Travel - This Photography Life

Dispatches from the Polish-Ukrainian Border

Megan Kwasniak — Wed, 13 Apr 2022 22:06:00 +0000

The dusk came quickly and it started to rain again. The chilly, damp air permeated through all my layers of clothing, sending a shiver down my spine. It was our last day at the border and we have just said our goodbyes. The orange vests we wore throughout the week were now neatly placed on the bench beside us, ready to be picked up by someone else tomorrow. We exited the tent, illuminated by the warm glow of a fireplace and into the cold, damp evening, cameras hanging from our sides. We did not want to miss any potential photo story on our way out. We stepped onto the wet ground and took the same walk we have been taking this entire week – past all the volunteer tents set up to welcome and aid the refugees, past the hot food stalls and the vet clinic. We waved good bye to the familiar faces we’ve befriended over the past few days. At the very end of the path, we came to the bus stop. We had passed it multiple times daily before and watched groups of refugees climb its steps inside. Today, someone had set up a temporary awning to protect those waiting in the rain. Just a couple of hours earlier, the awning was not there. I was pleasantly surprised at how quickly it must have been set up in response to the changing weather conditions. We were almost out of the camp and past the makeshift bus stop when something made me glance back briefly. As I turned my head, my eyes met someone else’s waiting at the top. It took me a minute to recognize the familiar face. It was a young woman whom we had treated earlier at the tent. She was barely eighteen though appearing much older, with dark hair and stark green eyes. She was bundled up from the cold and waiting for the next bus to arrive. I couldn’t help but ponder, where would it take her? At this point, I knew the options were limited. Having gotten familiar with the situation over the past seven days, I realized that she’d likely be taken to the large refugee center in Przemysl, a converted shopping mall now occupied by more than five thousand people. And from there, what next? Her future was extremely uncertain. Perhaps she had a family living somewhere in Europe and would get to meet them eventually, after a few more days of travel. Perhaps she had no one and would have to spend some time at the center, with hundreds of others who had been forced to flee their homes. I didn’t know and perhaps she didn’t either. But one thing was certain: I had a home to go back to. She did not. As our eyes met, she smiled faintly at me. I had an urge to point my camera and take a photograph – I believe she would have happily obliged. But I stopped myself. I could not get myself to do it. I desperately wanted her to know that I cared deeply about her and about her suffering. That it wasn’t just about the photograph and I worried about sending the wrong message. It was precisely a situation like hers that had brought me here, to Medyka, in the first place. Now, after a week that went by too quickly, my time volunteering was over. I was going back home. And she, like thousands of others affected by this war were stuck in the uncertain state, displaced from their homes and faraway from everything they had known their entire lives. As we drove away from the camp, my heart ached. And I questioned whether anything I had done this past week made any positive difference to those in my presence. The choice to come to Medyka at the Polish-Ukrainian border was a spontaneous one. I had plans to spend three weeks in Madrid taking dance classes at one of the studios I have been following on social media for the past several months. But as the war broke out in Ukraine, I became restless and anxious watching the situation unfold. I was also learning about the various ways the Polish nation had stepped up to help those fleeing Ukraine, including members of my own family, and so I decided to get involved as well. In a way, having the time off for a trip to Madrid made it much easier to make this happen – I could just hop on the plane and be in Poland in less than four hours. My friend Sonia, a Ukrainian whose family emigrated to the USA many years ago decided to join me on this trip as well. We arranged to stay with my family members who live relatively close to the border, driving daily each way for an hour to get to Medyka. My role as a volunteer involved staffing the medical tent which was located directly across from the actual border crossing itself. Standing just outside of it, you could watch small groups of people walk down the long path shortly after their passports had been examined. All day we heard the familiar sound of suitcase wheels rolling against the concrete ground. Our tent was the first to be seen on the Polish side of the crossing. If any of the refugees were in need of medical help, we’d be the first to provide it. Many had stopped requesting evaluation or specific medications. While most cases were not severe enough to require hospitalization, the option to call an ambulance was available to us. The biggest ailment proved to be psychological trauma, one that will certainly be the most difficult to treat and one that will remain a challenge for years to come. Sonia, speaking fluent Russian, was able to communicate with most refugees on a deeper level. She worked as a translator at the tent and took the time to talk to everyone who reached out to her. I tagged along her side at times, taking photographs and listening to people’s stories when they were willing to share them. As I write this, the war is far from over. There are new groups of refugees getting ready to cross into Poland, as Russia is planning its ongoing offensive in eastern Ukraine. Sonia is getting ready to go back to Medyka and I’m getting ready to leave Madrid. I will not be able to join her this time as I have to go back to work in the ER. Either way, the war remains deeply etched in my mind. Perhaps I’ll get to help somehow again, but for now, I’m sharing the images of the people who kindly agreed to be photographed and wanted the world to know their story. And I ask all of you reading this, please don’t forget Ukraine. She needs all the support we can give her right now.

