here was another chance to do so. I decided to go.

Before I knew it June had reared it's head and I found myself climbing out of a plane and stepping foot on sunny Italian soil. Even though I had been to Italy before I always try to travel with zero expectations. So when I arrived in this new country my heart began to pound like a kid on their first trip to Disneyland. So many new experiences to be had, so much pasta to eat, and oh so much wine to drink! Not to mention the people you meet! In Italy I found it has some of the kindest, gentlest, most hospitable people you are ever likely to come across. Their faces are filled with character, their hearts are full of soul.

Below are a few snap shots from Day 1 of my 15 day journey.

Stay tuned, more photos coming soon to get your Italian travel bug grumbling!

24 Hours in Beijing – The Race is on!

Once upon a time I had 24 hours to spend in Beijing City while I waited for a connecting flight back to Aus. I took the opportunity to head downtown and document with my camera what I could in the short time span available to me. Trying to visually represent China accurately in 24 hours is next to impossible. But I tried my best to capture what I saw as raw and pure. I attempted to capture the somewhat traditional aspects of the organized chaos that surrounded me. I particularly liked hanging around the back alleys near my hostel. There is so much life teeming in these narrow streets. I felt like I had escaped the big city for a split second, then one turn would lead out to a busy road and I would have to wind my way back into labyrinth.

Within the 24 hours I managed to see the gardens surrounding Jingshan Hill, walk around the Forbidden City, stroll through Tiananmen Square, drink a beer or 2 with the locals and watch a few games of ping-pong in the public park. I am fascinated with the Chinese culture, and this taste of Asia only left me wanting more. Within a few years I will return and spend months soaking up the culture and learning from it what I can. I can’t wait for the experience. Life beckons.

Cheers. dt.