I’m fresh from a incredible adventure (and personal project) in the Gobi desert in Mongolia en route to my next destination, Sri Lanka. The first thing I would like to say is the Mongolian Nomadic people I had the opportunity to stay with and photograph were all incredibly kind, hospitable, and unforgettably memorable. On this trip I travelled the Gobi desert with my guide/translator and an amazing Mongolian family, in a 1960s Russian van/workhorse.
For me shooting this type of personal work does 2 things. The first (and most important) is having the balance of this type of personal work vs. shooting commercial/editorial work keeps me refreshed and in love with the art of photography. It reminds me of when I was 15 when I just took pictures because that’s what I loved to do. The 2nd is the incredibly rewarding life experiences and images that I am proud of. These are lasting memories that I will never let go.
Photography wise (since this is a photo blog), there was literally almost too much to shoot. From the massive landscapes, the always friendly camels, and of course the portraits. Luckily I was able to stay with several Nomadic families, which gave us the time for them to get comfortable with me and my camera. Once they opened up, it was on. Technical wise it was just me, my trusty 5D MKII, a 35mm L lens, and the hard light of the Mongolian sun. It was liberating to be free of strobes, computers, and a plethora of cables. That opens myself up to taking different kinds of photographs.
The countryside of Mongolia is a completely different world from what I know in NYC or any other country I have travelled to. This is my 2nd time in Mongolia, and I’m still completely blown away. That being said, for me it’s just fun and easy for me to shoot here. Literally everything here is new to me. From riding a camel over mountain sized sand dunes, to attending a party in the middle of the Gobi with 32 other Mongolian Nomads in a ger, it’s just one giant photo studio.
Here are just some quick snapshots (taken of the back of my camera wit my IPad, I have no way to download images until I get back) Much more to come when I get back to my office in NYC:
I met this man while changing our 3rd flat tire.
This girl lived with one of the families I stayed with. She was pretty stoked to get on the camel.