The post Dispatches from the Polish-Ukrainian Border first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Dispatches from the Polish-Ukrainian Border appeared first on This Photography Life.

Must Visit Places on your Northern California Photo Itinerary

Megan Kwasniak — Mon, 22 Nov 2021 01:58:28 +0000

Every few months, my friend Sonia and I become very restless and decide to take a trip together. Sonia is a fellow photographer and understands the logistics of travel when it comes to making images. Quite contrary to popular belief, image making is an intense, energy consuming process. Days are planned around the most ideal light, there are early wake up calls and late nights and scouting picturesque locations becomes more of a priority than eating at fancy restaurants. Photographers travel differently but I will write more on that subject in another blog post. The most recent trip Sonia and I had taken together was Northern California at the beginning of September. The main goal was a road trip through the Pacific Coast Highway. We had both dreamt up our own versions of what that road trip would look like and while we were able to experience a lot during this eight day journey, I can tell you this for sure: the trip has stirred my appetite for more. I now want to go even further north, exploring the places that are less known and less crowded than the famous PCH of the Californian coast. Pacific Coast Highway is a route that takes you from south to north of California, or vice versa, depending on where you are starting from. The road itself extends into Oregon as well, but we did not have time to venture that far. Our starting point was a place I had long wanted to visit: Point Reyes National Seashore. I have first read about it in Outdoor Photographer Magazine many years ago when I just started dabbling into photography. The photos of the foggy, somewhat mysterious coastline mesmerized me at that time…It’s been 10+ something years that I finally got to see it in person and it was, hands down, my absolute favorite place of the entire trip. In fact, I really need to go back there again 🙂 In a nutshell, Point Reyes was chilly, foggy and desolate – the perfect conditions for some moody-type photos. There are many hikes you can take in the area but even the drive itself is an absolute delight. We had the fortune of being on the main road just prior to sunset. Heading north in our rental car, we took notice of the sun setting to our right, turning the sky golden pink, drowning the scenery in pastel hues, too incredible to ignore. Any time one of us wanted to make a photograph, we were able to pull over as the road was practically empty. At one point, a herd of long antler dear appeared on the horizon. They trotted calmly, oblivious to our presence. I got out of the car to capture the animals’ long antlers silhouetted again the setting sun. At that moment, I was incredibly thankful not just for the scene before me, but for listening to my gut about packing the telephoto lens earlier – 20mm would have not been able to capture the majesty of the animals against the setting sky quite the same way. Point Reyes was the best place for moody, quiet type of photography. It left me with a sense of remoteness of a place and vast coastlines waiting to be explored. I’d definitely recommend bringing a telephoto lens (anything 85-400mm) to this location in addition to your wide angle, as you never know what wildlife you may encounter or if you decide to “compress” the jagged hills of the sprawling coastline. Point Reyes is also the home of a very famous landmark – the Cypress Tree Tunnel, the photos of which most of you have inevitably seen at some point while browsing the net. The literal alley of giant Cypress trees terminates at the gates of an abandoned historic building that you cannot enter, nonetheless this is a very interesting place to photograph. I chose it as the place for my Red Dress Travels series. Sonia and I stayed here for almost an hour making all kinds of images from different angles. Choosing sunset was the best idea for this and once again, we practically had the place to ourselved with very few other travelers appearing for short periods of time. Next we headed south and visited towns like Santa Cruz, Monterey and Big Sur, the more popular destinations on the PCH and thus, unfortunately, way more crowded. We could tell that the world, just the same as us, had become restless and was yearning to travel once again, despite the pandemic being still not quite such a distant memory. The key feature of all these destinations is their smaller town charm and it’s unmistakable beach vibes. There are plenty of photo opportunities there, from street style photography to quiet seascapes. In Santa Cruz we photographed during the most beautiful sunset and chased after surfers hitting the big waves – with our cameras of course 🙂 Even though scenes like these reminded me of Florida, the chilly air called for warm jackets and the water was not swimmable without at least a wet suit. Other than swimming, we explored the coastline; ragged, stormy and sometimes quite difficult to get to. We got lost looking for a “secret beach” that a local recommended in his youtube videos, but we never quite made it. Instead, we walked more than 5 miles in each direction, stumbling upon a dead seal and a group of hungry vultures waiting to pounce on its not yet decaying body. Nonetheless, the walk was beautiful and worth it. Many times not a single other person was found in sight. It was a perfect place to create landscape type photos or an environmental portrait type session. We finished our trip in San Francisco and I decided to photograph the famous Golden Gate Bridge. I will admit that photographing as iconic of a sight as this famous bridge can be daunting, but I didn’t want to leave the trip without at least one image of the landmark. Not knowing the city well, I could only focus on the locations that are more known among travelers and photograph it from there. The fog of san Francisco has always fascinated me and the season to “catch” most of it was at the beginning of September. Instead of worrying that I’m not an expert of the area, I decided to plan a bit more and take advantage of whatever presents itself to me. I made sure to get up at sunrise and visit the bridge from up close and from some distance, choosing to walk the famous Baker’s Beach and chatting up with locals along the way. I may not have captured the most unique photo of the bridge, but I managed to get a few interesting shots to be added to my collection 🙂 Again, a telephoto lens came very much in handy, as it allowed me to compress the bridge against the fog and the clouds, creating somewhat of a surreal mood. For all those thinking of driving the Pacific Coast Highway, I’d definitely say go for it; it’s a beautiful route to take on and to create many beautiful images. But for this one, research ahead of time, as seasons can greatly affect availability of lodging: this is a very popular road to drive and visit. For those of you who prefer more peaceful, less crowded destinations I’d say go as north as possible within the state and stay north, as it seems far less crowded than the south. Bring at least two types of lenses: wide angle and a telephoto as walking long distances with heavy gear should not be an issue for the most part. As always, plan around the best light and take advantage of all that comes your way, allowing your creative vision to shine through 🙂

