Short version: American expat living in Manila, Philippines after 7 years in Java, Indonesia. Photographer, “Technology Integration Specialist”, trained as an Engineer/ Designer, traveler.

Long version: Keep reading…

Formalities aside:

Indonesia has been my home for many years. It is a land of exquisite beauty, exotic cultures, and fascinating people, all of which have been a continual source of inspiration for my photography.

During my time here, I have seen the magnificence of destruction, the hope of rebuilding, and an astounding resilience which is a testament to the Indonesian people’s vitality and perseverance. My journeys often take me into areas of absolute poverty, yet smiles abound. Vibrant colors saturate the landscape, and unimaginable splendor is found in the most unexpected of places.

My photographs tend to explore the juxtaposition of the mundane and the exotic and seek the essence of what makes something beautiful. This may take the form of a graceful Balinese dancer’s feet twirling around delicate flower petals, the sky blue of a slum wall behind the brilliant fuchsia of a food vendor’s cart, or the rain-soaked tea plantations carpeting the side of a perilous volcano. Through this collection of photographs, I hope to share Indonesia’s vitality and the simple allure of this breathtaking country.

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Now on to the reality.

Reality:

Seven years. Seven breathtaking, phenomenal, life-changing years.

That’s how long I lived on the island of Java, Indonesia. It was quite possibly the farthest place I could have chosen from my ‘home’ of Michigan, in the States. What am I doing here? Perhaps we should rephrase that. What am I not doing here?

I spent seven (not that’s not a typo) years achieving a degree in Engineering / Industrial Design / and Fine Arts. I ’should’ be working in that field I suppose, designing cars and making loads of cash. Instead I’ve opted for traveling. Far. I’ve been here ever since. I consider the time spent here my second education, and in many ways, more important than the first.

My most active project with flickr has been the creation of FlickrSocial. The group I find the most inspiration from, has to be Utata.

I have a blog, if you'd like to hear the rest of the story, please take a look!

Prints are available here.

Find me on facebook.

My space on myspace.

My Twitter

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Equipment:

I shoot digital after a brief, yet passionate affair with film, red lamps, and chemical highs - the ‘real’ darkroom. I love the ability to view my work immediately, and in a place like Indonesia, digital is your friend.

Canon 5D Mk II

Canon 5D

Canon 40D

Canon G7

Canon 17-40mm f/4L

Canon 24-105mm f/4L IS

Canon 35mm f/1.4L

Canon 70-200mm f/4L

Canon 50mm f/1.8II

Canon 85mm f/1.8

Canon 1.4x TC

Canon Speedlite 420EX

Manfrotto Tripod and Ballhead

Crumpler Karachi Outpost

Crumpler Six Million Dollar bag

*Previously used Canon 300D and 350D

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My Digital Darkroom consists of the following:

17″ Macbook Pro 2.8Ghz 4GB RAM / 500GB

15″ Macbook Pro 2.16Ggzh 3GB RAM / 160GB

13″ MacBook Pro 2.26Ghz 2GB RAM

5+TB of external drives

Adobe Photoshop CS3 / CS4

Adobe Lightroom

Aperture

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Email: thejavajive [at] gmail [dot] com