The post Must Visit Places on your Northern California Photo Itinerary first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Must Visit Places on your Northern California Photo Itinerary appeared first on This Photography Life.

Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography

Megan Kwasniak — Tue, 01 Sep 2020 03:04:05 +0000

It was early March and the weather in Havana was lovely: warm, but not too humid, breezy in the mornings and with occasional rain showers in the early afternoon. The city was exactly as I had remembered it from a few years ago: noisy, colorful, full of light and life that seemed to have frozen in time. As I stepped onto the streets on the first day of my fourth visit, I was hit with a faintly perceptible nostalgia. The scenes so familiar from the past unfolded before me. Classic cars wheezed by, occupied by happy tourists and their stylish chaufeurs, the smell of cigar smoke permeated different corners of Havana Vieja and the on the Malecon locals and visitors alike strolled lazily along the boardwalk’s impermeable sea wall. Perhaps that is precisely why Havana appears so charming to those who visit it: it doesn’t change all that much through the years. While I don’t doubt that living in Cuba is a challenging endeavor on many levels I cannot help but feel love and nostalgia for the people and the country. I am also grateful for the plethora of photographic opportunities present on every corner. Having visited Cuba, and specifically Havana, a few times at this point, I can confidently say that the city is one of my favorite places for street photography overall. The combination of beautiful light, colors and shadows along with the contrast of grand yet dilapidated buildings makes for some of the best opportunities to capture emotionally evoking photographs. I consider it an especially fantastic place to start in street photography. If you are a novice who still feels shy and unsure about capturing street photos, Cuba is the place for you. Let me prephase the next part of this post that I do not necessarily consider myself a “pure” street photographer. While I photograph on the streets a lot, and even though my has work been featured in street photography exhibits around the world, I don’t consider myself an elitist of the genre by any means. Over the past several years street photography, in my opinion, has come to symbolize specific type of images where quirkiness, mystery and perfectly organized chaos prevail. My photos tend to be much more simple than that. Nonetheless, just like in any genre of art, there will be a variety of artistic expression represented. So let me share some street photography thoughts in general and how photographing in Havana can help you make the best images possible. Of note, this most recent visit to Cuba was one of my last travels for a while…As soon as we returned back home at the end of that first week in March, the Covid pandemic hit the world at full force and became a harsh new reality. It didn’t feel right for me to talk about the visit or post photographs from the trip as everyone struggled with illness and anxieties of the unknown. But now I find myself reliving the memories and finally going through the photographs I had taken then. It was the very first time I photographed solely with a wide angle prime lens and doing so was quite an adjustment from my usual shooting style. Nonetheless, I am happy to share some favorite images here. Cuba, you will always have my heart.

The post Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Why Havana is One of the Best Cities for Street Photography appeared first on This Photography Life.

Photographing the Horses of Iceland

Megan Kwasniak — Wed, 11 Dec 2019 01:46:08 +0000

The daylight was just breaking. It was 0915 and the predawn hour would last at least another twenty minutes in this Icelandic winter season. We stepped on the mud and snow covered path carefully, making sure not to slip on the ice hiding below the surface layer. It was a cold, but windless morning, a perfect moment to say goodbye to the horses we had met the day before. Draka and Bruno, our two canine confidantes happily accompanied us on this short walk from the farm house to the pastures. Draka ran ahead and led the way while Bruno kept his pace next to us. Shortly after we noticed them – the four beautiful horses standing nobly on top of the hill, their silhouettes outlined by the rising sun. They turned towards us and after a brief pause, slowly made their way to where we were standing. All but one, whom Draka engaged in a joyful play of catch and run were taken over by their curiosity to see if we had brought anything for them this cold morning. We had nothing edible to give, but we did welcome them with a warm embrace. They happily complied. All of Icelandic horses are domesticated and well taken care of. Everywhere we drove through, we saw herds of them grazing the vast pastures along the road. If you happened to stop, they’d likely come over to meet you, their friendly disposition being one of their greatest assets. The Icelandic horses are well adapted to the harsh environment they live in – their stature is shorter and stockier and their fur thicker and fuller to protect against the cold. I had always wanted to meet them and photograph them. I got my chance 🙂 That being said, if you’ve ever taken pictures of horses or any kind of animal for that matter, you know very well that it is darn difficult to photograph them! They don’t care for the camera much, not to mention the final product! They move around constantly, get too close, too far, don’t follow directions and refuse to pose appropriately 🙂 I had a hard time getting the images I had envisioned in my head prior to the trip and I think it’s almost miraculous I got anything decent at all. Photographing animals takes time and requires to build their trust with you, patience to wait around for the right moment and certain knowledge of their behavior, none of which I possessed. It would be preposterous to think I’d get some outstanding images just by standing next to a horse I barely know for approximately two minutes! And yet I felt compelled to try. My favorite images are the ones depicting their interaction with another human being. We’ve met many beautiful horses along the way, but I’d like to extend special thanks to the amazing horses of Ondolfsstadir Farm B&B where we stayed for a couple of days. The hosts of the farm are incredibly warm and kind and I’d like to thank them for such wonderful hospitality and for letting us meet and interact with their beautiful animals. If you are traveling through northern Iceland, please don’t hesitate to stop by at the Ondolfsstadir farm and consider staying the night. You will not be disappointed!

The post Photographing the Horses of Iceland first appeared on This Photography Life.

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5 Reasons to Fall In Love with Winter in Iceland

Megan Kwasniak — Fri, 29 Nov 2019 10:19:10 +0000

The plane barely touched ground on my home turf and I already felt a pang of longing to go back. For the past couple of days, I had been formulating a plan in my head to return to this place, even though I had not even left yet. But this was Iceland: the dream destination for many photographers and travelers alike who have a keen appreciation of the vast open and remote landscape. Iceland has become a very popular travel destination in the last several years, but I had yet to discover this on my own. Wishing not to put off the trip any longer, I booked my flight for November, excited but unsure what to expect from visiting Iceland in winter time. And as a true warm weather devotee, I had many reservations…Eight days later and I am here to tell you that Iceland in winter time turned out to be one of my favorite trips to date. Here are five major reasons I fell in love with the country during its coldest season: 1) THE SNOW COVERED PEAKS AND VALLEYS Our car made yet another sharp turn and just as we thought the view could not get any better, there it was right in front of us. Out in the distance, the slope of the snow-covered mountain gave way to an ice-covered foundation. This cascade of a completely frozen snow turning into a glacier was visible miles ahead of us. We pulled over once more that day, well aware that yet another stop would mean driving to our destination in the dark. But the view could not be overlooked. As we stood on the side of the road taking it all in, there was not another person in sight. This was pretty much the story of our entire trip to Iceland. A sharp turn, a cluster of mountains in the distance, a shimmering sea down below and a herd of horses grazing the mostly barren, snow covered land. Every corner more beautiful than the last, the countless photographic opportunities begged to be explored. Seeing the landscape covered in snow made it all more surreal. 2) THE EVER CHANGING LIGHT The winter light in Iceland is somewhat of a peculiar phenomenon for me. On the first day in Reykjavik, I eagerly check my weather app to plan for a sunrise shoot. I was stunned to find out that the sun does not actually rise until 9:30AM! So what that meant is that I could actually sleep in AND still get to shoot in the golden hour light at the same time? How could one get so lucky? J What was even more amazing is that the light actually stayed somewhat low throughout the day creating perfect shooting opportunities the entire time. I didn’t have to go crazy planning or rearrange out travel schedule around the best light, because, well, best light was present all the time! This truly was the greatest gift winter in Iceland could have given me. 3) THE ICE CAVES During my initial travel search, I discovered that Iceland in the winter means you can explore hidden worlds made entirely out of blue ice! All my hesitation about the trip dissipated instantly as I pictured myself standing under an azure blue wall of pure ice, something I could not even have dreamed up in my wildest imagination. As it turns out, ice cave exploration is one of those exceptional opportunities that are only available in Iceland during winter time. What’s even more interesting is that every season the caves disappear and new ones form, so the cave we visited this time will likely not be there the following year. The concept of seeing and experiencing something so incredibly unique and impermanent is what I consider to be one of the best things of all time that travel has to offer. 4) THE EMPTY ROADS Disclaimer: I do not actually know what the roads in Iceland look like any other time of the year. But what I do know is that in winter time, they are pretty much empty! We found ourselves driving alone for many kilometers (or miles if you prefer) at a time with not another car in sight in either direction. This made me feel somewhat safer on the often icy and snowy roads and yet unsafe at the same time, having the vague realization that if we were to get into any kind of trouble, there would likely be no one around to ask for help! However, there is something serene about driving through a remote area of a snowy mountain, relying on your own skills and trusting that the road will lead you to where you are supposed to end up. Having a functional four wheel drive, a few amazing travel companions as well as a tank full of gas definitely doesn’t hurt either. 5) THE NORTHERN LIGHTS The story, or should I rather say, my story of Northern Lights goes something like this: it was our last day on the island. So far, for the past seven days, we had absolutely no luck seeing the famous aurora borealis. We kept checking the sky almost every night, hoping to experience this incredible phenomenon or at least to get a glimpse of what it’s all about. Something always stood in the way: either the sky was too cloudy or the weather too windy or the universe was just not ready to give us a show of its most spectacular occurrence, no matter how much we begged. However, the night before last, we spontaneously changed our plans. We were going to drive back to Reykjavik first thing in the morning and spend our last night there. However, as we discovered an amazing geothermal spa in the northern city of Husavik the night before with the most spectacular view of the mountains and ocean, we decided to come back here in the morning and leave for Reykjavik in the afternoon instead, breaking up the trip in half and stopping for a night somewhere in between. This turned out to be the best decision we could have made. The guest house we randomly decided to rent a room in came to be in the middle of nowhere. The night was cold but windless with thousands of stars studding the dark, cloudless sky. Earlier that morning, I had asked the girls (my travel companions) to visualize seeing the Northern Lights, imagining being there when they show up across the horizon. Whether they listened to me or not, the universe certainly did…As we stood in the middle of a dirt road, surrounded by complete darkness and stillness of the night, we gazed upwards and saw a faint white band painting the sky above. Was this it? What are the northern lights supposed to look like anyway? How can we be certain we are seeing them? I had set up my camera on a tripod earlier and knowing that the sensor of a DSLR picks up the lights much stronger than the human eye, I decided to take a test photo. What we saw on the LCD screen made us leap with joy! The white band was in fact, the Northern Lights! I am sure we were quite the sight, dancing and hugging and screaming with joy in the middle of this road, that is if anyone was actually there to see us J But, just like many times before on this trip, there was not a single person around, just us and the sky and the aurora revealing itself to us in its splendor. The white band we initially saw eventually turned into green ribbons of light, which became stronger and more vibrant as time went on. Around midnight, the ribbons started dancing and changing location. There was not much left in us but awe. This experience took on a spiritual quality and left us speechless for the rest of the night. As I write this post, I’m coming to a realization that I didn’t specifically choose to travel to Iceland in the winter time. I chose to travel to Iceland simply because I wanted to travel to Iceland. I’ve been wanting to travel to Iceland for a very long time and I simply decided to just do it. When I booked my ticket, I didn’t actually know anything about going there in winter time. I just knew I wanted to see it and I was not going to make any more excuses not to. It turned out to be one of my favorite trips of all time. Why are we so afraid to just do things we so frequently want to do, but find a reason not to? What’s truly stopping us? Let Iceland in winter be a reminder that sometimes choosing the less popular route and simply going for it can turn out to be much more rewarding than expected.

The post 5 Reasons to Fall In Love with Winter in Iceland first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post 5 Reasons to Fall In Love with Winter in Iceland appeared first on This Photography Life.

Portraits from Sri Lanka: Approaching Strangers as a Photographer

Megan Kwasniak — Thu, 31 Oct 2019 17:34:16 +0000

“It is one thing to photograph people. It is another to make others care about them by revealing the core of their humanness.” The above quote by the famous photographer Paul Strand has immediately become my favorite. People photography remains the top genre I like to immerse myself in. I also think it is one of the most anxiety provoking areas for most photographers, sometimes even the well experienced ones. As long as I can remember, I have always been drawn to the human face and the joy it gives me when I make a portrait of someone. Whenever I travel, I am constantly observing and searching for that person who draws my attention and whom I suddenly long to photograph. Sometimes that desire is so strong it stops me in my tracks. I am not ashamed of this realization; I let my body language reveal the fascination with the person I desire to photograph. Some find it silly, some curious. Either way, most of the time, they inquisitively pause long enough for me to grab my chance at photographing them. Most of the time, it helps me. Whenever I see a person I’d like to take a picture of, some logistical options quickly run through my mind: do they seem approachable? What is the likelihood they’ll agree to be photographed? If they do agree, am I in the right place to photograph them? Is the background complimentary or will it distract from the portrait? Is the person willing to move somewhere else if such is needed? I summon all my courage while quickly scanning these questions in my head. Most of the time I just go for it: I look my potential subject firmly in the eyes, smile and either simply raise my camera up in a gesture of approval or ask for permission directly. This process never occurs without at least some form of anxiety on my part, despite having approached hundreds of people over the years. But as I have written previously on this topic, approaching strangers on the street does get a little easier with time and the only true formula on overcoming anxiety associated with it is to just go for it. If the thought of approaching a stranger for a portrait scares you, here are some additional techniques I implement that help me with my angst: Practice taking portraits of people you already know and are comfortable with then slowly move on to friends of friends and ultimately strangers. Making images of those who know you and trust you solidifies your foundation as a photographers and helps you master all those skills that will come in handy when anxiety takes over your mindset. Engage in small conversations before you take a photo. Some photographers may disagree with me on this in the concern that doing so will break the moment of spontaneity. However, what I have discovered over the years is that engaging in conversation creates better connection with my subject and actually facilitates the shooting process. What may have initially been an awkward snapshot of a person now becomes a much more genuine portrait that does indeed reveal something intimate about the person being photographed. I’ve discovered that people are much more likely to open themselves up to me if we exchange a few friendly words beforehand. Don’t be afraid to ask for what you want. If you want your subject to move next to certain background, just do so. If you want them to look more poised or serious instead of too smiley, gently guide them in that direction. In my opinion, it is absolutely okay to do so. This is about making of a portrait, not shooting a street scene. If your intention is capturing whatever is in front of you exactly as it is seen, then these guidelines are not applicable. However, if you are looking to make portraits of people you meet on your travels or while exploring the new surroundings, then they certainly do apply and will help you achieve your vision more clearly. Make the best portrait that you truly can make in that moment. You owe your subject at least that much for their time. Take more than one photo and compliment the person you’re photographing. Once you get the person’s permission, it would be a waste to just take one mediocre snapshot and walk away. If your subject feels appreciated and believes the images are reflecting their true self, they will reveal themselves to be genuine and true to the story. I am not saying to compliment people for the sake of complimenting. I am saying that if what you see in your viewfinder is reflective of your original vision, then you are certainly on the right tract and your subject should be aware of that. I frequently will comment that something looks great if it really does and such form of encouragement is often all people need to hear to feel good about the encounter. Lastly, just go for it! Seriously guys, just do it. What is the worst that can happen? Someone will say no? If they do, just thank them anyway and move on. The world will still be there. You will not die of embarrassment. As my wise dad would say, the soup will still taste the same at dinner. Even in dismissal, all is well and as it should be. According to Jia Jiang, a famous “rejection guru” and the author of the book Rejection Proof: How I beat Fear and Became Invincible Through 100 Days of Rejection, getting rejected is often not about us, but about the person rejecting us. It has more to do with their own fears and anxieties than our work as photographers. The book is a truly fascinating introspection into the mechanics of rejection and I highly recommend it. Or if you don’t have the time to read it, google a youtube video of Jia’s famous TED talk. It will change your perspective on approaching strangers, I promise 🙂 I hope these simple techniques will help you guys overcome the fears of photographing strangers at least a little bit. Do you find these suggestions useful? If you have any additional insight, please share! We could all use a little encouragement on the topic that keeps haunting even the most seasoned of photographers.

The post Portraits from Sri Lanka: Approaching Strangers as a Photographer first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Portraits from Sri Lanka: Approaching Strangers as a Photographer appeared first on This Photography Life.

Lens on Sri Lanka: Beyond the Instagram Photos

Megan Kwasniak — Mon, 19 Aug 2019 01:12:43 +0000

If you’ve been following a number of travel Instagrammers on the famous social media app, chances are you’ve seen them visit Sri Lanka, the country that made some of the top travel destination lists since 2018. The photos these Instagrammers shared were usually stunning, showing the famous swing on the beaches of Unawatuna, the Sigiriya rock further inland and of course the famous blue train of Ella crossing over the nine arches bridge. The photographs undoubtedly stirred a little bit of envy and reawakened the wanderlust in anyone who’s seen them. I, for certain, was one of those people who poured over these images and dreamt up my own journey to this seemingly magical place. However, I suspected that Sri Lanka had more to offer than just its famous and slightly overly popular sites. As a travel photographer, I wanted to explore beyond the invisible borders of what is considered instagrammable and dive a little bit deeper into what the country really is. As most photographers will tell you, making great images requires time and patience, the two factors that are often as equally important as light and composition. Unfortunately, time was not going to be my friend on this trip, as I only had about 10 days to explore Sri Lanka and wanted to hit at least some of these famous places bloggers rave about. This is usually my biggest problem when traveling: I always want more time! However, as on all my previous trips, I decided to give it my best, immerse myself as deeply as possible and create the most honest images with whatever I had at the moment. Fortunately, Sri Lanka makes all of this quite easy. To start with, it is an incredibly picturesque country with varied landscapes offering something to the most capricious of all photographers. From the beaches along its coastline and mountains of the inner region through wildlife of the national parks, Sri Lanka truly has something to offer for everyone, no matter their taste. As always, my favorite part of the journey was photographing the streets and taking portraits of local people. To say that these two did not disappoint would be an understatement. As it turned out, the people of Sri Lanka were incredibly warm and friendly and curious about the travelers visiting their country. Since the wounds of the recent terrorist attacks still run deep, Sri Lankans were eager to engage in conversation and assure us of the safety and friendliness of their homeland. They didn’t mind being photographed, but also loved to click the shutter themselves: many a times I became the subject of their photos or found myself posing for a selfie with a group of locals on their cell phone camera. It wasn’t difficult or intimidating to strike up a conversation and to make images. I will definitely say that if you are a novice, but want to practice street and portrait photography, Sri Lanka is a great place to start, as most people will gladly oblige to be photographed (as always, please honor people’s wish to refuse a photo and be respectful in all instances). The true challenge in making images in a place like Sri Lanka, where there is a photo opportunity on almost every corner, lies in creating a cohesive series and portraying the spirit of a place. So how do we do that? How do we come back with a set of photographs that say something truthful and encompassing about the place we just visited? What kind of images will tell the complete story? Perhaps there is no way to do that, as most stories can be told from many different angles, but if we can create a set of photographs that make a viewer feel like they’ve been there and feel what we’ve felt when we pressed the shutter, then perhaps we have succeeded. What is the point of travel photography anyway? To show a place we visited in the most honest possible way and to tell the stories of the landscapes and the people we’ve encountered on our journey. To some of our viewers, those might be the only stories they’ll ever hear or get to experience for themselves. The more honest and cohesive our stories are, the closer we get to capturing what the place is truly all about. Artistic subjectivity aside, travel photographers have a sense of obligation to show the place as they truly saw and experienced it. But I digress somewhat. What I really have been wanting to say is that Sri Lanka is an absolutely wonderful place to visit and photograph and I encourage everyone who travels there to experience the country beyond the famous social media sites. Explore the hidden streets of Colombo, drive along the coast and stop for a refreshing coconut juice, stay at a local guest house instead of a big famous hotel and join a Sri Lankan family for a spicy curry dinner. And all along the way, document what you saw and felt and share honestly about your experiences inspiring others to travel or at least show them a different world than they are used to seeing. In that lies the power of travel photography.

The post Lens on Sri Lanka: Beyond the Instagram Photos first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Lens on Sri Lanka: Beyond the Instagram Photos appeared first on This Photography Life.

Unawatuna bound: Sri Lankan journey begins

Megan Kwasniak — Tue, 30 Jul 2019 11:55:48 +0000

It is barely 9:00AM and we are already sweating profusely. The second class compartment is spacious and comfortable, but the small fans attached to the ceiling do not seem to make any difference in the hot and humid atmosphere. However, the views outside the window provide plenty of distraction to the small discomforts of hot weather. The train is trudging lazily along the beautiful coastline, passing tiny villages on the way. We catch a glimpse of daily morning routines, children walking to school and dogs sprawled on the streets. There are fisherman and their colorful boats and a few bathers splashing in the shallow waters of the morning tide. We are on the way to Unawatunna, a tiny beach town located close to a much bigger city of Galle. We briefly check our phones: according to google maps, we have made it three quarters of the way so far. This is reassuring as we are hesitant to use the bathrooms on this local train, even though our bladders feel like they are about to burst. Nonetheless, this journey is all in good faith and we are happy. We are in Sri Lanka after all. We seem to be the only foreigners on the entire train. I cannot figure out whether this is due to the recent terrorist attacks or whether most travelers choose other means of transportation on this route. The train ride is costing us a whole $1.50 for the almost four hours it takes to get to Unawatuna from Colombo. Earlier this morning, while standing on the platform waiting for the train to arrive, a deaf man approached us unexpectedly and gesticulating strongly lead us to Class II wagon on the already very overcrowded train. He gestured to follow him and practically shoved us into the compartment, as people frantically jumped onto the still moving train. Once inside, the deaf man then placed a white paper and pen in my lap and asked me to sign it, giving him a tip of course. It’s not really like we had a choice at this point, but on the other hand we probably would have not known where to go. We gave him a 1000 rupee bill. I revel in delight as I pass the quickly changing landscapes before me. This is photographer’s paradise and I cannot be more thrilled. I just wish the train would slow down enough so I’d have a chance to document it all. Before we set out on this trip, I had many doubts. Even though Sri Lanka was topping the lists as the best destination to travel to in the current and coming years, the recent terrorist attacks have scared off many travelers and emptied all the popular tourist destinations. It took me a while to decide that I still wanted to come here in this uncertain time. But as soon as I committed to the destination, I knew I had made the right decision. And being on this train did not make me feel otherwise. The journey had just begun. Sri Lanka was slowly beginning to show me what she is all about. I have waited a long time to get here and now that I was in, I would immerse myself completely, letting my instinct dictate the path.

The post Unawatuna bound: Sri Lankan journey begins first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Unawatuna bound: Sri Lankan journey begins appeared first on This Photography Life.

Salar de Uyuni: Floating in Clouds

Megan Kwasniak — Sun, 14 Apr 2019 23:55:05 +0000

Salar de Uyuni: Floating in Clouds

The post Salar de Uyuni: Floating in Clouds first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Salar de Uyuni: Floating in Clouds appeared first on This Photography Life.

Connecting with Locals and Making Portraits in Jordan

Megan Kwasniak — Tue, 18 Dec 2018 03:52:02 +0000

Whenever I think of travel, my mind always goes to the people I meet along the way. The kind stranger on the street in Beirut helping me with directions. The beautiful barista in a hip coffee shop in Chile chatting about local attractions. The children playing in their front yard in a village in Cuba, letting me take their photos. The people I meet during my travels are what makes the journey real special to me. Jordan was no different. Similar to Lebanon, the country is home to a mixture of distinct peoples and backgrounds, a fact I found fascinating and didn’t know much about before I booked my trip there. Although overwhelmingly Muslim, the level at which religion is practiced varies across the country. Walking the streets of Amman for example, one can easily notice that women here enjoy greater freedom of personal expression and fashion than in Jordan’s neighboring countries. We have seen women dressed in abayas as well as those who could have easily been found on the streets of Paris or Milan instead of the Middle East. The experiences we’ve had in Amman compromised a mixture of activities that have both surprised me and enforced some of the loose ideas I had about the country. For example, we have danced alongside young women at a hip night lounge in Amman as well as cooked a traditional Jordanian meal with abaya clad ladies in a small village of Iraq-al-Amir just outside the city limits. We have found women who were shy of camera and worried about being photographed to those who eagerly smiled and even asked to be photographed. This concoction of behaviors and styles still fascinates me and is precisely the thing I’ve come to love about Jordan. I have this innate desire to go back and to photograph the people of Jordan to bring more of their individual story to light. Regardless of whether such diversity is something to embrace or to scoff at, one thing is for certain regarding the Jordanian people: they each welcomed our presence and went out of their way to make us feel safe and comfortable in their home country. Monika and I always seek out to connect with local people whenever we travel and in Jordan we had no problem engaging in frequent conversation or a friendly exchange. I think it’s worth mentioning some of the wonderful people we’ve met and the experiences we’ve shared with them along the way: Muneer, our guide and driver in Amman who went out of his way to accommodate my crazy photography related requests! Let me know if you guys ever need his services, I will connect you with him and you’ll have an Amman experience like no other. Beautiful Aya and her twenty-something friends who invited us for a night out in a hip part of Amman for a night of dancing and drinking (despite the fact that we are way older than them 😉 The lone young Bedouin boy with his herd of sheep and his donkey who let us photograph him as we randomly pulled over to the side of the road to meet him – he did not speak a word of English and yet the exchange was incredibly pleasant and fulfilling for us all. The wonderful family in the town of Petra whom we met while taking a sunset stroll and who invited us into their home for a hot cup of tea and a conversation about our travels. Our wonderful guides in Wadi Rum, especially Akram and his crew who made sure we had the best experience for all the days we were there. And lastly, the amazing ladies of Iraq-al-Amir village who cooked a delicious vegetarian meal for us, joked and laughed and told stories of their life in the limited language capabilities that we all had yet never allowing our differences to ruin the overall experience. All these memorable encounters in Jordan reinforced my ideas of why I love to travel and how important it is to connect with local people to make the experience even more meaningful. Visiting ancient sites and buildings is important, but does it ever, in itself, become life changing? Why travel if not to expand our horizons and our points of view about other cultures and the distant lands? What would the trip be worth if we came back home exactly as we were before we left, with our preconceived and media-biased notions of what the place and its people are really all about? I ask myself these questions a lot, but perhaps the one person that summarized it best is a British-born American travel writer and essayist, Pico Iyer. In his words precisely, “We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next to find ourselves. We travel to open our hearts and eyes and learn more about the world than our newspapers will accommodate. We travel to bring what little we can, in our ignorance and knowledge, to those parts of the globe whose riches are differently dispersed. And we travel, in essence, to become young fools again- to slow time down and get taken in, and fall in love once more.”

The post Connecting with Locals and Making Portraits in Jordan first appeared on This Photography Life.

The post Connecting with Locals and Making Portraits in Jordan appeared first on This Photography Life.